Review: Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side

Title: Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side (Jessica #1)
Author: Beth Fantaskey
Publisher: Harcourt
Pages: 351
Challenge: None
Source: Own
Retailer: BN / Amazon


My Rating:

The undead can really screw up your senior year ... Marrying a vampire definitely doesn’t fit into Jessica Packwood’s senior year “get-a-life” plan. But then a bizarre (and incredibly hot) new exchange student named Lucius Vladescu shows up, claiming that Jessica is a Romanian vampire princess by birth—and he’s her long-lost fiancé. Armed with newfound confidence and a copy of Growing Up Undead: A Teen Vampire’s Guide to Dating, Health, and Emotions, Jessica makes a dramatic transition from average American teenager to glam European vampire princess. But when a devious cheerleader sets her sights on Lucius, Jess finds herself fighting to win back her wayward prince, stop a global vampire war—and save Lucius’s soul from eternal destruction. -summary from goodreads.com

Beth Fantaskey, you totally rocked my world! I was not expecting Jessica’s Guide to be such a brilliant read…. To be honest, I don’t know what I was expecting. The book title really threw me off…. I didn’t know whether to expect an actual fictional guide to “dating on the dark side”, or a storyline. SO glad Ms. Fantaskey decided to go with the story :)

Meet, Jessica; it’s her senior year in HS and she is ready to move on to bigger and better things. Enter Lucius, a handsome exchange student who claims that Jessica is really a vampire princess, the last of her line, and that he's a vampire prince and her betrothed. And if they don’t marry soon, a war is going to break out between the two clans and it is not going to be pretty for either side.

The narration is divided between Jessica and first-person letters written by Lucius to his uncle. These letters were most helpful (not to mention hilarious). I often times found myself laughing out loud at the amusing recollections of encounters with the feisty Jess. Something I really enjoyed about this story was the fact that although Lucius was appealing to Jessica, she did not pine him desperately (as many YA heroines tend to do now days). Her affection for him is gradual and increasingly hard-won.

Lucius was such a fascinating character. He’s funny, charming, sexy…. But underneath, he’s a boy who’s looking to be loved. He struggles constantly against his own desires and the effects of years of physical and psychological abuse. I’ll admit, for a good chunk of the book, I disliked him. Why, you may ask? Because he gives up. I can't stand a weak male lead, but I have to give him credit because Jessica does not make it easy for him, not in the least. He does evolve and seeing him do that is very fulfilling.

Overall, I cannot begin to explain how much I enjoyed this book. I loved it! I hate it when I “know” what's going to happen and I never felt that with this book. The ending totally blew me away, but it all worked out and I really hope to be able to continue learning about Jessica's world.

Review: It's Not Summer Without You

Title: It's Not Summer Without You (Summer #2)
Author: Jenny Han
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Pages: 288
Challenge: YA Series 
Source: Library
Retailer: B&N / Amazon

My Rating:

Can summer be truly summer without Cousins Beach?It used to be that Belly counted the days until summer, until she was back at Cousins Beach with Conrad and Jeremiah. But not this year. Not after Susannah got sick again and Conrad stopped caring. Everything that was right and good has fallen apart, leaving Belly wishing summer would never come. But when Jeremiah calls saying Conrad has disappeared, Belly knows what she must do to make things right again. And it can only happen back at the beach house, the three of them together, the way things used to be. If this summer really and truly is the last summer, it should end the way it started--at Cousins Beach. -Summary from goodreads.com

It's Not Summer Without You picks up a couple months after the last scene in The Summer I turned Pretty. It's summer again, but this year, Belly’s stuck at home… this year there will be no Cousins beach because Susannah has passed away. Belly feels as if her world is slowly beginning to fall apart. Not being at Cousins Beach makes each day seems like a year. Everything changes when she receives an urgent call from none other than Jeremiah Fisher himself.

If you’ve read The Summer I turned Pretty, then you’re accustomed to Han’s flash-back writing style. I enjoyed it very much in this second installment and was even more excited when I learned that we’d get some chapters in Jeremiah’s point of view. Usually changing point of views irritate me. But of course Han made it work flawlessly. Although I was expecting Susannah's character to pass away, I will admit that I did shed a couple tears. Beck was the base to this family, and you can really notice a difference now that she's gone.

