Finale | by: Becca Fitzpatrick

*Don't read this review unless you've read the other books in Becca Fitzpatrick's Hush, Hush Saga. This will probably contain spoilers for those who haven't, but there won't be spoilers for those who have read the previous three but not this one.

The Hush, Hush Saga is one of my favorite YA paranormal romance series, but it has reached its end with Finale, a roller-coaster of an ending that kept me turning the pages and fearing the outcome. Though the other three books in the series held so much action and surprise, none of them match up to Finale in that department.

But I wasn't so excited to get through this one at first. I knew that Nora and Patch were in a (rather complicated) pickle, and I wasn't so sure how they'd manage. Nora has become the leader of the Nephilim army and must fulfill her oath to the Black Hand, but in order to do so, the Nephilim are going to have to believe in her, whether she has the self-confidence or not. She must undergo training along the way, gaining the strength she needs to defend herself, and she can't let the Nephilim realize that her boyfriend is Patch, who they'd automatically consider an enemy since he's a fallen angel.

While dealing with these dilemmas amid training, Nora discovers something that will make her even stronger... and upon this discovery, I started getting irritated with Nora. I just had that feeling one gets when reading and the character does something stupid, and then the reader sits there rolling his/her eyes thinking "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" In the past few books, I've felt relatively connected with Nora, but between her decisions with devilcraft broke this connection along with her new, unnatural dialogue. I just couldn't relate to her or understand her.

Thankfully, any negativity towards this book ends there. (At least for the most part.) Characters like Vee, Scott, and of course, Patch, still stood their ground as fabulous characters while Nora was starting to falter. I mean, what more could I ask for? Patch is one of my favorite love interests while Vee and Scott are two of my favorite BFFs.

But all in all, the best elements of Finale are the moments of action that are often followed by unsuspected twists and turns. There were a few times when I wondered if some of Fitzpatrick's twists were even plausible due to their seemingly random appearances, but that's not the case. Fitzpatrick is just so sneaky! I don't know how she keeps everything so well-hidden; I don't think I've ever been so surprised while reading before! The second half of this novel is magnificent!

Now, I'm not saying I'm in love with every single aspect of this book, either. As I previously mentioned, I had some issues with Nora, and Fitzpatrick's general writing style didn't impress me that much. But my goodness, Finale has perhaps the most explosive ending out of every book I've ever read. It's such an adrenaline rush, and it even started to tug at my heart strings. As far as how the plot progressed and came to a close, this was the perfect ending to this series. People keeping secrets, traitors, jealousy, violence, the brink of war, Nephilim officials in cloaks... Yep, I thoroughly enjoyed it.

A lot of the series I've been keeping up with are coming to a close, and though I'll miss them, I must admit, I've gotten an amazing ending out of the Hush, Hush Saga. It's been such a fun series, and the crazy/amazing ending surpassed my expectations for this anticipated Finale.

4/5 Stars

Destined | by: Aprilynne Pike

*This review may contain spoilers for those who haven't read the previous books in the series. I will do my best to minimize spoilers, but at this point, they're inevitable.

Another beloved series has come to an end. I've enjoyed Aprilynne Pike's Wings series, and Destined was definitely my favorite!

The previous book in the series, Illusions, left readers with one of the worst cliff-hangers in literary history, so Destined had a great start, just when things began to heat up. What Laurel and her friends just discovered about Yuki could threaten all of Avalon with power alone, but it only gets more complicated since Klea is involved. Throughout their story, Klea has proved time and time again to be anything but good, and now her connection with Yuki and the trolls is clear. Laurel and her friends know they must save Avalon from the terrible things to come, even though they don't always know how.

This faerie story just got darker.

However, everything I enjoyed from the first books is still there. The innocence of the characters is still evident as they face a situation significantly more sinister than in the rest of the novels. In my reviews of Wings, Spells, and Illusions, I mentioned the sense of innocence as one of my favorite elements, and I'm so happy that this element didn't disappear when things became more corrupt.

In response to the lighter tone between characters, friendship still seems to be the main focus amongst relationships though there are still romantic factors, which is something I truly appreciate. I oftentimes feel like the importance of a boyfriend overrides the importance of friends in books. And since the love triangle fell out of focus in Destined, I had more room in my heart for these characters. Another thing that made me happy? Laurel is so honest with her parents. I feel like so many YA protagonists are always lying, and I've never been fond of it.

But even though the characters kept the story feeling familiar, they do grow, and Destined is very, very, VERY different than the rest of the series. It's much more action-packed and full of emotion. Seriously, I cried at the end. Since when does this series ever make me cry!? I'm almost made at Aprilynne Pike for making the ending as realistic as it was, tugging my heart strings as I kept the pages turning.

Hence, Aprilynne Pike should be proud. This is one of the best finales in any series I've read, and I never expected it to take this sort of turn. I basically loved everything about it: The plot, the setting, the characters... It all became more complex with an enemy more sinister than I imagined, but everything I liked about the other books was there, too. The combination was perfect.

I'm sad it's over. I actally feel a little naseous thinking about it, but I know I'll reread these books someday, though it'll be hard to keep the bittersweet ending out of my head, making me sad.

Staying away from Avalon for too long probably won't be possible.

5/5 Stars

Circle of Fire | by: Michelle Zink

Lia is anticipating the prophecy to be over, but there's still a lot to do before that can happen. She and her allies need to find the rest of the keys, find the stone, and try to avoid her twin sister Alice's appearance. But the biggest threat of all? The presence of the Souls that haunt Lia in her sleep is becoming more and more profound. If they continue to torment her, Lia fears she may not make it to end the prophecy once and for all despite the support of her friends.

I absolutely loved Michelle Zink's Prophecy of the Sisters and Guardian of the Gate, and I expected to adore this final book in Zink's trilogy just as much. I was so confident that this awesome story wouldn't let me down, especially when I liked this sequel about as much as the first. In fact, I was a bit sad upon cracking this book open, because then one of my favorite YA series was that much closer to being over.

But unfortunately, even though Circle of Fire had some positives going for it, I found it disappointing compared to the previous books. And strangely enough, some of the characters and elements I used to like about this trilogy seemed to be at the heart of any irritation I experienced while reading.

