Review: Pretty Crooked (Pretty Crooked #1)

Title: Pretty Crooked (Pretty Crooked #1)
Author: Elisa Ludwig
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Pages: 368


My Rating:

Willa’s secret plan seems all too simple: take from the rich kids at Valley Prep and give to the poor ones.Yet Willa’s turn as Robin Hood at her ultra-exclusive high school is anything but. Bilking her “friends”-known to everyone as the Glitterati-without them suspecting a thing, is far from easy. Learning how to pick pockets and break into lockers is as difficult as she’d thought it’d be. Delivering care packages to the scholarship girls, who are ostracized just for being from the “wrong” side of town, is way more fun than she’d expected.The complication Willa didn’t expect, though, is Aidan Murphy, Valley Prep’s most notorious (and gorgeous) ace-degenerate. His mere existence is distracting Willa from what matters most to her-evening the social playing field between the have and have-nots. There’s no time for crushes and flirting with boys, especially conceited and obnoxious trust-funders like Aidan.But when the cops start investigating the string of burglaries at Valley Prep and the Glitterati begin to seek revenge, could he wind up being the person that Willa trusts most? -goodreads.com

Quick read but it kept me entertained until the very end. So many unanswered questions that actually motivate me to want to go buy the next book... So why only 3 hearts?

Lets begin with the positives. Not trying to steal someones quote, but I read somewhere on good reads that this book is the perfect combination of Mean Girls and Robin Hood, and truer words have never been spoken. I laughed so hard at some parts that my roommate probably thought I was going crazy! But at the same time, my heart felt for Willa during other parts... I get it, she steals and no book should "hype" that up... but what Willa did was so much more than that, in my eyes. Having been in the shoes of the "scholarship kid" I would have been the first to hug and cheer for Willa. These girls were bullies and I hated how the whole school secretly adored them.

Now onto the negatives...The dialogue was super cheesy at times, it had me eye rolling. I hated how Willa always trusted the wrong people. Plus, this book felt like it fed into stereotypes (the black guy with a record? Come on!). The thing the probably pissed me off the most was the ending and answered questions. What's going on with the mom? Why have a major cliff hanger ending with no resolution? Was this all just a marketing ploy to get me to buy the next book?... Because it's working. I'll let you know how book 2 treats me.

Review: The One (The Selection #3)

Title: The One (The Selection #3)
Author: Kiera Cass
Publisher: HarperTeen
Pages: 323

My Rating: 

The time has come for one winner to be crowned.  When she was chosen to compete in the Selection, America never dreamed she would find herself anywhere close to the crown—or to Prince Maxon's heart. But as the end of the competition approaches, and the threats outside the palace walls grow more vicious, America realizes just how much she stands to lose—and how hard she'll have to fight for the future she wants. -goodreads.com

Alright, so... I have mixed feelings. This series was an easy read, because there's no real action in them. Yes, I know the rebels exist, but in all honesty they never once felt like a real threat. Not one time! Whenever they would show up I would think to myself, "Oh yeah, I forgot there's outside forces trying to break in". The ending was happy, and I'm a sucker for happy endings, but it all felt so rushed.

I might be hated for this [please forgive me] BUT.... The whole love triangle didn't even seem real. Of course I was Team Maxon but that was only because Aspen never really had his moment to shine. Yeah he was a guard and risked everything to be with America, but I feel like we never really got to know him. I always compare love triangles to the MOTHER of all love triangles; Twilight. In New Moon we got a whole book to get to know Jacob (did I like it in the beginning? Hell freaking no, BUT it gave us the chance to possibly consider someone that wasn't Edward). In The Selection series, I feel like Aspen was kinda just THERE... Like a fly that won't go away even after you shoo it.

Overall, I enjoyed this series and it did have it's romantic moments (Maxon's letter), but at the end of the day that's all it was romance. Which usually I don't complain about, but I just couldn't make it work for me personally when it came to this book. 

Review: The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight

Title: The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight
Author: Jennifer E. Smith
Publisher: Little Brown
Pages: 236
Source: Own

My Rating:

Who would have guessed that four minutes could change everything? Today should be one of the worst days of seventeen-year-old Hadley Sullivan's life. Having missed her flight, she's stuck at JFK airport and late to her father's second wedding, which is taking place in London and involves a soon-to-be stepmother Hadley's never even met. Then she meets the perfect boy in the airport's cramped waiting area. His name is Oliver, he's British, and he's sitting in her row.

