Beautiful Darkness

Beautiful Darkness by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl
Published: 10-12-2010 by Little, Brown

Ethan Wate used to think of Gatlin, the small Southern town he had always called home, as a place where nothing ever changed. Then he met mysterious newcomer Lena Duchannes, who revealed a secret world that had been hidden in plain sight all along. A Gatlin that harbored ancient secrets beneath its moss-covered oaks and cracked sidewalks. A Gatlin where a curse has marked Lena's family of powerful Supernaturals for generations. A Gatlin where impossible, magical, life-altering events happen.

Sometimes life-ending.

Together they can face anything Gatlin throws at them, but after suffering a tragic loss, Lena starts to pull away, keeping secrets that test their relationship. And now that Ethan's eyes have been opened to the darker side of Gatlin, there's no going back. Haunted by strange visions only he can see, Ethan is pulled deeper into his town's tangled history and finds himself caught up in the dangerous network of underground passageways endlessly crisscrossing the South, where nothing is as it seems.

I really liked the first book in this series, Beautiful Creatures. Overall, I thought this book was too long and not nearly as exciting as I had hoped. I mean, the summary does say life-ending, so I don't think I was wrong to expect excitement.

• Liv - Once I got over there being a girl who could be the harbinger of yet another YA love triangle (please, please don't be), I realized I like Liv. She's smart, quirky, and gutsy. And also about 99% less whiny than Lena. She made me realize how much I don't really care for Lena.
• enthralling - There is something about these books that is charming and funny. There was more of it in the 1st book, but it still exists in this one. I think this charm may come, in part, from the setting, but I don't think it can be pinned down.

• Lena - Uuugh, Lena. I know you are grieving and you were a bit strange before that, but  what are you doing? Every time Lena acted rationally, she came up with some new crazy reason to go off and do something stupid. Then she would get mad at Ethan for whatever he was doing while she was destroying things, but never appreciating him when he was trying to help her.
• length - This book is so long. The 1st one was really long as well. While I like that this isn't a series cranking out a 200 page book every year where nothing happens, I also dislike giant lengthy books crammed with non-action. Beautiful Darkness has a lot of back and forth as far as plot goes - lots of thinking and flashbacking, not a lot of anything actually happening until the end. And that bugs me.
• claiming - SPOILERS! Hey, look at that - another book that ends with a claiming in which Lena yet again does not decide if she's going to be a light or dark Caster. Two things about this: 1. Is it really that hard to pick a side? Light or Dark - they're even capitalized (which is annoying). Don't they have Star Wars? The Dark Side is clearly not a good thing. 2. Again? You really need two very thick books worth of time to choose? I understand that the time passing is way shorter than it feels to people reading about it, but if I wait a year for a sequel, something significant should happen. Is this whole series going to be a buildup to you picking? Because it's on book 4 now and I don't think I can read for that long unless major things happen.

• My voice echoed across the chamber, and I noticed an intricate chandelier hanging from the high, vaulted ceiling. It was made of some kind of smooth, white polished horn, or was it bone? The ironwork held long tapered candles that lit the room with a delicate flickering light, illuminating some corners while leaving other dark and unexposed.           - pg. 177
• "L, look at this."   Ridley's head whipped toward me, and I froze. I had called Liv "L." There was only one L in my life. Even though Live didn't notice, Ridley did.     - Ethan  pg. 375

3 robots

Still a great setting and premise, but not as exciting as the 1st book

Acquired: swapped for on swap.com

The Iron Knight

The Iron Knight by Julie Kagawa
Published: 10-26-11 by Harlequin Teen

"My name--my True Name--is Ashallayn' darkmyr Tallyn. I am the last remaining son of Mab, Queen of the Unseelie Court. And I am dead to her. My fall began, as many stories do, with a girl..."To cold faery prince Ash, love was a weakness for mortals and fools. His own love had died a horrible death, killing any gentler feelings the Winter prince might have had. Or so he thought.

Then Meghan Chase--a half human, half fey slip of a girl--smashed through his barricades, binding him to her irrevocably with his oath to be her knight. And when all of Faery nearly fell to the Iron fey, she severed their bond to save his life. Meghan is now the Iron Queen, ruler of a realm where no Winter or Summer fey can survive.

With the unwelcome company of his archrival, Summer Court prankster Puck, and the infuriating cait sith Grimalkin, Ash begins a journey he is bound to see through to its end--a quest to find a way to honor his vow to stand by Meghan's side.

