Mini Reviews of Hallowed & Boundless by Cynthia Hand

February 4, 2013 by Jamie · 11 Comments

If you haven’t read Unearthly (book 1) of this series, you can take a look at my review of Unearthly or my guest post on Epic Reads of the top ten reasons why YOU should read the Unearthly series!

Hallowed by Cynthia Hand

If I had to pick a “least” favorite book of the series, Hallowed would probably be it — but that’s not even fair because SO MUCH BIG STUFF happened in it …things that made me cry, things that made me rage and things that made me have a really hard time finishing this book off at while at the hairdressers without them kicking me out for being crazy. I really did LOVE it. Cynthia Hand wrote some of the most intense and gut-wrenching scenes in this one and REALLY made me Queen FlipFlopper when it comes to my Team loyalty. After reeling from the ending of Unearthly when we find out that Christian is an angel, I was so torn because suddenly Christian isn’t just the “guy she’s supposed to save.” I commend Cynthia Hand for how she continually manages to really flesh out the characters of Tucker and Christian and make us really fall in love with them and really KNOW them — wish makes us dread Boundless for we KNOW she can only have one…unless there is a polygamist sect of angels that Cynthia is going to throw out at us. I also really thought after the events of Unearthly, in addition to the continually building character development, Hallowed did a good job of showing Clara’s guilt and confusion after her seemingly failing her purpose and I loved that because we really got to see her grow in this book. Girl went through some TOUGH things. So many tears were shed for MANY reasons. Book two brought the feels and showed us a new depth to Cynthia Hand’s storytelling abilities. I fell even more hard for this series!

Boundless by Cynthia Hand

OH MY GOSH. I’m just going to tell you that this was one of the BEST LAST BOOKS I’VE EVER READ and honestly the best book in the series. Was everything wrapped up the way I wanted to? Not exactly — one thing left me a sad panda and there were a few issues I had because I didn’t feel like we understood the purpose of some characters — but honestly EVERYTHING ELSE was perfect. Just perfect. You know how I said Hallowed brought the feels? Well Boundless showed up and was like “You haven’t seen anything yet. Get out your tissues, bitches!” And sob I did during three very poignantly written parts where I was crying for very different reasons. The action and the story arc were just PERFECT oh my gosh. I was clenching that book so hard and ravenously turning the pages until the final pages because Cynthia built the suspense with the precision of an architectural genius. Not only was I DYING to see how Clara and company would tackle their purposes and her super intense vision but I was anticipating/nervous for/neurotically biting my nails over which boy Clara would choose. Because if you thought you were confused about who Clara should end up with, well your head will be spinning during this one! I honestly didn’t put ANYTHING past Cynthia the way things were going down! ALSO. SAMJEEZA. That is ALL! Super sad to see this series end but I had a great time binge reading it!

Have you read this series? What did you think of Hallowed and Boundless? Were you happy with the series ending? What were some of YOUR most memorable moments from these two books? If you want to check out my top 5 favorite scenes of the Unearthly series (as drawn by my 6 year old niece), go here!

Filed Under: book review, YA paranormal, Young Adult Fiction Tagged With: angel books, book review, Cynthia Hand, series, YA book series

Review: Unearthly by Cynthia Hand

January 24, 2013 by Jamie · 30 Comments

Book Title/Author: Unearthly by Cynthia Hand
Publisher/Year: HarperTeen
Genre: YA Paranormal
Series: Yes, Unearthly is book 1.
Other Books From Author: Hallowed (Book 2) & Boundless (book 3 — out tomorrow!)

Amazon| Goodreads | @cynthiahand |

I purchased this at a Dark Days tour!

As Clara’s teenage year ushered in the normal teenage issues, for her, she also learned that she’s actually an angel blood — half human, half angel — as is her mother and brother. Being half angel means that she’s fully human but she’s got some superhuman abilities and the angel blood in her can manifest certain angel characteristics such as being able to fly or having her “glory” manifest. She also learns that while she’s here on earth she’ll start to learn her purpose through a series of visions. When she finally gets a vision of a boy and a fire, the family picks up and moves to Jackson Hole, Wyoming where they believe to be the location of her visions. She starts school and comes face to face with the boy from her visions — Christian — and she starts to get to know him better and tries to figure out her purpose and what he has to do with it. She knows that Christian is her purpose but she gets distracted when cute cowboy Tucker comes into the picture as Clara is awaiting the day when the scene from her visions will come true. Will she be able to fulfill her purpose? Or will her own free will get in the way?

Ok, guys. You know me. I’m picky with paranormal and rarely read it so I was a little bit nervous about this one because ANGELS? I was skeptical to say the least AND the dreaded love triangle signals were there for me with all the TEAM TUCKER or TEAM CHRISTIAN declarations I’d see in reference to this series. And you know my feelings on love triangles. They have to be really well done for me to enjoy them! All that being said, I’m happy to report that I devoured and LOVED Cynthia Hand’s Unearthly! I’d definitely say it’s one of my favorite paranormal YA’s that I’ve read and I’m just not sure any other Angel series will ever top this one.

