The Dark Divine by Bree Despain

Title: The Dark Divine
Author: Bree Despain (her website)
Release: December 22, 2009
Synopis:

A prodigal son
A dangerous love
A deadly secret ...


I stood back and watched his movements. Daniel had that way about him that could shut me down in an instant. . . . I kicked the gravel a couple of times and worked up my courage again. “Tell me . . . I mean . . . why did you come back? Why now, after all this time?”

Grace Divine, daughter of the local pastor, always knew something terrible happened the night Daniel Kalbi disappeared—the night she found her brother Jude collapsed on the porch, covered in blood. But she has no idea what a truly monstrous secret that night really held. And when Daniel returns three years later, Grace can no longer deny her attraction to him, despite promising Jude she’ll stay away.

As Grace gets closer to Daniel, her actions stir the ancient evil Daniel unleashed that horrific night. Grace must discover the truth behind Jude and Daniel's dark secret . . . and the cure that can save the ones she loves. But she may have to lay down the ultimate sacrifice to do it—her soul.

Review:


A friend of mine had recommended this book to me, she said she loved it so I picked it up from the library. And to be honest, at first, I didn't love it. I mean, I liked it and it was pretty good, I just thought the beginning was too slow. Not a lot really happened and the stuff that did weren't as huge as I hoped.
But, I think the slow start was just to build the foundation of the book, you know, the "rising action" that builds up to the climax of the story. Once that was settled, things got good! My favorite parts of this book had to be between the middle and the end. I literally stayed up till three in the morning just to finish it. I loved the ending so much and the twists were just sort of mind blowing. 
As far as characters go, Grace was a good protagonist, very independent, kind of bossy, and willing to do anything for the one's she loves. And then she has Daniel who she is just confused about. But I absolutely loved Daniel. Hot, mysterious and definitively the bad boy type, what's not to love? And his creative side is a huge plus :D Some characters, though, i didn't like much. Jude, for one, started out like a good character, smart, nice, caring and sweet, but as the book goes on, he changes for the worse. When Daniel returns he lets his hate rule his life. I don't want to put out any spoilers so I'll leave figuring out why he hates him to you :) The mom was another one. Yes, she's very nice and motherly, most of the time, but there are times where she acts like just so... so... controll freak-ish when things went wrong she tried to ignore then like they would just leave. And if that were the case, i think we'd all ignore a lot of things....I thought April was a good friend for Grace, though, and I liked her character. But I really didn't like Gossip Queen Lynn...
Anyway, i think i should start a rating system on books because I'd give this a solid Pi (3.14.... that was a joke, it's okay to laugh). But seriously, I would give it something between a three and four out of five, just for the ending alone. It was an overall good book and I definitively can't wait to read the next! The Lost Sailor, here I come!


At least, I will, once I finish the other fifty books I have in line to read. O_o

Deja vu O_o

So I was looking through DA (deviantart) for stock photos that I could use in some photomaipulations, and look what I came across.

This picture was taken by Cait-Shoxxi-Stock (now called kristabelladc3) on DA. High-five for the first person to guess where they have seen this before. :)

PS. Don't forget about the Giveaway on the previous post here's the link :) Four Houses by Tori Scott giveaway!

Short Story Mini-review #1 Plus a giveaway!

GIVEAWAY! 
THREE lucky winners will a copy of Four Houses by Tori Scott! Just comment on the review and include your email to enter! Good Luck! :) 
**ends 7/27/11
****ENDS AUGUST 5TH, 2011


Title: Four Houses
Author: Tori Scott
Release: eBook June 26, 2011
Synopsis:


A young girl faced with four choices, must make a decision that will forever haunt her.


Review: 


As far as short stories go, this one was one of the best I have read. Probably because it's the only one I have ever read... but my point still stands. It was fantastic! :) 
Tori's writing style is unique and unusual but, in my opinion, that's what made the book so great. And even though the book is only 19 pages, it's worth reading.  The plot was about choices and regrets. Something we all face everyday. Maybe not to the same extent as the main character, but choices are choices. 
Personally I can't wait for more of Tori's writing. Short stories or novels, I can already tell they could be great. I would definitely recommend this short story to YA loves or to anyone who has a few minuets to spare and wants to read something other than the news paper. Either way, there's a good chance you'd love it, too.

