Jessica
WHATTTTTTTT???!!!!!!! That can't be it! What?! No. NO! That can't POSSIBLY BE IT! I'm going to keep saying it until it becomes true. What is this?! Now I have to wait until I can get my hands on the other books in the series to see more of Joe, Eric, Nathan, and the guys at work. I don't think I can survive the wait. I'm suffering from a book hangover. I need relief.
Alright, time to start the discussion. When I first started this book, I thought Joe was a guy. Can you blame me? She got introduced as Joe. Then I found out Joe and Eric were opposite-gender best friends. Admittedly, Joe and Eric's relationship was somewhat odd in the beginning. I mean, they were super close physically, always touching each other, doing all but sexually related activities wink wink.
Sudden Response was a pretty quick and light read (my apologies to anyone offended; I was reading another darker book while simultaneously reading this one, so my judgement may be skewed). I'm not saying there was no depth to the book. Quite the opposite. We got to journey along with Joe and Eric as they tried to solve all their problems, whether they were financially, emotionally, or whatever.
In other words, this book was pretty much the bomb. It was adorable and I. Want. MORE.
P.S. WHERE ARE THE OTHER BOOKS?!
The first thing I thought during the first interval of this book was, “GAWD Gemariah is a DICK!” And I'm sorry but he was. For a majority of the book. Annoyingly. I realize now this rant wouldn't be complete without spoilers so there's nothing to save you here, Gemariah.
First, HE'S SUCH A SLUT. Now, I don't make a habit of accusing people of being such...how should I put this...beings labeled with uncouth names. HOWEVER, Gemariah did not have any excuse for this (he wanted fun...really?! He couldn't control that dick of his?!) highly sexualized lifestyle. Okay, some might argue that he lives until the day his heart is destroyed, he's not tied down, and no one should fault him for doing whatever he wants to. HOWEVER, he has hurt Nicci with that “carefree” (to put it mildly) attitude enough times. He not only took her virginity roughly (I'm still unsure-did he even make her come that first time? Or did he honestly just take what he wanted without waiting for her?); he also freaking CHEATED ON HER. Granted, nothing “serious” happened. But still. He kissed that also-highly-sexualized (I'm trying to refrain from calling her a slut-oops too late) “woman” with the same mouth he kissed Nicci with. The same mouth that told her he wanted to be with her.
Please. I'm so proud of Nicci for not running back to him, even after such a long period of time.
And that wasn't her only epic moment either. I am HIGHLY impressed with how she stopped herself/Ramiel from killing her babies and Gemariah. And then there was that time when she shielded Shane with her body against his stepdad (may you spend an eternity stepping on legos you jackass). And I guess I can't fault her for being so annoying by not accepting the truth Gemariah was telling her; after all, he broke her trust...more than once actually. Anyhow, if Gemariah in any way fucks up what he has with Nicci, I will personally animate him from the book to clobber him for his stupid decisions. And I'm betting I won't be the only one to want a crack at him.
All in all, a decent book. But...Gemariah...ugh.
Why WHy WHY?! Basically the only thing(s) that bothered me about this book are:
1) Brett...why? Why you do this to me, RL Mathewson?
The story was going along swimmingly...and then BAM.
2) Great, now I need to hit the “hide entire review because of spoilers” button. It took so LONG for Edward and/or Dana to finally make a statement against crazy, obsessive fans. I mean, really, they were only attacked/had their privacy invaded -pssh- like 5(+) times?! You'd think they'd stop to tell their fans to back the freak off a bit BEFORE someone got killed. For example, wouldn't a good time to tell people to back off be when, oh I don't know, a bunch of crazed teenage girls assaulted Dana? When they freaking tried to KICK HER STOMACH WHEN SHE WAS DOWN AND PREGNANT?! Or, how about that time another stupid possessive teenage girl BUILT AND SENT A BOMB TO DANA, HOPING TO TAKE OUT HER AND HER AND EDWARD'S UNBORN KIDS?! But nooooooo, they just basically took both of those in stride.
Yes, it is admirable they were able to continue living their lives as they usually did, but there lies the problem. And yes, it would've been likely that those aforementioned possessive crazy teenage girls wouldn't have listened and would've continued to plan their nefarious, crazy, delusional plans to get Edward for themselves. HOWEVER, if Edward and Dana had said something earlier, they could've gotten to their fans who hadn't yet fallen over the edge into their own pit of delusion.
Everything else about this book...well...let's just say...
IT WAS PERFECT, BABY. It was a work of art, portraying famous people's troubles. I, and I'm assuming many others, could already vaguely...sympathize (or maybe the word is pity?) celebrities for various things that come with their fame (for example, CRAZED FANS). But after reading this novel, I have a whole new appreciation for the celebrities who don't go out of their way to make a scene.
