Go Ask Alice by Anonymous

Go Ask Alice by Anonymous

Pages: 224

This is going to be a short review. Go ask Alice is about a girl who is 15 and gets addicted todrugs. I won't tell you anything more than that or it will ruin the story. All the characters are not the real names because it's the diary of an actual girl. I don't want to tell you much about this book because it's so hard to explain this book. This book goes in depth to what drug abuse can do to a person. It shows you that drugs really aren't everything. I read a lot of drug related books because I want people to realize how bad drugs really are. I don't want to say anything much about this book because there's not much to say without giving the plot away but it is a very good book.

With a very sad ending.

This book took me about two days to read and let me tell you it was an emotional ride the whole time. 

I highly recommend this book for people who are mature enough to read it and to understand it. This book, although written by a 15 year old, is still, in my opinion, a mature level book.

Read on.

Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare

Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare

Pages: 502

This book was so amazing. It was even better than the first book. The characters were still the same. Charlotte, Henry, Will, Jessamine, Jem, Tessa, and a few other characters that are important to the plot. 

The plot thickens as Will's secret curse is found to be... His sister's death was...? Seriously I was not expecting this twist. It was so amazing I can't even describe it to you. I really was not expecting it at all. 

This book makes my emotions soar. I get mad in places, happy in others, sad in some. I even made a happy noise when I found out about the twist in the plot and all my classmates thought I was going crazy.

I loved the ending also because I can't wait to see what happens in the next book. I know what should happen, and I know what is happening, but I don't know what will happen. 

I am so exceedingly happy with these books it's just unbelievable. cassandra Clare does a great job writing them. Honestly these books are way better than The Mortal Instruments series. Although I kind of wish she had written these first because it gives us insight on several different things that didn't make sense in the mortal instruments series, and it's kind of confusing because I have to remember that it's before Jace and Clary's time, not after and I get confused with the time periods. So if you haven't read The Mortal Instruments series yet I suggest you read this series first because you'll understand the other series better.

This book took me about three days to read. Not only because I was busy, but I couldn't put it down. It was so good! Definite must read.

The Tragedy of Macbeth by Shakespeare

The Tragedy of Macbeth
Pages: 112

This was quite an amazing book. We had to read it for school in my AP English class. There were plenty of characters but the one's that were the absolute main ones were Macbeth, Lady Macbeth, Macduff, Duncan, Banquo, the Witches and Malcolm.

Macbeth is the main focus of the story, and he has a very significant character change in this play. He goes from our main protagonist to the main antagonist. Lady Macbeth is Macbeth's wife (DUH) and she also has a very significant character change. Macduff is a character that oposes our main force Macbeth. Duncan is the first king in the play, Banquo is Macbeth's best friend, The Witches are obviousley witches and they give several of the characters prophecies in the play which in turn end up being what the play is revolved around. and Malcolm is Duncan's oldest son. Yes I know these character analysis' are very vague but I can't say anything about their character without revealing some of the plot. And I don't like spoiling plots.

The plot was intense and it kept me hooked the entire time. I was confused at some points and if I hadn't have been reading it with my teacher I probably would have been totally lost. I mean it is Shakespeare and Shakespeare never wanted his plays to be read in class. He wanted them to be performed.

I can't really make an accurate account of how long it took us to read this because we did read it in class but it didn't take us that long. I really wouldn't recommend anybody to read this on their own, either wait to read it in school or read it with a teacher that can explain things to you as you go.

Some things that I found very interesting is that in theater (because I am the stage manager of my school's theater program) saying the word 'Macbeth' can lead you to getting kicked outside. It's a very superstitious word. I accidentally said it without even thinking about what I was saying and my drama club teacher literaly kicked me outside and made me stand out there, spin around three times and say the worst curse I could think of. She was dead serious and wouldn't let me back in until I did it. So I did some research and found   that Macbeth is a "cursed word" When people say it it's found that bad things happen. In one play somebody actually died backstage after saying the word and it seems that when somebody says it anything that can go wrong does. I just found this interesting and figured I should add it in just so you guys can get a little background on this story. 

