Tour Stop ~ The Lens and the Looker by Lory S. Kaufman

Title: The Lens and the Looker
Author: Lory S. Kaufman
Series: The Verona Trilogy #1
Genre: YA, Sci Fi

Synopsis:

THERE'S HOPE FOR THE FUTURE,
BUT WHAT ABOUT THE PAST?

It’s the 24th century and humans, with the help of artificial intelligences (A.I.s) have finally created the perfect post-dystopian society. To make equally perfect citizens for this world, the elders have created History Camps, full sized recreations of cities from Earth’s distant pasts. Here teens live the way their ancestors did, doing the same dirty jobs and experiencing the same degradations. History Camps teach youths not to repeat the mistakes that almost caused the planet to die. But not everything goes to plan.

In this first of a trilogy, we meet three spoiled teens in the year 2347. Hansum almost 17, is good looking and athletic. Shamira, 15, is sassy, independent and an artistic genius. Lincoln, 14, is the smart-aleck. But you don’t have to scratch too far beneath the surface to find his insecurities.

These three “hard cases” refuse the valuable lessons History Camps teach. But when they are kidnapped and taken back in time to 1347 Verona, Italy, they only have two choices; adapt to the harsh medieval ways or die. The dangers are many, their enemies are powerful, and safety is a long way away. It’s hardly the ideal environment to fall in love – but that’s exactly what happens. In an attempt to survive, the trio risks introducing technology from the future. It could save them – or it could change history.

Review:

I thought that this book was very interesting.  From the premise right down to the characters.  I'm very glad that I was approached about this book as well as the second book in the trilogy as well.

The story takes place in 2347 where humans have been able to create a utopian type society after a massive disaster nearly wiped out humanity and the world as a whole.  This is where we meet our main characters Hansum, Shamira and Lincoln.  Three privileged teens who have never known any other society besides this "perfect" society.  In their world they are babied by artificial intelligences that were created with the absolute sole purpose of keeping the kids safe and happy.  Which has led to this particular trio to be so spoiled I felt the need to slap them a couple times.  But in the book, this particular problem is solved by their schools and parents agreeing to send them to History Camp.  Which to me sounded like a futuristic version of Boot Camp.

Then these three kids are kidnapped by a rogue time traveler who transports and drops them in the middle of "real time" medieval Italy.

Which is where things get interesting...Really interesting.  Overall, I thought that the world and the characters that Mr. Kaufman created were very original and very realistic.  Personally, I was extremely fascinated by the A.Is. They too were written in a very realistic and believeable manner.  I was very impressed by all the descriptions of 12th century Italy.  It had to be a blast to research all that history?! (I'm a little bit of a history buff)  Though I did think that the futuristic world that was created was a little bit bland. Because of the blandness of the beginning I did have a little trouble getting into the book but once I go into it I was really happy with the results.

RATING:

3.75/5

If you are interested in this book, Mr. Kaufman’s website is here: http://www.history-camp.com/.

Steel by Carrie Vaughn

Title:  Steel
Author: Carrie Vaughn
Genre: YA/Time Travel


Synopsis:

Sixteen-year-old Jill has fought in dozens of fencing tournaments, but she has never held a sharpened blade. When she finds a corroded sword piece on a Caribbean beach, she is instantly intrigued and pockets it as her own personal treasure.

The broken tip holds secrets, though, and it transports Jill through time to the deck of a pirate ship. Stranded in the past and surrounded by strangers, she is forced to sign on as crew. But a pirate's life is bloody and brief, and as Jill learns about the dark magic that brought her there, she forms a desperate scheme to get home—one that risks everything in a duel to the death with a villainous pirate captain.

Time travel, swordplay, and romance combine in an original high-seas adventure from New York Times bestseller Carrie Vaughn.

Review:

I saw this book one day when I was looking on the Barnes and Noble web page and thought that the premise was good enough to add it to my shopping cart.  After checking out it's page on Goodreads I found that Steel got mixed reviews.  A lot of 3 and 4 star ratings.

I thought that the idea behind the story was right up my alley...mainly because it was a new-to-me idea.  I think reading Steel helped me get into the proper frame of mind for the new Pirates of the Caribbean movie that came out last weekend.

I thought Jill overall was a like able character, though in the beginning she was a little bit to "woe is me" for me personally.  There is being dedicated to your sport then there is addicted.  I think that at the beginning of the book she was leaning closer to addicted....To the point of NOT being able to enjoy a family vacation a MONTH after her last match.  Which leads up to Jill being transported back to the 18th century and becoming a member of the crew on the pirate ship Diana.  The more time that Jill spends on the Diana the more she's able to not only conquer her own issues she's also able to help the crew with some of their own problems.  When Jill is finally transported back to her own time she takes the lessons that she has learned on the Diana with her to use in her life from that point on.  Plus, there is a REALLY COOL "souvenir" too.