To survive in the Iron Realm, Ash must have a soul and a mortal body. But the tests he must face to earn these things are impossible. And along the way Ash learns something that changes everything. A truth that challenges his darkest beliefs and shows him that, sometimes, it takes more than courage to make the ultimate sacrifice.

THIS REVIEW IS GOING TO BE FILLED WITH SPOILERS! 
Here is my review of The Iron Queen (It was my 1st review ever!)

I really loved the first 3 books in this series, but this one was just ok. If you've read the summary then you know that this book focuses on Ash and Puck. I was looking forward to that since they are like oil and water and throwing them together for an entire book sounded awesome. But as much as I like them, they can't make up for the absence of Meghan, who is one of my favorite butt-kicking heroines.

• emotional roller coaster - It's been clear since the start of the series that Julie Kagawa knows how to mess with our emotions. It hurts a lot at times, but I still love the fact that I'm overly emotionally invested in what happens to these characters.
• Puck and Ash - It's always entertaining when these two are together, whether they're facing off or working together. It's a lot less lighthearted than what I remember from the other books, but just them being together constantly and the possibility of conflict there is exciting. It's the main thing that made me read this book. 
• journey - The entire journey to get Ash to Meghan is, of course, filled with insane obstacles. The creatures and the horrors that inhabit the NeverNever are so clever and challenging. I really enjoy seeing what crazy kind of thing will pop up next.

THIS IS WHERE THE SPOILERS ARE! Seriously, if you plan to read this book then skip this entire section and go look at the quotes!

• flashback - There's a long flashback to when Ash wasn't just a moody bad boy, but a truly heartless ice prince playing games with the hearts of mortals. It was horrible to read through and that chapter felt so much longer than the others. Maybe it was needed to drive home the point of how awful Ash used to be, but I hated reading about it.
• flash forward - This was something that bothered me possibly even more than Ariella. There is an agonizingly long 2 chapters where Ash and Meghan have a perfect life together. They even have a son. But reading it was like waiting for pinata to burst. I couldn't concentrate on what was going on with Ash's struggle of being mortal while Meghan never aged. My brain was too distracted with poking my emotions with a giant this-can't-be-real stick. I accept that it was necessary in order to show Ash what his mortality would be like, but it hurt my brain and my heart.
• reunited - Meghan and Ash are only actually together for the teasingly short epilogue that lasts all of about 5 pages. Plus, Ash still has some fey magic in him - which he suggests might be enough to keep him from getting old. Now don't get me wrong here, I'm glad they have a happy ending. I nearly cried at the end of the Iron Queen. But if Ash still has fey magic in him, then what sacrifice is he making? He won't have to accept his weakened mortal body. He may not have to get old and die while his queen remains forever young. He's basically the same except that he gets to be with Meghan in the Iron Realm, and that feels like a cop-out to me.
• Ariella - There's already a very significant love triangle going on between Puck, Meghan, and Ash. Resurrecting the love of the past is gonna complicate things quite a bit. So as Ash fights to get back to Meghan, now he has to struggle with Ariella suddenly being all "just kidding guys I was never dead!" Plus the fact that Puck was also in love with her. Geez - what is with these guys? Aren't there enough women in the NeverNever for each of them to have a girlfriend? Poor Puck can never catch a break with the ladies. Even the ones you thought were dead and now aren't dead still prefer ice-boy. I would have preferred if Ariella wasn't a "necessary" part of Ash's quest. All of his internal struggling with Meghan vs. Ariella seemed pointless to me. Obviously, he was going to choose Meghan.

• "I'm going to kill you," I said softly, and Puck's eyebrows rose. "Not tonight. Maybe not tomorrow. But soon. Our past is catching up to us, Goodfellow, and this feud has gone on long enough."       - Ash  pg. 103
• More strange objects floated by us: love letters and wristwatches, stuffed animals and limp balloons. Once, Puck reached down and snatched up a faded copy of A Midsummer Night's Dream, grinned like an idiot and tossed it back into the river.    - pg. 103

3 robots

Puck and Ash are on an amazing quest, but it's not as entertaining as I had hoped and was weighed down by flashing back and forward in time

Acquired: swapped for on swap.com

Hold Me Closer, Necromancer

Hold Me Closer, Necromancer by Lish McBride
Published: 10-12-10 by Henry Holt and Co.

Sam leads a pretty normal life. He may not have the most exciting job in the world, but he’s doing all right—until a fast food prank brings him to the attention of Douglas, a creepy guy with an intense violent streak.