A long night on the plane passes in the blink of an eye, and Hadley and Oliver lose track of each other in the airport chaos upon arrival. Can fate intervene to bring them together once more? Quirks of timing play out in this romantic and cinematic novel about family connections, second chances, and first loves. Set over a twenty-four-hour-period, Hadley and Oliver's story will make you believe that true love finds you when you're least expecting it. -Summary from goodreads.com

I bought the book, read it, enjoyed it, put it back on the bookshelf, and that was it. It was a really cute read, but that was all it was, cute. I didn’t give it much thought until I sat down to write this review.

I’m a hopeless romantic, and let me tell you that the romance in this one wasn’t all that great. Sure we had our fun, meaningful, and even thoughtful moments, but it didn’t leave a lasting impression. I thought maybe the dialogue would save this one for me, Oliver is quite the charmer, but I just wasn’t feeling it.

I am always quick to fall for the main guy lead, but there was something about Oliver I just didn’t like. SPOILER!* The way he acts with Hadley when she finally finds him… ugh. He was so indifferent! I mean I am aware of the situations and they are at a funeral, but still. This chick just spent the last few hours searching for you, the least you can do is give her some attention. He DOES make up for it later, but still! END* I always thought I was a fan/believer of the whole insta-love (don’t judge me) but this book proved me otherwise.

Now, the book wasn’t completely bad, we had our funny moments that had me smiling from ear to ear. Not to mention all the family drama, very good back story. Very deep and real. I’ve seen what a divorce does to a family, and this book was enough to have me keep reading till the end just to see how things would work out.

Review: The Goddess Test

Title: The Goddess Test
Author: Aimee Carter
Publisher: Harlequin
Pages: 304
Challenge: None
Source: Own


My Rating:

It's always been just Kate and her mom—and her mother is dying. Her last wish? To move back to her childhood home. So Kate's going to start at a new school with no friends, no other family and the fear her mother won't live past the fall. Then she meets Henry. Dark. Tortured. And mesmerizing. He claims to be Hades, god of the Underworld—and if she accepts his bargain, he'll keep her mother alive while Kate tries to pass seven tests. Kate is sure he's crazy—until she sees him bring a girl back from the dead. Now saving her mother seems crazily possible. If she succeeds, she'll become Henry's future bride, and a goddess. -summary from goodreads.com

I’m sad to say that I didn’t enjoy TGT as much as I thought I would…. I did enjoy it, just not to the level I was hoping too. Being a big fan of Persephone's story, I had a very difficult time identifying the myths and happenings. Kate as a character felt rushed. As the reader, I felt as if I didn’t get enough of a feeling to her, for me to decide if I like her or not. This whole novel is done in the first person perspective, yet I feel like Kate is a stranger. We never really got a view of her inner conflict, just her decisions and actions. She had this vulnerability about her that made her relatable in certain situations, but at the same time I wanted her to wake up and take action. I like my characters to have a backbone, and Kate just didn’t make the cut!

Henry was very… what’s the word I’m looking for… Bland?! Dull?... I went from thinking, “what a total creep!”, to thinking, “ok, maybe he’s just hardcore old school. Total gentleman.”, and lastly, “AHHH! Henry, you’re supposed to be the King of the Underworld; ACT LIKE IT!”

Now don’t automatically think I hated the book, because I didn’t. There were a few aspects that kept me interested, thus the 3 hearts and not lower. Although the plot didn’t have many similarities to the myth that we all know, the author made up for it by adding several original elements that I think enhanced the storyline. TGT had a ton of potential but the story just didn’t feel like it was carried out the right way. It was a little hot and cold for me; in the beginning I couldn't take it, but at the end I wanted the story to keep going. Let's hope the sequel, GODDESS INTERRUPTED, steps it up to the next level!