First of all, Lia. In my reviews of Prophecy of the Sisters and Guardian of the Gate, I mentioned how I liked her well enough, but I couldn't stand her this time around. She whined nonstop (though considering her situation, one can't be realistic to get too mad) and her situation with all of her friends just felt really awkward, primarily because I didn't know who I agreed with. I understood why Lia felt like she couldn't trust anyone, but I also understood why Luisa and Sonia were mad at her for not trusting them. So, I just got annoyed with everyone, which is often what I tend to do with real-life drama.

But then Dimitri... I also liked him before, and really, there's nothing wrong with him now. It just irked me that his relationship with Lia got magnified more than the rather large problems at hand. It all felt a bit cheesy and really threw the whole book off. Besides, I never signed up for romance when I picked this up; I signed up for the creepy elements concerning Lia and her sister, I signed up for a solid finale that didn't involve her thinking of her boyfriend in ways no girl in the 19th century would have. I know that Lia's previous visit to Altus gave her a different view on what society could be like, but I highly doubt that two weeks there would change any typical New England girl's concept of what is appropriate.

Similarly, the writing in this book sometimes felt melodramatic with its choppy sentences and repetative phrases. This surprised me; I loved Zink's writing in the past two books. Did her style change from Guardian of the Gate to Circle of Fire, or did my preference just change? Honestly... I think it just depends on what she's writing about. When Zink would write about how tired everyone is from the prophecy, I just rolled my eyes. Her generally dark writing style seemed to make everyone's exhaustion seem too dramatic, but by the time we get to the climax, falling action, and resolution, it's just as great as I remembered it to be. I even teared up a little during the last ten pages.

Hence, from the climax until the end of the book, I was satisfied. Even though it wasn't necessarily predictable, this series ended the only way it could have. The old elements of Prophecy of the Sisters seemed to come back then, particularly that of sisterhood. Alice and Lia's unusual relationship was the center of my attention in that first book, and then again at the end of the final book. But this time, it came back full circle. So essentially, the ending saved this book, along with the creepy setting when looking for the stone earlier.

This is why my emotions towards this book are a bit conflicting. I have the cool ending fresh in my head, and that deters me from making a general statement about the whole book when I wasn't exactly happy with parts of it. But it's not as if I didn't like it, either. I just wanted to like it as much or more than the other books in this trilogy, and unfortunately, it didn't quite happen.

However, I still encourage people to try out this trilogy, because it's great overall. And though this final book was exactly what I was hoping for, it wasn't written without positives.

3.5/5 Stars

Forever | by: Maggie Stiefvater

Maggie Stiefvater's Wolves of Mercy Falls trilogy has been an interesting ride for me, as each book seems to give me a completely different opinion from the others. I wasn't quite sure what to expect of Forever, but I prepared for the worst.

Well, I prepared wrongly.

Sam and Grace's relationship has become utterly complicated. The tables have turned as everything they've been fighting for is at greater risk than ever. Now, they have to worry about even more than their relationship and life together being possible. They also have to worry about the entire pack staying alive in this great climax of their story, which brings an entirely new intensity to the Wolves of Mercy Falls trilogy.

That's right, I said intensity. If you read my reviews of the previous books in this series, Shiver and Linger, you'd know that I've had issues with the corny/gushy feel of the characters in these books. In Forever, this isn't really a problem. Sure, it's still a bit gushy to begin with, but I think all the good of this book outweighs any corny moment there might have been.

Once again, Cole and Isabel narrate as well as Sam and Grace. But, a fifth narrator has a small chapter. The first chapter. And I'm not going to say who it is, but I will say that this first impression left me rolling my eyes. I said to myself, "Well, I know where this is going." But I didn't. I was expecting the corniest, but I didn't need to. Thank goodness.

Anyway, I still loved the multiple narrations. In other words, I still loved Cole and Isabel's story. Each character had his/her own voice, and Cole's made me giggle at times. For whatever reason, I just enjoyed his idiosyncrasies. Isabel, on the other hand, made me feel incredibly sympathetic. After all this time, these past events have really taken a toll on her. She's still uniquely Isabel, and that's why it hurt to see her hurt.

I must say that I enjoyed reading about Sam and Grace much more in this book since everything became so serious all of a sudden. The sweetness of their relationship is still there, but their struggles have increased, giving them more to worry about. Plus, Grace's friendship with Rachel really shined, which I didn't expect (especially now, of all times, amid all the chaos in the world of wolves). It made me happy to see this.

While reading Forever, Sam was the turning point. There was a part in this book where I immediately knew I would like it much more than the past two of this trilogy. A flashback of a grieving boy and Beck. I've mentioned in the other reviews that part of the reason I'm so drawn to Sam is because of his awful past. Who wouldn't feel terrible for the guy? And people seem to define him by that constantly. With Sam, there's always thoughts of Beck, and even their father-son relationship is tested in this novel, which really grabbed me emotionally.

Even so, what stood out the most about Forever was the climax. Seriously, this is one of the best climaxes I've read about in a long time. The action jumped off the page, and the grief jumped into my heart. A couple of twists made my jaw drop as I read. Really, readers will have a sense of what the characters will have to do to reach some sort of resolution, but I know I never imagined it would turn out like this.

So, Forever surprised me. It was SO much better than the other two books in the series, and I was completely shocked by how much I liked it, even how much I liked the ending. There's still room for imagination, which some readers may despise, but I have hope in my heart for all of these characters because of it.

To be entirely honest, I always thought this trilogy was overrated. With an ending novel like this... I reconsider. I can forgive what I didn't like in Linger, because this was so worth the read.

4.5/5 Stars


Stiefvater, Maggie. Forever
New York: Scholastic Press
2011

Linger | by: Maggie Stiefvater

Linger is the second book in the Wolves of Mercy Falls Trilogy, and it is the continuation of Grace and Sam's story, with two more perspectives.

Just as they thought that everything was fine, that their love story finally came to its happy resolution, new problems are on the horizon. Sam must deal with a choice Beck has made, a choice that brought a new character: Cole. Cole is one of four narrators readers will come across in this novel as Sam and Grace's story intertwines with the lives of Isabel and Cole, who are connected by their own personal struggles. In addition, they add to Grace and Sam's plot just as much. But together, Grace and Sam are going to have to face an untimely reality that may separate them; for something unavoidable isn't quite right.

