Review: Strange Angels by Lili St. Crow

Author: Lili St. Crow

Pages: 304

Source: Purchased from Amazon

Series or Standalone?: 1^st book in series

Dru Anderson has what her grandmother called “the touch.” (Comes in handy when you’re traveling from town to town with your dad, hunting ghosts, suckers, wulfen, and the occasional zombie.)

Then her dad turns up dead—but still walking—and Dru knows she’s next. Even worse, she’s got two guys hungry for her affections, and they’re not about to let the fiercely independent Dru go it alone. Will Dru discover just how special she really is before coming face-to-fang with whatever—or whoever— is hunting her?

The beginning of this book had me hooked. I mean, Dru’s dad was loading a gun on the freaking kitchen table. And he’s all just like “How’s life, sweetheart?” What the heck? And Dru is talking about being able to see ghosties and other creepy night crawlers. Total insanity. But that’s exactly why I kept reading it, because the entire book was like this. This book had more action than one of those Bruce Willis movies where he lives free or dies hard. Or both.

Dru as a character was great, strong and independent, although there were some parts where I wanted to smack her in the face. Example: She follows this goth kid that she JUST MET to a secluded place behind a mall that offers virtually no escape, after having taken down a zombie who, oh look, just so happens to have been her dad. (By the way, that’s not a spoiler, seeing as sit says her dad is a zombie on the back cover.) Hasn’t she ever heard of stranger danger? I guess when one hunts the creatures that go bump in the night for a living, one doesn’t worry for these things.

Graves was also very well fleshed out. One of the things I loved about his and Dru’s relationship is that, you just know that they are eventually going to fall in love- - the potential romance is there, staring you in the face from the very first chapter- - but it’s so casually avoided that, as a reader, you don’t feel rushed into it or pressured. There just comes a point where you say, “Yep, they’re going to be an item” and you’re totally cool with it.

Okay, time for the LOVE factor (“love” on my part): Christophe. I drooled over him. I really think that the book would have been a bagillion times better if he had been introduced about 100 pages earlier. There was just something about him that made me instantly take to him, and I was severely disappointed to find he wasn’t as involved as I think he should have been. Oh well, here’s hoping that the next books will include him heavily.

The cover for Strange Angels is really intriguing. There’s so much tension, and I love the look in the model’s eyes. It says, “Do you really want to screw around with me? No, I didn’t think so.” The back cover is also interesting. Zombies? More specifically, dad zombies?

This book is a solid five star. The pros so heavily outweigh the cons that I can’t justify rating it anything below five. This is a DEFINITE must read.

Other Books In This Series:
Betrayals (Book 2)
Jealousy (Book 3)
Defiance (Book 4---Released April 19, 2011)

In My Mailbox #4

In My Mailbox was started by Kristi from the Story Siren.

I got some amazing books this week. And I decided to do my first ever vlog!

Books mentioned in the vlog:

Popularity Genie In a Bottle by Donatella Fragiale and Cristina Fragiale

The Scorch Trials by James Dashner

Confessions of a Serial Kisser by Wendelin Van Draanen

Once in a Full Moon by Ellen Scheiber

Also, Sucks to Be Me, and Still Sucks to Be Me by Kimberely Pauley.

What did you guys get in your mailboxes? Show me!

Book-ish Talk Time

Instead of a review, today I decided I wanted to elaborate on a subject I’ve been thinking about.

Negative reviews.

Many bloggers do write them, but there are many that are opposed to them. Personally, I like negative reviews just as much as I like positive reviews, and I am definitely not afraid to write a negative review if I didn’t enjoy something. But, I do think that they should be tasteful, and give relevant criticism, not simply bash the book. A book isn’t all bad, and whenever I write a negative review, I don’t always focus on the negative. I try to throw in some positive things that I did like to balance it out.

Posting a negative review is truthful. If someone didn’t like a book, I want to know why. If their reasons are things that I know I myself wouldn’t like, then I may not pick up that book and spend the 20 bucks instead on a book I will like. Or, maybe the person and I have differing tastes, and what may have annoyed them is fine with me. Either way, it’s nice to know about these things in advance. Just as it’s great to know about all the amazing “must read” books, it’s also just as important to know which ones to avoid.

So, what do you guys think about negative reviews?

Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr

Rule #3: Don't stare at invisible faeries.
Aislinn has always seen faeries. Powerful and dangerous, they walk hidden in the mortal world. Aislinn fears their cruelty-especially if they learn of her Sight-and wishes she were as blind to their presence as other teens.


Rule #2: Don't speak to invisible faeries.
Now faeries are stalking her. One of them, Keenan, who is equal parts terrifying and alluring, is trying to talk to her, asking questions Aislinn is afraid to answer.
Rule #1: Don't ever attract their attention.

But it's too late. Keenan is the Summer King, who has sought his queen for nine centuries. Without her, summer itself will perish. His is determined that Aislinn will become the Summer Queen at any cost-regardless of her plans or desires.
Suddenly none of the rules that have kept Aislinn safe are working anymore, and everything is on the line: her freedom; her best friend, Seth; everything.

Faery intrigue, mortal love, and the clash of ancient rules and modern expectations swirl together in Melissa Marr's stunning twenty-first-century faery tale.

I love faeries, I really do. But this one just didn’t cut it for me.

Marr’s writing was wonderful, very poetic and lilting, but she switched between too many points of views. I personally think anything more than three is way too many, and she had several. It detracted from the overall reading experience. The entire time I was too busy keeping track of all the different perspectives.

I did like the various types of fey that Marr introduced to us. They were described well, and were intriguing. I really liked the whole schtick with the Summer King, and those who weren’t the Summer Queen became Winter Girls. Speaking of Winter Girls, Donia, the current one, was actually my favorite character in the whole book.

Aislinn, the main character, doesn’t do anything. Honestly, she spends most of her time sleeping. She can’t make a decision on anything, and because of this, the plot suffered.The entire novel moved very slowly, and when it did move, it wasn’t because of Aislinn, it was because of the other characters. Mostly Donia. She was actually a major driving force in this novel, and if Marr had wanted to, Donia could have actually been the main character.

Beira, the villainess of the novel, was just some Disney movie reject. Seriously, I was at no point in the novel intimidated by her. She reminded me of the evil queen from Snow White, and Ursula from The Little Mermaid.

Seth, Aislinn’s main love interest and best friend, was… well, perfect. In a bad way. In the Edward Cullen way. Where are his flaws? Problems? He’s just there, and perfect. And to provide some angst.

Honestly, I expected so much more from this book. There was SO MUCH potential, but it fell flat. BUT, I will give Melissa Marr the benefit of the doubt, so I will most likely be picking up her next few novels.

My favorite part of the whole book is the cover. Isn’t it just gorgeous?

Review: The Faerie Path by Frewin Jones

Author: Frewin Jones
Pages: 312
Publisher: Harper Teen
Genre: YA Fantasy
Source: Purchased
Buy The Book

Swept away into a court of magic and beauty, she discovers she is Tania, the lost princess of Faerie: the youngest daughter of Oberon and Titania. Since Tania's mysterious disappearance on the eve of her wedding five hundred years before, Faerie has been sunk in darkness and gloom. The courtly Lord Gabriel Drake, who Tania was once to marry, has found her and brought her back.

With Tania's return, Faerie comes alive again as a land of winged children, glittering balls, and fantastic delights. But Tania can't forget Anita's world, or the boy she loved there.

Torn between two loves and between two worlds, Tania slowly comes to discover why she disappeared so long ago. She possesses a singular magical ability and she must use it to stop a sinister plan that threatens the entire world of Faerie.

When I first started reading The Faerie Path, I was a little bored. It started off slowly for the first couple of pages, and then once Anita sprouts her wings, everything sort of kicks into overdrive and the novel becomes this amazing whirlwind of magic and fantasy.

Really, the thing that set this book apart is the writing style. I thought it flowed so fluidly. And when Tania/Anita changes worlds and moves into the Immortal Realm, the writing changes too. It’s not drastic, just a subtle refinement that makes your subconscious say “Okay, we’re not in Kansas anymore.”

My favorite characters were the six sisters. Each had her own distinct personality, and while I liked some more than others, I loved them all. They quickly became an integral part of the story. The only drawback to there being six additional sisters, along with Tania, some of them get lost and become background characters that we didn’t get to see much of.

I actually really enjoyed Tania as a protagonist. Her reactions to what was happening to her were very realistic. I admit, if I found out I was a faerie after 16 freaking years, I would have probably been the same way.

Overall, I admit, the novel is a bit of a fluff piece. But I really enjoyed it for what it was - - a faerie tale.