I will say that starting out I was really nervous because it was reading a wee bit young for me (as a 27 year old woman) and, though I was enjoying the story from the start, I was getting nervous about some of the borderline eyerolly descriptions of how a guy smelled or how someone’s hair looked or how she described the social statuses at school with things like “Haves” and “Have Nots.” I was nervous that it was just going to be a book full of these kinds of cliches but thankfully it was not like that AT ALL! The story really shook those things off early on and became this intense must-read-in-a-single-sitting kind of read that I was wholly absorbed and invested in invested in the characters and especially Clara’s purpose. The angelology was so interesting and I loved as we learned more and more about the angel world through what Clara knows and then putting the pieces together even more, right alongside Clara, through Angela and Clara’s mother. I thought Cynthia Hand’s storytelling was incredible and she really knows how to place tension, action, twists and BIG OL’ SHOCKERS while still having really great characterizations and worldbuilding. Very evenly paced sort of book and the WOW moments are of the heart thumping variety.

Let me tell you how much I loved Clara! It was so refreshing to read a book where the female was the paranormal/supernatural one rather than chasing around some OMG-SO-HOT character just because “there’s something different about him.” She was strong and independent and such a realistic teen girl with her crushes and insecurities. I loved watching her grow in both her angel abilities and as a human and I just REALLY loved her.

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the ROMANCE. I know you all are just sitting here like “OMG TUCKER OR CHRISTIAN ALREADY??” The dreaded love triangle ended up one of the BEST EVER and I’ll hint towards the fact it gets even better in Hallowed. It’s so WELL DONE that I can’t stop gushing about it. Both Tucker and Christian are fully fleshed out characters — none of that cardboard crap — and they are both genuinely great catches — no douchenuggets here! The love triangle isn’t superfluous and it is so interconnected to the story. I saw an image once that said “if you took the love triangle out of THG you’d have a story about a televised fight to the death and if you took the love triangle out of Twilight you’d have a book about a girl moving to a town where it rains a lot” and this is SO SO TRUE. Cynthia Hand provides a love triangle that isn’t just THERE and is so important to the story that you really couldn’t take it out but if you did you’d still have an actual story. Both Christian and Tucker make sense. Christian’s the guy from her vision and he’s a good guy so naturally she starts crushing on him and then moves to more powerful feelings because of how interconnected her destiny is with him. And Tucker’s the guy who clearly is crushing on her despite his school boy teasings and whom she really gets to know through conversation and hanging out and then falls for him. He’s the one she falls for freely and naturally. It’s this amazing tension of this destiny and fate versus the free will and Tucker and Christian so aptly help illuminate this struggle.

So the answer to your question: I’m Team Tucker though by the end of Unearthly Cynthia throws that CURVEBALL at you that made me start wavering a bit at who would be better for her and make the most sense. I love his rugged cowboy appeal and his heart and his hardworking nature. I love the scenes where they are swimming in the river or fishing on the boat — just so sweet and carefree and lovely. AND THE BARN SCENE. OH THE BARN SCENE.

With gorgeous Wyoming as a backdrop, Cynthia Hand will mesmerize you with her irresistible story of angels, love, destiny and free will. The angel world she’s built is fascinating as we grow into Clara’s knowledge of the angel world, her powers and what her visions mean and how she will handle her purpose. Hand knows how to create tension, amongst incredible characterization, and you’ll find yourself wanting to finish this all in one gulp and she delivers jaw dropping moments at the right moment. With one of the best love triangles ever, Unearthly left me swooning, re-reading the sweet moments and ultimately, by the end, wavering with if I was Team Christian or Team Tucker. Romantic tension in the best way!

For Fans Of: BETTER angel books, swoonworthy boys, kissing books, paranormal without all the dramatic and annoying cliches, a love triangle that doesn’t make you want to jump off a cliff

Let’s Talk: Have you read this one?? Heard of it? Are you Team Tucker or Team Christian?? Let it all out!!

Filed Under: book review, Fiction, YA paranormal, Young Adult Fiction Tagged With: angel books, book review, Cynthia Hand, paranormal books with angels, paranormal series, Unearthly series, young adult paranormal

Book Review: Level 2 by Lenore Appelhans

January 17, 2013 by Jamie · 22 Comments

Book Title/Author: Level 2 by Lenore Appelhans
Publisher/Release Date: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers – January 15, 2013
Genre: YA Science Fiction/Paranormal (hard to say because I thought it would be way more science fiction-y than it was but there are paranormal elements)
Series: Yes. It’s book 1 of The Memory Chronicles
Other Books From Author: None — it’s her debut!

Amazon| Goodreads | @lenoreva |

I received this from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This in no way swayed my opinion. Pinky swear! And full disclosure: Lenore is a fellow blogger and friend but I have written my full and honest opinion of the book that has not been swayed by my relationship with author.

When Felicia dies, she finds herself in Level 2 — an afterlife that isn’t quite disconnected from the living but isn’t quite the “next life.” She and the others in her chamber spend their day plugged into computers where they have access to view all their old memories or the memories of others by way of a very elaborate system of credits. When a girl in Felicia’s chamber suddenly vanishes and a very dark piece of her past enters the chamber, a chamber that nobody on the outside had ever come in, and tells her there is an uprising and rebellion happening against those running the show in Level 2. Felicia isn’t sure whether or not she can trust this mysterious guy, Julian, from her past but her curiosity about what lies outside her chamber, and Julian’s promise to reunite her with somebody important, just might be the push she needs to follow him and align with the rebellion that is taking place.