When I first started reading Linger, I had rather low expectations. With the introduction to a new male character, I expected him to be a contender for Grace's love since this happens with many second books in paranormal romance series', but thank goodness, I was wrong. Cole, a new character in the Wolves of Mercy Falls Trilogy, really boosted my opinion for this book. I really enjoyed reading his narrations as well as Isabel's narrations, and their complex relationship kept me interested more than Sam and Grace's story. In some odd way, it was refreshing to read about two very imperfect people.

With that being said, the main plot with Sam and Grace is very, very predictable. The general plot in captivating in some ways, but the author gives so many hints but takes so long to get to the point. I knew what was going to happen in the end, the only thing that was a little surprising was the manner in which it happened. Although I was correct in my predictions, the climax was still quite effective since it was so full of action (which was something I did not predict).

Part of the reason why I may have preferred hearing from Cole and Isabel is that I really don't care much for Grace. I cannot relate to her whatsoever when it comes to much of anything. Plus, I got a bit frustrated with her towards the end. Though I understand that she's angry that her parents (who do an awful job of parenting) suddenly forced themselves into her life after years of absence, she went about her anger in a rather... less smart way. Seriously: You get in trouble once for something that every parent on the planet would get angry about. You can at least pretend to follow through with the punishment. Really, it's no wonder they punished her over and over again - she's not very sneaky! Sure, this might be the closest we get to real life, but it's very irritating as a reader.

More than anything, this book was a bit too gushy at times. I know I mentioned this in my review of the first novel of this trilogy, Shiver, but it got worse. Grace nearly drove me insane with her constant whining: "Boohoo I miss Sam; I haven't seen him in two whole days!" But, the generally corny vibe didn't just affect her, it also affected Sam. He's no different. (However, I guess I like Sam, but maybe I just pity him because of his past...) Even the writing was affected by this element. Is Maggie Stiefvater a good writer? I think so, but the gushiness really took away from it. I think the writing would have done much better in a different setting.

I'm realizing that Cole and Isabel's story lacked all of the things I just complained about. Even so, the climax of the book does seem to pay off any problem I had with Sam and Grace since the engrossing elements of their story is highlighted. The way that both stories have merged make it special; Maggie Stiefvater knew what she was doing.

In truth, this wasn't a bad sequal, but it wasn't the best. It was on the fence. Readers will be hung over a cliffhanger and likely want to see what happens next, just as I do. After reading this book, my expectations for the third book, Forever, aren't really expectations at all since Linger was a a bit in-between. Forever could be as in-between as this installment, as good as Shiver, absolutely beautiful, or absolutely terrible for all I know. I can't tell at this point. All the more reason for me to go ahead and read the next book.

Linger will somewhat satisfy those who read the first novel in this trilogy with its new character and the entertainment it brings. Though it was predictable and far from a perfect novel, it's entertaining enough nontheless.

3/5 Stars


Stiefvater, Maggie. Linger
New York: Scholastic Press
2010

Shiver | by: Maggie Stiefvater

Grace has been observing the wolves in her very backyard for the longest time in fascination, even after a dangerous encounter years ago. Her friends may not understand her obsession with them, but they don't realize her connection with one wolf in particular, one who comes each winter. Written in dual-narration, that very wolf has observed Grace as well over the years. In a moment of terror for both Grace and her wolf, she discovers that he is more than just a wolf. He's also Sam. And their time together as the same species is limited.

It's absolutely pathetic that I've just now read Shiver despite I've wanted to read it since it first came out and just about everyone else in the world has read it in the downtime. Thank goodness I finally got around to picking it up after nearly three years!

Shiver moves right into the plot quickly, almost too quickly. There's always a huge, predictable, and not to mention boring section in paranormal romance novels where the main character sits around denying whatever paranormal idea she has come across. This section doesn't exist in Shiver. Although it caught me off guard, I was happy that the story didn't flow in that way. The beginning was extremely captivating, quite frankly.

From the start of the story, I felt bad for Grace. Her parents are so uncaring and ridiculous, and her friends reminded me why all of my friends are guys. Since I knew where the story was going to go (in general), hearing about 'her wolf' felt a little weird to me in the beginning, kind of like bestiality. However, I don't feel like this vibe was from the what was written, I think it was just my mind anticipating the love interest a little too early, making it seem weird to me.

Shiver may be the sweetest story of its genre, and part of that is because of Sam. He's so incredibly likable and his back story made me feel awful for him. Honestly, I don't think I've ever seen so much tragedy within a love interest of this genre. Without him, I wouldn't have liked this book as much since Grace didn't do much for me as a character. I couldn't relate to her much at all, so I usually liked Sam's chapters better. Besides, dual narrations are always a positive thing! But, with sweetness comes cuteness, and cuteness in novels tend to bring corniness. As I've mentioned in multiple other reviews, I don't have much tolerance for corny elements in novels. This one brought a bit of eye-rolling, but not too much. I still enjoyed the book and found that the other darker, more serious elements seemed to weigh it out.

The ending really struck a chord with me. I must say, I got a little bit teary-eyed. Everything felt so sweet and sad all at once, even though I sort of anticipated it since Sam and Grace's situation is so bittersweet to begin with. Plus, the writing really affected the way emotions were carried out, and it was done very well throughout, even though I was a little surprised that the ending triggered my emotions the way it did.

Shiver ended up being enjoyable the whole way through, with its light and dark moments in the midst of a sweetly-crafted plot. I'm a bit intrigued by this story and am curious to see how it continues.

4/5 Stars

Stiefvater, Maggie. Shiver
New York: Scholastic Press
2009

Silence | by: Becca Fitzpatrick

Silence is the newest installment in Becca Fitzpatrick's Hush, Hush Saga, an addictive, action-packed series that I just can't seem to stay away from. I warn that the summary (the following paragraph) may contain spoilers if you haven't read the first two books in the series, Hush, Hush and Crescendo.

