Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Month in Review: May 2011

May was a slow month for me. A lot of school stuff was happening so I didn't get a lot of reading done. I finished all of my AP exams and am now in the midst of taking my finals. But throughout this crazy and hectic month I managed to read eight books. Not very good for em, but better than it could have been. Among those eight four were debuts. 


I reviewed 13 books in May and also introduced a new feature to the blog, Cover War. Below are the books I read this month. 

  1. Split by Swati Avasthi 
  2. Moonglass by Jessi Kirby 
  3. Then I Met My Sister by Christine Hurley Deriso 
  4. Invincible Summer by Hannah Moskowitz
  5. Virtuosity by Jessica Martinez 
  6. What Happened to Goodbye by Sarah Dessen 
  7. Divergent by Veronica Roth
  8. Mercy by Rebecca Lim 
I hope everyone had a good month. Let summer begin and bring with it some good reading!

Cover War: Starcrossed

Cover War is something I decided to start doing after seeing different covers for the same book. I realized that I liked some covers better than others. For example one book might have a different cover for its US and UK copies. I thought making this "Cover War" feature would be a fun way of showing the different covers and why I like one more than the other.

I probably won't have a Cover War for each book that has a different cover. This will most likely only be a sporadic post for "special" covers or books.




Today's Cover War is between the US Hardcover and the UK Paperback of Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini. The Hardcover is on the left and the paperback is on the right.


I'm surprised to say that they winner of this Cover War is the UK Paperback. I think it's a better visual of the story and I like that it has some bright colors to it. It took me a while to warm up to the Paperback cover, but after a while I really came to prefer it to the Hardcover. 

Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini

Title: Starcrossed
Author: Josephine Angelini
Published: May 31, 2011 by HarperTeen
Pages: 496/Hardcover
Series: Starcrossed #1
Challenge: 2011 Debut Author Challenge
Source: e-ARC via NetGalley and Publisher



Summary: How do you defy destiny?

Helen Hamilton has spent her entire sixteen years trying to hide how different she is—no easy task on an island as small and sheltered as Nantucket. And it's getting harder. Nightmares of a desperate desert journey have Helen waking parched, only to find her sheets damaged by dirt and dust. At school she's haunted by hallucinations of three women weeping tears of blood . . . and when Helen first crosses paths with Lucas Delos, she has no way of knowing they're destined to play the leading roles in a tragedy the Fates insist on repeating throughout history.

As Helen unlocks the secrets of her ancestry, she realizes that some myths are more than just legend. But even demigod powers might not be enough to defy the forces that are both drawing her and Lucas together—and trying to tear them apart.

Review: I always love reading about mythology (whether Greek or Roman). This book was no exception.  It had a great mythological spin on it, but some things weren't that original or well explained.

Starcrossed was a surprisingly well written novel. I was expecting some kind of fluffy mythology about starcrossed lovers and what not, but there was more than just fluffy romance, there was actual depth.

Helen was not my favorite character. She was too whiny for my taste and managed to get on my nerves often. Her friend Claire, however, was wonderful. She was so funny and one of those no-nonsense girls that I always manage to connect with. The members of the Delos family were also great characters. The girls in the family were surprisingly different. I thought since they weren't the main characters they would just blend together, but each of the family members stood out in there own way. Hector was also a great character. He was really funny and sarcastic but could be the serious and sympathetic one too.

The plot kept the story moving, but there wasn't one specific thing that I remember as the main point of the book. I liked that there was a reason for Helen and Lucas to hate each other in the beginning (the blood feud and the furies and what not) but I don't understand why they suddenly stopped hating each other. I also wasn't clear on where Helen was going in her dreams and why, but those might be things that are discussed in the sequel.

The ending was unexpected to say the least, but it'll be interesting to see where that takes the story.

Starcrossed was a fun and interesting book that held me captivated even if it didn't have a clear direction all the way through. It could have used more explanation on some points, but it was overall well written. This is one series that has major potential and I'm definitely excited for the sequel. 