Turns out Douglas is a necromancer who raises the dead for cash and sees potential in Sam. Then Sam discovers he’s a necromancer too, but with strangely latent powers. And his worst nightmare wants to join forces . . . or else. 

With only a week to figure things out, Sam needs all the help he can get. Luckily he lives in Seattle, which has nearly as many paranormal types as it does coffee places. But even with newfound friends, will Sam be able to save his skin?

I loved this book! It's about a college-aged protagonist and it doesn't center around a romance, which is something that's way harder to find than I ever thought it would be. This book has it all: some paranormal, some romance (well...I'm not sure if romance is the right word), tons of action, and it's filled with comedy. 

• Sam - A sarcastic college dropout with a crappy minimum wage job and a smart mouth, Sam is awesome. He's funny even in the strangest of circumstances and all of his reactions to what's going on feel realistic.
• humor - Even beheadings are hilarious happenings in this book! Seriously, funny beheadings. Usually paranormal YA books take themselves pretty seriously and everything that happens is pretty dramatic. In this book, dramatic crazy things happen, but the mood is ridiculously lighthearted (in a good way). There are funny comments constantly.
• Ashley - Ashley is actually a pretty big reason I read this book out of all the books on my TBR list. I read the free ebook, Necromancer, which includes an excerpt from the book and the story Death and Waffles, which is about Ashley. I love waffles and this story has waffles and a dead girl with a serious hankering for them. She's the one who guides souls to wherever they go after death and she pops in and out of Sam's life and helps him out with a side a snark. 
• Sam's friends - When Sam disappears, his friends don't just freak out - they freak out and find ways to help rescue him, even though they are just normal people who either work in fast food, or were recently separated from their body. That's how awesome they are. Their freaking out is very entertaining and realistic, which makes me happy.
• butt-kicking - I love reading about action, but I'm not a fan of nonstop confusing action. This book has the perfect amount of butt-kicking, which is awesome, but still manages to be funny. It's action-filled and involves vicious lawn gnomes and skateboards used as weapons.

• basement - The only part of this book I wasn't a huge fan of was when Sam was trapped, for a large part of the book, in a basement. Of course, even then there were extremely entertaining situations, but I found that Sam was funnier when not confined to one place.

• "You don't have Hitler in your basement or anything, do you? Tabloids are always claiming he's still alive. Him and Elvis. Because I can't condone that sort of thing. The Hitler thing, not Elvis. I've got nothing against the King."       - Sam   pg. 101 (ebook)
• Ashley looked quickly about the room before she ran over to me. Despite her experience, I think my ability to get into new and life-threatening situations shocked her. Personally, I was hoping it was a phase that I would grow out of.       - pg. 287 (ebook)

5 robots

Extremely entertaining and hilarious story, highly recommended for fans of anything paranormal

1. Bass Ackwards and Belly Up

2. The Last Summer (of You and Me)

3. Footfree and Fancyloose

4. Hold Me Closer, Necromancer

Acquired: bought (ebook version)

Meridian

Meridian by Amber Kizer
Published: August 11, 2009 by Delacorte

    Sixteen-year-old Meridian has been surrounded by death ever since she can remember. As a child, insects, mice, and salamanders would burrow into her bedclothes and die. At her elementary school, she was blamed for a classmate's tragic accident. And on her sixteenth birthday, a car crashes in front of her family home - and Meridian's body explodes in pain.

Before she can fully recover, Meridian is told that she's a danger to her family and hustled off to her great-aunt's house in Revelation, Colorado. It's there that she learns that she is Fenestra - the half-angel, half-human link between the living and the dead. But Meridian and her sworn protector and love, Tens, face great danger from the Aternocti, a band of dark forces who capture vulnerable souls on the brink of death and cause chaos. 

I am so torn on this book! It had a great balance of dark and paranormal mixed with light and humorous, but some things just bothered me about the story. I don't think I've ever wanted to like a book more than I did, but it happened with this one. 

• Meridian - This girl is pretty normal...you know, as far as paranormal half-humans go, and that made the book very enjoyable. Meridian has normal reactions to everything that's going on with her and that is so important in a paranormal setting.
• writing - I was sucked into the book as soon as the setup portion was over and the real story began. The atmosphere created was a great balance between ominous and light-hearted, and I loved the characters...well, most of the characters. Auntie was a little strange. Overall, I found myself wanting to like this book more than I did because it was going in a promising direction... until the excitement tapered off about halfway in. 
• Tens - Alright, so I admit that it's rare for me to not like the love interest. That said, I liked Tens a lot, until he and Meridian started to become an item. As soon as they both admitted they were interested in each other, Meridian pretty much decided she was in love forever. I think it ties in with how weird I found the Protector/lover overlap...