Truly, Level 2 was one of the most unique and refreshing books I’ve read in a while! I loved the concept from the start — dying and then your sort of afterlife consists of this “in-between” place where you have access to all your old memories to revisit and there is a credit system wherein your memories can be loaned out and you can borrow other peoples memories. It was interesting to think about which memories I would never want to relive and which ones I’d find myself watching over and over again. I kept thinking about which sorts of memories I’d want to borrow from other people — probably some good travel memories, memories of reading books so I could experience those and probably all sorts of lovely dovey memories because in the afterlife I’m sure I’d still be a sap like that. So, obviously, I was instantly intrigued from page one as to what Level 2 was and why Felicia was there.

It was just unlike anything I’ve ever read before! The world-building was fantastic! I loved learning how things worked and could picture the pods and the rooms so easily– although I will be honest that at first it was A LOT of information to absorb. But the world is intricate and well built and I loved the pace at which we learned more about what Level 2 is right alongside Felicia as she learns from Julian that there is way more to Level 2 than she knows. I know I couldn’t stop turning the pages just anticipating what the deal with Level 2 was and why there was a rebellion and WHO controlled it. SO MANY QUESTIONS.

I loved, loved loved how the story builds through Felicia’s access to her memories and we get to learn more about her through these memories of her life that she chooses to access and through her response to them. More of the pieces start to come together through these memories and I loved trying to figure out what the deal was with Julian and why he got her in trouble in the past. Lenore moves you seamlessly through the past and the present and I loved that because sometimes flashbacks can be troublesome. I’d say that the first part of the novel really is less ACTION and more memories and introducing you to the world and then from there there is more movement outside of the chambers and plot twists to boot!

I found myself really attune to the emotions of this novel. I felt such a deep sense of sadness at points, I felt anger, the pain of betrayal, longing for what was lost, the tension, etc. Through the memories we are able to experience the sweetness of how Felicia and Neil fell in love, the shame and guilt Felicia had for the mistakes she made that hurt her best friend when Julian was in the picture, the intensity Felicia felt when reliving her death, etc. Felicia isn’t perfect and she isn’t always likeable but she felt SO real and well fleshed out and I really enjoyed her perspective.

Up until the end, Level 2 and I were were moving in the right direction and I was thoroughly enjoying it. And then the big climax came and I found myself thoroughly confused. Like I honestly re-read it and still couldn’t really figure out what happened. I don’t know if it changed in the final copy, which I plan to buy so I can re-read, but I felt like we are moving along at a certain pace and then the ending came and there was this flurry of THINGS happening really fast and I just couldn’t keep up or picture what was going on. Remember in cartoons when a scuffle or something would happen and all you would see is a whirlwind of dust and occasionally a splintered chair would fly out or we’d see a pot or pan come outside the dust and then after the dust settles we see a disheveled character with bumps and bruises or something wearing a dress or something. I don’t know if I explained that well but THAT’S how I felt. I have NO idea what was going on there behind the “dust” when the action was happening, but would catch one or two things, but then when it ended I guess I knew technically WHAT happened but everything was very hazy leading up to it. I really don’t get what happened.

EDIT: I meant to add this in my review but forgot initially. I will let you know that there ARE a lot of religious aspects to this novel. I didn’t personally find this got in the way but others I spoke to did. Just a warning!

Level 2 was a really strong debut — refreshing and unique with great characterization and an intricately built, imaginative world. The presentation of information through the past memories and the present was evenly handled and made for a great page-turner that was a blend of a contemporary novel, science fiction and a paranormal-y sort of afterlife. There were perfectly placed plot twists and revelations and I can honestly say I never knew what to expect from the time I cracked open the book until the very climatic end. I will say that towards the end things sped up and the final scene is a complete blur to me because I have no idea what happened as it happened at break-neck speed for me but that wouldn’t deter me from recommending this! Can’t wait for Level 3 because there is still SO much more to learn and I need to know what happens to Felicia!

For Fans Of: unique afterlife stories, YA science fiction/paranormal with a contemporary balance via flashbacks, great worldbuilding

Let’s Talk: Have you read this one?? Heard of it? Were your thoughts similar to mine or different? Did anyone else have a hard time knowing what was going on in that least scene? And did anyone else have some serious thinking about which memories you’d never ever want to relive again? And which ones you’d keep replaying over and over again? I pretty much would never want to experience my mother’s death or funeral ever again. On the less serious side, I would not want to relive a breakup or the time I had toilet paper stuck in my pants and flapping behind me as a tween. I’d love to relive some great dates, first kisses, my travels to Europe, sweet moments with my niece, my wedding day and some really fun moments with friends. I have a feeling I’d probably analyze some “what went wrong moments’ in my life. lol

Filed Under: book review, YA paranormal, YA science fiction, Young Adult, Young Adult Fiction Tagged With: afterlife, book review, Lenore Appelhans, Level 2, paranormal, science fiction, teen fiction, YA literature

My Bookish Christmas Shopping List # 1 — For My Vamp-Loving Sister

November 9, 2012 by Jamie · 20 Comments

Once a week, from now until Christmas, I’m going to be sharing my own shopping lists for family members or friends that I have on my list. I’ll be letting you know what they read, the challenges I face in choosing a book for them and some ideas I came up with. I’d love for you to also interject and recommend some that you think would fit as well! So check out my lists if you are also looking to find some books to give as Christmas gifts for the bookish people in your life.