Sunday, May 29, 2011

Almost Done

There's only one week of school left. YAY! This is both good and bad. Next week is only exams which means lots and lots of hectic studying. Because I'm so unorganized I'm behind on my reading and reviews. I planned to have reviews scheduled for exam week, but my studying has caused me to not read the books I was going to schedule reviews for. This is a vicious cycle my friends.

I've decided that I need to pay more attention to school than my blog (sad face) so I may be scarce this week, but June 3 at 12:05 my summer reading will begin!

So fear not my wonderful readers, Kathryn will be back in about a week (if not sooner). I realize I just referred to myself in the third person. See what lots of studying does?

Thursday, May 26, 2011

Cover War: Angel Burn


Cover War is something I decided to start doing after seeing different covers for the same book. I realized that I liked some covers better than others. For example one book might have a different cover for its US and UK copies. I thought making this "Cover War" feature would be a fun way of showing the different covers and why I like one more than the other.

I probably won't have a Cover War for each book that has a different cover. This will most likely only be a sporadic post for "special" covers or books.




Today's Cover War is between the US and the UK cover of Angel Burn by L.A. Weatherly (know as Angel in the UK). The UK cover is to the left and the US cover is to the right.



I'm a bit torn on this one. I think the US cover is a better depiction of Willow as far as her hair and what not, but I like how the UK has Willow's wings.

While the US cover is super gorgeous something about the UK cover appeals more to me, thus making it the winner of this war. I think it shows more of the story in it's cover and has brighter colors making it more eye catching.

Angel Burn by L.A. Weatherly

Title: Angel Burn
Author: L.A. Weatherly
Published: May 24, 2011 by Candlewick 

Pages: 403/Hardcover
Series: Angel Trilogy #1
Source: e-ARC from publisher and Netgalley
Challenge: 2011 Debut Author Challenge
Note: This was previously released in the UK in October 2010 as Angel. 



Summary: Willow knows she’s different from other girls, and not just because she loves tinkering with cars. Willow has a gift. She can look into the future and know people’s dreams and hopes, their sorrows and regrets, just by touching them. She has no idea where this power comes from. But the assassin, Alex, does. Gorgeous, mysterious Alex knows more about Willow than Willow herself. He knows that her powers link to dark and dangerous forces, and that he’s one of the few humans left who can fight them. When Alex finds himself falling in love with his sworn enemy, he discovers that nothing is as it seems, least of all good and evil. In the first book in an action-packed, romantic trilogy, L..A. Weatherly sends readers on a thrill-ride of a road trip — and depicts the human race at the brink of a future as catastrophic as it is deceptively beautiful.


Review: One of the things that surprised me about Angel Burn was the way the angels were depicted. Usually these kinds of books have good angels and bad angels, but in this book all of the angels are considered bad. This may sound weird but that's one of the things that made me really like this book. The fact that all angels were "bad" really set Angel Burn apart from other books and gave angels an interesting new spin.


I loved Willow! Not only do I love her name, but I love the kind of girl she is. She can take care of herself and doesn't take a lot of crap from others. I thought it was kind of cliche to have the whole pretty girl who's kind of a tom boy and fixes cars aspect, but it didn't affect the book overall. I would have enjoyed it if there had been more of Willow's mom in the story too. It just feels like she would have added a little something extra. 


I didn't feel a great knowledge of or connection with Alex, but he and Willow seem like a good couple. The romance itself got a little too sappy and cheesy for me at times, but I'm a sucker for just about any romance (no matter how cheesy). 


The overall plot was very fast paced and action filled. I liked that there were multiple perspectives so that I knew what was happening with Willow and Alec but also with the Church of Angels. 


The ending wrapped up a little too quickly but I think it's in a good spot for the sequel. 


Overall this was a very well written book with good characters and plot. It's good for those who like a paranormal romance type read and it provides a great spin on angels. 

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Cover Reveal: Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare

The absolutely amazing Cassandra Clare now has a cover for the next book in the Infernal Devices series, Clockwork Prince. Let's take a look see, shall we?