Nora Grey has been missing for multiple weeks, but now she has returned to the life she left behind. However, she can't remember anything about what has happened during her time away from home, nor can she remember anything from the couple of months before her disappearance. She struggles to find the truth of all she's forgotton as well as return to her normal, ordinary life. But she's coming to find that what she can't remember of her life was anything but ordinary, and that her captor is closer to home than she ever anticipated. With plenty of deja vu and discoveries, Nora finds that some memories may not have been so bad...

There is something special about this series. Maybe it's the mystery. Maybe it's the way that the paranormal suspense makes me feel like I'm watching a movie.Maybe it's that the action makes me never want to put it down. Or, maybe it's just Patch. Either way, this series exceeds the cliche standard of paranormal romance, and Silence merely emphasized this point.
Like the other books in this series, Silence begins with action right away, catching my interest. But then, lo and behold, my eye-rolling began. Nora. Lost. Her. Memory? I figured right off the bat that this would lay out a long, irritating road of Nora being clueless while I'd be understanding everything that happens, making me want to scream at her everything she needs to know. But, I was pleasantly surprised that this didn't really happen. This element wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be, and Becca Fitzpatrick actually made it work in a way that didn't tick me off. The plot moves along pretty quickly, actually.

Silence is also like the previous books in the series in the sense that it's creepy and full of mystery, but now the story has taken a darker turn. Everything seemed to get a little more serious, dangerous, and perilous now that we know more about the Black Hand and his intentions. This book seemed to have the most action and suspense of the series because of it, helping make it possibly my favorite of the series. Honestly, I don't really have any complaints about this book in terms of plot. Nor do I have complaints about the writing. Becca Fitzpatrick may not be my favorite writer or anything close to that, but the writing was efficient. Nothing wonderful, but nothing great, like with the other books.

As I probably mentioned in my reviews of the first two books, there never seems to be enough Patch. This doesn't bother me very much in other paranormal romance novels because I usually don't like the main guy THIS much. However, I'm so happy that there was actually a sufficient amount of Patch in this novel! But, we do get more from antagonists. Even though this makes the action skyrocket, the primary antagonist of this novel really got under my skin. You know, the stuff an antagonist is supposed to do.

After the scariest cliff-hanger in the world at the end of Crescendo, I was afraid that Silence would do the same. Although it's easy to tell that there's still more to Patch and Nora's story, readers should be satisfied with the degree of closure given.

Silence proved to be an amazing installment in this awesome series. Despite that it's probably quintessential paranormal romance, this book (and the rest of the series) is darker and quite mysterious. It has suspense in its quickly-paced plot, and I love it.

4/5 Stars


Fitzpatrick, Becca. Silence
New York: Simon & Schuster
2011

Illusions | by: Aprilynne Pike

Aprilynne Pike's latest release, Illusions (note that the UK title is Wild), is the third book in her wonderful series of friendship, love, and faeries.

Laurel has gone through quite a bit in the past couple of years, for she has learned that she is a faerie and that trolls are a threat to her life. But, luckily, no trolls seem to be lurking or causing any trouble lately. So when Tamani returns to the human world, saying that the trolls have not been absent as she has believed, it is a surprise that sends Laurel's world upside-down. Not only because of the peril the trolls will bring, but because Tamani's return reignites the love triangle between him, Laurel, and Laurel's human boyfriend named David.

Plus, there's a surprise you never saw coming.

Illusions is a great installment in this series! Aprilynne Pike did not let me down! I adored both of the previous books in the series, Wings and Spells just as I adored this one, but Illusions definately has the most unexpected twists and turns. Also, it was nice to have the third-person narration set on Tamani as well as Laurel.

At this point, I'm positively sure of which side I'm on as far as the love triangle, and it really gets heated in Illusions. Things are starting to get a little out of hand between Tamani and David, and Laurel's mixed feelings will leave readers frustrated. Tamani seems to stop at nothing to have her, and of course David has a problem with it. But David really irritated me when he got so out of line.

The love theme is strong in this novel, stronger than in the previous books of this series. However, that does not mean that there wasn't any room for action. It may not have been quite as suspensful, but definately the most mysterious of the three books in the series. This is my favorite element of the book. We are introduced to a new character, Yuki, and much of the book is about figuring her out as well as understanding how the trolls seem to get by, leaving little trace. All of this probably sounds like chaos, and it kind of is. Laurel has a lot to worry about and readers will have plenty of entertainment in front of them.

Although the chaos in Laurel's life doesn't feel quite so chaotic, because Aprilynne Pike is a writer that knows what she's doing. The only time I've ever had to re-read anything in this book is because of something in the plot that surprised me. That being said, Aprilynne keeps everything crystal clear and flowing quite nicely.

Of course... Aprilynne left us with a cliffhanger... A cliffhanger that's basically a couple sentences after the intense climax. I feel as though more and more authors are doing that these days. I wonder if they enjoy our suffering, waiting for their next book to be published like the overly eager fans many of us are. We get some general idea of what's going on, what's behind the mysteries, but not the specifics. There's still so much to know about the trolls, Klea, and Yuki.

I loved Illusions. It's magical, it's romantic, and it's interesting. I just wish the final book was waiting for me on my shelf...

4/5 Stars


Pike, Aprilynne. Illusions
New York: Harper Teen
2011

Torment | by: Lauren Kate

Torment is the second installment in Lauren Kate's Fallen series, and I must say, it took me way too long to finally go buy this book.

Luce's boyfriend, Daniel, is a fallen angel, so things are never simple. Just as she left Sword and Cross, a jail-like reform school, she must go to Shoreline (a school where she's the only one who's fully human) until she's safe from the Outcasts. Of course she's saddened that she cannot be with Daniel yet after she's finally found him in this lifetime, but he's not telling her everything about thier past, nor their future. While at Shoreline, Luce makes a few friends as she tries to find out what she can, between learning about their past lives together as well as the shadows she's been seeing her whole life.

I really enjoyed the first novel in the series, Fallen, and Torment is just as good! (And I'm not just referring to their gorgeous covers!) All of the characters really hold their own throughout the novel, for Lauren Kate distinguished them quite well. Any time I laughed during this rather dark book was because of a character's interesting idiosycrasies. So as far as character development goes, it's one of the strengths of Torment, and Lauren Kate's writing is still as appealing as ever.