Buying Books For

My 24 Year Old Twilight Loving Sister

The Challenges

1. She only reads about 5 books per year

2. She really only reads vampire books (although she just DID read Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater) and NEEDS romance in her stories. Like HAS to have it or it is a no go.

3. She needs something that grabs her attention right from the start and continues the whole way through — she gets bored easily.

My Strategy

My strategy when trying to find books for her is going to be to find a few vampire books with prominent romances but also try to introduce her to the wonderfully wide world of other paranormal creatures that I think she’ll go for.

Books She Read & Enjoyed After Twilight

Glass Houses by Rachel Caine
Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater
Marked by PC Cast + Kristin Cast

Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead
Evernight by Claudia Gray
Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris

Paranormalcy by Kiersten White
Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins
City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

Raised By Wolves by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Nightshade by Andrea Cremer
The Dark Divine by Bree Despain

Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick
Angelfire by Courtney Allison Moulton
Unearthly by Cynthia Hand

Shade by Jeri Smith-Ready
Hereafter by Tara Hudson
Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake

The Iron King by Julie Kagawa
Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr
The Faerie Ring by Kiki Hamilton

So these are my prospective picks for my sister who is a fan of the Twilight books and is looking for something to read after! I hope this is useful for any of you buying for the Twilight fans/paranormal fans in your life. Let me know if you have any suggestions for me to look into as I try to shop for her and find the best choices that I know she’ll love. I know she won’t really be interested in mermaid, zombies or any mythological creatures.

Filed Under: book list, Uncategorized, YA paranormal Tagged With: books for christmas presents, books for Twilight fans, paranormal book list, teen paranormal books, vampire books like Twilight, what to read after Twilight, YA paranormal books

Review: Beyond by Graham McNamee

November 5, 2012 by Jamie · 6 Comments

Book Title/Author: Beyond: A Ghost Story by Graham McNamee
Publisher/Year: Wendy Lamb Books (imprint of Random House) 2012
Genre: YA Horror/Paranormal
Series: No.
Other Books From Author: Acceleration, Bonechiller, Hate You

Amazon| Goodreads | About Graham McNamee

On the outside it may appear to people that Jane is clumsy, reckless or maybe suicidal. After all, she’s had some near fatal accidents. But only Jane and her best friend, Lexi, know the truth about all Jane’s “accidents” and how it’s her own shadow that take hold of her body and guides her to do these things. As Jane and Lexi work to figure out what’s happening to Jane they find a connection to Jane’s shadow mystery they would have never believed.

I thought this book was really creepy — not scary — but just plain ol’ creepy. I mean, I just think about the premise of your shadow warring against you and making you do things that you don’t want to do and it gives me the heebie jeebies. So many of the things that go bump in the night are outside forces and this one is something that is inside you and you can’t even control! Seriously, it could be a cool movie, I think. I mean, let’s recap here: HER SHADOW IS TRYING TO KILL HER. The premise alone simultaneously creeped me out yet thrilled me.

Beyond by Graham McNamee was very slim in size but it was one of those books that you really felt like you got this very whole and complete story — which was nice considering I’ve been reading SO many series. It was just darn nice to have a paranormal-like story and have it be a standalone. I read this SO quickly because it’s pacing is so great! I just kept wondering — is she possessed or is it a ghost or is her shadow an actual entity. And then when other things were revealed I was even more intrigued! I did think that they ending was a little predictable, at least to me, but it still was enjoyable nonetheless.

And let me tell you, I love Jane and Lexi! They were awesome characters and I love seeing a pair of besties who are THIS close. They had a really awesome bond and I have to say that I loved that a romance didn’t get inserted as the main plot in this book. I don’t want to give anything away regarding the plot but I’ll say there is somebody Jane has her eye on but it’s not a driving force of this novel!

This was a perfect addition to my Halloween reading! It was a quick and creepy read that gave me something more unusual to read about! I mean, your own shadow tries to kill you on multiple occasions? I loved the path to figuring out the how’s and why’s of Jane’s shadow and was thoroughly engaged the whole time. If you are looking for a quick ghost-y/paranormal book that’s creepy, but not scary, and is NOT a series, I’d say pick this one up! Also, if you are wanting a break from a romance or a love triangle plot, this might be your thang.

For Fans Of: YA Horror, ghost stories, paranormal type stories without the romance focus (there IS a love interest but it’s not the focus), love triangles or sequels

Let’s Talky Talk: Have you read this one? Heard of it? What did you think if you have read it? What other good, truly creepy reads have you encountered? The bigger the creep factor the better!

