Proletariat
I gave this an eight out of ten on my MAL list, but you know what? That's fine. I'm a realist, but magic has to happen sometimes.
For those wondering whether to read this, all I have for you is this: do you believe in magic? If you paused to contemplate for a response, regardless of what your answer, if I insist you read this book to fully make up your mind.
Mini review for the whole series.
My Heart is Beating starts with a cliche and ends with another, but the journey is where the heart lies. As one-dimensional as the characters were, every time they were in a water polo match or facing their own conflicts I couldn't help rooting for them to win. The art is used to its advantage, similar to the author's other work, Annasumarana. Colors flicker to reach the desired tone, in particular.
Like lounging in a pool, this manhwa makes a fun read. Would recommend.
THAT ENDING.
THAT PLOT.
THAT WRITING. Damn, that writing!
Easily one of my top books for the year. I doubt a review of mine would convince anyone to read this book if they haven't read the first chapter, which is the hooker itself. TL;DR for an already short gush-session? If you're looking for grey characters, intriguing plot and well-crafted writing look no further. It's a...Vicious ride you're looking for. If there is a sequel or a spin-off–I don't think there will be one; all loose ends tied up perfectly but the good things are hard to let go off when found in small doses–I will be rushing to get my grubby hands on it.
I know, I'm sorry, that second-to-the-last line was terrible. I fail miserably with puns, okay?
This is a mini-review for the whole series.
Overall, Cat Street delivers a new spin for a familiar premise, but doesn't elevate its potential. New shoujo fans would appreciate this more, but a casual fan who has read a lot of books like I may find this ‘okay' and even fun–I marathoned this series in a day, after all.
It has the heart and half of the desired spirit. Seven out of ten.
Action packed? Fun? Cliche? Most definitely.
Battle Royale is mediocre. If one's idea of a good action read is rushed with adrenaline, finesse mandatory, then it is excellent. In my case where the characters themselves make a big percentage for my rating for the novel, it is not.
The gore, the meat of the story, flies off the pages despite the occasional typo or sentence lost in translation. In the end that's what this six-hundred paged demon is about: a mainstream interpretation of once average or not-quite-average kids either becoming predator or prey to save their ideals or themselves, usually the former in the last two cases. It attempts to be “dark” and “bloody” and somewhat succeeds. It's not the “deep” in classic literature, but the “deep” in YA novels designed for a popcorn movie. The themes are discussed in Battle Royale, but it reaches the sighting of the bone when I wanted to taste the marrow.
There is a quick summary of each narrator before their imminent death which fails to garner sympathy. To be fair, a chapter or two is dedicated even for the minor ones and an effort was done bringing some personality to each person–even if their motivations seemed all the same in my head–but the characters were too one-dimensional, and the reader's growing desensitization as the story went by made each death's impact falter. This is impossible to fix, as detailed backstories would wane the sprinting pace of the story.
The plot is predictable. It's not difficult to tell what would happen within the first few paragraphs of each chapter. It does fly by at the speed of light, and by the time I was done the only sign that the book was six hundred pages were my tired arms.
Action junkies will love this, but people who dislike gore and lack of events besides stabbing and shooting in their stories won't. It isn't horrible, though. The enjoyment of the reader depends whether they are able to ignore its flaws and enjoy the show.
Looking for something . . . um . . . to read? Well, the Alchemy of Forever provides that.
Seraphina is an immortal living ever since the twelfth century, when she meets a gorgeous dude, also known as Cyrus, at a ball . . . and within the space of a couple of minutes gets stabbed in the back by a thief. Apparently, since Cyrus can't live without her and he knows they're meant to be, he makes her drink a mysterious vial as she's dying and she doesn't question much about the whole thing. What happens next? Turns out Cyrus learned alchemy from his father, and now she's an immortal forced to inhabit a person's body—code word for killing by the way—at least every ten years to live! Isn't that great? Oh, and after, like, seven hundred years she's tired of stealing people's bodies and wants to move on. Problem? Cyrus ‘just wants to be with her forever', so she runs in hopes of evading him . . . and accidentally inhabits another body of a teenage girl with a pretty decent life.
Okay, when I first picked the book up, I thought it would be interesting. The concept of the entire thing is downright awesome—from an outsider's perspective. The alchemy isn't really delved into, as roughly sixty-five percent of it was devoted on Sera in Kailey's body. Yes, that was the point of the whole book, but I felt like there could've been more. In fact, I should've stopped when I read the prologue, which goes something like this:
A Modern and Legible Translation Composed by an Awesome Max
Sera: Omigosh, I'm going to a ball! And I look so gorgeous, completely unlike myself! I don't even know if it is me!
Cyrus: pops out of nowhere You should dance, because I'm the Cyrus!
Sera: But I don't know anyone—
Cyrus: Um, we're in a masquerade? The whole point of this is to dance without knowing who you're dancing with.
Sera: Okay! Let's dance together! Wait, I think I know you.
Cyrus: I would remember you if I saw you, because I'm the Cyrus!
dancing intermission, with Sera heating up every time she looks into his ‘vivid blue' eyes
Sera: looks at dude conjuring a bird WOW! (which is completely natural. I mean, he conjured a freaking bird in the 1300's. Nothing weird about that at all)
Cyrus: Oh, no, I can do better than that. Why not you come out with me outside? Alone. Which is totally inappropriate in this timeline, but . . . I'm the Cyrus!