However, when I first began reading this book, my expectations were on the lower side. Not only because sequals have a tendancy to disappoint, but because of the lack of information which lasted throughout all of Fallen and the very beginning of Torment. Luce was pretty much clueless, and so was I. But, that's one of the great things about this novel. In the end, we find out so much about the shadows she's seen and the gravity of the situation, which is also easier to understand. We still don't know everything at the end of the book, but I know I feel much better in that department.

Luce, the main character, became much more three dimensional to me. She questioned her relationship with Daniel as well as her relationship with her new friend, Miles. I didn't agree with her right off the bat because I trusted Daniel as a character, but it wasn't long until I understood her reasonable (yet conflicting) perspective. I remained as unsure as she was; she realized that Daniel didn't tell her everything and that she may just be going through motions. Still, once in a while the romance of this novel felt corny, mainly because of Daniel's gushy dialogue, which surprised me since he was such a jerk in the last book. But, this didn't last, and I only felt this way a few other times while reading.

There's more action in Torment than in Fallen, and this definately made me happy since it's one of the best elements of the series in general. Fights between the angels, demons, and Outcasts were so epic and unique to me, and I commend Lauren Kate for that. Angels have always captivated me, and I find Nephilim, demons, and Outcasts to be quite interesting subjects, so it's natural that I love hearing about them in this novel.

Fans of the first will not be disappointed. Torment will entertain readers with its dark romantic theme and leave everyone wanting more after its remarkable cliff-hanger of an ending.

4/5 Stars


Kate, Lauren. Torment
New York: Delacorte Press
2010

Crescendo | by: Becca Fitzpatrick

I just finished up with Becca Fitzpatrick's Hush, Hush and couldn't wait for to read the sequal, Crescendo!

Nora may have momentarily believed that her life is absolutely great, but things are falling apart just as quickly. Something's going on with her boyfriend, Patch, who happens to be an angel. He's so distant, and he's hanging around Marcie Millar, who's been an enemy of Nora's ever since elementary school.

But, Nora's curiosity doesn't stop there. She's attempting to uncover the secrets she believes a family friend is desperate to keep quiet, for one thing. On top of that, there's another mystery eating at her, one that could be the most important of all, though it's a newly-emerged concept: Did Nephilims kill her father? What about fallen angels? Did they take any part in her father's death? Nora does everything she can think of to get her answers, no matter how dangerous. She needs to know what happened to her father. She needs to know if she'd been betrayed.

From past experience, I've learned not to expect too much from sequals, since sometimes the books in a series can go completely downhill. Crescendo isn't the case. It's darker than Hush, Hush, and the mystery itself crescendos throughout. Twists and turns come out of nowhere! I had so many theories building, but in the end, they all crumbled, because this book is definately not predictable.

However, in the beginning, I wasn't so sure how I'd feel about it. I kept getting nervous throughout the first half, and that's mainly because Nora was starting to scare me. In Hush, Hush, I could always see myself in her, mainly in her dialogue. But this wasn't happening at first. She got under my skin, because she kept acting irrationally. Whenever she was waiting for Patch to call her, I could practically scream "CALL HIM!" as I read. I couldn't understand why she was so mad at him anyway, when I felt she started it, and that she should stop treating it like a normal relationship. Honey, he's an angel... this relationship will never be typical. But then Patch started irritating me as well. It broke my heart each time Nora saw him around Marcie. Eventually, I didn't know who to side with or what to expect. Patch and Nora's relationship put me in a whirlwind of anxiety.

In addition to the romance portion (which I babbled on about too much to do the bulk of the book justice, if you ask me), Becca Fitzpatrick has created a plotline that's entertaining at all times. I flew through this novel at great speeds, because she paced the story so perfectly and made it interesting to read throughout each page (a lesson some YA authors need to learn). Like I said before, this is a mystery that'll keep you tied in. The writing seems even better than what was in Hush, Hush, but maybe that's just me. Characters never lost their depth and everything felt real (much like in Hush, Hush).

But what I really loved about his novel is the sense of paranormal illusion. I've never read a book that could get that sort of thing right, but movies are always spot on, since you usually need a visual to be confused as to what's real and what's not. Becca Fitzpatrick writes the correct way, enabling her to do this. She shows us the illusion.

Of course, Becca *had* to end the book with a huge cliffhanger that might make me go crazy. I'm going to have to pick up the third book right on the release date in my anticipation of what happens next! I cannot wait!

Crescendo is the farthest thing from a disappointing sequal, being even creepier and better than Hush, Hush.

4.5/5 Stars

Hush, Hush | by: Becca Fitzpatrick

As soon as Nora meets the mysterious new student, Patch, her whole life seems to shake and spin out of control. Strange, unexplainable things are happening left and right beginning on the first day that they meet at her high school. Of course, that could all be a coincidence. But there is at least one thing she can be absolutely positive of: She is very drawn to Patch, even though she believes he's a threat she should stay away from. Even though she's sure that his past is filled with dark secrets.

Books about angels tend to make me happy, espcially when the author knows what he/she is talking about when referencing older stories (or facts, if you believe in them). However, I've had a bit of an adventure with this novel.

The first time I read Hush, Hush was almost exactly a year ago, and I liked it. Well, sorta. It seemed to be an okay book, but I wasn't exactly a fan. If I'd been blogging at the time, I would have given it a 3.5/5 star rating.

I just finished reading it for the second time, so I'd has everything fresh in my mind for Crescendo, the sequal. And let me tell you that my opinion has changed.

I couldn't put this book down. The story intrigued me, AND it was completely entertaining, and moved at a nearly perfect pace. Funny thing... when I first read this, I thought it went too slowly and that nothing happened. (I think I was stressed out when I first read it, so my opinion wasn't reasonable.) I found it completely interesting, and kinda beautiful in some way. There were even bits of humor in there that made me smile.

Another big surprise for me is that I really did not like Becca's writing the first time around for whatever reason, but this time, I found a very small amount of problems with it. In fact, I liked it. Her writing is effective, and she gets to the point. She created a number of strange events that could seem randomized if she didn't do it right, but she did. All in all, it's not bad writing, but it's not the most amazing writing I've ever seen.