Review: Last Sacrifice

Title: Last Sacrifice (Vampire Academy #6)
Author: Michelle Read
Publisher: Razorbill
Pages: 594
Challenge: YA Series
Source: Library
Retailer: B&N / Amazon


My Rating:

Rose Hathaway has always played by her own rules. She broke the law when she ran away from St. Vladimir's Academy with her best friend and last surviving Dragomir princess, Lissa. She broke the law when she fell in love with her gorgeous, off-limits instructor, Dimitri. And she dared to defy Queen Tatiana, leader of the Moroi world, risking her life and reputation to protect generations of dhampir guardians to come. Now the law has finally caught up with Rose--for a crime she didn't even commit. She's in prison for the highest offense imaginable: the assassination of a monarch. She'll need help from both Dimitri and Adrian to find the one living person who can stall her execution and force the Moroi elite to acknowledge a shocking new candidate for the royal throne: Vasilisa Dragomir. But the clock on Rose's life is running out. Rose knows in her heart the world of the dead wants her back . . . and this time she is truly out of second chances. The big question is, when your whole life is about saving others, who will save you? -summary from goodreads.com 

I had very high hopes for Last Sacrifice, and although I did enjoy it immensely, there were a couple of things that I wasn't to happy with. I guess you can say I had a love hate relationship with the book.

Ms. Mead managed to keep the mystery going all the way until the last chapter. Just when you thought you figured things out, she threw another wrench in the story. All the characters throughout the book weave and flow perfectly! Rose Hathaway is one of my favorite characters. Her sarcasm, naivety, humor and warrior attitude makes for an entertaining read in itself. I bawled my eyes out at the end when she confronts Adrian. Poor guy!

Now, although I absolutely loved the story and thought the ending was pretty much glorious, I was still left with a handful of unanswered questions. More than that, I feel like the story isn’t over, lots of plot holes were left open! I did not get that happy, fuzzy feeling after reaching the conclusion. This is the last book to one of my favorite series; I wanted all loose ends to tie up. I know there is going to be a spin-off series and all, but it's unfair for questions about this series to be answered in the spin-off series.

Some of my questions: *SPOILERS*

What’s going to happen to Tasha? Will she get executed, locked up, sent away? Call me evil, but after everything she did to Rose, I would have loved for her character to actually have been killed off during the final battle. Also, how does Christian feels about Rose turning in his aunt? It’s obvious he still cares because it is mentioned that he still visits her.

In the end, Rose asks Dimitri (after the bullet scene with Lissa) if he had been going in to save her or Lissa, and he answers that he doesn't know. WTF???? That's just so depressing! And Dimitri’s infamous “they come first” phrase. Ugh.

Speaking of whom; Rose and Dimitri did NOT even discuss the past matters in their relationship like when she went to Siberia, met his family, everything she did for him, his rejection of her after he was healed, etc. There were hints and small talk but nothing really clear.

Going back to Rose being shot by Tasha, NOBODY heals her! So we are led to believe that after everything, nobody tries to heal Rose and break into where she is being held (because of the lockdown)? They would have just let her die? Thankfully, she recovers by herself, but to top it all of, Rose is never even thanked by Lissa for saving her life.

Last Sacrifice was an exciting concluding book to the series, but I’ll be honest in saying that I was left wanting more! Everyone I talked to about this on twitter told me to be patient, that surely some of these questions would be answered in the spin-off books, but having read and reviewed BLOODLINES I am here to tell you that not many questions are answered….. But still, if you’re a die hard VA fan, you need to read this book ASAP! I don’t know why I waited so long.

Review: Blood Promise (Vampire Academy #4)

Title: Blood Promise (Vampire Academy #4)

Author: Michelle Mead

Publisher: Razorbill

Pages: 503

Source: Library

Challenege: YA Series

My Rating:

Rose Hathaway's life will never be the same. The recent attack on St. Vladimir's Academy devastated the entire Moroi world. Many are dead. And, for the few victims carried off by Strigoi, their fates are even worse. A rare tattoo now adorns Rose's neck, a mark that says she's killed far too many Strigoi to count. But only one victim matters . . . Dimitri Belikov. Rose must now choose one of two very different paths: honoring her life's vow to protect Lissa—her best friend and the last surviving Dragomir princess—or, dropping out of the Academy to strike out on her own and hunt down the man she loves. She'll have to go to the ends of the earth to find Dimitri and keep the promise he begged her to make. But the question is, when the time comes, will he want to be saved? Now, with everything at stake—and worlds away from St. Vladimir's and her unguarded, vulnerable, and newly rebellious best friend—can Rose find the strength to destroy Dimitri? Or, will she sacrifice herself for a chance at eternal love? -summary from goodreads.com

After the heart-wrenching cliffhanger at the end of SHADOW KISS, I was dying to get my hands on BLOOD PROMISE. Unfortunately BP wasn’t what I expected…. I was expecting to stay up all night reading but I found myself reading a couple of pages and then putting it down to read something else.

