Entice

Entice by Carrie Jones

Published: December 14,2010 by Bloomsbury USA

Zara and Nick are soul mates, meant to be together forever. But that's not quite how things have worked out. For starters, well, Nick is dead. Supposedly, he's been taken to a mythic place for warriors known as Valhalla, so Zara and her friends might be able to get him back. But it's taking time, and meanwhile a group of evil pixies is devastating Bedford, with more teens going missing every day. An all-out war seems imminent, and the good guys need all the warriors they can find. But how to get to Valhalla? And even if Zara and her friends discover the way, there's that other small problem: Zara's been pixie kissed. When she finds Nick, will he even want to go with her? Especially since she hasn't turned into just any pixie. . . She's Astley's queen.

       This is another great book in the Need series, a truly unique series in the YA paranormal trend. One with a strong heroine and a love triangle that I don't really consider to be a love triangle because our heroine Zara knows what she wants from the beginning. I recommend picking up this series if you haven't tried it yet!

Reasons I love this book:

• Zara- she's so realistic which is especially impressive in a supernatural book. She's afraid of what's happened and what's currently taking place but she's willing to do everything she can to save the people she cares for.
• it's different- when's the last time you read a book about pixies? Scary pixies, no vampires, no werewolf packs- just one werewolf plus some unique weres (an eagle, a tiger, a bear, oh my!)
• Astley- alright, so if we're taking sides I've been rooting for Nick since the beginning, but Astley is respectful and honorable towards Zara and that's a big plus for him
• action- I've always admired authors who aren't afraid to get characters hurt or even killed (except you JK Rowling- I'm still upset over some of those deaths)

Huh, what?:

• plot?- I don't what it is but it felt to me like something was a little off. I think it may be how all the events flowed within the plot. There were a lot of things going on that were integral to the main plot and they didn't all fit together seamlessly all the time
• book listing- this is the tiniest detail, but Carrie Jones has written 3 books besides the Need series, so why aren't they listed on the "other books by Carrie Jones" page? I know they aren't paranormal, but I really enjoyed Tips for Having a Gay (Ex-) Boyfriend, and Love (and Other Uses for Duct Tape.  I haven't read Girl, Hero though. Plus I've never seen any of these books in the store. So, what's up with that booksellers? 

Is this the end?:

• It sounds like this is the book in the series, but there are also some things that could point to more so I'm really not sure

Favorite Quotes:

• "Oh, flying on a plane is a totally normal fear. That's called aerophobia, aviatophobia, aviophobia, or pteromechanophobia."                                                                                                 He laughs. "What is one supposed to do when faced with aerophobia, aviatophobia, aviophobia, or pteromechanophobia?"                                                                                                                 "Do not mock my excessive knowledge of phobias," I kid and punch him in the arm.                          - Zara and Astley  pg. 61
• The glamour is gone. He is in full pixie mode, all blue skin and teeth, eyes that glint. I shudder even though I know that this is how I look too- like a monster. But it's more than that. He feels like a monster, like some horrible, primal, lethal pixie king instead of the usual calm, slightly troubled Astley.                  - pg. 172

4 Robots

Another great book in the Need series by a talented (and under-appreciated in my opinion) author

Acquired: Bought

If I Stay

If I Stay by Gayle Forman

Published: April 2,2009 by Dutton Juvenile

In a single moment, everything changes. Seventeen-year-old Mia has no memory of the accident; she can only recall riding along the snow-wet Oregon road with her family. Then, in a blink, she finds herself watching as her own damaged body is taken from the wreck...

A sophisticated, layered, and heartachingly beautiful story about the power of family and friends, the choices we all make—and the ultimate choice Mia commands.

       So this isn't a rave review, but I was pleasantly surprised that this book lives up to all those positive reviews. It's worth a read, plus it's a nice break from the paranormal, even though it does have some extra elements to it. 

Reasons I love this book:

• writing- the way the story is told is the perfect balance of present time and flashbacks. This book feels as though each word is necessary and important to the story.
• Mia- it's easy to relate to Mia with all the pressure she's under- that unique pressure of choosing a college, wondering if you should factor a boy into that choice or pursue your dream school no matter what
• Mia's grandpa- for some reason I liked him the most out of everyone Mia describes in her family and her friends. Some of the moments I found most touching were when her grandpa was speaking to her in the hospital.

Huh, what?:

• ending- I honestly can't decide whether this is a negative or a positive. The ending is so ambiguous- what happened? Did she stay or did she go? I think I liked deciding for myself, but I'm not sure. Or did I misread what it tells us? (Except now there's a sequel which cements her decision for us)
• new cover- I know, this isn't even about the book really, but I did like the old cover more and which they'd designed the sequel cover to match the original rather than the paperback
• Adam- I don't hate Adam, I just don't really understand the initial attraction between he and Mia, but I love him in the present time when he's so determined to see her

Is this the end?:

• No. The sequel, Where She Went was released April 5th and is from Adam's point of view

Favorite Quotes:

• "At my funeral no one is allowed to wear black. And for music, I want something poppy and old-school, like Mr. T Experience."         - Henry, pg. 171
• I have a feeling that once you live through something like this, you become a little bit invincible.      I know that makes me a bit of a hypocrite. If that's the case, shouldn't I stay?     - Mia, pg. 218

4 robots

This book lives up to the attention and hype it gets and is definitely recommended.

Acquired: Traded for on swap.com

Blameless

Blameless by Gail Carriger

(Book 3: The Parasol Protectorate)

Published: September 1, 2010 by Orbit

Quitting her husband's house and moving back in with her horrible family, Lady Maccon becomes the scandal of the London season.