The Iron Witch by Karen Mahoney

Title: the Iron Witch
Author: Karen Mahoney (her website)
Release: February 8, 2011
Synopsis:

FREAK. That’s what her classmates call seventeen-year-old Donna Underwood. When she was seven, a horrific fey attack killed her father and drove her mother mad. Donna’s own nearly fatal injuries from the assault were fixed by magic—the iron tattoos branding her hands and arms. The child of alchemists, Donna feels cursed by the magical heritage that destroyed her parents and any chance she had for a normal life. The only thing that keeps her sane and grounded is her relationship with her best friend, Navin Sharma.
When the darkest outcasts of Faerie—the vicious wood elves—abduct Navin, Donna finally has to accept her role in the centuries old war between the humans and the fey. Assisted by Xan, a gorgeous half-fey dropout with secrets of his own, Donna races to save her friend—even if it means betraying everything her parents and the alchemist community fought to the death to protect.

Review:


This was a wonderful book! Paranormal and romantic, The Iron Witch was a fantastic read. Character-wise this book had a strong and capable heroine that at first glance you would categorize her as so, but the more you learn about her, the more you realize what she has been through. Her messed up past resulting in her iron-laced arms, her planned out future as an alchemist, and her insecurities toward it all. Which is where Navin comes in. Navin is the kind of person who you would want with you when the world ends. Trustworthy, loyal, caring and brave, he is Donna's best friend who has stuck by her side even when the whole school has turned against her. He sticks up for her when she needs it (even though she can handle herself) and he's there to comfort and talk to her. I sort of got the vibe that he liked her in a more-than-friends way. But that's just me. Anyway. Basically he's always there even if she can't and/or won't confined her in him about some things (i.e. alchemy). Well, he's there till he's abducted by the wood elves. Moving on to Xan. Funny, hot, irresistible and half-fey, Xan can relate to Donna when it comes to haunting pasts. She has finally found someone who can relate to her in more ways than even Navin can. Not only that but they had some major chemistry from the moment they met at the party. He is actually the person she calls when Navin is taken.
Okay I have to move on from characters before I start yelling out spoilers or something. lol :)
Karen's writing is just wonderful alone, the way she explains some things has you imagining it really well. Right down to the smells. And she really knows how to get into the minds of her characters, even in third person POV. 
For a good measure I think I'll say that if you have the sudden urge to flip to the end or skim through the pages to  see what happens next, don't do it! Trust me, I am guilty of both and not only will it just sort of confuse you, but it will ruin some surprises in the book or just some really good parts. 
Anyway. I would recommend this book to YA lovers it's really good and I can't wait for the next one!  Especially if there is more Xan in it :D 

In My Mail Box #1

 I was looking over some blogs I follow and I saw the In My Mail Box posts on most of them so I went over to  The Story Siren and decided to read more about it. And let me tell you, I loved the idea of it and I decided to try it out :)

This week I have gotten these books from the library:

Illusions by Aprilynne Pike

The Dark Divine by Bree Despain

The Last Good Place of Lily Odilon by Sara Beitia

Eyes Like Stars by Lisa Mantchev

The Iron Thorn by Caitlin Kittredge 

**You can look forward to a few of those being reviewed :)

Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick

Title: Hush, Hush
Author: Becca Fitzpatrick (her website)
Release: October 13, 2009
Synopsis:

For Nora Grey, romance was not part of the plan. She's never been particularly attracted to the boys at her school, no matter how much her best friend, Vee, pushes them at her. Not until Patch came along. With his easy smile and eyes that seem to see inside her, Nora is drawn to him against her better judgment.

But after a series of terrifying encounters, Nora's not sure who to trust. Patch seems to be everywhere she is, and to know more about her than her closest friends. She can't decide whether she should fall into his arms or run and hide. And when she tries to seek some answers, she finds herself near a truth that is way more unsettling than anything Patch makes her feel.

For Nora is right in the middle of an ancient battle between the immortal and those that have fallen - and, when it comes to choosing sides, the wrong choice will cost her life.

Review:

When I first got this book I was really excited and couldn't wait to read it. I've heard a lot good things about this book so I decided to check it out, and I have to say, over all, I am really glad I read it.