The pirate portion of the book was my favorite part of the book, meaning I'm not really a fan of the beginning but it got much better.  There was a TON of action.  The captain of the Diana was a WOMAN and I learned a TON.  Did you know that pirate ships are where the first forms of democracy were formed?  The main positions (captain, quartermaster, first mate, etc.) were all voted on.  Each ship has it's own rules which are known as in Steel the "articles."  Also, I really enjoyed that Carrie Vaughn brought actual pirates out of the history books and put them in her book.

The only part I had a slight misgiving with was the "romance."  There were plenty of hints at it but there was only 1 real kiss in the whole book.

Overall, I would recommend this book if you are looking for a fun, quick read, or a slight departure from what you've been reading recently.

RATING:

4/5

Divergent by Veronica Roth

Title: Divergent
Author: Veronica Roth
Series: Divergent #1
Genre: YA Dystopia

Synopsis:

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

During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles to determine who her friends really are—and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes infuriating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers a growing conflict that threatens to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves . . . or it might destroy her.

Debut author Veronica Roth bursts onto the literary scene with the first book in the Divergent series—dystopian thrillers filled with electrifying decisions, heartbreaking betrayals, stunning consequences, and unexpected romance.

Review:

Alrighty then....I am jumping on the "fan girl" band wagon!  I LOVED this book!  I'm really glad that I paid the extra money to have it arrive at my house on release day.  Best $28 I've spent in a LONG time!  FAN-FREAKING-TASTIC!  And just for effect I'll add a SQUEEEEEEEEE in there too!

This book has literally jumped its way to the top of my MUST READ list to all of my friends/family/co-workers.  Divergent has been compared to The Hunger Games trilogy and I can honestly see a lot of similarities between the two series.

Leading up to me purchasing Divergent I hadn't heard much about it.  But when I looked it up on Goodreads close to its release date I saw a plethora of "Awesome," "YOU MUST READ THIS," "It will hook you and not let go" type of reviews.  I was still a little skeptical, because its sort of a natural tendency for me to be a little bit leery about purchasing an item that gets so much positive hype.  Let me tell you this....Divergent DEFINITELY earned all that positive hype.

I mean look at the cover!  The cover is what sold me on buying the book.  I'm a sucker for a great cover!  If you haven't picked up this book yet you should!  What are you waiting for!?

There are so many great things about this book that I really don't even know where to start!  Honestly, there isn't just one or two things that stand out to me that make this book great.  It's the total package.  The characters, the story itself, the world that the author creates...all great things that meshed together in a solid bond to create an UNFORGETTABLE book!

This book REALLY does have the power to suck you in and not let go.  It happend to me and it has happened to others who have read Divergent.  The only drawback is that we have to wait until 2012 for the next installment of the series:(

RATING:

5+/5

Firelight by Sophie Jordan

Firelight
Sophie Jordan

RATING:4/5

Synopsis:

A hidden truth.
Mortal enemies.
Doomed love.

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

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

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

Review:
I received this ebook as part of Book Soulmates RAK program.  I had been wanting to read it for a very long time and I was beyond happy when a very nice individual offered to send it to me as an .epub file so I could read it on my Nook.  Yeah for the RAK program!

I started this book late yesterday morning and once I got started I just could NOT put it down.  I had to finish it, I had to know what was going to happen next!

Jacinda, one of our main characters, is a Draki.  Draki are descendents of dragons and can shift from draki form to human form.  As an unfortunate bonus for Jacinda she is a fire-breather, the first one in her pride in MANY generations.  Which makes her a valuable commodity to her pride…Much to Jacinda’s dismay, she’s not real thrilled about the fact that her mate has already been picked out for her. 

After a near brush with Draki death Jacinda’s mom decides that for her families safety they are going to move….to the desert….to try and kill Jacinda’s Draki.  Again, much to Jacinda’s dismay.

This is a really great opposites attract love story.  Jacinda is a Draki.  The boy, Will, that she is interested in is a Draki hunter.  Even though she knows she should avoid Will like the plague she can’t help her growing attraction to him.  What I really liked about this budding relationship was that through the whole thing Jacinda’s personality doesn’t change one bit.  She isn’t afraid to stand up to anyone, Will included.

Will was a great character too.  I really enjoyed him a lot.  Not only does he do something he really shouldn’t have done at the beginning of the story, he also has a secret.  One that you don’t find out about until almost the end of the book.  It’s a pretty good secret too.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book a lot.  I had never read a book about dragon/draki before and I found the mythology captivating.  Like I stated earlier, I had a very difficult time putting this book down.  I had to know what was going to happen next.  The only thing I didn’t really care for and it’s really a teeny tiny thing, was the cliff hanger ending.  I can hardly wait for the next book to come out!