I found myself engaged in these characters and, more specifically, their own distinct personality traits. The storyline surprised me; it helped me discover just how odd and tortured some people can be after they lose someone they love. Of course I’m talking about moody Conrad- with his sad lonely nights, heartbreak and his always changing teenage emotions…. He reminded me of my own coming of age story and the lasting pains of growing up.

I could not put this freaking book down! It’s been a while since a book has kept me up late, last night I broke my record with It's Not Summer Without You. I had to know how it ended. It was just, amazing, it was even better than the first. I remember reading the last pages and opening my mouth in shock. Jenny Han can write ten more books with these characters and you can bet your bottoms I will read them all! Now; onward to book 3.

Author Guest Post: The Writer's Voice

The Writers Voice 

Where you get to know the people behind the pages 

(Please stop by and follow us at http://ourbooksourvoice.blogspot.com) 

This is Emma Michaels, the author of 'The Thirteenth Chime’ and
'Anasazi' and I am taking over! Don’t worry, it is only for one post. To
introduce you to the team of amazing authors who are a part of a new
blog called, ‘The Writers Voice’. A blog run by 11 authors and dedicated
to letting you get to know each of us and the authors we feature! Here
is a glimpse at a few of our perspectives by seeing our answers to:

What's your writing routine? 

Do you write in the mornings, nights, daily, or when the mood strikes you?

 

“When I am in the middle of a project I tend to write daily and with a strict word count goal per day. I don't mind writing something and going back and rewriting but I do mind not getting to express myself for a day when I have an entire novel in my heart waiting to burst out onto the page. I do give myself space between projects or for editing though, of course it only lasts so longer before I can't stand it and want to get back to the next project!”

-Emma Michaels

 

“I don't really have a routine (wish I had tough). Most of the time I only get to write at night because I live in a city and it's very noisy, think lots of traffic, neighbors from hell. I prefer Bank holidays when it's relatively quiet outside and I get to start writing in the morning with an hourly target of around five hundred words, but most of the time I do other things during the day and retreat to my dark abode aka working space at nightfall to meet my daily target of 2,000 words.”

-Jayde Scott

“When my ‘muse’ is thriving I write at night once my family settled and the world is resting. That time of day is silent and there are no distractions from the story that I have been daydreaming about all day long.”

-Jamie Magee

“I write whenever I can, morning, afternoon, night. I take my lap-top on the road and if I have time to kill, I'll write anywhere. If I waited for a certain mood than I probably wouldn't write much. It's more of a discipline; though once I get started my creativity just starts a flowin‘.”

-Victoria Simcox

“Mostly I write 9-5 like any other working day but if I’m struck with an idea I just have to get down I have seen myself typing away til the wee hours in the morning.”

-Samantha Young

"I get up every morning at six and work till the kids wake up at 7:30 or so. And then my daughter goes to preschool from nine to noon and I work as much as I can then. And if I still have any energy left, sometimes I’ll work for another hour after the kids go to bed."

-Keary Taylor

Oh yeah, did I mention we have amazing guest authors? 

Here is a sneak peak of a few of the interviews we have planned for the future:

“I'm an early bird. I've always written best early in the morning.”

-Inara Scott










"I prefer to be alone in the house - my husband and son have no idea how distracting they are. I like to write in silence and enjoy writing in middle of the night."

-Devyn Dawson

"I don't have a set time expect in the car on the way to work (don't worry, I car pool!). I carry a notebook and pencil and write whenever and wherever I can, even on my breaks at work if I can squeeze it in. Daily goals help keep me on track."

-Heather McCorkle

I hope you will join us at The Writers Voice and hear more from our team and other writers from around the web! 

http://OurBooksOurVoice.blogspot.com

“The Writers Voice: Where you get to know the people behind the pages”

Review: The Summer I Turned Pretty

Title: The Summer I Turned Pretty (Summer #1)
Author: Jenny Han
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Pages: 276
Challenge: YA Series
Source: Library
Retailer: BN / Amazon


My Rating:

Belly measures her life in summers. Everything good, everything magical happens between the months of June and August. Winters are simply a time to count the weeks until the next summer, a place away from the beach house, away from Susannah, and most importantly, away from Jeremiah and Conrad. They are the boys that Belly has known since her very first summer--they have been her brother figures, her crushes, and everything in between. But one summer, one terrible and wonderful summer, the more everything changes, the more it all ends up just the way it should have been all along. -summary from goodreads.com

I thought this would be a simple book about a summer love…. Couldn’t have been more wrong! To put any sort of label on this book would be an injustice. 16-year-old Isabel, or Belly, has spent every summer of her life at Cousins Beach. Belly has been in love with Conrad ever since she can remember. But he just doesn’t see her in “that” way….. But this summer? Everything is about to change. Events force secrets to be revealed and feelings to be exposed. When revelations start flying, the results are tremendous.