• Protector = lover? - Ok, so I guess all the Fenestras are women, and some of them have Protectors, who are apparently all males. So, Meridian pretty much insta-loves this guy she's just met, but that's ok because she's supposed to. Uh, no. Meridian only briefly thinks about this once, her Auntie almost pushes it, and who knows what Tens thinks about all of it. It comes off as very strange to me. 
• Aternocti - There was a lot of talk about these supposedly horrible Aternocti bad guys, but nothing having to do with them directly really happens until a very brief scene near the end of the book. It felt like a bunch of buildup for the shortest actual conflict. 
• Fenestra - Explanation scenes always bug me. They are my pet peeve about most paranormal books because the action grinds to a halt while a relative or teacher or Yoda lays out the details of whichever supernatural thing we're dealing with in the book. This book suffers from Explanation Scene Syndrome. They have a talk about what a Fenestra is, questions are asked, questions are answered in less than helpful ways...it's very formulaic. I also found the visualization of what a Fenestra does to be a little strange. It felt very removed from the rest of the book, even though I guess it was supposed to be on a different plane of existence. It was just hard to adjust between these scenes and the rest of the book. 

• The door creaked open. A musty cloud of cold air hit my face and shivers broke down my body. Spiderwebs hung like tinsel from the ceiling, and a thick coat of dust made my nose twitch. I tried the light switch. A lamp emitted a soft glow, one made even dimmer by the dense layer of dust on the shade.      - pg. 137
• "You're not afraid of being around me?" I asked Tens.   "Why would I be?"    "People die around me." Okay, stating the obvious here.      "I'm not scared. Although you did just massacre a perfectly good cup of tea."     - pg. 197    Meridian + Tens

3 Robots

A different paranormal than the norm, with a great tone, but I wish it had lived up to its potential.

Acquired: swapped for on swap.com

Timeless

Timeless by Gail Carriger

(Parasol Protectorate #5)

Published: March 2, 2012 by Orbit

Alexia Tarabotti, Lady Maccon, has settled into domestic bliss. Of course, being Alexia, such bliss involves integrating werewolves into London High society, living a vampire's second best closet, and coping with a precocious toddler who is prone to turning supernatural willy-nilly. Even Ivy Tunstell's acting troupe's latest play, disastrous to say the least, cannot put a damper on Alexia's enjoyment of her new London lifestyle.

Until, that is, she receives a summons from Alexandria that cannot be ignored. With husband, child, and Tunstells in tow, Alexia boards a steamer to cross the Mediterranean. But Egypt may hold more mysteries than even the indomitable Lady Maccon can handle. What does the vampire Queen of the Alexandria Hive really want from her? Why is the God-Breaker Plague suddenly expanding? And how has Ivy Tunstell suddenly become the most popular actress in all the British Empire?

This series is one of my all-time favorites. It's the perfect mix of tea, parasols, the paranormal, and utter insanity, all wrapped up in a humorous bow! Timeless is the conclusion of the Parasol Protectorate series, but Gail Carriger will be back in 2013 with a new series about Prudence, as well as a new YA series. How does she even have time to drink tea?

Spoilers ahead if you haven't read the first 4 books!

• Prudence - Every time Prudence either appeared in a scene or opened her mouth it was hilarious! I was initially a bit worried that having a child might change Alexia and Connall, but it proved to make them even more entertaining.
• Biffy - Some scenes in the earlier books were dull when not centered on Alexia's exploits, but Biffy's new life is fascinating and I really liked reading about him.
• plot - This book answers questions that have been building throughout the series, and in Alexia's life and relationships.
• nicknames - The names Prudence came up with for everyone that knows her parents are adorable!

• Madame Lefoux - Ever since a certain automaton incident, Lefoux has gone from being a cool inventor to an annoying weirdo that shows up at the most inopportune times.
• Lord Akeldama - In the last book or so, Akeldama also got annoying - ever since Alexia moved in with him and he became more of a central figure in the story. Now he's also showing all of the irritating and sneaky sides of his personality, instead of just the amusing parts.