100 FOLLOWERS!

100. FOLLOWERS.

Just now I logged on and saw that I have 100 followers. 100. I'm in shock right now, and I can barely process that.

I just wanted to that all of my followers for putting enough faith in me to follow and actually read my opinions. To everyone who has commented THANK YOU. To everyone that is a current follower THANK YOU. And to any future followers, THANK YOU. This actually means so much to me. It's a real milestone.

Okay, I'm going to finish writing the current review I'm working on, and then head to bed.

Oh, and while I'm here, I would like to mention, for those of you with Twitter and Facebook, that I now have both of those things. The links are in the right hand side bar, but I'll put them here anyway for easier access.

Twitter

Facebook

Oh, I have so much planned for all you lovely followers. SO MUCH! 2011 will bring much greatness...

Okay, off to write my reviews for you all. 

Review: Graceling by Kristin Cashore

Author: Kristin Cashore
Pages: 471
Publisher: Harcourt Children's Books
Genre: YA Fantasy
Source: Purchased
Buy the Book

Katsa has been able to kill a man with her bare hands since she was eight—she’s a Graceling, one of the rare people in her land born with an extreme skill. As niece of the king, she should be able to live a life of privilege, but Graced as she is with killing, she is forced to work as the king’s thug. When she first meets Prince Po, Graced with combat skills, Katsa has no hint of how her life is about to change:

She never expects to become Po’s friend.

She never expects to learn a new truth about her own Grace—or about a terrible secret that lies hidden far away.... A secret that could destroy all seven kingdoms with words alone.

First off, I really enjoyed Graceling because it brought something fresh and new to the table. The concept of Graces was very interesting. Graces are special powers that some people are born with, hence the term “Graceling”. Gracelings can be identified by their eye color: the right and the left eye are two separate colors. Normally, Gracelings are not favored in society.

{The whole eye color thing was one of my favorite parts, because I actually do have that. Just in case anyone is wondering, it’s called heterochromia. I have partial heterochromia, which means that, while my eyes are brown, I actually have this massive glob of bright green in my left eye. Okay, back to the review.}

Katsa was a new kind of heroine. I’m really not used to brusque and aloof females in fantasy as the main girls, and Katsa was very… tomboyish. It wasn’t bad, just different. For instance, she’s completely and one hundred percent opposed marriage, like, she never ever in her entire life wants to get married. Even though she loves Po and wants to be with him, she refuses to marry him.

Speaking of Po……… LOVE HIM! He was so well fleshed out, and I really appreciated the slow build to his and Katsa’s relationship. They started out as friends, and then slowly blossomed into lovers. It was very nice, and led to some very romantic moments.

The plot was great, although a little drawn out at the end. But it wasn’t anything unmanageable. It was actually pretty suspenseful, and I found myself biting my nails sometimes as I read. Also, I really wasn’t expecting what happened to Po, but I guessed it a little before it was revealed. Still, it added depth and reality. Life isn’t all completely happy endings, and while this is fantasy, it certainly is not fairy tales.

I also enjoyed reading about Katsa’s friends, who were very well portrayed. I love side characters that actually mean something, and are not just there to fill space.

Overall, this book was an amazing read and more than worth the price. A definite recommendation. I give this novel 5 out of 5 stars.

P.S.
I'm also putting this book trailer, not because it will make you want to read the book, but because you will be laughing your arse off from the bad acting. Seriously, what's up with the girl's voice? She sounds like she's 10 years old...

Please Answer Poll Question!

Hey guys! I put up a poll, it should be here -------------------------------->

I would very much appreciate if you guys took the time to answer this very simple question.
"How many pages do you like your books to have on average?"

The reason I want to know is because I'm going to be doing something that involves the number of pages in a book, and it would very much help me if I knew all of your preferences so more of you will participate.

Thanks!

A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray

It’s 1895, and after the suicide of her mother, 16-year-old Gemma Doyle is shipped off from the life she knows in India to Spence, a proper boarding school in England. Lonely, guilt-ridden, and prone to visions of the future that have an uncomfortable habit of coming true, Gemma’s reception there is a chilly one. To make things worse, she’s been followed by a mysterious young Indian man, a man sent to watch her. But why? What is her destiny? And what will her entanglement with Spence’s most powerful girls—and their foray into the spiritual world—lead to?