One of the reasons why I loved Hush, Hush so much is I relate to Nora. Most of the time, the things she'd say to people, whether reasoning with Vee, attempting to reason with herself, or trying to act smart toward Patch, sound like exactly like what I'd say. She's constantly finding herself pulled Patch, but she fights herself all the time, trying to get that idea out of her head, and replacing it with one that screams "STAY AWAY FROM THAT CREEP." This sounds like me. I fight my emotions a lot. And yet, this very thing is what irritated me most about Nora - she was so slow to like and trust Patch.

Speaking of Patch... I'm just gonna come right out and say it... He's sexy, okay? In all of his mysterious-ness and bad boy-ness. I think he's my favorite out of all the hot guys I've read about in books, in his personality and appearance. In fact, this also sort of brings a downside, since because I love him so much, I want him to be in the book with Nora more! Usually she's avoiding him or sneaking around trying to find info about him, and I can't stand it! I want more Patch! And I want my questions about him answered. (What is his real name? Where has he been all these years? When did he fall? Is he going to live forever while Nora has to die eventually, or how does this situation work?)

I'm having issues with getting this book out of my mind. Every half hour, it pops into my mind. I don't really understand how my opinion completely changed after one year and a reread. All of a sudden, I'm just in love with the story and the characters (espcially Patch). It has this creepy and dark edge to it, where you're not so sure what's happening because nothing makes sense. If you ask me, Becca's running it more like a movie than a book. Either way, the story in general makes me so nervous for the characters and anxious for what will happen next! I just crave and crave for more!

Seriously, I'm worried about reading Crescendo. Not because I don't think it'll be good (I'm sure it will be), but because if I have such a I-can't-stop-reading-because-I'm-too-scared-to-stop rush during a reread of this one, I can't imagine the stress Crescendo could possibly bring. I'm so excited to read it, though!

Hush, Hush is an eerie and addictive read, and it gives readers some healthy doses of mystery, romance, angels, and events filled with paranormality.

4.5/5 Stars

Dark Flame | by: Alyson Noel

Reading The Immortals series has been a bumpy ride for me, and resulted in my choice to not purchase Dark Flame and just get it from the library even though I already owned the first three books.

Ever has a lot on her plate in Dark Flame, mainly because in the last two books she basically messed everything up. Damen is still in need of the antidote, and and Jude is still there, waiting patiently. But now, there's yet another thing to worry about. She's falling for her antagonist, her arch enemy that's destroying everything: Roman.

I'm not really sure how I'm going to do this, since I've never had so many negative things to say about a book I chose for myself to read. Please bear with me.


My schedule has been busy with school and show choir, and other typical things that keep me from reading. These reasons are not the only reasons why it took me so long to read this book. Three words: Lack of entertainment.

I'm giving you a warning: I don't have many positive things to say about this book. This review is extremely bleak and complainative. There will be some positive things written toward the end (but probably not the VERY end).

The other books in this series were quite predicatable with constant reiminders of Twilight in the plot. One good thing Dark Flame has going for itself is that this time it strayed from being predictable in that way. The only time I ever felt similarities between the two book series is when Ever describes Jude in comparison to Damen (it was virtually the same way Bella describes Bella in comparison to Edward, but not as deep).

Ever was a big problem for me. It's never a good thing when the main character (who is also the narrator) is annoying or cannot be taken seriously. She drives me crazy! All she does is mess up and whine about it! Nothing gets accomplished, because of her stubborness, resilience, and lack of common sense. (I can't think of an example without adding a spoiler, so I refuse.) For the first half of the book, I thought I was going to puke out of the corniness and annoyingness of hearing about how incredibly hot Damen is. I'm not sure if I would have finished the book if she didn't stop; it irritated me.

The writing style was... was... very drama queen-ish. I think Alyson Noel tried to be dramatic in a more theatrical way... but it just didn't work. Sentences often had the same patten which had one tiny sentence have a past tense verb, and then the next sentence starts with the same past tense verb. It always went something like this: "I walk. Walk until I've no idea how far I've gone" (page 151.) There's nothing wrong with this. But when you hear this sort of thing fifty times in one novel, it becomes quite annoying. (I know, I use the words 'annoying' and 'irritating' way too much in this review.)

In addition, the seven-paragraphs-in-a-row-that-contain-one-sentence-each-about-the-same-subject-in-order-to-be-melodramatic thing got under my skin after the fifth time. Why not make it one paragraph? And I also had a difficult time feeling Ever's attraction/obsession with Roman. It felt more like she was just saying random statements like 'It's eight in the morning' rather than having an emotional issue until I was three quarters in.

Something sort of positive about meaning:
The best part of this book, however, is the general theme. More people should believe in it, because it holds such truth: Love your enemy, and be positive. We get ourselves nowhere, otherwise. I'm not going to say anymore, because it'll give it away. No matter how good or bad a book can be, I refuse to give spoilers.

Other than this bit -which is very powerful to me - I didn't care much for the general theme. (I've actually found this love theme to be a bit corny.)

Dark Flame is basically the worst of the series, and I'm so thankful I didn't purchase it with my own money. There are two more books left, and I'm honestly not sure if I even want to read them. I don't know if I care enough or not at this point. I give every series a full chance to have at least one good book, but this is too much. I'll probably continue (knowing me). I just hope it won't be a complete waste of my time.

I don't know how this series went so far downhill when Evermore was such a beautiful debut.

At least I can say it holds more meaning than Blue Moon and Shadowland.


1.5/5 stars



Noel, Alyson. Dark Flame
New York: St. Martin's Press
2010

Fallen | by: Lauren Kate

Fallen is the first book in its series, about Luce, a girl sent to reform school after a terrible accident she barely remembers. She makes friends as well as enemies in the strange school, and even has a couple of love interests - which brings the subject of Daniel. He makes it absolutely clear that he isn't interested in her, but she can't stop being interested in him. She's drawn to him in a way that almost feels natural to Luce, though it makes no sense. There's just something about him that is unlike any other being, but is that part only Luce's imagination?

I was really into this book from the start. For one thing, the setting of this book is quite different than I imagined. Creepy, restricted reform schools just aren't the cliche place to be these days. But, it definately lives up to the beautifully dark cover art. (In fact, this may be the best book cover I've ever seen!)