Sera: What about my parents?
Cyrus: Meh. It's just along the street. What can go wrong?
Sera: Okay!
walking to the street, street, walking to the street, gonna sit on a stone bench, sit, sit, sit
Cyrus: May I?
Sera: I have no clue what you're going to do, but sure!
Cyrus: combs hands through Sera's hair and pulls out one of the roses in there It's dead, unlike these other flowers in the garden. So watch, because I'm the Cyrus! revives flower with vial and liquid
Sera: Oooooh, magic?
Cyrus: Science.
Sera: It's magic to me!
(At this point, I was facepalming at the reaction of our lovely heroine)
Cyrus: looks deep into her eyes, which is totally romantic and not stalkerish Take off your mask. I must know who you are.
Sera: Okay, just as long as you remove yours!
untie the ribbons, untie, untie—then gasping comes
Cyrus: Seraphina!
Sera: Cyrus! You're that dude who I think who's cute when you and your father visit our house, ‘cause you know, you're handsome and nothing else matters about a guy.
Cyrus: Well, duh, because I'm the Cyrus! Hey, let's get married ASAP. I'll talk with your dad, then next time, I'll bring you something better than the rose. Which came from your hair, by the way.
Sera: face flushes red againYou're my destiny.
shocker alert! Two filthy people appear, who manage to have sharp swords! Wow, I wonder where they got them
Thief #1: Sir! Pass me your purse! (Literally quoting him here)
Cyrus: Nah, you're too uncool to hang out with the Cyrus.
Thief #1: Give us the items with your chick then.
Sera: Well, I only have this jeweled rosary with me—
Thief #1: Pah! Is that all you have? spits and then tackles Sera
Cyrus: Unhand her, you slimy oaf! (He didn't actually say that, but the scene would've been cooler if he did) grabs sword from woman and sinks the sword into his belly.Thief #2: Hey, I think I'll stab the chick for no reason. *stabs Sera with dagger
Cyrus: knocks woman overI'll save you, Sera! pours contents of vial in her mouth without telling her what it is
after Sera swallows the elixir and feels a whole lot different
Cyrus: Okay, kiss this thief! pokes to Thief #2
Sera: kisses the thief without any questions
(At this point, I was staring at my Kindle in a mixture of weirdness and um-ness.)
world explodes in Sera's mind
Cyrus: Hey, open your eyes, because I'm the Cyrus!
Sera: notices that things are differentI don't understand.
Cyrus: You're an immortal now. You've possessed a new body.
Sera: I don't understand.
Sera's Mom: Seeerraaaa!
Cyrus: Seraphina, we must go!
Sera: runs after Cyrus Bye, mother!
. . .
Am I just being my usual paranoid, ‘the-government-is-putting-mind-controlling-substances-in-our-milk' right now, or was I the only one who saw the total wrong in this?
However, since it was just the prologue, I decided to let it slide. It's in the past, after all. I'm not familiar with that time period, unless you're talking about the Philippines during that time. Um, suddenly marrying with a stranger you barely talked could be normal. Maybe I'm the only person who wouldn't be freaked once they found out the guy who I think is kind of cute randomly resurrected me because he likes me a lot—in a totally non-stalkerish way, of course—and he wants me to suddenly abandon my family. My own family. laughs nervously
So, um, moving on! coughs
The other thing I didn't like about this novel is the characters. It was almost as if they were created to represent stereotypical roles that are evident in every tale. One example is Clyde's team. Clyde was the psychotic leader—who we'll get to in a bit—Amelia, the ‘rival' for Sera (who was of course, never going to get the heart of the guy she wanted); Jared, the right-hand man; Charlotte, the best friend; and Sebastian, the other guy who almost everyone forgets about. One could argue characters are meant to fill in roles, but I disagree. Characters are supposed to represent themselves, and create their own roles.
The alchemy, my unicorns, the topic could've been expanded! We only get a few paragraphs about the whole thing, and that was one of the greatest things about the novel! Why wasn't it shown clearly? sobs in corner
When Sera inhabits Kailey's body, practically everyone in her family is oblivious to the changes! Her family doesn't notice their artist-daughter doesn't draw anymore, her friends don't see she doesn't get their inside jokes . . . it just got to the point of unbelievable that I was facepalming faster than a master-class chef flipping pancakes. If her friends and family loved her that much, then why the heck didn't they suspect a single thing?
And ladies and gentlemen, we have the final piece: the relationship and the main character.
Sera's voice wasn't bad. She was relatable despite the decisions she made, and the writing flowed smoothly. However, the reasoning behind her departure is because she doesn't want to stop killing people.
The reason itself is valid. However, after 700 years, why just now? Since Sera tries to outlast the ten-years rule as far as possible, that would mean she took around seventy bodies. Wow . . .
Actually, I was more surprised Sera tolerated Clyde's behavior and didn't leave because of that reason. He's the total definition of psychopath in my book, and I don't give a damn whether his eyes look like the Pacific Ocean or not. If I were stuck with him for more than a year, I would die. He forces Sera to do what we wants her do to, and even obsess over finding her after she leaves. Healthy? Hell no!