• "What do you call yourselves?"   "The Parasol Protectorate."   Biffy smiled. "I am enthralled by the concept of a society named after an accessory. Do go on my lady."     - pg. 102  Biffy + Alexia
• Prudence grabbed her mother's head, one chubby hand to each cheek, and directed her attention at her own intent little face. "Tunstellings! Silly," she explained. "Eeegypttt!"   Alexia nodded slightly. "I agree with you on all points, my darling."     - pg. 229  Alexia + Prudence

4 robots

Great conclusion to a must-read series!

Acquired: bought

The Eternal Ones

The Eternal Ones by Kirsten Miller

Published: August 10, 2010 by Razorbill

Haven Moore can't control her visions of a past with a boy called Ethan and a life in New York that ended in fiery tragedy. In our present, she designs beautiful dresses for her classmates with her best friend Beau. Dressmaking keeps her sane, since she lives with her widowed and heartbroken mother in her tyrannical grandmother's house in Snope City, a tiny town in Tennessee. Then an impossible group of coincidences conspire to force her to flee to New York, to discover who she is, and who she was.

In New York, Haven meets Iain Morrow and is swept into an epic love affair that feels both deeply fated and terribly dangerous. Iain is suspected of murdering a rock star and Haven wonders, could he have murdered her in a past life? She visits the Ouroboros Society and discovers a murky work of reincarnation that stretches across millennia. Haven must discover the secrets hidden in her past lives, and loves, before all is lost and the cycle begins again.

I was hesitant about this one because reincarnation plots for me are either really stinking awesome or just not my thing at all, depending on the book. Thankfully, this book turned out to be great, and if you're in the mood to read something about reincarnation I highly recommend it.

Why I love this book:

• Haven - Obviously, if Haven had stayed where Iain told her, there wouldn't have been much story, but I loved how Haven pretty much immediately decided that there was no way a guy that she had just met was gonna boss her around, especially when she hat gotten all the way to New York on her own.
• plot - Reincarnation done right, complete with a secret society, questionable motives, and a twisted past. There's the overly dramatic love story books, and then there's this book with a love story woven in.
• Iain - I enjoyed trying to figure Iain out - his motives were mysterious but he was charming enough so that I really had to wonder what side he was on.
• Snope City - Haven's tiny, backwards Tennessee town made her miserable - but it did so with its own quirks and her allies were all great, interesting characters.

Huh, what?:

• SPOILERS STARTING HERE! Ok. Convincing a girl to have sex with you, with the excuse that you'd already done it in your past lives (but only you remember those lives and Haven doesn't) is TOTALLY creepy! She just met you and had her 1st kiss ever AND you basically kidnapped her via private jet. Not cool. END SPOILERS! 

•  ending - I think this would have been fine as a standalone book. Everything seems pretty wrapped up at the end - so wrapped up in fact that it's totally optional to read the sequel. There are no cliffhangers or burning questions.
• back + forth - There was a bit too much back and forth going on throughout the whole book. From the second Haven meets Iain, until the big finish, she's torn on whether she can trust him or not. The 1st and 2nd time she changed her mind I thought that was it, but Haven's opinion changed so often it was almost dizzying. 

Favorite quotes:

• "It's la Bocca della Verita," Iain explained. "The mouth of truth. They say if you tell a lie while your hand is in the statue's mouth, it will bite it off. Care to try?"   "No thanks," said Haven. There was something about the image that she found unsettling. It was as if a great black void lay behind the face. She feared what her fingers might brush against inside of the toothless cavity.    "Then I'll go first," Iain said, thrusting his fingers between the statue's lips. "Anything you want to ask while my hand is at stake?"      - pg. 188-189  (ARC copy)
• The air was cool and smelled of dust and decay. Shelves of books circled the room, and several small statues stood atop them. The faces of men long dead and forgotten stared down at the girl who had invaded their domain. If the building wasn't haunted, it was missing a good opportunity , Haven thought.         - pg. 228  (ARC copy)

4 robots

A great story of reincarnation, definitely recommended.

Acquired: bought

Desires of the Dead

Desires of the Dead by Kimberley Derting
(Book 2, The Body Finder series)
Published: February 15, 2011 by HarperCollins


The missing dead call to Violet. They want to be found. Violet can sense the echoes of those who've been murdered-and the matching imprint that clings to their killers. Only those closest to her know what she is capable of, but when she discovers the body of a young boy she also draws the attention of the FBI, threatening her entire way of life.
As Violet works to keep her morbid ability a secret, she unwittingly becomes the object of a dangerous obsession. Normally she'd turn to her best friend, Jay, except now that they are officially a couple, the rules of their relationship seem to have changed. And with Jay spending more and more time with his new friend Mike, Violet is left with too much time on her hands as she wonders where things went wrong. But when she fills the void by digging into Mike's tragic family history, she stumbles upon a dark truth that could put everyone in danger.