Intrinsical by Lani Woodland

Title: Intrinsical
Author: Lani Woodland
Genre: YA ~ Paranormal
Series: The Yara Silva #1
Source: Extreme Reader Reviews blog tour

Synopsis:

Sixteen-year-old Yara Silva has always known that ghosts walk alongside the living. Her grandma, like the other females in her family, is a Waker, someone who can see and communicate with ghosts. Yara grew up watching her grandmother taunted and scorned for this unusual ability and doesn't want that to be her future. She has been dreading the day when she too would see ghosts, and is relieved that the usually dominant Waker gene seems to have skipped her, letting her live a normal teenage life. However, all that changes for Yara on her first day at her elite boarding school when she discovers the gene was only lying dormant. She witnesses a dark mist attack Brent, a handsome fellow student, and rushes to his rescue. Her act of heroism draws the mist's attention, and the dark spirit begins stalking her. Yara finds herself entrenched in a sixty-year-old curse that haunts the school, threatening not only her life, but the lives of her closest friends as well. Yara soon realizes that the past she was trying to put behind her isn't going to go quietly.

Review:

I signed up for this tour a LONG time ago (DANG YOU WINTER WEATHER!) and had kind of forgotten about it until the book arrived in the mail on Tuesday.  When I signed up for the tour I had seen all these reviews for the book that were pretty much glowing reviews and I had to know for myself if the book was really THAT good.  What you are about to read are my thoughts on Intrinsical's "Awesome Sauce" or lack there of.....

So when I started Intrinsical it IMMEDIATELY sucked me in and when I had to put it down to get some things accomplished for some things that were going to be happening in REAL life, I had read close to 100 pages and it felt like I'd only been reading for about 5 minutes.  I found that this book was VERY difficult to put down.  I constantly had to know what was going to happen next.  I was CONSTANTLY thinking about it, when I wasn't reading it.

I really enjoyed the cast of characters.  I really want to know more about Yara's grandmother!  She sounds like a really cool lady with an exceptional gift! I really enjoyed Yara a lot.  She's just trying to be a "normal" 16 year old and doesn't want any part of her families "gift."  Then she goes to Pendrell and her "gift" kicks in.  I also got a pretty big kick out of Cherie, Yara's "crazy" friend who wanted to go to Pendrell because of it's supposed curse.  Then there's Brent, the love interest. I thought that he was a pretty great guy all the way through. 

The relationship between Yara and Brent is another thing that I really thought was well written.  The relationship developed over time and it wasn't a "we've just met but we're hopelessly in love" kind of relationships.  I've read a bunch of books with those types of relationships and it was VERY refreshing to not have that happen in this book.

The only part of the book that I was lukewarm on was the "bad guy."  I thought he was a little bit to "James Bondish" with a shot of "creepy" thrown for my liking.  Other than that I thought that the book was the bee's knee's.  I soooo want to get my hands on the second book in the series!

RATING:

5/5

Other Reviews:

Miss Remmer's Review

Extreme Reader's Book Reviews

That Bookish Girl

Pegasus by Robin McKinley

Title: Pegasus
Author: Robin McKinley
Genre: YA
Release Date: November 2, 2010


Synopsis:

A gorgeously written fantasy about the friendship between a princess and her Pegasus.
 
Because of a thousand-year-old alliance between humans and pagasi, Princess Sylviianel is ceremonially bound to Ebon, her own Pegasus, on her twelfth birthday. The two species coexist peacefully, despite the language barriers separating them. Humans and pegasi both rely on specially-trained Speaker magicians as the only means of real communication.
 
But its different for Sylvi and Ebon. They can understand each other. They quickly grow close-so close that their bond becomes a threat to the status quo-and possibly to the future safety of their two nations.

New York Times bestselling Robin McKinley weaves an unforgettable tale of unbreakable friendship, mythical creatures and courtly drama destined to become a classic.

Review:

I struck it "rich" one day when I was visiting my public library...I found this book on our "reserves" shelf and I immediately snatched it up.  This book has been on my wishlist for a LONG time and I was beyond excited that I FINALLY got my hands on a copy.

From the beginning I was drawn into this mythical world, full of mythical creatures and mythical locations.  I think that the author did a nice job of giving the reader a history lesson about the treaty between the humans and the pegasi.  In my opinion I think that the history was well worded and very complete, though I think that it ran a little long at times.

I was hoping that I would enjoy this book more than I actually did.  I thought that the author did an excellent job creating the mythical world and creatures but I thought that there were area's where the author didn't do so well to the point of being tedious.  And by tedious...I mean to the point I did not finish the book.

I think what really drew me to want to read the book was the cover.  But unfortunately there is more to a book than the cover.  The more I read the more annoyed I became with the book. I found the constant shift from the present to the past to be distracting to the point of turning me off to the book itself.  There were time's I couldn't even tell who was narrating.  I'm to easily distracted for all the distractions there were in the narration.

I found it hard to relate to our main character, Sylvi.  From the little bit of the book that I was able to read i felt that Sylvi was almost forced to behave as a person older than she actually is just because she is royalty.  I guess I didn't really understand why if your royal you get a Pegasus when you turn 12.  Maybe there was a better explanation farther in the book that I didn't get to but I really would have liked to know a solid reason...other than being royal.

I've been checking out the ratings and reviews for Pegasus on Goodreads and I'm seeing all these 3, 4 and some 5 star ratings for this book.  And here I am writing a DNF review.  Seems almost weird to me.