After reading A Great and Terrible Beauty, Libba Bray became one of my favorite authors. I absolutely adored this book, and raced through it. In fact, I got paper cuts from turning the pages so quickly. Gemma and her friends were interesting, and as a fan of historical fiction, I really appreciated all the time and effort and research Bray put into this book. She portrayed Victorian era England beautifully.

I love strong female protagonists, and this book is chock full of them. Gemma, Ann, Felicity, and Pippa are tough, and only want to be free of the constraints of society and become independent women.

Also, I love this cover. Corsets are my Achilles heel.

Libba Bray's Website

Emily the Strange: The Lost Days by Rob Reger and Jessica Gruner

Author: Jessica Gruner & Rob Beger
Pages: 264
Publisher: HarperCollins
Genre: Not really sure what genre this is, haha.
Source: Purchased
Buy the Book

13 Elements you will find in the first Emily the Strange novel:
1. Mystery
2. A beautiful golem
3. Souped-up slingshots
4. Four black cats
5. Amnesia
6. Calamity Poker
7. Angry ponies
8. A shady truant officer
9. Top-13 lists
10. A sandstorm generator
11. Doppelgängers
12. A secret mission
13. Earwigs
Emily the Strange: 13 years old. Able to leap tall buildings, probably, if she felt like it. More likely to be napping with her four black cats; or cobbling together a particle accelerator out of lint, lentils, and safety pins; or rocking out on drums/ guitar/saxophone/zither; or painting a swirling feral sewer mural; or forcing someone to say "swirling feral sewer mural" 13 times fast . . . and pointing and laughing.

4 words: I. LOVED. THIS. BOOK.

Emily the Strange: The Lost Days is told completely through diary entries by Emily-- or Earwig as she calls herself in the book. The overall voice and tone of the book is entertaining and generally hilarious. The cover is kind of misleading, because looking at it makes one think it the book is a gloom and doom goth book. But DON’T BE FOOLED! This book is so funny and enjoyable, and seriously, not at all as dark as it seems.

I was very surprised by this book. I didn’t take it as seriously as an actual novel, but it actually had great characters and plot that really threw me for a loop. I love Emily (Earwig) as a character. She was just so spunky. I really had a great time being inside her head. She makes up the funniest curse words and slang. (NOTE: There is no actually cursing. Just funny words.)

One of my favorite parts of this whole novel were the drawings on almost every page. They added a different perspective to the reading experience, and really brought the novel to life.

This was a much lighter read than I’m used to, but still totally enjoyable.  I give this novel 5 out of 5 stars.

In My Maibox #3

IMM was started by Kristi over at The Story Siren.

This week was pretty awesome, because I actually got some cool swag. I am a member of the Harlequin Teen Panel, and they sent me this super amazing poster for My Soul to Save by Rachel Vincent, and a pretty awesome bookmark that I love using. 

The bookmark.

The poster.

I also went to Barnes and Noble and bought the book the Eternal Ones. Really can't wait to read that one.

So yeah, that's what I got. What did you get?

REMEMBER TO JOIN THE GIVEAWAY!

REMEMBER! If you want that prize of 24 books, then you gotta join the giveaway! I already have over 50 entrants, so join quickly!

I know it’s several months early, but I figured I’d get a start on it now. I’m giving away 24 books for this year’s holiday season. 24 BOOKS! I know, I’m crazy.

One lucky winner will get this massive package of books:

Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares

Eragon by Christopher Paolini

Eldest by Christopher Paolini

Brisingr by Christopher Paolini

Rosie and Skate by Beth Ann Bauman

3 Willows by Ann Brashares

The Pillow Book of Lotus Lowenstein by Libby Schmais

A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray

Rebel Angels by Libba Bray

The Book of the Maid Servant by Rebecca Barnhouse

Going Bovine by Libba Bray

Love Is the Higher Law by David Levithan

Madapple by Christina Meldrum

Solace of the Road by Siobhan Dowd

Three Black Swans by Caroline B. Cooney

Confessions of a Serial Kisser by Wendelin Van Draanen

The Asylum for Wayward Victorian Girls by Emilie Autumn

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne

The Trials of Kate Hope by Wick Downing

The Fire Within by Chris D’Lacey

Swallowing Darkness by Laurell K. Hamilton

The Ashleys by Melissa de la Cruz

The Nightmarys by Dan Poblocki

Black Box by Julie Schumacher

You MUST be a follower to enter. The contest will run until MIDNIGHT, DECEMBER 24^TH, and then I will choose a winner and send it out as soon as possible. So, who’s ready for this?