The first 300 or so pages were a bit boring and, in my opinion, very dark. It was a world outside of the Vampire Academy that I had learned to love, and I didn’t like it! We see a completely different side to Rose, a more emotional side. She has so many problems going on and they just pile one on top of the other. Poor girl, even her “bad-ass attitude” took a low toll. This new attitude of hers didn’t mesh well with her personality found in the first three books

I sped read through the first 3 books because I loved the story and the characters. Particularly Rose and Lissa, I loved their companionship and closeness... Now that I think about it, this was exactly what this book was missing; this book suffers because of the separation between Rose and Lissa.

I guess the only part that kept me interested was when Rose finally meets Dimitri, even though I hated the outcome. I’m going to just be blunt and say it; Rose and Dimitri remind me of Buffy and Angel. I’m sorry, but it’s the truth. Ass-kicking girl falls in love w/forbidden boy, forbidden boy loves her back, forbidden boy loses his soul, forbidden boy hunts down ass-kicking girl. It was really hard for me to read the scenes between Rose and Dimitri. I hated the way Dimitri kept her as his prisoner and pretty much turned her into his own personal “blood whore”. I often times found myself yelling, “Come on Rose, WAKE UP!”… I just wanted her to snap out of the trance and kill him, and that’s saying a lot because I love Dimitri.

With that being said, I will mention that if you’ve made it this far, but find yourself trailing off; KEEP READING. Crucial information is revealed throughout the book that continues the story line of the series. Although we get very little scenes between Lissa and Christian, those were definitely the moments I enjoyed the most. And the whole Rose sleep dreams with Adrian, LOVED THEM! Am I the only one who’s leaning more and more towards Team Adrian?! Don’t judge me.

Overall, not the best book in the series, but a good book none the less. I will definitely continue Rose’s adventure with the next book SPIRIT BOUND.

Review: Shadowland (The Immortals #3)

Title: Shadowland (The Immortals #3)
Author: Alyson Noel
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Pages: 368
Challenge: YA Series


My Rating:

At the start of this breathtaking novel, Damen and Ever travel to Summerland in search of an antidote to reverse a powerful poison. But instead of the cure they seek, they find something far more sinister: the truth about their existence and the fate lying in wait of an immortal’s soul. Now, with Damen fighting to save them from the Shadowland, Ever turns to magick, hoping to break Damen’s curse. Along the way Ever encounters the mysterious Jude, finding herself drawn to him in a way that will test her love for Damen like never before. -summary form goodreads.com

The book starts off right where Blue Moon left off; Ever saved Damen from dying by giving him a cure. However, thanks to Roman’s bad advice, Ever included her own blood in the mixture thus causing Damen to be allergic to her. Ever’s DNA is now poison to him, they can’t even touch. Desperate to find a cure, Ever uses every resource possible and even begins working at a occult store. That’s where she meets Jude, a new character in the series whom we later find out has served as a love interest for Ever in her past lives.

Ok, I’m going to be forward and just say what’s on my mind; Ever has got to be one of the dumbest teenagers ever! Gosh does that girl make some bad decisions. I honestly think my 12-year-old cousin has more common sense then her. Considering the fact that Roman was the one who messed up the so called “cure” in the first place, why on Earth would Ever go crawling back to him and ask him for help?

Ever makes girls seem weak and unable to make good decisions. What seemed to make this book interesting (for me at least) was Jude. I really liked his character and I think it brought with him new mystery, something the plot desperately needed. I could totally sense the connection between him and Ever. Dare I say I even liked him more than Damen? At least in this novel I did. Damen was acting really weird in this installment.

There were a couple of times where the plot seemed to be advancing and it looked like things were about to get good, but then the ending came and I was just left speechless…. Yeah, I’m talking about the choice to be made with Haven (you’ll see what I mean when you read the book), IT CAME OUT OF NOWHERE! It felt rushed and unconnected to anything that was going on in the book. It was as if the author needed a cliffhanger ending but couldn’t think of anything else.

Overall, Shadowland definitely had potential, but I personally feel it missed its goal. But although this book was a bit unsatisfying, I will continue the series to see where it's headed…. Just not anytime soon.