RATING:

DNF

Matched by Ally Conde part 1

Title: Matched
Author:  Ally Conde
Genre: YA ~ Dystopian

Synopsis:

 Cassia has always trusted the Society to make the right choices for her: what to read, what to watch, what to believe. So when Xander's face appears on-screen at her Matching ceremony, Cassia knows with complete certainty that he is her ideal mate . . . until she sees Ky Markham's face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black.

The Society tells her it's a glitch, a rare malfunction, and that she should focus on the happy life she's destined to lead with Xander. But Cassia can't stop thinking about Ky, and as they slowly fall in love, Cassia begins to doubt the Society's infallibility and is faced with an impossible choice: between Xander and Ky, between the only life she's known and a path that no one else has dared to follow.

Review:

I had a really hard time with this book.  I don't know if it was everything that's been going on in my real life or if it's the book itself but I could not get into it.  I got about 100 pages or so into Matched and all hell started breaking loose in my life and I lost interest. But here are my thoughts on what I did get read....

I did really enjoy the premise of the book a lot.  From everything that I had read about it in the past it had a Hunger Games feel to it.  I think what drew me to the book was that from the time your born until the end of your life...your entire life is planned out for you by the Society. Right down to who your going to love/marry.

The imagery that I got of the world that Cassia lives in was very vivid.  I really enjoyed that a lot too.

I did enjoy Cassia.  I thought that she was written in a way that made her a "typical" teen, for her society, anyway.  About the time my life went into "cluster" mode I was getting really excited about the new "rebellious" Cassia that was starting to show through.

On to our male characters...I was lukewarm on Xander.  He seemed to take Cassia for granted in my opinion.  I felt from what I read of him that he was almost "entitled" to Cassia.  Ky, on the other hand,  I really liked.  He seemed to complement Cassia in a lot of ways and challenge her in others. 

Now for what I didn't really like....I thought that the book started off slow and didn't pick up speed in a timely manner.  That may have contributed to me losing interest in the book. 

Have no fear though...Once my life slows down a little bit and gets less crazy I am going to give Matched again.  But as of this review I have to give Matched a DNF.

RATING:

DNF

The DUFF by Kody Keplinger

Title: The DUFF

Author: Kody Keplinger

Series: 

Genre: YA, YA Romance

Publisher: Little Brown/Poppy Books

Release Date: 2010, September 7

Format: Hardcover, 288 pages

Source: Public Library

Rating: 4/5

Challenges: 2011 YA Challenge, 2011 Outdo Yourself Challenge, 2011 YA Romance Challenge, 2011 Support Your Local Library Challenge, 100+ Reading Challenge, 2011 Book Blogger Recommendation Challenge

Synopsis:

Seventeen-year-old Bianca Piper is cynical and loyal, and she doesn’t think she’s the prettiest of her friends by a long shot. She’s also way too smart to fall for the charms of man-slut and slimy school hottie Wesley Rush. In fact, Bianca hates him. And when he nicknames her “the Duff,” she throws her Coke in his face.  
But things aren’t so great at home right now, and Bianca is desperate for a distraction. She ends up kissing Wesley. Worse, she likes it. Eager for escape, Bianca throws herself into a closeted enemies-with-benefits relationship with him.

Until it all goes horribly awry. It turns out Wesley isn’t such a bad listener, and his life is pretty screwed up, too. Suddenly Bianca realizes with absolute horror that she’s falling for the guy she thought she hated more than anyone.

Review:

I started this book really early this morning (for those who are new here I work third shift so when your up I'm sleeping and vice versa) and I could NOT put it down. It was one of those that I really liked but at the same time it annoyed me.  It's difficult to explain really.

When I picked up this book at the library I thought that the premise was interesting. Life at home is rough for Bianca so she goes looking for an escape....and finds it in her enemy Wesley Rush.  I guess what annoyed me about there relationship is that from the beginning it pretty much entirely sexual. Which I didn't find out until I started reading.  That's what started it...Oh, but there's more.

I really liked the characters a lot (with a few annoyances thrown in).  I think that the author did a pretty good job of depicting a marriage that's not so great, as well as being a child of divorced parents.  I do think that at times the main characters were written in a negative manner....I don't know if it was because the author was trying to write from the mindset of a teenager or what, but there were times that Wesley came off as pretty much 100% teenage man whore and Bianca came off as pretty selfish and, in my opinion, needy at times.

Overall, I thought that the premise and writing as a whole were really pretty great for a debut author.  If you've seen what I've rated this book above (4/5) you might be asking yourself...What the heck?!  There's a fair amount of negativity in this review how did it score so high?  But like I said above...I REALLY liked this book even though it annoyed the heck out of me at times.

Hunger by Jackie Morse Kessler

Title: Hunger

Author: Jackie Morse Kessler

Series: Horsemen of the Apocalypse #1

Genre: YA, Paranormal, Fantasy

Publisher: Harcourt Graphia

Release Date: 2010, October 18

Format: Paperback, 180 pages

Source: Purchased with my own money

Rating: 4.75/5

Synopsis:

“Thou art the Black Rider. Go thee out unto the world.”