In Clockwork Prince, with Mortmain vanished and the clock counting down on how long Charlotte can keep control of the Institute away from Benedict Lightwood, Will, Jem and Tessa must dig into Mortmain’s past to predict what he will do in the future, But secrets about Mortmain aren’t all they find buried — Tessa begins to uncover the truth about her own birth, and the ghosts of Will’s past return to haunt him. As Tessa grows closer to Jem, and Will is driven further toward the brink of madness by jealousy and guilt, will they discover the truth in time to halt the next phase of Mortmain’s evil plan?


--


I love that we get to see a face (I assume it's Jem?)! In Clockwork Angel we didn't get a straight on face. I also like that it kept the same concept as the first book: The character is the main focus, not the background, and that the marks have light coming out of them. 


This book already sounds amazing, and now that it has a cover it is that much more worthy of my obsessiveness. 

Waiting on Wednesday (37)

Waiting on Wednesday was started by Jill at Breaking the Spine. Summary from Goodreads! 


Fateful by Claudia Gray
September 13, 2011

It's about a servant girl named Tess in 1912, who wants to escape from the house where she works, and most particularly the lecherous young lord of the manor. But that's not her biggest problem. While on a voyage to America, where she plans to escape and start a new life, she meets Alec, who's ruggedly handsome, fabulously wealthy, intelligent and yet so clearly troubled that she'd rather not fall for him, but she does. That also is not her biggest problem. Alec, it turns out, is a werewolf ... one cursed to change every night, unless and until he surrenders his independence and joins the Brotherhood, a pack of violently misogynistic werewolves who have been tracking him for months. You'd think that would be their biggest problem, wouldn't you?

But no. Their biggest problem -- though they don't know it yet -- is that they're aboard the RMS Titanic.

--

I like Claudia's Evernight series (even though I still haven't read the last two). I like historical, paranormal and romance, so this sounds like a winner to me!

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Between Here and Forever by Elizabeth Scott

Title: Between Here and Forever
Author: Elizabeth Scott
Published: May 24, 2011 by Simon Pulse
Pages: 256/Hardcover
Challenge: The Contemps
Source: Simon & Schuster Galley Grab



Summary:  Abby accepted that she can’t measure up to her beautiful, magnetic sister Tess a long time ago, and knows exactly what she is: Second best. Invisible. 

Until the accident. 

Now Tess is in a coma, and Abby’s life is on hold. It may have been hard living with Tess, but it's nothing compared to living without her. 

She's got a plan to bring Tess back though, involving the gorgeous and mysterious Eli, but then Abby learns something about Tess, something that was always there, but that she’d never seen. 

Abby is about to find out that truth isn't always what you think it is, and that life holds more than she ever thought it could...


Review: I'm a huge fan of Elizabeth Scott so I was looking forward to something new from her. Unfortunately Between Here and Forever just didn't sit with me the way Scott's other works did. 

I felt a kind of disconnect with the characters. I didn't feel like I could put myself in their shoes or picture myself dealing with the situations they went through. The characters themselves seemed well-rounded, I just couldn't connect with them. 

I liked that Tess didn't come out of her coma during the book. It made me realize that the book isn't really about Tess waking up. It's more about Abby coming to know who she is without her sister. She learns throughout the book that her sister wasn't as perfect as everyone thought she was and that she doesn't have to tie herself to her sister.

I thought the plot was predictable though. I figured out what Tess's big secret was and why she hated certain people within the first half of the book.

Although I didn't have a good connection with the characters and the plot seemed predictable, Between Here and Forever showed Abby's growth in her time of confusion and trauma. It was a fast read and will probably appeal to all of the Elizabeth Scott fans already out there.


More Books by Elizabeth Scott
Living Dead Girl
Perfect You
Bloom
Something, Maybe
The Unwritten Rule
Stealing Heaven 
Love You Hate You Miss You 
Grace
As I Wake 

Monday, May 23, 2011

The Girl in the Steel Corset by Kady Cross

Title: The Girl in the Steel Corset
Author: Kady Cross
Published: May 24, 2011 by Harlequin Teen
Pages: 336/Hardcover
Series: Steampunk Chronicles #1
Challenge: 2011 Debut Author Challenge
Source: e-ARC from NetGalley and Publisher



Summary: She thought there was something wrong with her. She was right. 