Review: Wolfsbane (Nightshade #2)

Title: Wolfsbane (Nightshade #2)
Author: Andrea Cremer
Publisher: Penguin Young Readers Group
Pages: 400
Challenge: None


My Rating:

When Calla Tor wakes up in the lair of the Searchers, her sworn enemies, she’s certain her days are numbered. But then the Searchers make her an offer—one that gives her the chance to destroy her former masters and save the pack—and the man—she left behind. Is Ren worth the price of her freedom? And will Shay stand by her side no matter what? Now in control of her own destiny, Calla must decide which battles are worth fighting and how many trials true love can endure and still survive. -summary from goodreads.com

I had originally given this book a 4 heart rating, but now that I think about it I’m leaning more towards a 3 ½. Let me explain. In Wolfsbane we pick up right after the ending in Nightshade. With that being said, if it’s been a while since you finished Nightshade, I would recommended going back to read the last chapter or so. Just so you get a better feel on what’s going on (unlike me; I was a bit lost at first).

The first 200 and something pages of Wolfsbane is the history of the Guardians. In the beginning I was very intrigued! The history was very interesting, but after a while it seemed to me like that was all we were going to get, just history. When things finally start to move along, I found myself not liking the way they were headed. For starters- slight spoiler- I couldn’t (wouldn’t is more accurate) believe what happened to Ansel! Super unjust and cruel! Also (bigger spoiler- highlight to read) [[ when Calla finds out her mom was killed because of her, the girl did not show enough emotion. Don’t get me wrong, I wasn’t the mom’s biggest fan in Nightshade, but she’s still her mother… you know what I mean? I would have cried like a baby, mean mom or not! I get the fact that she’s supposed to be this bad ass Alpha, but come on! Holding things in like that will just make her snap…. Which towards the end, she kind of does. ]]

Calla does have a moment of weakness where everything that’s happened is too overpowering and overwhelming… but Shay comes to the rescue. You’ll see what I mean ;) The last couple of chapters (with the exception of the very last one) were hilarious! I loved getting the girls back together. Sabine really surprised me.

Ok, so if you’ve read this far and your thinking, “Well Diana, all this doesn’t seem too bad…. I think I’ll manage” Well good for you my friend, but let me warn ya… my personal main major complaint; NO REN! Seriously, there is only ONE scene where he is present… ONE! It’s a GOOD scene, but one none the less. I was seriously growing grey hairs over here…. Team Ren all the way! Love Shay, but he just doesn't feel right for Calla.

Like any good series, there is always one book (usually the 2nd book…. New Moon anyone? I wanted to throw that thing to Timbuktu!) that has to be more of a transitional book; the one that prepares us for the awesome happenings that will happen in book 3….. I seriously feel that's what Wolfsbane does. Especially after the big revelations at the end. Ugh. The ending….. KILLER!

Review: Born at Midnight

Title: Born at Midnight (Shadow Falls #1)

Author: C.C. Hunter

Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin

Pages: 416

Challenge: None

My Rating:

One night Kylie Galen finds herself at the wrong party, with the wrong people, and it changes her life forever.  Her mother ships her off to Shadow Falls—a camp for troubled teens, and within hours of arriving, it becomes painfully clear that her fellow campers aren’t just “troubled.”  Here at Shadow Falls, vampires, werewolves, shapshifters, witches and fairies train side by side—learning to harness their powers, control their magic and live in the normal world. Kylie’s never felt normal, but surely she doesn’t belong here with a bunch of paranormal freaks either.  Or does she?  They insist Kylie is one of them, and that she was brought here for a reason.  As if life wasn’t complicated enough, enter Derek and Lucas.  Derek’s a half-fae who’s determined to be her boyfriend, and Lucas is a smokin’ hot werewolf with whom Kylie shares a secret past.  Both Derek and Lucas couldn’t be more different, but they both have a powerful hold on her heart. Even though Kylie feels deeply uncertain about everything, one thing is becoming painfully clear—Shadow Falls is exactly where she belongs. -summary form goodreads.com

After having met Mrs. Hunter at this year’s RT Teen day, I was very excited to start reading her book. I had very high expectations and in certain ways, the book did deliver. I really enjoyed the storyline and was easily transported to the magical world of Shadow Falls that the author created, but my big problem was that it didn’t leave a lasting impression. After I finished reading it, not once did I give it a second thought…. It wasn’t until I sat down to write this review that I thought to myself, “Oh crap, what happened in this book again?”