One of the reasons I really liked this book was the story line. It was original and very interesting so the book didn't start out slow or boring in anyway. From start to finish, nearly every page was captivating, but the most entertaining parts were in the end. Also, the book had some mysterious and psychological twists that happened in the story line and to Nora. And being me, I really like those being added to the normal paranormal romance theme. The whole time I was trying to guess what would happen next or who did what but, in the end, it would turn out differently, but in a way that made sense. I think my favorite thing about this book was the mysteriousness that kept me hooked (as I mentioned a bit before).
On to the characters. They were all different and showed unique personalities and most had some original names (which was really cool). I especially liked the twists the author incorporated into the characters lives. You always think you know them but then Nora discovers secrets about some of the other characters that changes that view on them. But I think that out of all the character's, Vee is my favorite, mostly because she's outgoing, a good friend to Nora, spontaneous and even a little idiotic sometimes. Oh, and speaking of favorite characters, Patch is on of mine because he's just, well, Patch. He also is one of those people I mentioned before, the ones you don't know if you can trust or not. I mean he comes off as a jerk, very mysterious, the typical bad-boy type and even sort of stalker-like and scary at first. You don't know if you can trust him or if he's the bad (evil) guy, and the secrets you learn about him don't really help that decision much. But even then I still like his character a lot.

Well, that basically brings me to the end of the review! But before I click the little "publish post" button I would like to add that I can't wait to get my hands on Crescendo! I feel like now that Hush, Hush has set up the foundation of the story, the next will be even better and just as interesting. And hopefully there will be a lot more Patch! And since I really enjoyed this book, I would definitively recommend it to anyone who enjoys paranormal romance novels or just YA books in general. It's really, awesome!

Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

Title: Vampire Academy (first in the series)
Author: Richelle Mead (her website)
Release: August 2007
Synopsis:

Lissa Dragomir is a Moroi princess: a mortal vampire with an unbreakable bond to the earth's magic. She must be protected at all times from Strigoi; the fiercest and most dangerous vampires--the ones who never die.

The powerful blend of human and vampire blood that flows through Rose Hathaway, Lissa's best friend, makes her a Dhampir; she is dedicated to a dangerous life of protecting Lissa from the Strigoi, who are hell-bent on making her one of them.

After two years of illicit freedom, Rose and Lissa are caught and dragged back to St. Vladimir's Academy, hidden in the deep forests of Montana. Rose will continue her Dhampir education. Lissa will go back to being Queen of the elite Moroi social scene. And both girls will resume breaking hearts.

Fear made Lissa and Rose run away from St. Vladimir's--but their world is fraught with danger both inside and out of the Academy's iron gates. Here, the cutthroat ranks of the Moroi perform unspeakable rituals and their secretive nature and love of the night creates an enigmatic world full of social complexities. Rose and Lissa must navigate through this dangerous world, confront the temptation of forbidden romance, and never once let their guard down, lest the Strigoi make Lissa one of them forever...


Review:


In my first order of business, I would like to say: I loved every second of this book. Who cares if vampire novels are burnt out? This book will have you take a different view on the whole "oh, look another vampire book" thought that's probably, most likely running through your brain at this very moment. Richelle Mead takes alot of what you think about vampires and throws it out the window (and I mean that in the most positive and honest way I can). I've heard of evil vampires and half vampires and half vampires that kill the evil vampires... well and to be honest we have all heard of "good" vampires (coughTwilightcough). But all at the same time? With awesome elemental powers or the good ones? Raise your hand if you have heard of that, because I haven't. It's good to see some more original vampire stories for once. Speaking of originality, I love the government set up she created for the moroi with the royals and the dhampir being guardians that keep the moroi safe from strigoi.
Now, moving on to characters. Rose Hathaway: a sarcastic, flirty, funny, smart-mouthed dhampir teen who, despite her wild nature, will let no harm come to her best friend. I think what i like most about Rose, other than her extremely sarcastic wit, is how strong she is. And not just physically. She could face down accusations and humiliation without shedding a tear in public and she knows how to push everything aside for Lissa. Speaking of Lissa... I like Lissa's character, despite her many weaknesses. She's kind, caring, sweet and charismatic, but looks are deceiving. Underneath all that adorable mask, Lissa is scared and unstable. Also, she, like Rose, will make sure nothing harms her best friend, and if someone does... well, let's just say you don't want to do that. 
Then there's Dimitri and Christian... well, I'll leave that to you to discover more about them.
Again, moving on. The story line was exciting from beginning to end, you always had something to keep you entertained, whether it be, romance, drama, action, jealousy, sarcastic remarks, or evil interference. Those aspects were nearly always there. I bet your wondering, "Evil interference? What?", well I won't spoil that for anyone. All you need to know is someone/thing is after Lissa. And it's not till the end that you discover how, why and to what extent they will go to just to get her.
So, if by now you haven't picked up on how much I love this book, i'll say it one more time. Vampire Academy is bomb! I would definitely recommend this book to any YA reader, actually, if I had a Must Read List to hand out to people, this would be on the top. In fact... I might just do that, at lesast once I get more entires and stuff on this blog.
Anyway, remember, vampires are not all what you think :). I am sure this book will captivate many of you so don't be hesitante in reading it, you won't regret it.