Finley Jayne has known for quite some time that she isn’t ‘normal,’ but when she beats up the son of her employer and is forced to flee, she stumbles into a world where there are bigger freaks than her. They take her in, treat her like family and demand her trust. How can Finley trust them when she can’t trust herself? And why is she drawn to the powerful Griffin as well as the dangerous Jack? She has to get herself under control before she gets into trouble she can’t get out of. 

Griffin King is one of the most powerful men in Britain but he couldn’t save his best friend from almost dying. He is determined to save Finley and help her become the person he knows she can be, but there’s evil afoot in London. Machines have attacked humans under the orders of a nefarious criminal called The Machinist. He has sworn to protect his country against such a threat, but he’s never faced any foe like this. However, when he discovers The Machinist’s connection to his past, Griffin vows to end the villain once and for all — but he’ll need the help of all his friends, including the beautiful Finley Jayne – the girl in the steel corset.


Review: The Girl in the Steel Corset really surprised me. At first it seemed a little too much like Cassandra Clare's Clockwork Angel, but after reading it for a while I realized it was quite different.

In The Girl in the Steel Corset the first half of the book is mainly focussed on finding out what's wrong with Finley and how she got the way she is. I liked how there were parallels to Dr. Jekell and Mr. Hyde; it added a bit of personality to the book as a whole. The second half focussed more on The Machinist and finding out who he was and what he was up to. I thought it was a bit obvious who he was, but it was still exciting to see the action play out. At first it seemed like the two halves of the book wouldn't go together, but Cross did a great job of the blending the different plot lines together. 

I'm not the biggest fan of third person narration, but it worked really well in this book. It let me see what was happening wt the different characters and I connected with almost all of them (which is also usually a problem for me in third person narration). 

One aspect of this book that I always like to see is that there was romance but it didn't dominate the story. You can see there's attraction between certain characters, but the romance takes a back seat to the rest of the story. I must say that I didn't see the attraction between Finley and Jack (maybe it's just because he wasn't in the story that much?) but I could definitely see it with Griffin.

I really only had two problems with The Girl in the Steel Corset. It seemed to drag a bit in the middle. The beginning and end were exciting and action-y and the middle wasn't boring it just didn't have the fast pace of the beginning and end. Also Griffin's nickname. For some reason the name Griff just irked me, but that seems a small price to pay for the greatness of the book overall.

The Girl in the Steel Corset was a wonderfully written debut that had action and characters you can connect with. Suffice to say I'm now eagerly awaiting the next in the series!

Sunday, May 22, 2011

In My Mailbox (37)

In My Mailbox was started by Kristi at The Story Siren and inspired by Alea at Pop Culture Junkie.




Bought: 
I'll Be There by Holly Goldberg Sloan 
Dreamland Social Club by Tara Altebrando

For Review:
Between the Land and the Sea by Derrolyn Anderson
The Moon and the Tide by Derrolyn Anderson

Simon & Schuster Galley Grab:
Wildfire by Karsten Knight
Sometimes It Happens by Lauren Barnholdt 

Thursday, May 19, 2011

Divergent by Veronica Roth

Title: Divergent
Author: Veronica Roth
Published: May 3, 2011 by Katherine Tegen Books
Pages: 495/Hardcover
Series: Divergent #1
Challenge: 2011 Debut Author Challenge
Source: Bought


Summary: In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue—Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is—she can't have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself. 

During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles to determine who her friends really are—and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes infuriating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers a growing conflict that threatens to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves . . . or it might destroy her. 

Debut author Veronica Roth bursts onto the literary scene with the first book in the Divergent series—dystopian thrillers filled with electrifying decisions, heartbreaking betrayals, stunning consequences, and unexpected romance.


Review: Warning: When you start reading this book awesomeness will ensue. That's right people this was one amazing book. The dystopian world was wonderfully written and the story was fast paced and always interesting.