Filed Under: book review, Fiction, YA paranormal, Young Adult, Young Adult Fiction, Young Adult Horror Tagged With: book review, ghost story, Graham McNamee, Hallowee, Halloween reads, horror, paranormal, YA horror

Review: Envy by Elizabeth Miles

September 5, 2012 by Jamie · 19 Comments

This is the 2nd book in a series, friends. Spoilers from book 1 are floating about. Please read my review of Fury by Elizabeth Miles (book 1) or scroll all the way down to read my review on a post-it with non-spoilery thoughts.

Book Title/Author: Envy by Elizebeth Miles (The Fury Trilogy #2)
Publisher/Year: : Simon & Schuster- September 4th 2012
Genre: Young Adult Paranormal Fiction
Series: Yes, this is book #2 in the series.
Other Books From Author: Fury by Elizabeth Miles (book one in this series)

Amazon| Goodreads | Elizabeth Miles’ Website

After the death of popular football star Chase & making a deal with the Furies so they didn’t harm her very best friend JD, Em thinks she’s dealt with the Furies for now so she pours herself into learning about them & why they might be in Ascension and tries to make amends with Gabby and a cold JD who is shutting her out. Meanwhile, the new girl in town, Skylar, has her own secrets. Now that she’s living with her grandmother, she’s free of her alcoholic mother and her perfect older sister and she can forge her own path to popularity and be everything her family never thought she’d be — at any cost. Luckily for Skylar, in addition to popular Gabby who has befriended her & helped her get the ins to Acension’s social scene, she’s got three beautiful sisters who want to help her out…or so she thinks.

I’ll start with this — Envy was fan-freaking-tastic and really made me love this series more! I always am nervous to start the second book in a trilogy for fear of the dreaded second-book-in-the-series syndrome. You know…where nothing really happens at all and it just sets up for the rest of the series. If I’m being honest, Envy, the sequel to Fury, unfortunately does have some symptoms of this Second Book syndrome but doesn’t necessarily fail because of it or SUFFER fully from it..for me at least.

Especially when compared with Fury, it seems like there isn’t much happening in this sequel. It just doesn’t have that same pacing or action that I personally felt with Fury. It also didn’t feel nearly as dark or creepy. That was one of the biggest things I loved about Envy — it was so dark and creepy and the Furies really were something out of a horror movie for me. Envy seemed like it was a lot more high school politics and Mean Girl-esque plotlines until the middle/end.

A lot of that “feeling like the sinister & dark factor wasn’t there” feeling was, I think, because the plotline with Em revolved around her researching and learning more about the Furies in the beginning with not too many appearances of them and a lot of the Furies BIG appearances that revealed things were from the middle to the end. And the new character Skylar, the new girl in town & the alternating point of view in this one, has a very catty and conniving role and her dealings with the Furies are very different than how we’ve seen them.

Envy makes up for the “symptoms” with its compulsive readability and some really great characters both new and old. Skylar, well she just BROUGHT the high school drama with her desperate need to fit in, be pretty and popular and get her way no matter the cost. Speaking of her, I really loved Skylar’s alternating point of view in contrast with Em’s. She was incredibly compelling though I wanted to bitch slap her for a good chunk of this book but it was evident as we learned more about her that there was more that meets the eye. I really loved her chapters to be honest. I couldn’t put them down. Em became a lot more likeable this time around and DREA. Love Drea!

Once I finished the book and was thinking about how it lacked the creep factor, I realized that, all along in the beginning, I DID feel kind of unsettled — like there was something eerie just lurking in the shadows. When I watched the Furies toy with Skylar, I just was sitting there waiting with bated breath knowing what kind of destruction they caused before on people’s lives. When Em was researching the Furies and things seemed calm to her, I was waiting for them to strike again and even more brutally. I was waiting for her to uncover something terrifying or unsettling. It’s what drove me to read faster and faster. So while the creepy factor may not have ultimately felt as intense in the beginning, it’s there! It just lingered throughout and them BAM..you better sleep with a nightlight on because IT GETS REAL. And the ending. OH MY. OH MY. Miles’ writes this in such a way that you just keep plowing through to find out WHEN the you know what will hit the fan.

But I will say, thumbs down to the whole Crow storyline. How random is he?

Envy is an excellent follow-up to Elizabeth Miles’ Fury. It’s poised to be read compulsively and has this underlying creepy tone that ebbs and flows but is more subtle through most of the novel when compared with Fury. It does have a slight case of Second-Book-Syndrome because there is a lot less that actually happens in this novel nor do we find out anything groundbreaking BUT this isn’t a second book that FULLY succumbs to the Second Book Syndrome. Definitely an underrated series I’d like to see more people pick up if they are looking for TRULY creepy and more horror-filled paranormal that breathes new life into the mythology based Furies but delicately so as it remains true to the vengeful nature of the Furies. It’s not preachy, it’s full of flawed characters whom you might hate but they become sympathetic when contrasted with the judgement the Furies are hellbent on bringing down on them for being just that — flawed people who make big mistakes. Oh HEY and it’s not all focused on a romance.

Let’s talky talk: Have you read this series? Interested in it? What are some other books you’ve read that deal with revenge and justice for wrongdoings?