4.5
Honestly, I thought this book would've been better, given the ratings, that beginning, etc. All in all, though, it was a wonderful story. Enter Claire, a woman in her mid-20s with OCD. She has a mom who deserves to fall into a ditch and stay there (actually, that should be the more benign of her punishments). She has a “dad” who's a dirtbag and a biological dad who's also a dirtbag! Basically, her family is scum. And that's not the end of Claire's troubles, which are made evident from the first few pages of the novel. However, in comes Jack who's called in some circles the Pimpernel. Jack is here to try to save Claire. Along with Jack are his team of Margot (let's just dub her the tech-smart rich chick), Ren (the bodyguard for the rich chick), and more or less Kali (the constantly composed...“free agent”?). These characters' capabilities have left me awed of the abilities and intelligence of us humans. The surprises that sprouted throughout the book also left me stunned.
I guess the reason I didn't especially like this book was because Sheralyn Pratt didn't really go into Jack's history (though maybe that was a good thing-I probably wouldn't have cared to delve into more of his earlier life when I already knew about the more important stuff). Another reason was...I don't know. I guess it just lacked the passion and all that good stuff I'm used to. The romance in this book was somewhat abrupt. Other than that, the story and the ending have left me quite satisfied. So yes, I would recommend this book to someone else, though it wouldn't be the first I would recommend at a time.
This is the story of a witch who is trying to rise to the position of an apprentice in order to escape from her overly protective uncle's grasp. In order to become an apprentice, she must pass a potions making test. By passing, she will also be fully inducted into her town's coven and be allowed access to the townspeoples' secrets. However, Cassandra Booth realizes that joining the coven will not be as easy or satisfying as she believed.
The author tries to depict Cassandra as a powerful witch amidst people who have been brainwashed by the coven's unorthodox practices. However, Cassandra ends up coming off as a contrary girl who makes trouble for everyone with her decisions that do not change the end result of her “predicament.” Instead of a powerful witch, she seems more like someone extremely lucky with potions at the most pivotal moments.
Beyond simply the main character, the plot was somewhat tepid. Only a few noteworthy scenes occurred. The book mainly consisted of the main character complaining about having her lifelong wish being granted, and pining for her aunt to come home to save the day. This monotony was expounded by the small range of settings. The budding love triangle had potential but did not impact the plot much.
This book introduces the reader to an interesting and unconventional world but does not exploring it enough.
One thing that really bugged me about this book was how many understandings there were that led Jared and Evie to “break up”. It was so pitiful how many times those misunderstandings gave Jared the impression that Evie was cheating on him. Really. And that 5-10% of the book where Jared left Evie for some awful reason when she needed him was...
And then there were those times where a misunderstanding was about to be blown out of proportion where Evie doesn't explain herself fast enough. Those were so darn IRRITATING. Like, Jared's just standing there and SHE'S too strung up to explain what was really going on. If she had just talked faster or whatever she wouldn't have had to put her and Jared through those days of misery without each other.
Oh, and there weren't NEARLY enough sex scenes. I feel so...cheated. .-.
But other than that, OBVIOUSLY this book was the bomb. It was a blast. There was a load of drama (though most of it just pissed me off since it led Jared and Evie to separate on numerous occasions). It was jam-packed with action. And the ending...was not nearly long enough to sate my needs for more happy moments to happen in this book. I loved how many platonic relationships Evie had with the rest of the guys. Henry was pretty darn amazing. Tim was freaking hilarious. Casey was a man I wish existed in real life. I MISS THEM ALREADY.
I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
(Shield your eyes if you're absolutely smitten with this book!)
It started out fine. The beginning was deeply engaging and full of excitement and justified teen (sorry, YA) angst. I'm impressed with the world that the author has thought up: set in our regular, 21st-century realm, with the exception of a secret society of supernaturals. This secret society has its own political structure and race classifications. Our heroine is of the rarest kind of supernatural, a Fluidus. Sadly, her powers aren't really expounded on in this book, so she doesn't get to show off her competence very much; however, there is hope in the other books, in which she will undergo further training of her newfound powers.
Now, on to my own opinion. (Again, you read on at your own risk!) I didn't really like the main character. Or anyone, for that matter. At first, I was impressed with how reasonable Sierra is, reluctant yet accepting of the fact that she must leave her whole old life behind in order for her and her grandmother to survive. After a while, though, the luster faded. Instead of coming off as a strong young adult who stands up for herself, she seemed more petulant and lacking in any other redeeming characteristic. The petulant part I got from how she was constantly telling Gavin and her grandmother to stop treating her like a child, hiding matters that personally dealt with her. Yes, I realize that that's her right and all, but it kept happening so often that it just felt like she was complaining. The part about how she's lacking in any other redeeming characteristic was from...everything else. She wasn't very witty; her intellect didn't make an appearance often. And she didn't seem capable of helping herself, even though she's escaped more than one hairy situation. But this personal issue of mine with her lack of self-protection will probably be rectified once she learns how to control her powers better in the next books.
Let's see. And then there's the romance part. I just...didn't get it. I'm sorry. I feel like I should be apologizing. It was all really weird between Gavin and Sierra. There was no insta-love, yet, a few pages or chapters later, with nary an important event or hormone-inducing conversation in between, they were mutually unable to stop thinking about the other in a romantic manner. Maybe I missed something, but it didn't feel very well developed. Then the rest of the time, Sierra was just mad at Gavin for supposedly treating her like a problem child while Gavin was being...reticent.