To enter fill out THIS FORM.

YES, the contest IS international! :) SO FEEL FREE TO JOIN ALL YOU FOREIGN BLOGGERS!

Review: Gothic Lolita by Dakota Lane

Author: Dakota Lane
Pages: 194
Publisher: Ginee Seo Books
Genre: YA Free Verse
Source: Purchased
Buy the Book

TWO GIRLS, THOUSANDS OF MILES APART.

Chelsea lives in Los Angeles; Miya lives in Tokyo. Other than the fact they're both half Japanese and obsessed with dressing like Gothic Lolitas, they would seem to have nothing in common. Or do they?

THE BLOG THAT WENT AWAY.

They got to know each other through their blogs. But three years ago something happened to Chelsea, an event so terrible that she stopped writing altogether. Miya's been checking Chelsea's blog ever since, to see if she's come back, but she never has. Until today.

A LIFE AND DEATH CONNECTION.

Today is the day Chelsea finally goes back online and tells Miya everything. And today is the day that Miya's life could change forever because of it. Like a Japanese manga come to life, Gothic Lolita is a mythic fairy tale about love, death, and rebirth...and the courage it takes to reach out to another soul.

Gothic Lolita is one of those novels, one that speaks to the reader and has a message, but one that I really disliked reading.

I really am not a fan of free verse, and that’s exactly what this book was—with no capitalization whatsoever, which REALLY drove me crazy. If you’re like me and are easily distracted by lack of capitalization (my inner-editor was throwing chairs against the walls of my brain) then I suggest not reading this book.

I was just generally confused with this book, and not in the great “Harry Potter” confused way. It also took forever for the book to go anywhere, and even when the plot did move, it only moved an inch and then stopped, as if it were too tired to get up and keep going.

Also, I’m really not too keen on the cover photograph. That angle is really unflattering, and it makes the model look very… un-modely.

One aspect that I did like was the photography in between the narrative parts. The photos gave perspective to the story, and brought to life the setting. I give this novel 1.5 out of 5 stars.

The Van Alen Legacy by Melissa de la Cruz

With the stunning revelation surrounding Bliss’s true identity comes the growing threat of the sinister Silver Bloods. Once left to live the glamorous life in New York City, the Blue Bloods now find themselves in an epic battle for survival. Not to worry; love is still in the air for the young vampires of the Upper East Side. Or is it? Schuyler has made her choice. She has forsaken Jack for Oliver, choosing human over vampire. But old loves die hard...And even coldhearted Mimi seems to suffer from the ties that bind.

Young vampires unite in this highly anticipated fourth installment of the New York Times best-selling series.

I love the Blue Bloods series. And I loved this book even more. The Van Alen Legacy finally wove together several of the plots that had been waiting in the wings for a while.

My favorite character is Schuyler, and that’s why I was a little disappointed with how the focus of this book came away form Schuyler and centered more on the two other narrators, Bliss and Mimi. Schuyler as a character was, I think, the best and most impressive yet. She’s traveling the world with no one but Oliver by her side, and she has a team of Venerators on her trail, yet she stays strong and cool.

Plot-wise, this book was a HUGE leap forward. And just like previous books, people die. People that I loved and really, really, really didn’t want to die. Romances blossomed and were reinvigorated, or crumbled and shattered. It was intense, and I almost didn’t see the ending coming.

{By the way, I’m totally going for Jack. Yum.}

Again Melissa de la Cruz gives us an amazing book that’s hard to put down. If you’re a fan of the Blue Bloods series, make sure you pick up The Van Alen Legacy.

Book Details:

Hardcover

369 Pages

4 1/2 Stars

Melissa de la Cruz's Website

Radiant Darkness by Emily Whitman

Persephone lives in the most gorgeous place in the world. But her mother's a goddess, as overprotective as she is powerful. Paradise has become a trap. Just when Persephone feels there's no chance of escaping the life that's been planned for her, a mysterious stranger arrives. A stranger who promises something more—something dangerous and exciting—something that spurs Persephone to make a daring choice. A choice that could destroy all she's come to love, even the earth itself. In a land where a singing river can make you forget your very name, Persephone is forced to discover who—and what—she really is.