Filed Under: book review, Fiction, YA paranormal, Young Adult, Young Adult Fiction, Young Adult Horror Tagged With: Furies, YA horror, YA mythology, young adult fiction, young adult paranormal series

Review Of Nightshade by Andrea Cremer

August 8, 2012 by Jamie · 13 Comments

Book Title/Author: Nightshade by Andrea Cremer
Publisher/Year: : HarperTeen
Genre: Young Adult Paranormal Fiction
Series: Yes!
Other Books From Author: Wolfsbane (Book #2), Bloodrose (Book #3), Rift (prequel to Nightshade series)

Amazon| Goodreads | Andrea Cremer’s Website

Official Summary: Calla Tor has always known her destiny: After graduating from the Mountain School, she’ll be the mate of sexy alpha wolf Ren Laroche and fight with him, side by side, ruling their pack and guarding sacred sites for the Keepers. But when she violates her masters’ laws by saving a beautiful human boy out for a hike, Calla begins to question her fate, her existence, and the very essence of the world she has known. By following her heart, she might lose everything – including her own life. Is forbidden love worth the ultimate sacrifice?

Hmm. Make no mistake — I LIKED Nightshade. I really did. I’ll read the rest of the series. I’d probably even recommend it to those who really LOVE the paranormal genre or who are wanting to get into it. I just don’t think I LOVED it like everyone else did. I read it really intently and was on the edge of my seat sometimes but I just kind of finished it like — “Ok, cool, that was good and fun.” I was excited to move on to the series to be immersed in the world again but I wasn’t out of my mind dying to get the second book.

I think the best part of this book is the lore and the world-building. It was all so delightfully magical and it was easy to get swept into this world. It was the kind of intricate, thoughtfully crafted world building that I love and find myself enchanted by and Andrea Cremer holds you captive as she tells this fantastical tale. I really enjoyed learning about the roles of the Keepers, Searchers & Guardians and how complex their history is.

AND THE BEST PART, this isn’t some cheesy werewolfy world. No, friends, this is one fantastic werewolf story — it doesn’t fall flat in terms of learning the order of the world. It’s complex. It’s not one of those stories where you could just plunk in any ol’ paranormal creature as the main characters and the story would essentially be the same. I’ve seen paranormal that doesn’t build that world so much and I could have inserted vampires in place of werewolf and WAH LAH..the story is still the same aside from some minor details. Andrea Cremer’s world of werewolves is COMPLEX! There is a whole society! A rich history! Totally the stuff of paranormal I really dig! And her writing is fan-freaking-tastic.

I think the underwhelming part for me was the whole love triangle thing. I know, I know…everyone loves this love triangle. Maybe I’m just all jaded now about love triangles and I would have totally loved this before I was inundated with tales of love triangles? Either way. It didn’t feel THAT different to me. Ok, here’s the boy she’s SUPPOSED to be with and here’s the new guy that she kinda really actually likes. WHAT IS A GIRL TO DO? That romantical storyline can be interesting but I just never really felt like I really cared WHO she ended up with…I just wanted her to make up her darn mind and PICK somebody and stop being so fickle. And I think it kind of made me ambivalent to Calla. And she really didn’t stand out to me as this AWESOME heroine. I mean, sure, she kicks ass at times but I never really felt wowed by her as a character. She just really fell flat for me but luckily there were some other really great characters to make up for it.

And I know some of you are curious — I’m Team Shay. Just had to throw that out there.

Nightshade was a really fun paranormal read that dazzled me with its world-building and fine tuned lore. I was so intrigued by the world and the hierarchy and the history — Andrea Cremer writes it all beautifully and with intrigue! If you left it at that, I would have been just as head-over-heels as it seems most people were. Unfortunately for me, a really main part of this book — the romance — just distracted me from what I loved most about it as it didn’t seem as unique or as well developed as the world. I think if you are a fan of YA paranormal that is set in a fantastically built world and includes a romance, you’ll really enjoy this book. Unfortunately, the romance wasn’t the strong point for me as I think it is for others as I just didn’t find it as anything new or even that compelling for me. All in all, a really great start to an intriguing series that I will more than likely continue on with.

The Wolves of Mercy Falls series by Maggie Stiefvater, Raised by Wolves by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Filed Under: book review, Uncategorized, YA paranormal, Young Adult, Young Adult Fiction Tagged With: Andrea Cremer, Nightshade, shapeshifters, werewolf teen book series, young adult fiction, young adult paranormal series

Review: The Gathering by Kelley Armstrong

April 25, 2012 by Jamie · 17 Comments

Title/Author: The Gathering (Darkness Rising) by Kelley Armstrong
Publisher/Year: HarperTeen – April 2011
Genre: YA Paranormal
Series: Yes — 1st book!
Other Books From Author: Darkest Powers series), Women of the Otherworld series

Amazon | Goodreads | Kelly Armstrong’s Website

Disclosure: The publisher sent it to me in exchange for an honest review along with its sequel — The Calling. This has in no way swayed or affected my opinions on the book. My honesty is more important to me than that.

What’s It About: Sixteen year old Maya lives a pretty normal life in her small medical experiment town outside of Vancouver with her adoptive parents. Years after she witnesses a death under unusual circumstances, even more strange things start to happen to Maya — things like mountain lions being drawn to her, a mysterious guy moves into town and seems to have a fascination with her, outsiders start poking around the town, etc. She’s never really questioned her origins or the motives of her town until now.