I could tell while reading this that Roth knew the world she had created. I loved reading and learning about the different factions and I surprisingly enjoyed reading about the politics involved in the factions. Each faction was unique and it had a reason for being. I also loved to see the interactions of the different factions with each other.


The characters were another great point of the book. I could really see Beatrice grow into her character. She started out kind of timid, but she gradually grew into her Dauntless self and realized that she really did belong where she was. Four was a big mystery for a lot of the book, but it was fun to try and figure him out. I also loved the other initiates that Beatrice befriended. They all added something to the book that made it great.


This book definitely brought out my violent side. I loved the training/fight scenes. The writing was so vivid that I felt what the characters felt. I felt like I was in the midst of battling for my place in a faction just like them. Divergent is one of those books that really gets your blood pumping and you just don't want to put the book down. 


I was expecting there to be more emphasis on the Divergent, but it didn't play that big of a part in the story until the end, and even then it didn't really have an effect on the story (well maybe a little). I'm guessing that since this is just the first in a series it was meant to introduce the Divergent and there will be more emphasis on it in later books. But that's just a guess.


The ending isn't really a cliff hanger but it leaves off pretty much in the middle of a war so I'm very excited for the next in the series. 


Divergent is one of those books that gets compared to The Hinger Games and this is probably the only time that I agree with that. It was similar in that it had a great plot, great characters, and a good mix of action, romance and adventure. I suggest that if you haven't read Divergent yet you get on it!

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Waiting on Wednesday (36)

Waiting on Wednesday was started by Jill at Breaking the Spine. Summary from goodreads!


Dearly, Departed by Lia Habel
October 18, 2011 

As far as romantic pairings go in the year 2195, you don't get much more unlikely than an upper-class schoolgirl and a poor miner from enemy tribes. Filter in the fact that he's a zombie, and you're definitely talking about star-crossed love.

Dearly, Departed is a cyber-Victorian/steampunk romance that takes place in the shadow of a new ice age. Nora Dearly, a mouthy teenage girl and apparent orphan, leaves school for Christmas - only to be dragged into the night by the living dead. Luckily for her, though, the good ones got to her first. From her reanimated rescuers she learns not only that zombies are roaming the countryside, but that her father is one - and that he's in terrible trouble. She also meets Captain Bram Griswold, a noble, strong, and rather sweet undead boy for whom she starts to fall.

Meanwhile, her best friend, Pamela Roe, is just trying to carry on with life as best she can in the wake of Nora's disappearance - when she ends up killing an evil zombie in self-defense. Pam is galvanized into action, and ends up leading a group of survivors as the city of New London is thronged by the ravenous dead.

Upon hearing of Pamela's plight, Nora and Bram set out to rescue her friends, find her missing father, and maybe just save what's left of the world.

--

I've always thought of Victorian/Steampunk being just historical, so I'm interested to see how it does in the future with zombies. And of course the cover is a factor. It's gorgeous people. GORGEOUS! 

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Cover War: What Happened to Goodbye

Cover War is something I decided to start doing after seeing different covers for the same book. I realized that I liked some covers better than others. For example one book might have a different cover for its US and UK copies. I thought making this "Cover War" feature would be a fun way of showing the different covers and why I like one more than the other.

I probably won't have a Cover War for each book that has a different cover. This will most likely only be a sporadic post for "special" covers or books.




Todays' Cover War is between the US Hardcover and the UK Paperback of What Happened to Goodbye by Sarah Dessen. The US Hardcover will be to the left and the UK Paperback will be to the right.


I think both covers are very pretty and a good sense of the book, but the winner of of this Cover War has to be the UK Paperback. I like that it has a basketball and other little things that relate to the story. While the US Hardcover captures the story with the suitcase I think the UK Paperback captures it even better by having all the little details coming out of a suitcase.

What Happened to Goodbye by Sarah Dessen

Title: What Happened to Goodbye
Author: Sarah Dessen
Published: May 10, 2011 by Penguin Young Readers Group
Pages: 416/Hardcover
Source: Bought


Summary: In the past two years, Mclean Sweet has moved four times. At each stop, she assumes a new persona, but it never quite works. Whether she's an effervescent cheerleader or an intense drama queen, nothing can permanently dispel the turmoil and rage at her mother since her parents' divorce. Sarah Dessen's novel about a teenager and her restaurant manager father captures the vulnerability that young people often experience after the dissolution of their family. A compelling story; strong characterization; and with a touch of romance.