I’ll admit, the beginning of the book was addicting and it promised an exciting plot. The story opens up with Kylie (our protagonist) having one of the worst days of her life. I quickly found myself feeling sympathy towards Kylie, her whole world was falling apart and she didn’t have anyone to comfort for. Even her friends were too busy slutin’ it up to even notice that Kylie needed a shoulder to cry on. Things quickly take a turn for the worst when Kylie gets set off to Shadow Falls, a camp that is supposedly for troubled teens, but she soon finds out that camp isn't made up of druggies and delinquents. Shadow falls camp is a place for witches, fae, werewolves, shapeshifters and vampires. The big question now is; how does Kylie fit in?

For about half the book, Kylie is in denial about what she is, and I enjoyed reading about her own journey of self-acceptance. In the majority of paranormal books I’ve read recently, it feels to me that the main character accepts his/her power/situation too readily… it’s as if they knew the paranormal existed all along, even if they didn't. Does that make sense? Kylie's denial seemed very real to me, but that won’t stop me in saying that I hated her attitude in the beginning of camp. Also, did anyone else notice how many times this girl would brush her breasts against other boys? (I think I read of couple of reviews that mentioned that detail). I know it was supposed to add a sort of sexual tension between the characters, but I just thought it was ridiculous and laughed every time it happened.

The love interests in the novel kept my interest (Team Derick! Woo whoo!). Although I’m not to sure what team Kylie herself is on, she was pretty indecisive. To be honest, I lost count of how many times she came close to finally deciding on one and then changes her mind. Her relationship with Lucas felt super fast and forced. I understand that they’ve known each other since they were kid neighbors, but that doesn’t justify that fact that you’re making out with the guy during “Meet your camp mate hour”. That was another plot device that bugged me. It was obvious that “Meet your camp mate hour” was an excuse to have Kylie spend some alone time with the boys. The activity was designed to build friendship and to get to know another paranormal, but it's seemed more like a matchmaking service because they only pair a girl with a boy.

C. C. Hunter's writing was something that was constant throughout the whole novel. It was strong, easy to read, and had a great flow. My only complaint was the pacing; it was slow. The story does pick up towards the end, but by then I had already figured out who was behind all the mysterious camp activities. On the other hand, finding out the identity of the man following Kylie around was quite a pleasant surprise. I did not see that coming and it was well played out. Overall, I enjoyed BAM and I will be reading the sequel. Mostly because I want to see what happens to Kylie and the gang... and to see what’s up with the darn waterfall. All this reference to it in the book and we never even see it. Thank goodness book one wraps up nicely, no major cliffhangers, because book two won’t be out till October.

Review: Gone (Dream Cather #3)

Title: Gone (Dream Cather #3)
Author: Lisa Mcmann
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Pages: 214
Challenge: YA Series


My Rating:

Janie thought she knew what her future held. And she thought she’d made her peace with it. But she can’t handle dragging Cabel down with her. She knows he will stay with her, despite what she sees in his dreams. He’s amazing. And she’s a train wreck. Janie sees only one way to give him the life he deserves: She has to disappear. And it’s going to kill them both. Then a stranger enters her life — and everything unravels. The future Janie once faced now has an ominous twist, and her choices are more dire than she’d ever thought possible. She alone must decide between the lesser of two evils. And time is running out. . . .summary from good reads.com

I loved Janie and Cabel in the other books, and I was very hesitant in picking up GONE cause I knew I’d have to let them go. It took me a while to finally coming around, but I’m kind of sad I did…  This final book in the series is not a mystery, action, or a love story. This book is based more on Janie discovering herself. She’s trying to decide what she’s going do with her life now that she knows the consequences of her ability.

The first half of the book was the hardest for me. We get a view at Janie’s emotional reaction to recent events. She finally finds out who her father is, only to learn that he is in a coma. After further investigative his life; Janie finds out that her father too has her dream catching ability, and because if it, he now finds himself catatonic.

Personally, I found this book to lack a solid plot. For once in my life, I was hoping for a villain, but he never came. Most of the book was about Janie and her dealing with a coma induced father and an alcoholic mother, and by all means, that would have been totally fine if that was what the books were based on. But this series is a paranormal thriller! I forced myself to read through Janie’s thoughts because I wanted to get a real feel for what she was going through, but it was so depressing.

Believe it or not, one aspect I really liked about GONE was the ending. To me, the ending didn’t feel permanent and I liked that very much. The author sort of gives the reader the tiniest speck of hope. By not having a permanent ending, we’re left to believe that things might get better for Janie in the long run.