One of my all time favorite Greek myths is the Abduction of Persephone. Honestly, I’m obsessed. So I quickly snatched up Radiant Darkness the moment I found out it was a retelling of that very story.

Having researched so heavily on this myth, I went in reading with a head full of facts and expectations. When it came to the test, Radiant Darkness did not do justice what I was expecting. The whole point of Radiant Darkness is to tell the “truth” about Hades and Persephone: that Hades never really kidnapped her. “Okay, I’ll play along,” I thought at first. But Hades and Persephone knew each other all of a few days when he suddenly asks her to be his wife and queen. There was barely any development to their romance. Just four or five encounters and then he’s whisking her off (willingly) to the Underworld.

            {Also just saying, Hades had a beard. I don’t dig beards.}

One of the aspects that I loved about this book was the Underworld itself. It wasn’t simply stone and dirt, dark and gloom, but rather a complete world of its own with the sun shining during the day and even gardens for Persephone to tend. Whitman turned the Underworld into something new and original, and I really appreciated it.

I also loved the evolvement of Persephone’s character from a girl to a woman­¾from average to goddess. Part of this evolvement was the growth of her relationship with her mother, Demeter. At first, Demeter only did was she thought was best for Persephone without any consideration for what her daughter wanted, but towards the end, she realized her daughter was a grown woman and could not be suffocated and smothered. On her part, Persephone realized that her mother loved her more than anything, and was only doing what she did because of that love.

Whitman’s writing was very elegant, and interestingly descriptive. She continually uses a descriptive technique that’s all her own, and I loved. Example:

“It’s a deep voice. I can feel it reverberate in my chest and echo all the way down to my toes. I know I should leave, but I don’t want to. I want to keep my senses like this forever. I’m all eye, all ear, all skin.”

Radiant Darkness was an all right book that I did like reading. It just could have been better.

 Emily Whitman's Author Website

GIVEAWAY!

I know it’s several months early, but I figured I’d get a start on it now. I’m giving away 24 books for this year’s holiday season. 24 BOOKS! I know, I’m crazy.

One lucky winner will get this massive package of books:

Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares

Eragon by Christopher Paolini

Eldest by Christopher Paolini

Brisingr by Christopher Paolini

Rosie and Skate by Beth Ann Bauman

3 Willows by Ann Brashares

The Pillow Book of Lotus Lowenstein by Libby Schmais

A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray

Rebel Angels by Libba Bray

The Book of the Maid Servant by Rebecca Barnhouse

Going Bovine by Libba Bray

Love Is the Higher Law by David Levithan

Madapple by Christina Meldrum

Solace of the Road by Siobhan Dowd

Three Black Swans by Caroline B. Cooney

Confessions of a Serial Kisser by Wendelin Van Draanen

The Asylum for Wayward Victorian Girls by Emilie Autumn

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne

The Trials of Kate Hope by Wick Downing

The Fire Within by Chris D’Lacey

Swallowing Darkness by Laurell K. Hamilton

The Ashleys by Melissa de la Cruz

The Nightmarys by Dan Poblocki

Black Box by Julie Schumacher

You MUST be a follower to enter. The contest will run until MIDNIGHT, DECEMBER 24^TH, and then I will choose a winner and send it out as soon as possible. So, who’s ready for this?

To enter fill out THIS FORM.

YES, the contest IS international! :) SO FEEL FREE TO JOIN ALL YOU FOREIGN BLOGGERS!

Over the Weekend Hiatus

Hey fellow readers!

This weekend, I'll be gone, and I haven't had enough time to schedule a post, so instead I'm just taking a hiatus. I should be back on Monday with a review of The Van Alen Legacy, or, actually, I WILL be back on Monday. So you guys can look forward to that.

Also, in other news, I've set myself the goal of finishing 100 books in 101 days. I've gotten through 2 books, and I have 97 days left. Anyone think I'm not up for it?

Sincerely,
Ashley

Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday was started over at Breaking the Spine.

Night Star by Alyson Noel. Released November 16, 2010.

I really like the Immortals series, and I can't wait to get my hands on this one!

Last Sacrifice by Richelle Mead. Released December 7, 2010.

Also a big fan of the Vampire Academy books. 

The Lost Saint by Bree Despain. Released December 28, 2010.

These covers are just so beautiful. Such a great series. I'm very eagerly waiting for this one.