Review: Oh how I love you, Sarah Dessen. As always Sarah Dessen has written a book that tackles some tough issues while still making it fun. Her characters are as interesting and real as ever, and the plot is well developed and engaging.


The main issue in What Happened to Goodbye was that Mclean was trying to fin herself. She doesn't know who she really is and therefore hides behind different personas in every new town. As always with her characters, Dessen has made a cast that is realistic and easy to connect with. People will be able to relate to Mclean because she knows she's not perfect and that's why she feels the need to hide who she is. Deb was my favorite character by far. She was so funny and sweet and pretty much just filled with overall awesome sauce. Dave was the standard Dessen boy. He had a bit of a rough past, but nothing he couldn't get over with the help of Mclean!


I've heard a lot of people say that this book follows the "Sarah Dessen formula" and it really does so it's predictable, but it's still oh so wonderful. One thing that Dessen does frequently in her books is incorporate characters from past books, and I love this. I love seeing where those characters ended up and it's always fun to go back and see where they were. 


What Happened to Goodbye is another amazing book by Sarah Dessen. It may be predictable, but as long as Dessen keeps writing books she can be as predictable as she wants. The characters are great and the story is new and fun.  


More Books by Sarah Dessen
The Truth About Forever
Just Listen
This Lullaby
Lock and Key
Along for the Ride
Someone Like You
Dreamland
Keeping the Moon
That Summer

Monday, May 16, 2011

Cover War: Mercy

Cover War is something I decided to start doing after seeing different covers for the same book. I realized that I liked some covers better than others. For example one book might have a different cover for its US and UK copies. I thought making this "Cover War" feature would be a fun way of showing the different covers and why I like one more than the other.

I probably won't have a Cover War for each book that has a different cover. This will most likely only be a sporadic post for "special" covers or books.



Today's Cover War is between the UK Paperback and Australian Paperback cover of Mercy by Rebecca Lim. I would usually do a Cover War between an foreign cover and an American cover, but I really don't like Mercy's American cover at all. The UK Paperback is to the left and the Australian Paperback is to the right.


The winner of this Cover War is the UK Paperback cover! I don't think either cover really captures what the book's about, but I do like that they both have some color in them instead of being black or dark and melancholy. I think the UK Paperback seems almost graceful, and it's very eye catching!

Mercy by Rebecca Lim

Title: Mercy
Author: Rebecca Lim
Published: May 17, 2011 by Hyperion
Pages: 288/Hardcover
Series: Mercy #1
Challenge: 2011 Debut Author Challenge 
Source: Netaglley and Publisher


Summary: A fallen angel haunted by her past. Yearning for her immortal beloved. Forever searching for answers. Who will show her Mercy? 

Mercy has lost herself. She can’t count how many times she’s “woken up” in a new body, and assumed a new life, only to move on again and again. During the day she survives in the human world on instinct and at night her dreams are haunted by him. Mercy’s heart would know him anywhere. But her memory refuses to cooperate. 

But this time is different. When Mercy wakes up she meets Ryan, an eighteen year old reeling from the loss of his twin sister who was kidnapped two years ago. Everyone else has given up hope, but Ryan believes his sister is still alive. Using a power she doesn’t fully comprehend, Mercy realizes that Ryan is right. His sister is alive and together they can find her. For the first time since she can remember, Mercy has a purpose; she can help. So she doesn’t understand why the man in her dreams cautions her not to interfere. But as Ryan and Mercy come closer to solving the dark mystery of his sister’s disappearance, danger looms just one step behind. 

Will Mercy be able to harness her true self and extraordinary power in time? 

The first in a dazzling new series, Mercy masterfully weaves romance, mystery and the supernatural into a spell-binding tale.