Lisabeth Lewis has a black steed, a set of scales, and a new job: she’s been appointed Famine. How will an anorexic seventeen-year-old girl from the suburbs fare as one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse?

Traveling the world on her steed gives Lisa freedom from her troubles at home: her constant battle with hunger, and her struggle to hide it from the people who care about her. But being Famine forces her to go places where hunger is a painful part of everyday life, and to face the horrifying effects of her phenomenal power. Can Lisa find a way to harness that power — and the courage to battle her own inner demons?

Review:

I saw the cover of this book while checking out different YA titles on Goodreads one morning and thought that it sounded like something really interesting.  Something I needed to read NOW...So I got a copy.

I really liked the premise of the story - Horsemen of the Apocalypse and a 17 year old anorexic teenage girl as the new famine.  I thought the story overall was shockingly "real" almost to the point of being scary and uncomfortable for someone who has never dealt with the issues brought up in the book.  The research (the learning about famine) and the "the research" (from the author's personal experience) were very accurate and painted a lot of "not so pretty" pictures about eating disorders and world hunger.

Lisa is the new famine because of her eating disorder.  The "Thin Voice" keeps telling her that she's fat.  Then Death come along and throws famine in her lap.  At first she's scared to death (pun intended) of being famine.  But as the story progresses she becomes more comfortable with her new power.  She even conquers the blasted "Thin Voice".  Even kicks a little ass too!

The character that I liked the most was Death.  He wasn't real prominent character but when he was around it was memorable.  He was good looking too.  Sort of Kurt Cobainish only better and undead.

The character that I liked the least?...Hands down was the "Thin Voice."  I could NOT stand the "Thin Voice."

Adversary by Kate Kaynak

Title: Adversary

Author: Kate Kaynak

Series: Ganzfield  #2

Genre: YA, Paranormal, Romance

Publisher: Spencer Hill Press

Release Date: 2010, August 20

Format: Paperback, 238 pages

Source: Sent by author for honest review

Rating: 5/5

Synopsis:

Things are more dangerous than they seem at Ganzfield, and not everyone will survive. Does Maddie have what it takes?
See what happens next in the sequel to Minder.

Review:
I apologize for taking so long to get this review posted.  I had written in a notebook and then put the notebook in a "safe place."  But now the notebook is found again so I can get this review posted! :)

I'll be honest....I usually get a little nervous with second books.  There just have been a few in the past that just did NOT appeal to me at all.  That was NOT the case with this book. This book, just like Minder, sucked me in and I had to keep going. The action is almost non-stop from the very beginning...which I really liked.  The first few chapters ALONE are in my opinion beyond belief!  AMAZING!

I'm still a little lukewarm on Maddie and Trevor's relationship.  But I think that it's starting to develop into a more "realistic" relationship.  Yeah for relationship growth!

What I'm really liking about this series is that even the minor characters play a MAJOR role in the telling of the story.  I also enjoyed the new character Zack.  I LOVED how he shook things up between Maddie and Trevor.

I also love how the author throws TONS of curve balls at you.  I LOVE an exciting story.  It kind of irks me when I read a story where the story builds and builds and then just levels off.  That did NOT happen with this story at all!

What I didn't care for was that it took me entirely way to long to read it.  I'm going to place the blame for that on my brother's wedding preparations....I REALLY got into that.

The Dark Divine by Bree Despain

Title: The Dark Divine

Author: Bree Despain

Series: The Dark Divine #1

Genre: YA, Paranormal, Romance

Publisher: EgmontUSA

Release Date: 2009, December 22

Format: Hardcover, 372 pages

Source: Purchased with own money many moons ago

Rating: 5/5

Synopsis:

A Prodigal Son

A Dangerous Love

A Deadly Secret

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

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

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

Review:

OMG!  I have NO idea why I waited this long to read this book!  Once I got started reading it was the fastest 372 pages EVER!  I could not put this book down.  I had to constantly know what was going on and what was going to happen next.  When I originally purchased this book I was totally drawn to the cover.  It's kinda creepy and mysterious and I just love it!

Grace Divine is the local preacher's daughter and she's always been drawn to the boy next door, Daniel.  Now Daniel at one point was even considered a member of the Divine family, but then there was an incident and he disappeared.

Fast forward 3 years and Daniel is back in town.  Grace always knew that there was something not right about the circumstances in which Daniel just picked up, packed up and disappeared on them.  But no one EVER talks about what actually happened.  Now that Daniel is back in town, almost unrecognizable with his unkempt shaggy, dyed black hair Gracie's crush gets thrown yet again into high gear.

Then a whole bunch of REALLY mysterious things start happening and Grace is determined to get to the bottom of it all.  Whether her family and Daniel like it or not.

What I really liked was that you're a good chunk of the way into the book before you actually figure out what Daniel really is.  I think it would have detracted from the story if you knew right off what he really is.  But that's just my opinion.