The ending was just weird. It was as if the author felt a need for a cliffhanger. I personally was in the meh-territory with this one. Nothing much came out of it.
Overall, I didn't like this book at all—which is kind of obvious T_T. Not going to read the next one, but if you like short novels with an interesting pretense and you don't mind facepalming, this is for you.
In a Nutshell
Cool concept with bad retelling. One star.
For more reviews, bring your unicorns to ThePaperFortUpstairs and read. Now. Or there will be lamps . . .Nope, just kidding. :D
Mainstream readers, come hither, because I have a feeling Struck may strike your interest. However, since I'm one of those hipsters who chooses to drink milk tea and listen to musicians no one's heard of (and yes, sarcastic mode is activated here), I was very interested in it initially, but it just didn't meet my expectations.
While some people are addicted to drugs, love or chocolate, Mia Price has her own obsession: lightning. Whenever lightning strikes, she always feels the urge to go out and soak it all up—and mysteriously, she manages to survive. But when two different factions want her for her abilities for their own purposes such as the end of the world coming in a few days, she finds herself pulled between the two . . . and gets even more confused when a mysterious boy comes in . . .
Yeah, that last sentence also turned me off.
It's really a shame though, since I was hooked by the blurb before it came out, and I liked the way the story is set up is almost like a Bethesda RPG, whose games I really love. You know—you could be the Courier or the Dovahkiin, in where choosing which side/person to support will guarantee their victory. Each side has its cons and pros, so they aren't wholly good or evil either. Unlike some people, I didn't really mind the Christian influences in the cults, since it was presented decently enough. The tarot cards and the Revelations references were also interesting, which made me like the book at the start. And then the special InstaLuv Microwave Meals had to kick in . . .
What makes Mia attracted to Jeremy? I have no clue. The first time they meet, he tries to kill her while she's sleeping. Their second meeting occurs in school, in where she doesn't recognize him. The first thing that interests her is his blue eyes, which as a purple-prose like description somewhere which I couldn't recall.
Um, okay. So what else do you like about him, Mia, besides the fact he tried to stab you with a knife . . . and . . . um . . . ?
There is nothing defining their relationship besides physical attraction. In fact, there is no chemistry between them whatsoever. I was completely clueless about the whole romance bit the whole time. In fact, I think the novel would've been two times better if Jeremy's role was simply as a friend. Let's get this straight with: I am not a huge fan with it comes to romances with books that I usually ignore this aspect, but I felt like a better job could've been done.
Mia wasn't my favorite narrator. I didn't get some of her decisions, especially the reason why she didn't just spill the whole truth to her brother—really, what was the whole fuss about?—and why decided to leave him in the dark for almost no reason at all. Yeah, it's probably because there was a need for more conflict, but I would've preferred reading a headstrong main character than frowning in bewilderment about Mia fifty-percent of the time.
The other characters were cookie-cutter stereotypes. If I hadn't read more than a hundred other YA novels with a similar trope, then I might have been able to read through, but I wish some originality had been given for each of the characters. The only character I actually enjoyed reading about was Prophet, which was sad since I wanted to be rooting for the main character—which epically failed.
On the brighter side though, the author's description of the apocalyptic world are interesting, and the writing flowed smoothly. While I was a bit hesitant on the idea of Mia's decent life situation especially when her mother was cooped up in the house, the Venice beach scene was one of the best parts in the story. The ending managed to bring up the rating of the book ever-so-slightly, so it wasn't one of the worst books I've ever read. However, the cons outweighed the pros this time, hence the rating.
In a Nutshell
It might've just been me getting too hyped-up for the novel, but however, Struck by Jenifer Bosworth failed to impress me. While other may find this exciting, I was on the ‘meh' border with it, with my rating of 2.5 stars.
Okay, I'll get this off my chest: I do judge a book by its cover. In fact, it's one of the most important details to consider when I'm debating whether to buy a book which I have never heard of. Does the blurb seem interesting? Is the price fair enough? If possible to open and skim through, does the first chapter pique my interest? Is the cover pretty? If my answer to all those questions is a big fat no, well, I shake my head and put it back on the shelves, making a mental note to myself to ask one of my friends if they have that book when I see them. However, thanks to the Witch Hunt by K.C Blake, my opinion on my old mantra might've changed for the better.
The story revolves around Starr Hughes, a reporter for the school newspaper and a girl with a crush on a guy in the popular crowd, Dylan Winchester. When she hears about the It-Squad playing a secretive game, following her journalistic instincts she decides to investigate further, pulling herself deeper into a whole new world and rules that she never knew about and possibly changing her outlook on life forever . . .
I'm still not so sure why I picked up this book in the first place, especially since it was supposedly the second book of a series. Well, it was probably because I saw it was free on Amazon, and when I read the description, it sounded interesting and promised reading the first book wasn't necessary. Besides, it was for free, so if I didn't want to read it, it would be fine. However, I decided to pick this up on a whim—and boy, was I surprised!
One thing I liked about was that it was what it promised to be: light, fun, and enjoyable enough to keep your interest. The writing is easy to follow, save one or two typographical errors. Other than that though, I don't have any complaints in this section.