My Soul to Take by Rachel Vincent

Author: Rachel Vincent

Book Type: Paperback

Number of Pages: 279

She doesn't see dead people, but… She senses when someone near her is about to die.

And when that happens, a force beyond her control compels her to scream bloody murder.

Literally.

Kaylee just wants to enjoy having caught the attention of the hottest guy in school.
But a normal date is hard to come by when Nash seems to know more about her need to scream than she does.

And when classmates start dropping dead for no apparent reason, only Kaylee knows who'll be next…

I got this book through the Harlequin Teen Panel, and I was very excited to read it after reading nothing but good reviews. Reading all this wonderful feedback gave me some pretty high expectations. These expectations were exceeded in some cases, and fell flat in others.

First off, Rachel Vincent is a sensational writer. Her style was easy to follow and refreshingly descriptive. She set the mood and tone of the novel perfectly. Lately I’ve read too many books that either talk down to teenagers, or portray the characters like 30 year olds instead of 17 year olds. But Vincent found a nice middle ground. The entire novel is told through Kaylee’s point of view, and being inside her head was enjoyable. She was rational and smart, and very real.

I also have to give Miss Rachel some major bonus points for the originality! I have read enough about vampires and werewolves and ghosts (oh my!) to last me a lifetime. But I have yet to come across another book about banshees. Or bean sidhes, as it’s originally spelled. I actually didn’t know very much about bean sidhe mythology, and I wasn’t very interested in it until I read My Soul to Take. After I finished, I went and started looking up all sorts of information, and I must say I have a new favorite mythological creature. (Funnily enough, my friends call me a banshee all the time because I can do this weird high pitched keening, kinda like Kaylee. I wonder why I’ve never bothered to look into it.)

Kaylee as a protagonist was great. My only complaint was that I’m a little tired of the “But I’m not that pretty!” schtick, but at least she didn’t emphasize it that much. Kaylee carried a lot of baggage from a terrible childhood. Her mother died, her father dumped her with her aunt and uncle and barely talked to her or even visited, and at one point she was institutionalized. And she isn’t on very good terms with her prim and perfect cousin Sophie, either. But she’s got a good friend Emma, who is there for her even when Kaylee is having her “panic attacks”, which is actually her soul song for the people who are about to die. I would have actually liked to see more Emma in the novel. She was in there a lot at the beginning, then slowly dwindled away until she just stopped appearing by the last few chapters.  

Plotwise, it was very interesting and unique. We were introduced to creatures not seen much in the YA market, such as banshees and grim reapers. My qualm about the plot is that it happened over a period of 4 days, and so much happens in the four days that honestly, it doesn’t seem like it’s possible for everything that took place to happen in four days. (Also, while we’re on the subject of timing, at one point, Kaylee takes a shower, gets dressed, and blow dries her hair in all of 20 minutes. Girls, I think you’ll agree when I say that I take 20 minutes just to get dressed, let alone shower and blow dry my hair. That was so unrealistic I couldn’t help but notice that one sentence).

And in the course of these four days, Miss Rachel Vincent falls into the dreaded love snare that it seems every YA book these days is falling into: the ‘I’m in love with you, even though we just met’ trap. Yes, my friends. I know. Admittedly, there is a sense of gradualness to Kaylee and Nash’s relationship (Nash is, of course, a jock, gorgeous, and one of the most popular guys at school) but it still happens fairly quickly for my taste.

Definitely a good book, and worth the read, although if you’re nitpicky like me, you’ll notice these things like I did. But, either way, I do recommend this book.

Wow, this was a long review. :)

Changes

Okay, well I knew the whole schedule thing wouldn't last long.

It's been a week and a few days now that I've used the schedule that I made for myself, and I decided that I'm no longer going to follow it. I was thinking about it, and I realized that following the same bi-weekly schedule just feels... mechanic and unreal. So I'm just going to go with the flow. I'm still acclimating to being a blogger again, so it may take time for me to get back in the groove. But I know I'll have it down soon. In the meantime, I will finish up this week using the Week B schedule, and then next week... I'm on my own I guess.

Anyway, I have some BIG things planned for the near future, some huge announcements (*cough*contest/giveaways*cough*) and I'm just dying to spill. But for now, all I can say is expect some great stuff on the way.

I just want to thank everyone who is following this blog, and everyone who has commented. I really, really, sincerely appreciate everything. I didn't expect to get 21 new followers in one week. That really just blew my little mind.