P.S. my Twilight comment above was not meant to be a bad thing, all you Twilight fans, I happened to be a Twilight fan and I am proud!

Abandon by Meg Cabot

Title: Abandon
Author: Meg Cabot (Meg's Website)
Release: May 2011
Synopsis:

She didn't fall into his world. She was taken.

Seventeen-year-old Pierce knows what happens to us when we die.

That's how she met John Hayden, the mysterious stranger who's made returning to normal life—or at least life as Pierce knew it before the accident—next to impossible.

Though she thought she escaped him—starting a new school in a whole new place—it turns out she was wrong. He finds her.

What does John want from her? Pierce thinks she knows... just like she knows he's no guardian angel, and his dark world isn't exactly heaven. But she can't stay away from him, either, especially since he's always there when she least expects it, but exactly when she needs him most.

But if she lets herself fall any further, she might find herself back in the place she fears the most.

And when Pierce discovers the shocking truth, that’s exactly where John sweeps her:

The Underworld.

Review:

Over all I really enjoyed reading  this book. I can see why multiple books by Meg Cabot have made it to the bestsellers list. I'll admit that I was hesitant to buy (and to read) this book when I was at the store, but when I read the first chapter and it captivated me. The thing that I loved most was the story line. I can honestly say it was really interesting. I loved the way the author told the story and kept parts a mystery to the reader, at least until the main character revealed it. For example, throughout the book you reveal more and more of Pierce's past and each time you think you know what happened, you discover something different. Like, how she died, what happened in the Underworld, and what happened at her old school that got her kicked out. I won't spoil the book for you, so you'll have to figure that out on your own. :) 
I can say that throughout the book you sort of inherit Pierce's suspicion and hesitance to like some of the other characters. Your not sure if they are evil, good, or somewhere in the middle. As for John Hayden, the mysterious boy she met in the underworld and who keeps showing up to save her from threats, well, you learn to love him... kind of.
But every book needs a mysterious, dark, tall, brooding, (or as one character described him) moody guy to save the heroine, right?  It helps that in everything he does, even in the end, he does it for love.
Since I am on the subject of characters, I will add that I wish I saw more of Alex, Kayla, Pierce's Uncle Chris and the other, minor characters throughout the book. It's sort of like you knew they were there but you couldn't connect well with them (and maybe that's how it was intended), I hope to see more of them in the next book, though.
On to the next part. The book seemed like more of it happened in the past then in the "present" but I guess the author did that to keep the reader on the edge of there seat, waiting to find out what was going on. What I didn't like was how the book jumped from the "present" into the characters past so quickly that I hardly realized that it switched. There was no spacing between those paragraphs and rarely any chapter changes to indicate that it switched. Basically, it just confused me, at some of those part. More towards, the end, though, it was more in the "present" and that's when a lot of the more exciting things started happening. 
When all is said and done, the books' pros outweighed the cons by a long shot, and the ending is just so unpredictable that it will leave you wanting more. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who loves YA books. It's a fantastic read and very entertaining I can't wait for  the next in this (so far) wonderful trilogy to release. 

First post

So this is my first post on my blog, though this isn't a review there will be one coming up soon. Most likely once I finish Abandon by Meg Cabot. So look forward for a review of that book in the next day or two.