Despite it had some originality to it, I was worried of being able to predict the plot. After all, most of these YA books have been pretty predictable to some degree. A lot of my predictions were true, but the ending was shocking. I truly hope Laren Kate can keep it up in Torment. Not much was explained in Fallen, so I hope that Torment will bring more information about the angels, and Luce's past.

Lauren Kate's writing is very good, and she has crafted quite a page turner. It took a while for things to really get going in this book, but for some odd reason, I still had trouble putting it down. Lauren Kate made me curious about what would happen next, even if not much was happening. The great books always make me do somthing crazy, like stay up extra hours reading, dreaming about the book, telling characters what to do, ect. Fallen would make me read and read and read against my own will. I'd sit there and feel like I've only read for ten minutes and look at the clock, when it's been thirty minutes. I even dreamt about this book. I dreamt of Daniel, and I dreamt of feeling silky wings.

Despite being a bit predictable and kind of slow, I really, really liked this book.

4/5 stars

Blood and Chocolate by: Annette Curtis Klause

Vivian just lost nearly everything in a fire. Now in the suburbs of Maryland, she struggles to fit in with outsiders and longs for friends, since her family seems to be falling apart. Then she finds Aiden, a guy especially interested in the unknown. Since they're in love and he longs for the paranormal to be true, she believes she can trust him in knowing the truth about what she really is. She believes he'd understand and still love her despite she comes from a family, a pack of werewolves, loup-garoux, to be specific.

But to tell a human is to betray her family. And Vivian is sure that Gabriel, the one who could be the pack's new leader, would not stand for it and make her live up to what she's done - despite his constant interest in her.

Choosing between werewolves and humans can equate to choosing between blood and chocolate.

Annette Curtis Klause's writing is still a form of magic in Blood and Chocolate. But, this book itself does not live up to her first novel, The Silver Kiss. To be honest, sometimes this book could be too hormonally charged for me to handle. It seemed all the main charecter, Vivian, thought of was sex. This could be quite irritating. At first, I also found annoyance in Vivian's egotistical personality, but later I could see that that was her strength. Her empowerment. She contains the confidence we all long to have.

In the end, even though her hormones are a little out of control, Vivian is nothing but caring to everyone. She tries to do what's best for everybody and doesn't pick sides, making her a memorable heroine.

There are some things about this book that I don't like, trust me. But with Annette's more than impressive writing style and an ending with such meaning, it's worth it. All in all, I really liked this book. It was empowering and showed what it means to be true to what you are, and to love people for the good and the bad.

4/5 stars

Spells by: Aprilynne Pike

After falling in love with Aprilynne Pike's Wings, I was very excited for Spells. I had high expectations, and Spells lived up to them, for the most part, but I don't think I felt as happy with it as I felt with Wings.

Laurel is being split in two as she tries to live in both the human world and in Avalon (the faerie realm). She doesn't want to choose between the two, especially if choosing one world over the other means choosing her human boyfriend, David, or Tamani - the faerie that has loved her ever since the beginning. But she can't remember her past with Tamani. In her mind, she's only known him for a short while, and has barely spent enough time with him to love him. Still, she feels attracted to him, but she loves David so much. And the human world.

I was really into this little love triangle in the making, and I even got frustrated because I was not as confused about it as Laurel. She did not know what to do about this problem, but my mind kept screaming: "Tamani!" Which brings me to another issue I had with: Laurel doesn't treat poor Tamani very well. Unlike in Wings, I found myself angry at Laurel during this novel, yet I can connect with her problems.

There is also much danger for Laurel to worry about as well. The trolls are always waiting to make their next move, and they'll stop at nothing to get what they want. Even if it means hurting others to get to her. So she must learn about how to defend herself and do her duties as a fall faerie as quickly as she can in Avalon, and use what she knows in the human world.

If you read my review of Wings, then you know that I thought that book was so incredibly innocent. Since the focus of Spells has shifted to more of a romantic feel, most of the innocent mood is gone. But, some of it remains. In fact, I think this book had a nice blance between its sweetness and its romance.

I loved how there was always something happening in this book. There was no big long break for a climatic part, because in Laurel's life, chaos is sort of the norm and happens off and on due to the trolls. But, at the same time, the trolls were also a setback for me. I can't take them seriously with their deformation and strangeness. They seemed more than a little corny to me, but it's really nothing to fuss about because it was a great read!

Like Wings, Spells is very fascinating and interesting, filled with love of all sorts and action. I really enjoyed it, and cannot wait for the next one!

4/5 stars

Wings by: Aprilynne Pike

Wings is the debut book of Aprilynne Pike, and the first installment of its series that is to be four books long.

Laurel isn't a typical teenage girl, but she hardley realizes it. Sure, she eats fruit all the time, and doesn't care for candy bars. She also feels uncomfortable when she isn't around the sun, because she loves sunny weather. Are these idiosyncrasies or are they a sign of something... unnatural?

When she discovers petals growing out of her back, she and her friend, David, search for answers. But no one in this world as we know it would be able to explain this, because none of them know about the existence of faeries. Laurel and David are uncovering the truth about what Laurel is, the past she can't remember, and the dangers that await Laurel in result of what she is.

I loved this novel. Aprilynne Pike is truly a great writer; nothing written in this book bothered me, and we all know that I have pet peeves. At some points, I found it difficult to put down; I had to know what would happen next. The faerie realm that Aprilynne Pike created is very interesting and described as very pretty, full of the best parts of nature.

What stuck out above anything else about Wings is how sweetly innocent it is. The focus on love isn't as unmistakable as the focus on friendship. Laurel is scared of being in love with David, because she never wants to lose him as a friend. She wears sundresses and is around fruit and flowers, since after all, she is a faerie - the most innocent creatures I've heard of. When I finished this book, I wanted to eat a can of peaches while wearing a sundress.

4.5/5 stars

Burned by: P.C. Cast + Kristin Cast

Burned opens darkly written, and well written at that. A thick, haunting, epic mood is among the first chapter - a beautiful introduction. This entire novel is dark, but since this is the first impression, it is given more recognition.


As we House of Night readers know, Zoey's soul has shattered. Since she is practically the most powerful High Priestess, this is a problem. She needs to be alive within her body to fight evil and Darkness in the name of Nyx. Together, her friends do all that they can to try to bring her back before it is too late.