Review: What an awesome book! It had a bit of everything to it. It had angels (I'm guessing since it never really said what Mercy was), a mystery, and a bit of romance.


I though it was very interesting to see Mercy as she saw herself. Since she's stuck in Carmen's body you never really get a picture of what Mercy looks like, just Carmen, so I mainly relied on how she acted to see who she was, and boy did I like her character. Mercy was one of those self confident spunky girls who I just love to see in books. I could tell from the very first thing she said to Ryan that she was going to be one of those girls.


The plot of the book didn't really develop until the end. I knew from the beginning that Mercy and Ryan were trying to find Lauren, but there was a lot of other things going on so It felt like it didn't come to a head until the end. 


There's still a lot I don't know about Luc and "The Eight" and I was a little perplexed as to why that wasn't discussed more in the book. Because it seemed like a lot of the book was Mercy trying to figure out who (or what) she was and what she did in her past that lead to her present. However, I'm pretty sure that these things will be further investigated in the sequel.


I like any kind of romance really, but I especially like it when the relationship naturally evolves. Like with Ryan and Mercy. At first Ryan didn't even like Mercy that much, but they spent a lot of time together trying to find Lauren and they got to know each other. They never really became a couple, but I'm pretty sure we'll be seeing them together again in future books!


That ending. It killed me. That ending is a perfect example of a cliff hanger. I'm not sure when the sequel comes out in America, but trust me when I say I will be getting it. I can't read a book as good as Mercy can not just end like that and then  just not read the sequel, especially is it has an ending like that!


Suffice to say this was a wonderful book. It had a bunch of elements and different genres to it that meshed together really well. It had an engaging mystery and interesting characters that were fun and easy to read. If you haven't already I would definitely suggest looking into reading Mercy.


More Books by Rebecca Lim
Exile
Muse

Sunday, May 15, 2011

In My Mailbox (36)

In My Mailbox was started by Kristi at The Story Siren and inspired by Alea at Pop Culture Junkie.



For Review: 

Bought:
Roadside Assistance by Amy Clipston
Divergent by Veronica Roth
What Happened to Goodbye by Sarah Dessen

Saturday, May 14, 2011

Invincible Summer by Hannah Moskowitz

Title: Invincible Summer
Author: Hannah Moskowitz
Published: April 19, 2011 by Simon Pulse
Pages: 269/Paperback
Source: Bought


Summary: Noah’s happier than I’ve seen him in months. So I’d be an awful brother to get in the way of that. It’s not like I have some relationship with Melinda. It was just a kiss. Am I going to ruin Noah’s happiness because of a kiss? 

Across four sun-kissed, drama-drenched summers at his family’s beach house, Chase is falling in love, falling in lust, and trying to keep his life from falling apart. But some girls are addictive.... 


Review: You've probably heard it other places, but this is definitely not a fluffy beach read. If you want a fun book to bring to the beach this is not it. Invincible Summer tackles some very tough issues and shows the ugly side of real life.


I want to first say that the summary is a tad misleading. By saying "some girls are addictive" I was expecting this to be a story about Noah and Chase's relationship with Melinda, but it wasn't so much about that relationship as it was about their lives and growing up. 


The dynamics of Chase's family were so complex that I found myself lost a lot of the time. I wouldn't know what was really going on or why some of the characters were acting the way they were. I never understood why Noah would just leave, and even after the explanation I never understood why what happened between Chase and Melinda happened. 


I liked that the book took place over four summers and only in the summer time. It was so interesting to see how everyone had changed from summer to summer. 


I think a big aspect of this book is growing up. It shows that it's hard growing up and things are going to happen. You're not going to always like it and you're probably going to hate a lot of it, but your family is there for a reason, and even if you blame them for stuff they're still your family and you still love them. I think that's what this book was about, and if it's not, well then too bad because that's what I got out of it!


Overall, Invincible Summer was hard to read at times. It makes you feel the real things that the characters are feeling. It tells a story that's truthful in how life works and how a family can fall apart. It didn't always flow smoothly for me, but it had a very powerful effect and I would recommend it for those of you who enjoy edgy/powerful YA books.


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