Another thing that I really liked was how Bree constantly let you know where (like day, place, and even time wise) the characters were.  I thought that it helped the story flow much easier for me personally.  

 I also liked how the main character Grace Divine grew throughout the book.  In the beginning of the book I thought that Grace was kind of a follower and as more defecation hit the rotary oscillator (AKA Shit hitting the fan) she went more the other way and grew into leader type.  I also really liked how Grace spent a good chunk of the book trying to figure out who and what the monster(s) really were.

Overall, I really liked the story as a whole.  I can hardly wait until December when book 2 comes out!  Is it December yet?!

Minder By Kate Kaynak

Title: Minder

Author: Kate Kaynak

Series: Ganzfield #1

Genre: YA, Paranormal, Romance

Publisher: Spencer Hill Press

Release Date: 2010, June 18

Format: Paperback, 264 pages

Source: Sent by author in exchange for an honest review 

Rating: 4/5

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

Sixteen-year-old Maddie Dunn is special, but she needs to figure out how to use her new abilities before somebody else gets hurt. Ganzfield is a secret training facility full of people like her, but it's not exactly a nurturing place. Every social interaction carries the threat of mind-control. A stray thought can burn a building to the ground. And people's nightmares don't always stay in their own heads. But it's still better than New Jersey--especially once she meets the man of her dreams...

Review:

Holy Heck!  That was one of this first things that I was thinking after I finished reading Minder.  You know that feeling you get when you bite into some treat sample that is absolutely scrumptious and leaves you wanting MORE?  That's what I was feeling when I finished Minder.  Where had this book been in the whole time that I've been book blogging and why am I just NOW hearing about it?!

When I was first approached about reading and reviewing Minder I didn't really now what to expect.  I had never heard of this book or this author to be honest.  I'm very glad that I took that leap of faith!  Once I got started reading I was completely SUCKED into the story.  It pained me to put this book down to do everyday things.  I just wanted/had to know more!

From the very beginning of Minder there are TONS of emotions taking place throughout this book.  The beginning of the book was to say the least (and without giving away anything) VERY intense and "welcome to the dark-side" dark.  Honestly, the beginning kind of walked a fine line for me.  I knew it was an important piece of the Minder "puzzle" but it felt a little bit to real for me.

Once I got past my slight misgivings about the beginning of the book I found that I really enjoyed the characters.  They all seemed to be very well rounded and people you might know (if they were real that is).  The one character that I want to know more about is Seth.  He "talks" to Maddie telepathically and I really want to find out if there is more to him than what we've seen so far.

I guess my one quirk with the book was Maddie's relationship with Trevor.  I just thought that at times it felt a little bit "to good to be true."  I felt that the relationship was a little bit to "blah" for me.  There wasn't any conflict that I could see and in life that just doesn't happen.  But surprisingly that was my only real quirk about the book.

Seriously though, if you are going to pick up a copy of Minder don't make plans. You'll be busy visiting Maddie's world.  And it's totally worth it!

Paranormalcy by Kiersten White **tiny spoilers**

Title: Paranormalcy

Author: Kiersten White

Series: 

Genre: YA, Paranormal, Romance

Publisher: HarperCollins
Release Date: 2010, August

Format: Hardcover, 335 pages

Source: E-Book bought via Barnes and Noble 

Rating: 5/5

Synopsis (from Barnes and Noble):

Evie’s always thought of herself as a normal teenager, even though she works for the International Paranormal Containment Agency, her ex-boyfriend is a faerie, she’s falling for a shape-shifter, and she’s the only person who can see through paranormals’ glamours.

But Evie’s about to realize that she may very well be at the center of a dark faerie prophecy promising destruction to all paranormal creatures.

So much for normal.


Review:

OMG!  This book was "bleeping"(read the book and you'll understand) AWESOME!  I had heard so much about this book in the weeks leading up to it's release that I decided that I needed to check it out. Evie, the main character, is able to see through other paranormals' "glamour" to what's really underneath...Like for example: Vampires....On the outside sex but underneath the glamour 'oh so NOT sexy'.  Evie thinks she's just a "normal" teenager that is able to do something "interesting" when it comes to paranormals.  But then bad things start to happen, paranormals start dying and Evie learns a couple secrets about herself.

Reth, her ex-boyfriend, who happens to be a faerie is crazy!  Through most of the book you think he's on one side but by the end you realize you were oh so wrong.  That all his craziness was supposed to be "helpful."  Then there's Lend, a shape shifting hottie!  He gets captured by the IPCA and is held prisoner for awhile.  When the center comes under attack Evie helps Lend escape.  Then we learn a little bit about Lend's life prior to being captured.

I loved the way that the story was written.  All of the dialogue for Evie and Lend were written in a way that was very believable.  Things that teens would actually say.  The dialogue for the other characters in the book were written in a very "grown up" manner....things that adults would say. The way things were described were very vivid as well.

Overall, I can hardly wait to read more of this series!  I would recommend this book to anyone who wants a fresh take on paranormal YA fiction.