Kudos must be given for the originality of the plot, because while witches is a familiar trope in the YA-paranormal world, the way the world was twisted throughout the tale gave it a different perspective. The rules of the game in the story was easy to understand and enjoyable to read, and also managing to add some mystery to the plot. There is some mystery, and even I didn't know what to expect.
However, I do have to ponder whether the book is realistic or not. While arguably, one could say paranormal novel can border on the line of mystical, I can't see how a teenager would get her hands on bugs to spy on conversations even if her dad was a private investigator.
The characters, despite half of their personalities being stereotypical, matched the tone of the plot. While they had their own different highs and faults, the main thing about the story I liked was Starr and Dylan's relationship. Finally, a romantic interest without the bad-boy factor! I didn't like Lily in the first fifty-percent—personally, I didn't understand why Starr was her friend, but Bex and Ryder made up for her in some way.
Another thing I didn't enjoy about the novel and the thing that caused me to not give it five stars was the complete randomness of the antagonist. I don't know if the role was intentional and there were clues that I forgot to miss, but I just didn't get it. It was almost as if the author wanted to give some surprise in the novel, and by the end of the book I found myself not having as much fun as before because of that.
Overall, I did like reading this book. It was a perfect summer read for something to bring along during a vacation in the beach. I'll be checking out the other author's novels if I have the time, but for now, I'll end this review with a nutshell.
In a Nutshell
Despite bordering a couple of times near the line of unrealistic, the Witch Hunt brings a good story. Four stars.
For more review and . . . reviews, you can always visit Max's blog, ThePaperFortUpstairs.
Looking for some fun in a historic setting? The Gathering Storm by Robin Bridges should be enough to settle in for a quick enough ride for a bored reader, but underneath its surface is a decent, paranormal story that could've had more.
Katerina is a young woman living in old Russia with a dangerous secret: she is a necromancer. And in this time, having dark powers means being shunned, forcing Katya to keep her abilities a secret. However, her powers are noticed when she rescues the prince from being poisoned, and now, two sides know her secrets: a dark, royal family who wants her to marry Prince Danilo, and a Tsar's son, George. Caught between two alliances and other surprising things rising up the surface, Katya must keep her wits together and choose which path to take.
One thing I liked about this book was the main character. Unlike most heroines in YA books lately, she knew what she wanted and how to get it while being realistic. Plus, her decisions and her thoughts made sense, as it went along with her personality and the time she lived in.
The romance was also really, really good. Not going to lie—when I first saw the blurb, I groaned when I saw there was a love triangle. I mean, really? Another love triangle? Thankfully though, it's misleading. The romance is sweet, while flowing its way seamlessly through the plot. At first, you don't know it's there, and you blissfully read on. Then you start to notice small signs, and so does the narrator. Pretty soon, she's in love with him, and the ending for the two is satisfying.
However, certain elements stopped me from giving this four stars. First off, the plot and the number of pages didn't match. The plot was shorter than the number of scenes given, that there were some parts that could've been easily removed, and the story would've actually moved faster. From time to time, I stopped reading and did other things, because I was tired of reading the part I was in.
Another thing was Katya's inability for certain decisions. I didn't understand why she didn't tell her cousin about her necromancy abilities when she displayed a huge amount of trust on her. Katya was certainly smart enough to know what to do, but for some weird reason that was sort of skimmed over, she didn't. That part irked me.
For a paranormal story, it was sort of an even situation for me. While there was nothing new or original brought to the table, it did interest me slightly, but on the other hand, didn't do much. There isn't really anything to critique about this since it was just okay, so I'll leave it at this. The way it was entangled with history was nice though, and it was one of the main things I enjoyed about the story with Russian references.
Overall, I wasn't feeling very inspired with this novel, but nor did I hate it. It did bring some things up though that were missing in certain books, so I'll probably pick up the sequel to see what happens next. It's a decent book though, so if you're looking for something paranormal yet out of the usual plots, this may be for you!
In a Nutshell
Proving to be a decent debut novel if you choose to ignore a couple of things, this may be an interesting historical paranormal romance for some. Since I liked it but didn't love it, I'm giving it three stars.
For more reviews and . . . reviews, you can visit my awesome unicorn blog, ThePaperFortUpstairs and have a look around!
Have you actually read a book outside of the typical American setting this month? If not, then for a new cultural immersion you can read How to Ruin a Summer Vacation by Simone Elkeles, a light, funny novel set in Israel.
The story centers on Amy Nelson, a sixteen-year-old American with her Israelite father, who she doesn't get along with due to him not being there for her. Unfortunately, this summer, she is forced to go on a vacation with him back to his homeland when her grandmother is struck with cancer. The problem? The Barak's—her father's family—doesn't know she exists. With cousins that give her the evil eye and a jerk that weirdly enjoys rescuing her in damsel-in-distress moments, Amy isn't exactly having fun this summer.
The book reads like a chick flick: it can bring laughs, it's cliché, but somehow it works. Although there isn't a cultural overdose, I could imagine most of the places that Amy went to and the things she did. My experience with Israel is admittedly very short, so it was nice to learn about a different country.