       I really enjoyed Kimberley Derting's 1st book, The Body Finder. It was just the right amount of creepy and romantic, even though that sounds weird. So I was looking forward to reading the sequel, which pretty much lived up to expectations. My only problem is with Violet and the fact that she doesn't seem to have learned anything from her scary encounter in the 1st book.

Why I love this book:

• Rafe- A new character with a secret and maybe a secret ability? Yes, please. As long as this never becomes a love triangle because there are more than enough of those out there.
• FBI- Sara Priest throws a huge blockade into Violet's attempt at a normal life, but her reasons for contacting Violet presents some interesting possibilities and moral questions for Violet.
• 7 deadly sins- Each brief alternate voice chapter is titled with one of the 7 deadly sins, adding another layer of eeriness to the mystery person's strange confessions. This is very cool and I don't pay attention to chapter titles usually so I only caught this when I flipped back through the book.

Huh, what?:

• Violet- Violet has a problem with listening to Jay or anyone else with good advice. Why does she have to have such a stubborn 'I have to do this by myself' streak? Her uncle is a cop and her family and boyfriend are always encouraging her to let them know if anything's going on with an echo. But. Violet repeatedly refuses to tell Jay that she's gonna go hunt down a dead body in the middle of the night because she doesn't want him to worry. Um, no Violet. You are the girl in the horror movie that dies because she went into the woods alone aren't you? You'd think she'd have learned to trust Jay and her family with such important info after the events of The Body Finder.
• Chelsea- Violet's best friend is the typical, over-sexed annoying sidekick to your average inverted teen heroine. She got on my nerves. By page 5 I was sick of her. I admit, everyone seems to have a friend like this in high school so I guess it's realistic, but that doesn't make it any less irritating.
• SPOILERS! NASTY BAD SPOILERS! Violet deciding that she and Jay were broken up just because they had a disagreement was infuriating. It's like she chose for both of them to suffer because she was too stubborn to listen to someone else's opinion.

Favorite Quotes:

• Violet had only been six when her teacher had come to school carrying the shadowy aura that she hadn't worn the day before. The dark air that clung to her skin like heavy black smoke had terrified Violet, and she'd run from the classroom, forcing the school nurse to call her parents. By the time her mother had finished picking up Violet's class work from Mrs. Webber, the teacher had confided to her that she'd run over a raccoon on her way to school that morning.   - pg. 208
• Violet clumsily shot to her feet, inhaling sharply as she clasped her fingers to her chest. When she felt someone grab her from behind, strong fingers gripping her shoulders, she gasped, choking on her own breath. Her heart pounded viciously, violently. How could she have been so foolish? Why hadn't she waited?      - pg. 283

4 robots

Still an interesting concept, a great mystery story, but suffers from Violet not learning from past mistakes

Acquired: bought

       

Cryer's Cross

Cryer's Cross by Lisa McMann
Published: February 8, 2011 by Simon Pulse


Kendall loves her life in small town Cryer's Cross, Montana, but she also longs for something more. She knows the chances of going to school in New York are small, but she not the type to give up easily. Even though it will mean leaving Nico, the world's sweetest boyfriend, behind. But when Cryer's Cross is rocked by unspeakable tragedy, Kendall shoves her dreams aside and focuses on just one goal: help find her missing friends. Even if it means spending time with the one boy she shouldn't get close to...the one boy who makes her question everything she feels for Nico. Determined to help and stay true to the boy she's always loved, Kendall keeps up the search-and stumbles upon some frightening local history. She knows she can't stop digging, but Kendall is about to find out just how far the townspeople will go to keep their secrets buried...

      I am totally in love with this creepy cover, designed by the awesome Sammy Yuen who is responsible for some very nice YA book covers. I wanted to read this book as soon as I heard about it - a small town, an eerie and quick read. I'm pretty sure the summary above isn't the one that made me want to read it though. This book is a lot more focused on the mystery and Kendall's OCD than the love triangle that summary makes it sound like. 