The Iron King by Julie Kagawa **may contain spoilers**

Title: The Iron King

Author: Julie Kagawa

Series: Iron Fey #1

Genre: YA, Paranormal, Romance

Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Release Date: 2010, February 1

Format: Paperback, 363 pages

Source: Bought via Barnes and Noble web page

Rating: 5/5

Synopsis:

Meghan Chase has a secret destiny—one she could never have imagined…

Something has always felt slightly off in Meghan's life, ever since her father disappeared before her eyes when she was six. She has never quite fit in at school…or at home.
When a dark stranger begins watching her from afar, and her prankster best friend becomes strangely protective of her, Meghan senses that everything she's known is about to change.

But she could never have guessed the truth—that she is the daughter of a mythical faery king and is a pawn in a deadly war. Now Meghan will learn just how far she'll go to save someone she cares about, to stop a mysterious evil no faery creature dare face…and to find love with a young prince who might rather see her dead than let her touch his icy heart.

Review:

OMG! I absolutely LOVED this book! Fan-freaking-tastic! I'm usually NOT a real big fan of faery books..Vampires, werewolves and those sorts of paranormal are more up my alley. But once I started reading it I had a VERY hard time putting it down.

Julie Kagwa is VERY vivid and thorough of her descriptions of not only the characters, but of Nevernever land and the overall landscapes of the various Fey Courts. I felt like I was right there with Meghan and crew while they were on their journey.

There is action and "weird" things happening almost from the very start of the book. So your

on a fast track to Nevernever land real quick. See Meghan's life is turned upside down when her little brother (technically he's her 1/2 brother but who's being technical?) is kidnapped and a super nasty changeling (who attacks both Meghan and her mom) is left in his place.

But this is where Meghan's best friend Robbie comes into play. See in actuality Robby is the prankster Puck from a Midsummer's Night Dream. And off they go through the "trod," which is the portal into Nevernever land (conviently found in the closet of Meghan's brother.) As beautiful as Nevernever is a VERY dangerous place and you never really know who your friend or your foe is.

Pretty much everything keeps going wrong, more so when Grimalkin, who is a cat sith gets involved. Meghan keeps finding herself in one pickle after another, which makes her goal of finding her little brother seem almost unattainable. She's fighting trolls, gremlins, other faeries, each other, and other mythical creatures. It seems that Meghan and crew just couldn't catch a break if their lives depended upon it.

There were a couple parts of this book that were predictable. Like...Meghan is the daughter of the Summer king, so naturally she's gonna go and fall for the son of the Winter Queen. In all honesty I think that that piece of predictability was key to the story. I would have been severly dissapointed if it wasn't written the way it was. But for the most part the story kept me on my toes and guessing what was going to happen next.

Unlike Meghan (who is there looking for her brother and wants to get back to her life ASAP), it seems that pretty much all the rest of the characters in the story have a hidden agenda or have something that is brewing right there under the surface.

I think that Robbie/Puck takes the cake in this one, with his wicked sense of humor. Meghan is a very likeable character and seems to grow as the story goes along. Sometimes you think she's not real bright....Like bargaining with a faery. But just when you think she's going to go and do something dumb yet again, she throws you for a loop.

Which brings us to Ash, who is the prince of the Winter Court. He's written as a total hottie who is seriously cold in so many ways. He's attracted to Meghan but at the same time he wants to kill her. He even thinks about it several times but manages to stop himself. Ash is a superior swordsman with his sword of iciness and if his sword isn't cutting it....he likes to drop his predators by shooting icicles at them. Which I think is pretty cool.

I have to agree with Alyssa from Teens Read and Write. I just don't think that there was enough Ash in the story. We see him a little bit in the beginning but after that we don't really see him again until your well over a 100 pages into the book. Really that is my only complaint with the book....I wanted MORE Ash.

I can hardly wait until the second book comes out in the series. The Iron Daughter is being released in August. August seems so VERY far away!

The Iron Daughter by Julie Kagawa **Small Spoilers**

Title: The Iron Daughter
Author: Julie Kagawa

Series: Iron Fey #2

Genre: YA, Paranormal, Romance

Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Release Date: 2010, August 1

Format: Paperback, 359 pages

Source: Bought via Barnes and Noble web page

Rating: 5/5

Synopsis:

Half Summer faery princess, half human, Meghan has never fit in anywhere. Deserted by the Winter prince she thought loved her, she is prisoner to the Winter faery queen. As war looms between Summer and Winter, Meghan knows that the real danger comes from the Iron Fey, iron-bound faeries that only she and her absent prince have seen. But no one believes her. Worse, Meghan's own fey powers have been cut off. She's alone in Faery with only her wits for help. Trusting anyone would be foolish. Trusting a seeming traitor could be deadly. But even as she grows a backbone of iron, Meghan can't help but hear the whispers of longing in her all-too-human heart.

Review:

I LOVED The Iron King and I could hardly wait for the second book in the series to come out. This book came out and because I ordered it with a pre-ordered book I had to wait for it!  It was the LONGEST 26 days EVER!