I definitely enjoyed this book more than I thought I would. I’ve never read the author’s previous works but I received this in the mail and decided I was in the mood to delve into a paranormal world. I’m not a HUGE paranormal reader, as readers of this blog probably know, but I do try to dip my toes in from time to time because I do enjoy the genre but I’m wildly picky. I guess I just have a hard time wading through the not-so-good Twilight wannabes to get to the unique and wonderful paranormal books. This book definitely surpassed my expectations and I was thoroughly impressed and sucked in to this story.

The interesting thing is that, though there were clearly portions of this book where paranormal-y things happened, most of the book did not seem paranormal at all. I have a feeling this will change in the second book but mostly I forgot I was reading a paranormal book because it mostly took place in the “real” world rather than a paranormal world and there were only bits and pieces revealed of the paranormal tilt to this book. I was so intrigued as Armstrong slowly unraveled some of these elements though I predicted a lot of the things.

I loved the uniqueness of the Native American folklore that was incorporated into this story as well as the setting — I loved the forest and the mystery of this weird town. Have you ever seen The Village? Well, in The Gathering we don’t know exactly WHAT the town is up to that she lives in but you know there is SOMETHING off. I found myself reading quickly and furiously on my flight because there was just SO MUCH I wanted to know about this creepy little town and the creepy little mountain lions that seem to always show up wherever Maya is. Also, I couldn’t help but be drawn into the storyline with Rafe and Maya but I’m not sure where I stand on him. I secretly want her to be with a certain somebody else. BADLY. Speaking of that someone else, I wonder what his deal is??

I have to admit the ending made me a bit stabby because revelations were far and few between, while the mystery and intrigue was page turning and could make one ravenous for answers, and the ending just ENDED. Holy cliffhanger. I swore pages were ripped out of my copy because I couldn’t believe it would just end like that. Throw me a freaking bone and give me at least ONE answer. I won’t be waiting too long before I read the second book — The Calling — because I need some answers to all the crazy things happening.

Final Thought: The Gathering was the perfect read for my travels. It kept my attention with its well crafted mysteries surrounding the town and Maya’s true origins. While sometimes it seemed like not much was happening, there were just so many riveting aspects of the story that had the power to make me able to tune out the screaming baby three rows behind me and the sweaty man overtaking half of my seat. It was unique and refreshing and I’ll be picking up the second book for sure because I really enjoyed it. But that pesky little cliffhanger…GRRRRRR. It just seemed to be abrupt and WAHHH. I’ll stop whining now and read the second book.

Review On A Post-It:

What did you think if you’ve read this one? I need to talk about it with somebody!! If you haven’t read this book, is it on your radar? Are her other series good? ALSO, any recs for any other good paranormal books that someone who isn’t “well versed” in the genre might like??

Filed Under: Uncategorized, YA paranormal, Young Adult Fiction Tagged With: Darkness Rising series, Kelley, Kelley Armstrong, paranormal books, YA paranormal, young adult fiction

Shade by Jeri Smith-Ready – Book Review

November 7, 2011 by Jamie · 20 Comments

The Skinny: In Aura’s world, when you die it doesn’t necessarily mean you are gone. An unexplained phenomena called the “Shift” happened and everyone born after that point becomes like Ghost Whisperers or walking Ouji boards — they can see and talk to ghosts. Sounds cool, right? Your loved ones wouldn’t necessarily be gone. But what about when all the ghosts are constantly bombarding you with their stories and wanting you to help and they won’t go away? When Aura’s boyfriend Logan dies, on the night they decided to take that next step in their relationship, Aura tries to grapple with the fact that she can still see Logan but their relationship just can’t be the same and meeting a new guy named Zachary, who seems to share her passion for figuring out why the Shift happened and how it can be stopped, just further complicates things.

I have never seen such passion for a book before in my LIFE until I saw how much Jen from Makeshift Bookmark LOVES this series. While she certainly isn’t a one woman parade in these proclamations of LOVE for this series, she’s the voice that has resonated the loudest for me in telling me that I need to read this book. So, I had to read it to find out what the hoopla was. But I have to be honest. I was nervous because, as I’ve mentioned before, I’m not an “I love everything paranormal” gal. I like SOME paranormal but not in the way a lot of my blogger friends love it. So, I was a little apprehensive to be honest.

But fortunately for my reading pleasure, and the status of my friendship with Jen, Jeri Smith-Ready wrote a paranormal story that I devoured — a promising premise that delivered, romantical tension to boot, heartwrenching passages that made my heart feel like it was in a vise and characters who I genuinely could believe in and care for.

Man, can Jeri Smith Ready write a convincing love triangle that doesn’t make me want to vom my Kashi bars all over the place! Jeri, can I just call you Queen of the Love Triangles? Seriously, this love triangle had me feeling like my heart was in the midst of a rowdy game of Tug O’ War on the playground. My heart ACHED for Aura. I mean, yes, it would be amazing to still see the people you love in theory but it could never be the same and it would be a painful thing to try and move on knowing that you are hurting that person. I’m personally Team Zachary for now but Logan is one passionate – albeit a bit stupid sometimes- dude.