However, my biggest issue was with the narrator herself. Although she could get herself into situations downright hilarious, she overreacted way too much with things, and I couldn't really see why the love interest liked her that much. Inside, she seemed like a nice person, but she was just annoying. I even found myself chuckling in agreement when Avi called her a ‘spoiled American bitch'. That kind of describes her personality.
One thing that irked me was the way the size of her breasts was repeatedly mentioned throughout the storyline. Yes, I know, her boobs jiggle up and down always. Yeah, you have a big butt. No, it isn't necessary to tell me that ten times throughout the story. Another thing is the way she reacted when her best friend said she liked her boyfriend at the end of the story. It was almost like she was grateful for that, since she fell in love with Avi and there was a need to wrap the boyfriend matter quickly. That part was only a sentence long.
Despite the end being predictable, it was an okay book for me. I didn't hate it, but I won't be jumping up and either. I think it would be translated into a movie better, due to the length and the original storyline. However, if you like short novels with humor, you may enjoy this better than I did.
In a Nutshell
How to Ruin a Summer Vacation might be a perfect fit for someone to read on their own vacation, although the main character made the reading less enjoyable. Humorous and fast, I'll give in three stars.
For more reviews and . . . um, virtual cookies, you can visit Max's blog, ThePaperFortUpstairs. To, um, read reviews and get cookies. Yeah.
I received an ARC for this on Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. No sort of bribes, trades, or illegal transactions for 1004,000 rare diamond unicorns, although I don't mind that as a Christmas gift.
While the Hunger Games is an exciting yet toned-down novel in terms of action and how Battle Royale doesn't shy away from the gory scenes, the Loners by Lex Thomas is somewhere in the middle of those teenage survival stories: it's not exactly as bloody as BR, yet it manages to provoke something darker than the Hunger Games. It's perfect for slightly mature readers in the YA genre. However, the main thing that stopped me from rating it five stars was one thing: the world.
Imagine this: it's your first day back in high school. Your emotions may run from slightly nervous from extremely excited, or you might feel nothing and just sashay into the halls like nobody's business. But what if suddenly, all the teachers and students over the age of eighteen dropped dead, and the doors were barred so that no one could get out of the school? What if you were left in the dark for two weeks relying on nothing but the supplies inside the school, until the military comes in saying that there's a deadly virus that kills adults within you and the other kids, and you're only allowed to go out once you've turned eighteen? In that scenario, it's really hard to say, since it depends on your personality. This is what happens in this book, and this is why survival/last-one-standing-wins stories are interesting: you just don't know.
The Loners centers on three main characters: David Thrope, your average nice guy; Will, the younger brother stuck in his sibling's shadow; Lucy, a girl with no other clique to stay with. When David goes to a party before the first day of high school, still depressed after his mother's death, he soon finds out that his girlfriend was cheating on him with his arch-nemesis, Sam, and then proceeds to hit him. Not the wisest move, since Sam took David's old spot as the quarterback on the football team, and now David's chances of getting back on the team and fitting in are now officially screwed.
When his freshman brother, Will, goes with him to the first day of school and gets locked in with the rest of them, they're forced to live in the fringes of McKinley high school as loners and not receiving the benefits of being a gang member. They try to live off the radar while attempting to survive, but all that changes when David rescues Lucy, a former member of the Pretty Ones, from getting raped from a guy in Varsity. He accidentally ends up killing the jock, inflicting the wrath of two of the most powerful groups. David is now wanted, and Will, in love with Lucy ever since last summer, just wants to end up protecting her, but Lucy likes someone else. With different dynamics and deception going on, what will they do?
In my opinion, the world-building was its biggest fault. There were so many outcomes and paths that were possible, but the story opts for an easier route and bases the entire groups on stereotypical high school cliques. As a reference, here are some of the names for the gangs: Nerds, Sluts, the Pretty Ones (which are basically . . . well, the pretty girls), Skaters . . . it isn't the most interesting concept, to be honest. The groups acted like molds, and they didn't provide much interest. It takes a few seconds to let it sink in your head that if you don't belong to a group you're basically screwed and instantly put into the outcast territory. While I do agree that people would pack together, I don't see how cliques would combine. Personally, I'd rather go with my friends who I trust the most than people who're like me, yet I wouldn't be able to trust them that well. Plus, they dye their hairs corresponding to their group's color. I didn't really see the point of that part, but anyway, let's move on!
The plot had a few shining moments hidden inside, but if you've read Michael Grant's Gone series, the formula is similar to that—and come to think of that, almost the characters, so this book may inevitably get comparison to that series. You have the shining hero, the shining hero's love interest, the guy who's close to the shining hero and who crushes on the shining hero's love interest, the bad guy who relies on other people to do the work for him, and the eclectic bunch of characters whose roles depend on the situation. If you compare Gone and the Loners, you'll notice that the plot is almost the same way: you have the shining hero doing something to piss the bad guy off, bad guy hides and conducts plan while SH and SH's love interest get it on while trying to keep the people in control, TGWCTTSHAWCOTSHLI either makes a move on SH's love interest and/or does a bunch of other tasks, and when you least expect it, TADA—bad guy's back, with friends and an evil plan!
Don't get me wrong though, there are certain differences defining the two novels apart. While Gone focuses more on the plot and psychological aspects of a no-adult situation later on in the series, the Loners drives something more mainstream. Think of action with every day high school worries, such as liking someone who only likes you as a friend, or staying with someone you hate only because you get some benefits in return. Both have their high and low points, which we'll get to right now.