Reasons I love this book:

• mood- This book is creepy because it's just a tiny, quiet town with an unsolved disappearance. Everything is completely normal until you start to look closer. Plus, the small excerpts at the end of some chapters are plain eerie- they shake you out of your reading groove and had me wondering the entire time what they were talking about.
• Kendall- This book is different from most in a good way. In most non-contemporary YA, the main character is shown as just a normal teenager that weird things suddenly start happening to. Kendall feels more realistic than characters like these. She lives and works on a farm, she has OCD, she doesn't absolutely despise Cryer's Cross. (I mean, Jacian actually kind of acts like the typical teen main character in YA-  I just moved to a tiny town, there's nothing to do, I hate it her, my life is ruined, wah!) 
• plot- I enjoyed this plot more than I thought I would. I was skeptical at first, but everything comes together well and it never gets dull. I really like the ending reveal because I'm not sure what I was expecting, but that wasn't it. 

Huh, what?:

• Nico- The main thing that bothered me about this book is Nico and Kendall's friendship/relationship...thing. For me, undefined relationships really only work in stories not grounded in a contemporary setting, where the reason it's undefined is something important like we're way too busy slaying dragons to ponder our feelings for each other. I think it's suggested by Kendall's mom that Kendall's OCD has something to do with Kendall not wanting to commit to anything, but I'm really not sure if I just interpreted what she said totally wrong. For me Nico and Kendall have no spark at all. They are just friends, practically siblings in my opinion. I can see why Kendall would want to hold on to the guy who accepts her OCD and has always been there for her, but it just seemed like she clung to their "relationship" as an excuse not to feel anything for Jacian. The fact that I didn't believe their relationship at all just really messed with everything about Kendall's motivation for me.

Favorite quotes:

• "You're doing it wrong, anyway. Put all the steaks together, hamburger together, roasts together. Not by size and shape but by category, or you'll never know how much of one item you have left." Kendall stops cold, stands up straight, and glares at him. She puts one hand on her hip and holds a two-pound package of frozen hamburger in the other. "Go force your condescending man-logic on the next house."      - Jacian & Kendall  pg. 42
• Kendall plops down beside him. "Oh, stop it. Why do we always have to argue?" "Because it's fun?" Kendall smacks his chest, but this time he is ready. He grabs her arm and holds it tightly to his chest, pulls her toward him. "Don't."          - Jacian & Kendall  pg. 168

4 robots

An eerie mystery story that's great if you can get past the unconvincing relationship

Acquired: Bought 

Nevermore

Nevermore by Kelly Creagh
(Book 1 of the Nevermore Trilogy)
Published: August 31, 2010 by Atheneum Books


(2nd book Enshadowed is scheduled for January)


Cheerleader Isobel Lanely is horrified when she is paired with Varen Nethers for an English project, which is due-so unfair-on the day of the rival game. Cold and aloof, sardonic and sharp-tongued, Varen makes it clear he'd rather not have anything to do with her either. But when Isobel discovers strange writing in his journal, she can't help but give this enigmatic boy with the piercing eyes another look.


Soon, Isobel finds herself making excuses to be with Varen. Steadily pulled away from her friends and her possessive boyfriend, Isobel ventures deeper and deeper into the dream world Varen has created through the pages of his notebook, a realm where the terrifying stories of Edgar Allan Poe come to life.


As her world begins to unravel around her, Isobel discovers that dreams, like words, hold more power than she ever imagined, and that the most frightening realities are those of the mind. Now she must find a way to Varen before he is consumed by the shadows of his own nightmares.


His life depends on it.

       I have been reading some great reviews of this book, and while I wasn't so interested in reading about a cheerleader and goth relationship, the added Poe element was intriguing, so I picked this one up at Borders the last time I went. Ever. :( This book is packed full of suspense and romance, a great paranormal/fantasy book that doesn't fall into all of the overdone paranormal cliches. I can't do this book justice with my review. It was so enthralling that when I was skimming through it for quotes I would end up reading a couple pages again.