I loved how unique the story was. It wasn’t a typical ghost story. It felt very much integrated into the real world but then you’d be very much reminded that there were some very supernatural things happening…as I’m sure it would feel to be Aura and going through your day, let’s saying walking your dog and listening to your music, and then a ghost comes out of nowhere. There is SO much we don’t know about the world and I loved finding out bits and pieces (and sometimes HUGE revelations) out with Aura. I wish some of the things would have been developed more in this book because it really took off in the second half in the book but I will be patient. I will.

My Final Thought: This book never disappointed for a moment. There was never a moment when I wasn’t feeling something — heartbreak, anger, surprise, suspense, tension, confusion. The story builds and builds at a pace I felt to be just right and all hell breaks loose at the right moments. I CANNOT WAIT TO READ SHIFT and, I should be scolded, because I do in fact own it but just had to “prioritize” with some review books. But don’t be mistaken, I WILL BE STARTING SHIFT SOON. Shade was just freaking awesome!

Review On A Post-It

* Also, thanks to Jen for so graciously sending Shade and Shift to me just so I would FINALLY READ THEM!

Filed Under: ghosts, Paranormal, Paranormal Romance, paranormal YA, Series, supernatural, YA paranormal, Young Adult, Young Adult Fiction

Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini

October 24, 2011 by Jamie · 7 Comments

I picked this up because of the promise of some Greek mythology and a Shakespearean romance of sorts. I’d say I was pretty pleased with the result. As far as the mythology goes, from what I know of the popular Greek myth that Starcrossed is based on, it seems like Angelini certainly took some liberties and changed some things along the way…which could have possibly have been intentional to make the story fresh but provide strong elements for a base of the story. As far as the love story goes, boy was it confusing and crazy at times! It was a refreshing love story as it doesn’t start out with insta-love, but quite the opposite, and doesn’t include any love triangles in this first book. I felt like the insta-hate was actually well done. It was just all like, “I hate you and want to kill you” and then two seconds later “Ok I totes just realized my hatred is LOOOVE.” I felt like it progressed naturally and there were actually reasons behind the change in heart.With that kind of intense hatred, it was pretty entertaining to watch their story unfold. Also, there are some major happenings that try to screw up their romance and one was WOWSER. I was thinking, “Welp, yep. If I found that out too it’d be quite the buzzkill for sexytimes with my hot new boyfriend.”

I didn’t particularly LOVE Helen that much. She’s one of those characters who I just didn’t connect with and often thought many of her actions and reasons for acting were eyeroll inducing. There were times when I warmed up to her and then certain times during the end where I wanted to shake the hell out of her! I think as far as characters go, her best friend Clare and Lucas’s family made the book for me! They were an interesting group of characters but I have to say I felt some déjà vu as they really reminded me of a certain famous paranormal family that some love and hate – the Cullens. Seriously, I read this as an egalley and couldn’t wait to see if others found it eerily similar to Twilight’s own Cullen family and sure enough I wasn’t the only one!

Speaking of Twilight similarities, I did find there to be some hints of parallels between the storylines but overall I found this to have way more depth and exploration into Greek mythology than Twilight did as far as focusing way more on the romance rather than really building any sort of world for me or strong foundation for the vampires. Starcrossed did an excellent job balancing the romance with the interesting foundation for the story in terms of the Greek mythology. I found this to be as addicting and engrossing of a read as I found Twilight. That “can’t put down” feeling was there and I read way more quickly through this beast of a book than I thought I would have. I also found Starcrossed to be infinitely better on the writing front.

Let’s talk about one thing though. I hate when I feel like the author writes something in a way that makes me feel like he/she thinks I’m too dumb to figure something out (and I totally don’t think this was Angelini’s intention to make me feel like this). There was this BIG key to the book that had to do with something that Helen possessed and I felt like it kept being put out there a bajillion times to foreshadow the big reveal. There were random passages were a character would mention said thing and after the second time it was just a glaring neon light like “HEY LOOK THIS IS IMPORTANT. DO YOU SEE HOW IMPORTANT THIS IS? ” I think the discreet mention of THE THING would have been great had it not been repeatedly pointed out so I’d know that it was important. I could have figured it out for myself or at least when the lightbulbs came on for Helen and company..I would have been like OH YEAH.

In the end, I really did enjoy this book. I didn’t find it to be a perfect 5 star book but I certainly enjoyed the thrill as this book unfolded…even with the craziness of the last 100 pages or so. I can see why people say that fans of Twilight would like this book and I would probably recommend this to my Twilight loving sister for the fact that it is addicting, a worthy epic love story and I enjoyed the building of the world. I will most certainly be reading the next book in this series although I’m going to need someone to read it right before that and refresh my memory a bit as there was A LOT of things that happened and so many different things to remember about characters or the mythology.

Have you read this one? What did you think? Any other Greek mythology based books that I should pick up?

Filed Under: Greek Mythology, teen YA, YA, YA Lit, YA paranormal, Young Adult, Young Adult Fiction

Mini Reviews of Hallowed & Boundless by Cynthia Hand

Hallowed by Cynthia Hand

Boundless by Cynthia Hand