Not going to lie—the time skips were irking, even though I knew they were meant so that we could get access to the exciting parts ASAP. In the very first chapter, there's David in a food-collecting scene. That's cool. Then, the next chapter is a flashback. Okay. Third chapter is two weeks after the flashback. Um, sure! Then the fourth chapter is a year later after the flashback, aka the first chapter.
I got really confused, especially when new details were mentioned, like how some people had white hair because of their disease. Although no major time skips were made over the book, there were lots of situations that were simply skimmed over and given via dialog. Here's one example:
“I tried to stop him from leaving, but he wouldn't listen,” Lucy said. “He said the Loners would never forgive him. He thought they might even try to kill him.”
Note that the character here is a significant player in the turn of events. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't remember seeing a scene like that in the novel. This is actually one of the biggest reasons, because while the writing was fast-paced and there were no unnecessary scenes, it needed to slow down a bit. Especially in the last scene, where I was like, “What? How did that happen?”
The characters were in the middle box for me. They weren't unreadable, but I wasn't rooting for them until the very end. There just wasn't anything defining them apart aside from their roles. Ironically, I actually enjoyed Will and Sam more than the others. Lucy's your average YA heroine: nice, has the damsel-in-distress syndrome, but otherwise makes a decent narrator. David was the male counterpart of Lucy, except like all heroes, he played a bigger role, but as the story grew on his POV was used less and less.
Despite the cons mentioned, I did like this book. While the main characters were meh-worthy, the side characters added more life to the story. Hilary, despite being a bitch, was interesting to read, and so were the other semi-important characters like Violent and Smudge. In the second book, it would be nice to see more of them, since they were actually more intriguing than the rest of the protagonists.
Also, the action scenes? Perfect. Being a teenager, there was enough blood, yet it didn't go over the top. There was scene that freaked me out, and for a few seconds, I just stood there, not believing the situation. The ending was also hooking, but not in the way you're simply dying to get your hands on the next book. It was a good change from the rest of the YA novels out there.
Does this series have potential? Yes. Was it shown properly in this book? Well, yes, but it needs some brushing up on. Will I read the next book? Definitely.
In a Nutshell
While having some faults of its own, for survival junkies looking for a YA dose, this is one book I'll be recommending. 3.5 stars.
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Looking for a book that has a different take of the popular angel vs. demons angle? Well, look no further, because Sweet Evil is one of those books that manages to set some sort of distinction from the crowd. From the sweet deal the author, Ms. Wendy Higgins, scored from an editor in HC finding her work on Inkpop, a former writing website for teens that recently shut down and the way that another book, [b:The Carrier of the Mark 10335701 Carrier of the Mark (Carrier Trilogy, #1) Leigh Fallon http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1307640737s/10335701.jpg 15238300] got published, you'd think that this is a really epic novel.And it is. Well, almost. There are a few nitpicks, but we'll get to that later on, shall we?Sweet Anna Whitt, a girl from the South, has a pretty decent life, like all YA novels these days. Well, she's almost normal, save the fact that she can see other people's auras. But that's okay, since she can handle that element of her life. Unfortunately, she says goodbye to any sense of normality left the day she turns sixteen, where she meets a British hottie called Kaidan Rowe with a dark past and who's more than just a bad boy your mother warned you about (and yes, that part's from the trailer). When she is told that she is not who she thought she was—BAM, just like that, everything changes.I wasn't so sure what I was expecting when I picked up this book. Before Inkpop shut down, I was one of its members, and I felt like rooting for the author. I wasn't given the opportunity though to read it before it got published, since I was a fairly new member. But, there were other factors that kept me throwing a supportive fist pump in the air. One example was . . . as much as I hate to say it, [b:Carrier of the Mark 10335701 Carrier of the Mark (Carrier Trilogy, #1) Leigh Fallon http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1307640737s/10335701.jpg 15238300]. I literally read the first few pages for that one, and then abandoned it, due to it looking like a Twilight knockoff. The synopsis also looked fairly unoriginal. I mean, come on? Haven't we all seen that stereotypical girl meets boy story, boy is a sadistic playboy, they kiss and make out despite their love is forbidden, add a dash of paranormal trouble to make the story to have some substance—and tada! The perfect recipe for a generic paranormal story. I just have to thank my lucky stars that Sweet Evil isn't like those stories.First off, while I'm pretty sure that I'll have trouble stumbling upon a person like Anna, she was a pretty good heroine. I wasn't expecting to like her that much when I first started reading, and gradually, until the story was over, I realized that she wasn't so bad. She managed to stand up for herself when needed, but she wasn't any feminist gone overboard kind of character. I can't say I could genuinely get into her head, but either way, Anna was realistic, slightly flawed, yet had the qualities for a decent person that the fans would like. My other issue with her is that she's a bit of a Mary Sue at times. It's not that obvious until you look deep down, but I'll present one situation: when Anna first meets other Nephilm, all seem to like her, except of course, this person who's portrayed as a mean girl. It's almost as if she was made to be there, so that there could be someone to dislike her. And how come her dad is the only one who can hide the fact that she isn't doing her job? If that was so easy, and Anna