Reasons I love this book:

• Isobel- this is the kind of strong heroine that is so missing in paranormal YA right now. She is so much more interesting and stronger than another Isabella you may know.  Isobel is confident and stands up for herself, she's relatable and genuine. Plus she ditches her jerk friends, which is a major plus in my book.
• Varen- Varen is great- he's a goth loner but as soon as we're allowed to see more of him it's clear that he is caring and respectful, just a little Poe obsessed
• plot- the premise of this book is genius. I won't detail it to make sure I don't spoil it, but if the summary catches your attention you will love this book. Plus there is no love at 1st sight. This is a slowly building romance and it's wonderful that way
• Poe- the way the author has entwined Edgar Allan Poe and his stories into the plot is awesome- the world of Poe never becomes an afterthought and has so much to do with the story

Huh, what?:

• ending- going in I thought this was a standalone book, which it easily could have been. It's much longer than most other YA books at over 500 pages, and it was heading toward what I thought could have been an ending, and instead bam! cliffhanger. 
• Brad- I know a good story has to have more than 2 characters, but Isobel's "friends" were so stereotypically popular and rude. Once she ditched them I was looking forward to not having to read about them, but they kept coming up.
• Pinfeathers- Pinfeathers is extremely interesting, especially towards the end of the book and I definitely want to see more of him, but if this turns into a love triangle I will not be ok with that. There really isn't anything to suggest that he would be a love interest, but I've been reading so many paranormal books lately and the love triangle is something they all have. I don't want this one to be like that. 

Favorite Quotes:

• She turned to find Varen standing with his back against the wall, her own stunned expression reflected in the pair of sleek sunglasses he wore.  "Jeez, you scared me" was all she could manage while trying to kick-start her breathing again. "I've been told I have that effect," he said in that deadpan way of his.     - pg.  217-218
• The clock's pendulum sliced through the air like a scythe, reaping the seconds. With each pass, its ornately engraved silver surface flashed a mottled version of Isobel's reflection. The pendulum passed again, revealing in the circle of silver a white face of an empty-eyed figure, one which now stood behind Isobel.      - pg.  418-419 

5 robots

This is a great book, mixing contemporary with fantasy and you should read it because there are few books like this out there.

Acquired: Bought 

The Lost Saint

The Lost Saint by Bree Despain

Published: December 28, 2010 by Egmont USA

A family destroyed. A love threatened. An enemy returns.

Grace Divine made the ultimate sacrifice to cure Daniel Kalbi. She was infected with the werewolf curse while trying to save him, and lost her beloved brother in the process.

Desperate to find Jude, Grace befriends Talbot, a newcomer to town. But as the two grow closer, Grace's relationship with Daniel is put in danger - in more ways than one.

Unaware of the dark path she is walking, Grace begins to give into the wolf inside of her - not realizing that an enemy has returned and a deadly trap is about to be sprung.

       I really liked the first book, The Dark Divine, but unfortunately I have tons of issues with this sequel. Most of these issues are with Grace, but some of them are with the plot. I just couldn't get over how Grace thought through things and decided how to act. Most of the time she was doing extremely stupid things and ignoring Daniel. This book just doesn't compare to the first one at all.

Things I love about this book:

• Daniel- I really like Daniel, even though Grace's boneheaded antics mean we don't get to see all that much of him
• April- I don't really remember much of her role in the 1st book, but her obsession with designing Grace's superhero costume is great
• Grace's loyalty to Jude is sweet- she's willing to risk her life to track him down, which makes it curious that she basically ignores everyone in her family outside of the whole werewolf loop

Huh, what?:

• Grace- I can't stand how naive and lame Grace suddenly became! In the 1st book she was so strong and determined. Now she unflinchingly trusts Talbot, a guy she just met, and thinks Jude is always helping her. And when she can't get her way she whines and whines, then moves on the someone else who will give her what she wants, without stopping to think that maybe those who won't give in to her demands have her safety in mind. 
• Talbot- I can't believe Grace simply decides she can trust him, even when he does things she is against. She only questions him for seconds, then she blindly goes along with him, trusting this guy she just met with her life multiple times.
• Grace and Daniel are together- something they worked very hard for- but they keep secrets from each other, and their lies almost destroy Grace
• I have so many problems with how Grace thinks and acts, mainly with Daniel and Talbot, but even with Jude. Her thought process is Daniel, it's Jude! He's trying to help us! and she won't listen to anyone else's opinion on the topic.

Favorite quotes:

• Daniel's phone beeped. I jumped. He grabbed it and practically shot out of his chair.     - pg.  237
• "You're keeping secrets from me. Secrets that are more deadly than you could even imagine." He slammed his hand against the wall. "You meet some mysterious guy who claims he can train you. How did he even know what you are? How do you know he's not the one Jude was trying to warn you about? The person who's after us? Do you have any idea how stupid you've been?"   - Daniel pg. 316    (THANK you Daniel for summarizing how annoying Grace has been!)

3 robots

Read it if you LOVED the 1st book. Otherwise it's just a stepping stone for a 3rd book and it really doesn't get much deeper than that summary.

Acquired: Bought