Overall, Gone was a very deep, emotional read. The first part of the book is the heaviest, but once you get past that bump, I’m sure any reader (who’s made it this far in the trilogy) will enjoy the rest of this fast paced read.

Review: Tempted by PC & Kristen Cast

Title: Tempted (House of Night #6)
Author: PC & Kristen Cast
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Pages: 336
Challenge: YA Series

My Rating:
 

Zoey needs a break after some serious excitement. Sadly, the House of Night school for vampyres doesn't feature breaks on its curriculum - even for a High Priestess in training and her gang. Plus juggling three guys is no stress reliever, especially when one is a sexy Warrior so into protecting Zoey that he's sensing her emotions. Wider stresses lurk too, and the dark force in Tulsa's tunnels is spreading. Could Stevie Rae be responsible for more than a group of misfit fledglings? And Aphrodite's visions warn Zoey to stay away from the immortal Kalona and his dark allure - but they also show that only Zoey can stop him. She's not exactly keen to meet up, but if Zoey doesn't go to Kalona he'll exact a fiery vengeance on those closest to her. She just has to find the courage to do what's necessary, or everything that's important to her will be destroyed. -summary from goodreads.com

I've stuck with his series for quite some time now. I really enjoyed the first five House of Night books, with the exception of book 3.... its was just bad. I remember all books as being addicting, edge of my seat interesting. I know I was often annoyed by the constant recapping, but I thought the characters were good and the story line was strong.... but Tempted was different. It was more of a bitter-sweet read- let me explain;

For starters, I felt that it took too long for the story to actually develop into an interesting plot. The books begins with the same problem Zoey has had throughout all 6 books; she can’t decide which boy toy she wants on her top shelf... I'll be honest, I'm starting to really dislike Zoey! She is like the Whore of all Babylon (excuse the language), yet every male character (with the exception of Damien and Jack) fall for her... I laughed my butt off when Erik told her, "I'm sick of you cheating on me with everyone who has a dick." Haaaaa! Even the characters in the book share my opinion! This whole book was supposed to be a big build up to Zoey's showdown with Kalona, but the story ends so suddenly that I felt ripped off. The actual "fight" isn't a fight at all and is done in about two pages. It just seemed pointless for the group to take a trip to Italy to have the book end as it did.

Despite whatever I just wrote, I did like the book. Stark was around alot and he is my favorite character hands down. It was nice to see more of him.... What he see's in Zoey, I will never understand. About the POV's changing in the book; I was worried at first that things would get confusing, but I found myself relieved to be in someone else's head that wasn't Zoey. It was very refreshing. I really liked the Heath and Stark parts, even though they were very small. And, surprisingly enough, I really enjoyed all Zoey/Stark interactions; I really see a relationship growing between the two, even though it's very obvious that Stark fights his true feelings for Zoey throughout the entire book.

Now do you understand why this book is more of a bitter-sweet read? The ending was a bit disappointing (not to mention super sad), but if you must know, yes- I will read the next installment but only because I already bought it. Hopefully the next book, Burned, picks up the slack and gets back into all the action.

Review: Mockingjay (The Hunger Games #3)

Title: Mockingjay (The Hunger Games #3)
Author: Suzanne Collins
Publisher: Scholastic press
Pages: 390
Challenge: None

My Rating:

Young Katniss Everdeen has survived the dreaded Hunger Games not once, but twice, but even now she can find no relief. In fact, the dangers seem to be escalating: President Snow has declared an all-out war on Katniss, her family, her friends, and all the oppressed people of District 12. The thrill-packed final installment of Suzanne Collins' Hunger Games trilogy will keep young hearts pounding. -summary from goodreads.com

I am at total loss for words. I don't think this had ever happened to me. I must admit that I've lost so much sleep this past week just thinking about this book and how it played out (talk about book mourning...!). This book was intense; it covers many societal problems and topics such as immigration, over use of resources, PSD, reality tv, war, and many more! Prepare yourself for a crazy ride across Panem, filled with war, blood and horrors.... Oh the horrors! But don’t worry, Mockingjay kicks ass! The story is freaking AMAZING! Prepare yourself for a couple of sleepless nights people…. Don't hate me, but there are certain things I just HAVE to get off my chest... 