being less skilled than the other Nephilm, couldn't someone like Kopano's father do the same thing to his son whom he loves so much?The supporting characters were also likeable, if you ignored the fact that they were a bit stereotypical at times—like Anna's guardian, Patti, who was the normal parent figure who loves Anna very much (normal, but not seen in books these days due to the Disappearing Parents Syndrome), and Ginger, a brash, if not slightly rude character. Kopano was also another interesting addition. I wasn't so sure if I liked him though, or whether I preferred the other romantic interest over him. The otherSpeaking of romance, I think I'll cover it up now. Kaidan is the typical boy most female readers would swoon for. Heck, I fancied him a bit because he was British. Yes, he's a drummer, hot, has a dark past, a even darker father, AND he's British! How could you not like anyone like him?I couldn't find a better one to represent Kaidan's demeanour, so here's a somewhat similar guy. :PThat is to say though, he isn't that type that's kills everyone in the room when somewhat stares at Anna. Well, he is sometimes, but it's not in that caveman style that any second you're expecting him to say something like, “This is my prey. Do not touch her, or I will bash you with this club.” The romance is enough to satisfy most people—there are a couple of steamy scenes, and the attraction between the two of them seems believable. His feelings for Anna switch between hot and cold, which I actually felt okay with for once. He had real reasons for doing them, and it wasn't something forced. Some of his actions didn't make sense though Such as him willingly disobeying his father all of a sudden to go on a road trip with a girl he just met. If he's used to the life of deceit, it's a bit unrealistic for him to do such a thing. Come on, why should there be a cold male lead, and every time when a different chick appears, they have to change their mindset so suddenly?Girl, please!While romance is a main factor in the plot, that doesn't go and say that it had absolutely no other substance at all. Like what I said above, the way the demon lore was presented was interesting, but it never go too info dump-y. Unfortunately, almost nothing really happens. I was expecting something super exciting to happen, and when the climax came, I wasn't jumping out of my seat—but at least it wasn't that bad. It's definitely set up in the style most paranormal series are going these days, the first book enough to pique the reader's interest, and only the exciting things happen in the last two books. I wished there would've been something more though. The writing style was easy to get into though, and although like what I said earlier, I couldn't settle into Anna's narration that much, it flowed pretty quickly.I'm actually torn with rating this though. My overall score would be 3.5 stars, but I'm not so sure whether to settle for three or four. While I don't think that it wowed me that much to give it four stars, three stars seems a bit too low for it. Currently, I'm switching through the stars stars, so whatever is presented will be my score. In a NutshellWhile entertaining and exciting for a fan of paranormal romances and demon lore, others tired of reading a same old storyline over and over again may get a bit weary of this. Since this presents a whole new perspective on the stereotypical of the heaven and hell concept though, I think I'll give it 3.5 stars.
When I first picked up Kill Me Softly by Sarah Cross, I have to admit that I wasn't expecting much. Yes, the blurb piqued my interest, and of course, the cover was pretty—but with the growing number of novels cropping up in the YA department, it's hard to separate the novels that you think you might fall in love with, or to buy a book that makes a big hole in your wallet that you don't quite enjoy. So I was quite surprised when I read this book, and liked it.
The plot centers on a girl named Mira who is running away to her birthplace, Beau Rivage, before her sixteenth birthday to find out the reason behind her guardians' secrecy and veiled words about that town. However, things start to fall apart when she finds out that it's almost like a different world—a world where fairytales roam, and where stories awaken from black letters and white pages. And Mira is connected to that world, with a curse to her own—Sleeping Beauty, in fact. As romances bloom and with a mission to find out her trigger, the thing that'll send her to an endless sleep, along the way, she starts the learn that every rose literally has its thorn.
World-wise, I have to admit that the world created in Kill Me Softly is one of the most interesting places I've read in YA fiction. The concept is original, yet I was able to follow it without any trouble. I have to admit that I haven't read an actual fairy tale, save the Greek mythology phase I went back a couple of years ago. But I was quite surprised to learn about the darkness behind fairy tales, and the way it was presented blended smoothly into the story. I liked how Ms. Cross gave people their own different quirks, although she could've given more personality to the secondary characters.
Speaking of that, I think the characters are the weakest part of this novel. First of all, the main character, Mira, was a bit annoying to read, especially during the romance department, which I'll be talking about later. Her decisions caused a mixture of the following emotions: the ‘WHHHYYYYYYY???' and my personal favorite, ‘WTH!
That's not it. Okay, there's this unwritten, but well-known fact about writing: although you can make your characters evil and whatnot just as long as they're readable. The thing is though, there needs to be some sort of reasoning behind the character's motives AND make it understandable. You can't just expect me to love that character when she lets her boyfriend boss her around because she just loves that kid too much, and it gets to the point he treats her like a slave. In that example, you know that she loves him. But what exactly makes her love him so much?
Those were the same questions I encountered throughout the book. Mira becomes one of those heroines to fall under what I like to call ‘InstantLuv Microwave Meals', where she literally goes out and buy some sexy lingerie on, I don't know—on the first day after she met the guy. The FIRST day.