If you're reading this on your own and want help understanding it I'm here to help. :) Just ask. 

My Columbian Friend

Before I start, no this is not a book review. But I just want to take the time to tell you guys something incredible. A year ago (in my sophomore year) a boy named Andres transferred to my school from Columbia. He spoke absolutely NO English whatsoever. He had to walk around with an interpreter for most of his first 8 months, he's moving to South Carolina today and I'm going to miss him incredibly but I just want to tell you guys that after a year he was sitting in my AP English Literature and Composition class and honestly making a B+ that's incredible. After a year in a wierd school in a foreign country and not being able to speak any of that language, and a year later sitting in one of the top honors English classes. That's incredible. So I just want to let you all know that anything is possible. If my best friend Andres can do all that without giving up than anybody else can do something if they put their mind to it.

The Things They Carried - Tim O'Brien

The Things They Carried

Pages: 246

The main characters in this book are actually quite hard to describe because O'Brien doesn't really explain their character much. He just describes what they carry which is supposed to show us who they are as a person, and to a point it did, but not as in depth as I would have liked. 

This book is from many different perspectives and honestly I got quite confused as to who was talking when. I also was quite confused as to whether or not i could believe anything in the story because at one point he said it was all true, but then at the end he said that none of it was true. His daughter asked him if he had killed anybody and he said that he could have honestly said no. But then he could have also honestly said yes because war is all about the stories he said. So it's hard to actually believe anything that's in this book.

In the end I actually kind of liked the book because it made me think about what it would be like if I was in a war. Alltogether I was glad this book ended, but it left me with a feeling of insignificance, and that I take to many things for granted because describing some of the things that happened in war and the things they had to do I realize that I take things for granted that they didn't have.

I wouldn't get this book for anyone not in high school. I'm a junior and talking with some of my classmates, I was also no the only one who didn't understand it. The last twenty pages of the book was the best part of the book. It took me forever to read this book because it was just to much to take in at one time because there were so many things going on.

Changeling by Phillipa Gregory (UNFINISHED)

Changeling By Phillipa Gregory (Unfinished)

 

Pages: 256

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Release Date: May 24, 2012

Rating: 1/5

I am at a loss for words. This is only the second time I have ever given up on a book.

I got up to page 69 before calling it quits. Yeah, few weeks, 69 pages. It was that bad.

From the first sentence, I knew it was going to be terrible. Now, I may be wrong, but I do not believe there were handguns in the 1400's. So, comparing the banging of a door to the shots of a handgun is a pretty bad choice.

I have never read any of Gregory's adult novels, but I do know she is supposed to be a master at historical fiction. I will give her the benefit of the doubt, but it did not shine through in her YA debut.

In the very beginning, our main protagonist, Luca, is said to be rumored a Changeling. Hence the title, I suppose. From what I read, and what I have heard from others who have read this book, is that it was only mentioned one other time. Whether this is going to be brought up in future installments, I guess I'll never know.

Speaking of Luca...Yeah, I don't like him. He is a bit of an ass. A boring ass, at that. As for our heroine, Isolde...She's boring, too.

The only character I liked, at all, was Isolde's friend and servant, Ishraq. She was the only one with ANY personality what-so-ever. I love you, Ish. I love you.

I did not get up to any parts with romance, but considering the main characters are so boring, I cannot believe I am missing all too much.

I don't see myself picking this back up

The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa

 

Pages: 485

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Release Date: April 24, 2012

Rating: 4/5

I have finally been able to read the much anticipated new series from Julie Kagawa, The Immortal Rules, and I have got to say:

It was pretty good!

Now, my love for this book comes nowhere close to the love I have for The Iron Fey series. As much as I wanted to totally love this book to death, there were a couple minor things that bothered me.