Speaking of developing relationships, yeah, it didn't just not apply to Gavin and Sierra (again, this is just my opinion. I can just feel the indignation from fans). I didn't really feel anything for any other character. (Be warned, I'm trying to phrase this in a way that doesn't spoil anything from here on.) When something horrific happened to one of the important side characters, it didn't make me shed a tear or anything. Not that I'm dying to have an emotional breakdown or anything, but I should feel something, right?
And finally, there's the mystery. I feel like everything was just crammed in the end. Yeah, you should save the climax and big reveal for then, but it didn't feel like the investigation team did much to lead up to that point. So when they were fitting all the pieces together, it seemed more like luck than actual thinking. Up to the end, the investigation team kept hitting roadblocks via a loophole in the supernatural database search engine. (To have progress be blocked by technology–darn!) I also suggest adding more liable suspects if the author's thinking of doing another mystery in her other books. It was kind of too predictable. (Sorry. Again. >> <
So, all in all, I see a lot of potential. There's characters with backgrounds that could make them grow into so much more, power and personality-wise. The author obviously knows what makes for an interesting YA read: a murder, a heroine with kickass powers (still hoping to see more of this!), and lots of enemies to keep the readers and the main characters on our/their toes. With more development and unpredictable surprises (redundant, I know, but there's a minute difference between that and just “surprises”), this series could be on my, and many other readers', “more-please” shelf.
That ending...WHAT?!
Okay let's just back up a moment here.
LIKES: I liked how adorable Rachel and Kash were together. I guess I sort of liked the suspense...maybe that could be in a middle category. The suspense made me finish the book in record time but it also made me scared of everything. My paranoia has now reached level infinity. Rachel and Kash's personalities were also stupendous~. Rachel wasn't too much of a useless-no-mind-of-her-own girl. Her and Kash's banter...HAH. My laughter could wake the dead.
DISLIKES: I guess I just didn't like how so many bad things happened to Rachel. This doesn't mean I want to turn a blind eye to everyone's misfortunes. However, I just don't like how Rachel keeps getting subjected to this...whatever you want to call it. Torture? Misery? And that ENDING. WHAT HAPPENED? What in the world? Really Molly McAdams? You couldn't leave them to their happily ever after until the next book? Granted, it was a good way to force/persuade readers to get the next book...BUT STILL. WHYYYYYYYYYY?
But yeah. If you're reading this and wondering about whether or not you should get it, I'd only say yes if you have a high tolerance for...well, let's just say you'd want to beat someone up from this book most of the time while you're reading it. Of course, you wouldn't be able to and that retribution isn't going to happen in any form for a long time.
I'm 75% in, saw this, and just had to record it: “He likes movies over books” - Gio (mind you, he's not the main guy character so it's all good-we already know Gio and our main female character are not made to be)
EDIT:
Before even finishing this book, I'd already concluded, “I'm going to give it a glowing review on Goodreads.” The reason I came to this conclusion is because, obviously, THIS BOOK IS THE CUPCAKE. The mystery was riveting (though, by around the latter half of the book, I'd already figured out who the culprit was, but it hurt to even think it was that person who'd done all those cruel things), the suspense between Noelle and Drake was sit-on-the-edge-of-your-seat exciting, and the ending...-le happy sigh-. The comedy was pure gold, especially the fights between Noelle and Drake. Props to Emma Hart for her astounding writing about how our two main characters go from hating each other to, well, you'll have to read the book to see what happened to them. This is probably my first novel where the two main characters don't have sex by the 60% mark. Rather, they had their fun time at the END of the story. As different as this was for me, I'd have to say IT WAS BRILLIANTLY DONE. Nice last shebang (till the next book, of course). And I kind of liked it ending this way since, whenever characters of other books had their happy fun times throughout the plot, it usually foreshadows something awful happening to take away their pleasure (take Vampire Academy, for example).
Anyways, I sincerely recommend this book to whoever reads this review.
EDIT #2:
I JUST FOUND OUT THE STORY CONTINUES WITH DRAKE AND NOELLE IN TANGLED BOND. (I was scared their story would just end here and Hart would switch to some other supporting characters as her main leads in the next book.) THANK YOU SO MUCH EMMA HART BLESS YOUR (I was also about to say “bless your heart” but then I remembered that little tidbit about it not being a compliment...). THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!
I couldn't get the 2nd book before this 3rd one, but it still worked out in the end. Thank you, Kristen Ashley, for briefing who everyone is, otherwise I'd never be able to keep up with the TOTALLY HILARIOUS dialogues and plot lines you've got going.
It's awesome. It's amazing and you should get it so you can fangirl with me.
This...this was simply beautiful. So many new vocabulary words to learn, so many funny moments to laugh about, so many plot twists, and so much more. READ IT.
I don't get why Day likes June -.- she was the one who indirectly got most of his remaining family members killed
forgot wat happened~
but i felt kinda claustrophobic the whole time XD
but the suspense... X3