The Cast women followed the trend they started in the previous House of Night novel, entitled Tempted, which they write about many of the charecters in third person in addition to Zoey's first person narration. Since Zoey's first person takes minimum space, the main focuses are around Stark on his quest to bring her back from the Otherworld, and Stevie Rae.


Stevie Rae is hiding a secret, and she must lie to all in order to protect that secret. As a matter of fact, she will do all that she can. She is the kindest being of all of them, trying to convert someone that knew only Darkness to Light. But that isn't easy, especially being so stressed out about Zoey and boy issues.


Love can be found in the strangest of places.


If I could tell P.C. and Kristin one thing, it would be "Wow." Because Burned is the best House of Night novel yet! Everything about it was superb, magical (well, in this case, magickal), and even a little bit meaningful. It amazes me to see how this series has evolved from something so simple, to something so majorly complex. I must include, on a more personal note, that I love how Stevie Rae is put more toward the spotlight, since she is my favorite charecter. She and Rephaim (my second favorite charecter) literately stressed me out! I was so nervous that I went crazy! I was talking to the book, telling Stevie what to do, how to act, etc. as I rocked back in forth on my bed and snapped at anyone who interrupted me. No book has made me feel that way since Twilight.


Well done, P.C. and Kristin, and thank you for entertaining me. Burned is now my favorite out of all seven of the current House of Night novels. I cannot wait for Awakened!

This is the very first book from this series that I've given this rating:

5/5 stars

Beautiful Dead: Jonas | By: Eden Maguire

Darina's boyfriend, Pheonix, just died. He is the fourth student at her high school to die within the year, and his death is just as mysterious as the others. Of course, Darina is devastated. She lost the person she loved most, and although Pheonix is dead and buried, she begins to see him (alive). It doesn't take long for her to start to see her other classmates that have died that year as well.

Or is it all her imagination? After all, she is traumatized and depressed and her shrink says it's common for people to "see" the people they love that died. But Darina's case is different. She saw them all chanting something about the Beautiful Dead... and what was with the sound of wings beating, anyway?

Darina races against time to uncover the mysteries behind the deaths of the young people she knew that are now known as the Beautiful Dead - for their sakes and for the sake of holding onto Pheonix for as long as she can.

At first, Beautiful Dead: Jonas started out a little shaky for me. It fufills its purpose to entertain, and all of the meaning is held at a mild state. It is a tale about loss and what it means to truly love someone and lose them.

The imagery is great, except sometimes I'd have to read action filled paragraphs over again because it was not written in a particularly crystal-clear way. The charecters are defined well for the most part, but it is definately not the greatest story I have ever read. The storyline is not predictable, but it does not hold surprise either. It's kind of a bland book.

As I said, it started out shaky, but it kept getting better as I read through chapters. That is why it is so difficult for me to rate. I keep racking my brain, and I know for sure that it is somewhere around a 3, 3.5, or possibly a 4/5 stars.


The final verdict:

3.5/5 stars.

Shadowland by: Alyson Noel

I'm sorry it took so long for me to finish this one. I wanted to take my time since I did quite a bit of plowing and cramming through the last novel I read, Under the Dome, and at some points I just didn't feel like reading this.

My first impression of the third installment in this series went something like this: Wow. I like it so far. 4/5 stars as of now, better than Blue Moon, not as good as Evermore. But, around the middle I felt the general plot (again) reminded me way too much of Stephenie Meyer's, Twilight Saga. I loved the Twilight Saga, so at some points I felt like Alyson Noel was basically copy-cating Stephenie, except witches and Immortals and psychics replace vampires and werewolves. This made me angry not only for the obvious reason already listed, but the fact that it was so predictable.

The ending turned out to be much better; not as predictable. I just hate how the past two books in this series end at what seems like the wrong time. Shadowland ended much better than Blue Moon, but still...

Some good points to mention is how Alyson Noel writes. I can relate to how she describes how the leading charecter, Ever, is feeling from Alyson's writing. Books are always better when you feel what the charecter feels, much like here in Shadowland.

A quick pet peeve of mine: The back of this book is misleading.

Unfortunately, however, Alyson Noel has pretty much lost the game. From now on, I will no longer be purchasing any more books in this series. There seems to be a bit too many cons for me in this series, yet it can be so entertaining at the same time. I never wanted to come to this. However, I will borrow Dark Flame from the library, and I haven't decided what to do with Radiance, and if I like it (or them) I will purchase it/them later on.

This series is good, but not something to spend money on, except Evermore. (Oh, how I love that book!) But, with more books of The Immortals series to come, that can all change.

Shadowland - 3.5/5 stars

Evermore and Blue Moon by: Alyson Noel

Last night I just started reading Shadowland, the third installment in The Immortals book series by Alyson Noel. I'll be done with it sometime soon and leave a review here, but I figured it would be best to quickly review the first two books in this series, Evermore and Blue Moon.

I read Evermore a little less than a year ago. My first impression (based upon the way the main young man of the series, Damen, acts) was that it was too much like Stephenie Meyer's Twilight. I loved Twilight, and I feared that this was going to be a bad copy-cat. That opinion didn't last long. Evermore turned out to be a great novel in more ways than one. The romance element wasn't the only element of the story, but more touching things as well. For example, Ever's dead sister, Riley (whom she can still see in the form of a ghost/spirit) and their relationship and things they had to deal with almost left me in tears. The tragedies included into this story make you feel for Ever and everything that happens to her. 5/5 stars for this series starter.

Since I was so pleased with Evermore, I was more than excited to read Blue Moon. However, I found Blue Moon to be a disappointment. Sure, the main idea was great, but I couldn't take Ever seriously this time. I felt like the whole book was wrapped around Ever sitting around and complaining about her problems. I am aware that this makes the book more realistic to some degree, but... I don't know. I just didn't like this one as much for that reason. The ending still managed to leave me wanting more, but that's mainly because of its sudden and abrupt ending. I give Blue Moon a 3.5/5 stars as a rating.

If Shadowland fails (to my opinion), I may give up on this series, but I really don't want to. I'm not in it too deep yet, but I enjoy it thus far. I'll leave a review here soon.