First and foremost, the beginning was so freaking slow. It took a good quarter of the book, at least (if not half of) for the story to pick up. The "Human" section was especially slow. It is not until the "Vampire" section that the story starts to unravel, and not until the "Monster" section where I was like "Ohemgee! Sososososogoood!"

I want to say that section didn't begin until about page 200.

Another thing was that it reminded me of other stories put together: I Am Legend, Interview with the Vampire, Morganville Vampires, and even some minor aspects of The Forest of Hands and Teeth.

Though, even if there were minor aspects from other works, Kagawa still made it her own.

Now, this last thing was something that really irked me: the misuse of the word "hung". The beginning scene was a really good world-building scene, where we see Unregistered being HANGED. When I person is sentenced to death by hanging, it is called being hanged, not hung.

Of course, there are some really good things about this book. For example, the world-building IS very good. You get a good sense of what it would be like to live within a world ruled by vampires. Like I said, that first scene at the gallows was really good.

There was also to love interest, Zeke. Now, the unusual thing about Zeke is that we don't even get to meet him until half-way through the book. Even then, I wouldn't say they instantly fell in-love with each other. They had an actraction, but there were a few things that drew them apart from each other.

The rest of the side characters were all wonderful. They all had some form of role to play in the story, instead of just being there for the hell of it.

The way the book closes is a major cliff-hanger, but a good one. I would recomend this for anyone who is a fan of The Iron Fey series. You will not me disappointed.

Battle Royale by Koushun Takami

Battle Royale by Koushun Takami

 

Pages: 617

Publisher: VIZ Media, LLC

Release Date: November 17, 2009 (Released in Japan February 26, 2003)

Rating: 4/5

Battle Royale, what can I say? We've had our ups and downs, laughs and tears. Sometimes I wanted to devour you; other times I wanted to throw you across the room in frustration.

If you haven't heard of this book by now, you must be living under a rock. This is the book people are saying The Hunger Games ripped off. Do I agree? Ehh, not really.

What do The Hunger Games and Battle Royale have in common? Let's make a list, shall we?

1) A group of randomly selected kids are taken to a remote area to battle to the death. Last man standing wins.

That is about ALL they have in common. A premise that has been done before.

But, this isn't about their similarities. This is about how I feel about Battle Royale

I first got introduced to the book via the movie. It was on demand, so I watched it, knowing full well that it was based on a book.

I think the movie is a great stand-alone. Yeah, it's really corny at times, and the deaths could look a LITTLE fake (very fake...), but it's still a good movie, coming from someone who at this point hasn't read the book.

My friend, on the other hand, read the book first and pretty much despises the movie, claiming it's too "different."

Yeah, I agree, but I still love the movie. <3

So, onto the actual review.

As I stated before: I had my ups and downs with this book. It was really fast-paced and kept me on edge, but...

I will agree with my friend on something: the chapters where characters weren't killing each other were too boring. It was during those chapters I just wanted to put the book down.

Before starting a chapter, I'd check the end of it for the student count. If I saw no one died, I'd mentally curse and take a break from reading.

I'll admit, the translations were bad. Like, really bad. Fortunately, I can't really blame that on the author. For all we know, he can be the God of Literature, so I am not docking for that. But, there is one thing that bothered me:

The unnecissary information in the parenthesis. I just felt it wasn't needed and didn't flow well with the rest of the story.

Then, there is just this minor nit-pick: all the lovin' that was going around in Shiroiwa Junior High School Class B. I mean, it seemed everyone was either in love with some random person, or with Narahara.

I tried rationalizing that, because they were in a life-or-death situation, that their feelings escalated, making their crushes seem more like...love--yeah, maybe I'm over-thinking it!

Even with those minor complaints, I think this book will be staying with me for a LONG time (even though I will eventually have to give this copy back to Nicole...).

I really would recomend this book to everyone, even if you do have a weaker stomach. I think it's worth reading, even if it is just to say: "Yeah, I read this huge-ass monster!"