The story starts out with Meghan saying good bye to her family, yet again as she's about to fulfill her contract with Ash and head for enemy territory. When Meghan gets to the Winter Court she is basically a prisoner to Queen Mab and Prince Ash abandons her.  Needless to say that the Winter Court is NOT happy to have Meghan around at all.  SPOILER AHEAD>>>When the Scepter of the Seasons is stolen and Prince Sage is murdered by the Iron Fey, Mab becomes enraged, because she doesn't not believe that these Iron Fey exist and think that Oberon took the Scepter, and a war between the Courts is in the works.  The Iron Fey are looking forward to the long trail of death and destruction that will come from the war. END SPOILER.  Now Meghan and her crew are on a journey to find the Scepter of the Seasons, return it to the Winter Court and stop the bloody war that is taking place.  All of this while being hopelessly in love with Ash.

Book number 2 in this series is just as captivating as The Iron King was.  The writing is very intense and extremely passionate.  In book 2 Julie Kagawa continues to build the world of Nevernever even bigger and badder than in the first book.  Nevernever only gets even more dangerous (as if that were even possible) in this book.  There are new characters that will have you completely mesmerized.  The plot, I think is better in this book, there are all sorts of twists and turns and it keeps you guessing.

This book is very fast-paced and I totally felt like I was there in Nevernever and as another member of Meghan's team trying to get back the Scepter.  I had a hard time putting this book down.  Ms. Kagawa does an excellent job of describing Faerie politics in this book, just to show how very dangerous the Fey can be.  The book is also a little bit of an emotional roller coaster.....Meghan learns some things along the way...some good and some not so good.

I was really happy with Meghan's personal growth along the way.  She's powerful and yet vulnerable as well....You mash those two things together and you get a pretty bad ass combination if you ask me.  There are times when she's struggling pretty badly with all the things that are going on around her.  She also makes some pretty bad decisions too....But in the end she rises to the occasion.  Meghan really is a force to be reckoned with!

OMG!  The romance triangle! As much as I love Puck I'm Team Ash (I have a "thing" for the "bad boy" types).  Puck has a lot of amazing qualities and when things started to heat up with Meghan I got a little bit worried.  But then along comes Ash, who has long since given in to his feelings for Meghan, and things get a "little bit" explosive.

My new favorite character is most defiantly Ironhorse!  He's a bad guy turned good.  And that's HOT!

Overall, I'm hopelessly hooked on this series and I'm finding it VERY difficult to wait until February for the Iron Queen to come out!

Radiance by Alyson Noel

Title: Radiance

Author: Alyson Noel
Series:
Genre: YA, Paranormal

Publisher: Square Fish
Release Date: 2010, August
Format: Paperback, 192 pages
Source: Bought

Rating: 3.75/5

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

Riley Bloom left her sister, Ever, in the world of the living and crossed the bridge into the afterlife—a place called Here, where time is always Now. Riley and her dog, Buttercup, have been reunited with her parents and are just settling into a nice, relaxing death when she's summoned before The Council. They let her in on a secret—the afterlife isn't just an eternity of leisure; Riley has to work. She's been assigned a job, Soul Catcher, and a teacher, Bodhi, a curious boy she can't quite figure out.
Riley, Bodhi, and Buttercup return to earth for her first assignment, a Radiant Boy who's been haunting a castle in England for centuries. Many Soul Catchers have tried to get him to cross the bridge and failed. But he's never met Riley...
 
Review:
 
I had read some pretty great things about this book on my travels through the book blog world.  When I started reading it I was really impressed with how well the author was able to write form the point of view of a pre-teen.  In my opinion she did an excellent job of connecting with the teen reader.
 
The different descriptions were well written also.  The description of life in "here" was really good.  There is no sense of time in "here" hence why Riley says she lives in the "here and now."  The description of what being dead feels like was even better in my opinion.
 
Riley in the beginning of the book was more of a follower/tag along who also happened to be pretty mouthy.  But as the story went along she grew stronger and wasn't so much of a follower anymore.  I think that she was headed more towards being a leader....even though she was still pretty mouthy.
 
Bodhi is Riley's guide.  When Riley first meets Bodhi he's dressed as a bit of a geek.  But the more time that Riley spends with him the more she realizes that there's more than what meets the eye.  In this case it also hands Riley a pretty sizeable piece of humble pie.
 
Buttercup....poor Buttercup.  See Buttercup is a LARGE MALE Labrador Retriever that accompanies Riley and Bodhi on their journey. I feel for Buttercup...His name alone is, in my opinion, meant for a k-9 that is much smaller and FEMALE.
 
I guess what disappointed me about the book was that it was one "mission" for both Riley and Bodhi and then the book is basically over.  I guess I was just hoping for a little more out of the book.
 
Favorite Quote: "You do know you can manifest a whole new wardrobe right?  We're really not bound to the mistakes of our past.  So go ahead, knock yourself out.  Just close your eyes and ask - What would Joe Jonas wear?"