Dude, even if you think you love the guy and you're going to be together forevah, be logical. Even if this is your first time, listen to the clear side of your brain first. The romance for me was the weakest part of the story, since I just couldn't tap into Mira's emotions. If there had been a bit more explanation and parts that would make me go, “Oh, I get it now!” then I probably would've enjoyed the story more.
Between the two love interests in the story, my ninja senses kicked in and voila—I knew instantly which would be the sleaze and which one would get the girl. Maybe it's because of the numerous YA plots and formulas that have been drilled in my head for years, but the love triangle was predictable. Blue and Felix both had their own issues, so they weren't on the scale on full-on horrible. Although I enjoyed reading more about Blue, both of them were okay.
Speaking of the other characters, the way the myths were blended into their personalities was really cool. They could've been more fleshed out though. I really like Jewel, but we didn't see much of her. Layla and Henley's relationship was also one thing that kept me hooked, and again, although some details were given, not much was given. If a sequel appears for this book, I would like to know more about the other characters. Or, what the heck, focus on the side characters entirely! Their sides of their own stories could be a good read.
I was actually expecting the ending. Actually, that isn't quite the right word. The perfect phrase would be ‘I-kind-of-knew-that-this-was-going-to-happen-but-I-wished-it-didn't'. The ending does tie up those loose strings, and holds promise for a sequel—which I may end up reading. Despite the negativity one might think from reading this review, I did enjoy this book. The writing style was interesting and easy to get into, and the idea behind this was bloody brilliant. If some more things were straightened up, this would be an easy five-starred review for me.
In a Nutshell
For romantic YA book lovers who're interested in living dark fairy tales, this is one book that you won't want to miss out on. This is definitely a book with untapped potential. 3.5 stars.
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Are looking for a book that's a mix between mean-girl cliques and mystery? Well, I can say for certain that if you're looking for that kind of book, Fury by Shirley Marr is definitely one fast-paced and interesting read. Although copies of this book may be hard to come by for non-Australian dwellers, it's certainly worth a look if you're willing to dish out more than a few bucks for an approximately three-hundred paged novel. It's like a summer-read: short enough that you might be able to finish it on your free time on a vacation, yet able to keep your eyes glued to the pages until it's over.
The story starts with Eliza Boans, a girl with the life most girls would die for, in of all places, a police station. Why? Charged with murder along with her friends, and all the police need now is a confession. Flashbacks relating to the incident are planted as Eliza stays in the police station. The way Fury is set up is intriguing, because in most mystery novels, it's the Who killed him and why? question that goes on in the reader's head, while in this case, the words that ran through my mind while reading were, Who was killed and why? It is definitely more psychology based, so if you were expecting the grand adventure you see in the Sherlock movies (or the British series!), you would probably not enjoy Fury as much.
As a main character, Eliza is definitely not the typical YA heroine or the clichéd Mary-Sue. You do have to give Ms. Marr credit for portraying her character. In plain and admittedly more vulgar English, Eliza is a rich bitch. Seriously! Some of the choices she made along the novel weren't exactly the type of choices I'd make. As I said above, the author doesn't attempt to cover her attitude up. Instead, she shows us the different, fiercely loyal side of Eliza not only in the flashbacks, but in the present situation. After all, she is still a human—and humans do have a bit of compassion deep inside them. Eliza Boans definitely earned a place in my top YA characters list.
While the main character was the cat's pajama's (don't ask me why I used that term because I also have no clue why), that's not to say the side characters were nothing more than mindless clones. Eliza's friends, Marianne and Lexi, both added different impacts on Eliza's narration. While I didn't really understand Ella at all (what was she really planning to do?), Neil, the love interest, also needed a bit more depth. I just think there was more to them, and I would've liked to see the plot show a bit more of the personalities.
Plot. Okay, I admit it—before I even touched my copy, I was expecting something a bit darker than the usual YA fanfare. The last fourth was probably what I had been wanting, but the rest was like reading through any regular high-school story: there's the mean rival just in front of you, the friend that you secretly envy, and evil teachers that want to ruin your whole life. In fact, I wondered twenty-percent into the novel when the action was going to start—and mercifully, the first stitch to the tapestry started to weave itself in.
I think the reason why I rated this book four stars instead of five is because it takes some time to develop. You watch the story grow slowly, until you're presented with the problem—and then bang, the story is over. There isn't much left. I think this is my own fault, since I do love books with tense-filled scenes, and Fury had none of that. It was more of a book you need to read through the lines to fall in love with, and if you would rather read about novels filled with dragon slaying would rather focus on why she hates her, you'll probably enjoy it like I did, but not like it enough to give in a five-star rating.
Don't get me wrong, Fury IS a great book, and a welcome addition from the perplexing amount of stereotypical YA novels that seem to stream out of the presses like the speed of ants trying not to get squashed from your thumb. It manages to twist in the similarities to the Greek myths of the Furies, while making the story relatable to some and showing people how far friendship can go. While I'm certain that a lot of people would enjoy this if it were made available to other countries, the book I decided to scour over the Internet for ages just didn't live up to my expectations.
In a Nutshell
Do you happen to live in Australia or a country that sells Aussie novels? If so, this is certainly a book that you must read if you're into YA. However, while Fury is an excellently written novel, it may not excite some readers. Four stars.
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