This was a very thoughtful book, which I wasn't expecting. The first half was a little on the slow side as Belly spent more time reminiscing on past summers rather than living the current one. But the way the book flipped back and forth from the previous summers passed to the present day gave it a coming-of-age feel. Han is a brilliant writer. She uses the most languid phrases to describe the simplest things, and it's very refreshing to see that in the YA genre, as opposed to the standardized simplistic writing. Even the language and thoughts throughout the book was so inline with how teenagers act, or at least the way I remember acting. Belly’s relationship with her brother reminded me of my brother and I (around that same age). They are absolutely awful to each other and yet that nastiness is still a sign of love. Was Belly bratty? Maybe, but as a little sister, it was her duty! I remember feeling/being just that way in my family.

Overall The Summer I Turned Pretty is a pleasurable summer read with a solemn lesson learned. It’s a touching story about friendship, love and loss as well as a realistic portrayal of growing up. …. This book was just wonderful! Very much looking forward to starting book 2.

Review: Firelight

Title: Firelight (Firelight #1)
Author: Sophie Jordan
Publisher: HarperTeen
Pages: 323
Challenge: None
Source: Own e-book
Retailer: BN / Amazon


My Rating:

Marked as special at an early age, Jacinda knows her every move is watched. But she longs for freedom to make her own choices. When she breaks the most sacred tenet among her kind, she nearly pays with her life. Until a beautiful stranger saves her. A stranger who was sent to hunt those like her. For Jacinda is a draki—a descendant of dragons whose greatest defense is her secret ability to shift into human form. Forced to flee into the mortal world with her family, Jacinda struggles to adapt to her new surroundings. The only bright light is Will. Gorgeous, elusive Will who stirs her inner draki to life. Although she is irresistibly drawn to him, Jacinda knows Will's dark secret: He and his family are hunters. She should avoid him at all costs. But her inner draki is slowly slipping away—if it dies she will be left as a human forever. She'll do anything to prevent that. Even if it means getting closer to her most dangerous enemy. -Summary from goodreads.com

Tired of reading YA books on vampires, werewolves, witches, angels, etc.? Looking for a new and refreshing YA read? Well look no further because FIRELIGHT is the book for you. This new world of Drakis is fascinating. Sophie Jordan is a very talented writer; she knows what her audience wants and deliver’s it flawlessly!

Each time I read the description of Jacinda’s dragon skin I'd close the book and admire the front cover…. Ok, and I’d occasionally pet it, too! The plot of Firelight, in one word, was intense. At times, I just couldn't stop reading, and when I had to, I really didn't want to. All of Jacinda's moves made sense, and they weren't just there for advancing of the plot. They were what teenagers would do. This gave the story a more realist touch.

I also loved reading about Jacinda’s midnight strolls and how she had to adapt to human HS so her family wouldn’t be found by their pride. That little speck of fear kept me on edge. Although Jacinda suffers at first because of the dry terrain, I didn’t want the girls to get caught and I definitely didn’t want Jacinda to leave Will. In the words of my fellow blogging Bud Michelle, “Hello Will!” - From his unconditional love to his smoldering good looks; this is one guy you can’t help but fall in love with.

Overall, I loved FIRELIGHT! This book has it all; danger, family drama, attempting to fit in at a new school, jealous mean girls, and that one boy who makes everything worth it. I think Jacinda and Will make my top 5 YA couples. Loved them together! Their relationship is steamy and sizzling; literally. Cannot wait to get my hands on VANISH.

Winner of Fall giveaway

Although this is a blurry picture, according to RANDOM.ORG my lucky winner is #17....

Lulu The Bookworm

:) Hip hip hooray! You have no idea how excited I was when Random drew her number. This girl has been with me since the beginning of my blogging adventures! Lova ya girly! 

Hope you enjoy DIVERGENT

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.