*This part of the review contains spoilers!*

It completely tore my heart when Katniss finally gets Peeta back but he isn't himself. Poor Katniss, I mean hasn't she suffered enough? Hasn't enough been taken from her already? Oh and then Finnick; he had just got married! What will happen to his poor unstable wife? That's just cruel! But what I thought was beyond cruel and just plain evil was the fact that even after the author puts Peeta through hell, kills of his family, makes him loose his sanity, she still doesn't have the decency to either fix him or kill him. Don't get me wrong- I'm all for Team Peeta (never really like Gale) but poor guy! He suffers so much. Katniss does not deserve him. Gosh that sounded so mean. Alright, maybe she does deserve him... I mean the girl gave everything she had, but in the end that still wasn't good enough. She had to loose the one good thing, that in my opinion helped keep her sane; poor Prim. And the ending…. I have major mixed feelings. I’m happy she ends up with Peeta, but I wanted MORE! I know for a fact she loves him, but I just wish she would have shown it. It felt to me that the only reason she stays with Peeta is because he’s around, she really didn't get to choose who she wanted to be with because she was such a mess after what happened with Prim. Poor girl, will she never catch a break?  
*End of spoilers*

Does anyone else feel the same way? I feel like I'm going crazy at night because I'll just lay in bed and repeat Mockingjay over and over again in my head. It’s as if I'm in denial... I just can't accept the ending. *sigh* I feel so week, Mockingjay has left me vulnerable. Either way, if you've read The Hunger Games and Catching fire, you should add book 3 to your list NOW! It's always good to have proper closure to every series, even if it’s not what you wanted personally. 

Review: Once in a Full Moon

Title: Once in a Full Moon
Author: Ellen Schreiber
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Pages: 292
Challenege: None


My Rating:

Celeste Parker is used to hearing scary stories about werewolves, Legend's Run is famous for them. She's used to everything in the small town until Brandon Maddox moves to Legend's Run and Celeste finds herself immediately drawn to the handsome new student. But when, after an unnerving visit with a psychic, she encounters a pack of wolves and gorgeous, enigmatic Brandon, she must discover whether his transformation is more than legend or just a trick of the shadows in the moonlight. Her best friends may never forgive her if she gives up her perfect boyfriend, Nash, for Brandon, who's from the wrong side of town. But she can't deny her attraction or the strong pull he has on her. Brandon may be Celeste's hero, or he may be the most dangerous creature she could encounter in the woods of Legend's Run. Psychic predictions, generations-old secrets, a town divided, and the possibility of falling in love with a hot and heroic werewolf are the perfect formula for what happens... once in a full moon. -summary from goodreads.com

So, I had heard both good and bad things about this book, I wont lie- mostly bad, but you know what, I enjoyed it very much. In this story we follow Celeste, she’s your typical teenage girl who’s trying to enjoy her boyfriend and at the same time survive HS. One day during her walk home from school, she gets lost in the woods and is attacked by wolves. Thankfully, Brandon (the new boy from school) happened to be around and he comes to her rescue by scaring of the wolves off, but not without a battle scar; Brandon is bitten. Now, Legend’s Run is a very small town, and a very superstitious community. For hundreds of years there’s been a rumor running wild… you know what it is? You guessed it. Werewolves!... Well, eh, in reality it was the Wolf man.

That’s what I enjoyed about the book; although the story was familiar, it was completely different in its own way because it revolved around the wolf man (on two legs), not werewolves (on all fours). The scene’s were very well described, we had enjoyable characters- loved Brandon and I hated Nash. He was such a coward and he was utterly annoying! His idea of a date was taking his girlfriend to his sports practice? Um, no thanks! Celeste was a bit on the, “OMG are you BLIND?” side, but I cared for her as a character. Being the poor one in her little clique, I could easily relate to how hard she tried to get others to like her. I think we’ve all aimed to impress the wrong people. The relationship between Celeste and Brandon was slow but natural. It felt real and unrushed, although I do wish they had spend a bit more time trying to get to know more about one another, but since Brandon was bitten early in the relationship, they really didn’t have much time for 21 questions.

Overall, Once in a full moon was a good, enjoyable read. Some scene’s where a bit too-mushy, but what do you expect?! The main characters are High School kids whom like each other but are afraid to admit it in front of their friends. The ending was a bit… wierd. It kind of just ends… not like a typical ending- you’re in the middle of the scene and all of a sudden to turn the page only to find it blank. I was like, “WTH? That’s it?” but I guess the author was just setting up the town of Legend's Run and it's key players, giving us only a sample of what's to come... I look forward to more secrets being revealed in the next installment!