Queen Victoria dismisses her from the Shadow Council, and the only person who can explain anything, Lord Akeldama, unexpectedly leaves town. To top it all off, Alexia is attacked by homicidal mechanical ladybugs, indicating, as only ladybugs can, the fact that all of London's vampires are now very much interested in seeing Alexia quite thoroughly dead.

While Lord Maccon elects to get progressively more inebriated and Professor Lyall desperately tries to hold the Woolsey werewolf pack together, Alexia flees England for Italy in search of the mysterious Templars. Only they know enough about the preternatural to explain her increasingly inconvenient condition, but they may be worse than the vampires -- and they're armed with pesto.

     So after the crazy cliffhanger that the 2nd book left off with I was definitely excited to continue the series. This book is just as absurd (maybe more so) and awesome as the previous books in the series and I'm looking forward to the 4th one. See my review of Changeless (2nd book) here.

Reasons I love this book:

• the cover- these covers continue to wow me and I love the colors on this one more than any of the others
• Alexia- I know, I've said this before, but she is one awesome heroine with an attitude and stubborn streak not to be taken lightly
• infant inconvenience- the very fact that this is how Alexia refers to her pregnancy makes me laugh
• action- there's a lot of action and more fight scenes than the previous books (yay!)

Huh, what?:

• Biffy- don't get me wrong, I love Biffy- I was simply shocked by what happened to him!
• the preceptor- he give me the creeps- being coldly polite, calling Alexia "My Soulless One"- doesn't that make your skin crawl a bit?
• resolving the cliffhanger- SPOILERS!- this takes way too long for my taste, although I was somewhat satisfied that it becomes less of an issue fairly early on

The boyfriend factor:

• my boyfriend tore through this one, mainly driven by his need for the cliffhanger to be resolved, and was a little disappointed when he realized he wouldn't have immediate access to the 4th book

Is this the end?:

• No, and I'm not liking the wait time until the 4th book releases on June 28 of this year, because to me that's a long wait

Favorite quotes:

• "Floote, what is going on? Do they think I am contagious? Should I assure them I was born with a nose this size?"                  -Alexia, pg. 207
• She reworked her assessment of her attackers: homicidal mechanical dripping ladybugs- ugh.      pg. 38

5 robots

The awesome Alexia returns with even more sass and more action!

Acquired: Bought

Divergent: First 100 pages unleashed on the world

....bwahahaha

       Seriously though, the first 100 pages of Veronica Roth's debut book Divergent are available for everyone to read. Read it if you like dystopian, if you've never read dystopian, or heck even if you hate dystopian. This story hits the ground running. A lot happens in these first 100 pages and it's gonna be one heck of an exciting book!

Read it here!

And read Veronica's blog about what each faction name means here

Divergent comes out May 3rd

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.

The Knife of Never Letting Go

The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness

(Chaos Walking Trilogy: Book 1)

Published: September 9, 2008 by Candlewick

Todd Hewitt is the last boy in Prentisstown.
But Prentisstown isn’t like other towns. Everyone can hear everyone else’s thoughts in a constant, overwhelming, never-ending Noise. There is no privacy. There are no secrets.
Or are there?
Just one month away from the birthday that will make him a man, Todd unexpectedly stumbles upon a spot of complete silence.
Which is impossible.
Prentisstown has been lying to him.
And now he’s going to have to run ...

       This is one of those books that I've seen around book blogs and was vaguely aware of, but it kinda got buried under all the new books out there. Then I made a swap.com account with all the books that I'd read and thought "well, this book is okay but I'm never gonna read it again and don't know anyone who would love it." I put this book on my want list and it was the first book I swapped for and I'm so glad I read it. This book is the very definition of epic. If you like dystopian even a tiny bit, read this book!

Reasons I love this book:

• Manchee- from the 1st page (as you'll see in my fave quotes) I knew I was going to love Manchee and he didn't let me down
• Plot- the Noise, Todd being the only remaining Prentisstown boy, the impossibility of he and Viola's situation- everything comes together so well
• Aaron- SPOILERS!- I have never read about a villain I hated more, and that goes far with me. If an author can make me care that much it's awesome, even if it is a villain
• writing- the way Todd speaks and thinks is written like he would spell it. It's kinda like how when Hagrid talks except way easier to figure out what he's saying (seriously, when I was 10 and reading Harry Potter I had a hard time understanding Hagrid)                   

Huh, what?:

• Manchee (again)- SPOILERS!- Whyyyy? I cried. This has only ever happened once before, over Dobby.
• Aaron (again)- why won't this man just die already? Who is capable of being that stubborn?
• the ending- agh! After all that Todd and Viola went through to get where are....it's just agh. I know there's a sequel but it makes me want to scream

The boyfriend factor:

• as soon as I finished this book I gave it to my boyfriend and he's loving it. He's almost done with it. He doesn't enjoy the writing in Todd's spelling though.

Is this the end?:

• No, and thankfully the whole trilogy is out because I'd never be able to stand the wait. I bought the 3rd book at a local Borders (going out of business) when I was only about a 3rd of the way through this book. Now all I need is the 2nd book, like now

Favorite quotes:

• The first thing you find out when yer dog learns to talk is that dogs don't got nothing much to say. About anything.  "Need a poo, Todd."      "Shut up, Manchee."      "Poo. Poo, Todd."     "I said shut it."        pg. 1                (This is the 1st line of the book. How could you not be dying to read the rest after this? Best 1st line I've ever read.)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     
• We can't ask anyone for help. Even if we got it, the army's coming, ain't it? We should warn them but what if they're Matthew Lyles rather than Hildys? And what if by warning them we draw the army right to them cuz then we're in everyone's Noise?                  pg.234

5 robots

This book is epic and I'm dying to get my hands on the 2nd one as soon as I can.

Acquired: swapped for (swap.com)