It's really not that long. xD

Rapture by Lauren Kate

Rapture by Lauren Kate

 

Pages: 448

Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers

Release Date: June 12, 2012

Rating: 2/5

Warning! Rambing and Possible Minor Spoilers That Don't Really Matter!

So, we have the conclusion of Lauren Kate's Fallen series.

I have to say: as much as I trash this series, it does hold a place in my heart. It's like that annoying sibling you love, but want to punch so damn bad.

I stared out LOVING this series so much, I shoved it onto my friends (sorry guys). They didn't like it as much as I did, and all I had to say was "Whaaaat?"

The second book, I still liked, but not as much as I remember loving the first. It took me a couple tries to get into.

Third is where I started to see why so many people hated this series. It was between Torment and Passion where I started to get into the mythology of angels and demons, and saw the terrible flaw in Kate's mythology.

I have to say, though, Rapture was a teeny bit better than Passion!

Okay, so now that Luce and Daniel are back in the present, they have to stop Lucifer from once again falling from Heaven and sending time back to before the fall. In order to do this, the team must split up into three groups to find the three ancient relics. In doing so, they will find the site of the Fall and will be able to stop Lucifer.

Short summary, but that is the main point of the final novel. Pretty interesting, no?

Well, unfortunately that brings our main problem. Remember those three groups? Well, it turns out that Daniel and Luce are in a group of their own (shocker). You know what that means~!

Boring, sappy romantic time!!! Woo!

Oh, wait, that's bad.

Luce and Daniel make the most insipid couple ever! They are so boring together, I felt myself wanting to just outright skip most of the scenes (I didn't, though).

They are alone together for about a third of the book. Ugh.

My second complaint: Cameron. Cam is not a bad character, not at all. Cam is the best piece of work Kate has come up with. It's the LACK of him I have a problem with! He wasn't really even there until the last third, and even then, he rarely spoke.

It's like Kate realized that most of the people reading this series are doing so, so we can see Cam, therefore took him out of most of the series. Makes no sense considering he was a crucial part of the first book.

I'm pretty sure that was my ultimate downfall with the series--when I realized Cam was barely in it.

Now, the mythology still bugged me, a lot, but I will not go into detail on it. I did enough of that in my review of Passion and I don't want to get too repetitive.

What I will say is that her change of the people in the archangels really, really bothered me. *twitch*

It seemed that Kate tried to make Luce "tough" in this novel...It didn't work.

There was one scene where Cam was in trouble. They made it seem like she was the one to save him, when all she did was, well...get up and nearly got hit with a starshot. It was Roland and Cam who really solved all this.

Yes, Cam saved HIMSELF before Luce could do anything.

"You're so brave."~The single most stupid thing I have EVER heard Cam say...

And one other thing...when did Cam and Luce become BFFs? She HATED him through the first three books, and all of a sudden she couldn't stand to lose him?

Girl has issues.

The "big reveal" was also pretty dumb. I won't spoil it for you (surprising, right), but I will say that it made me scratch my head and roll my eyes.

Oh, and God is female in this book. Right. So THAT'S why us women bleed through our woman areas ever month and go through painful childbirth. Because God is a WOMAN!

Spiteful, I tell you.

The ending was sweet, though. Like, the very ending. By the ending, I mean the last two chapters and the epilogue.

Just one question...WHERE'S CAM?!

Honestly, the way the ending was left, I could see a spin-off for Cam. I hope that happens.

Then again, he may end up like...*shudder*...Daniel.

Coffeehouse Angel by Suzanne Selfors

Coffeehouse Angel by Suzanne Selfors

 

Pages: 276

Publisher: Walker & Company

Release Date: July 12, 2009

Rating: 5/5

Coffeehouse Angel wasn't groundbreaking; it didn't bring anything fresh to the book community. This doesn't change the fact that it was quite adorable and is officially my all-time favorite "angel" book and will probably be a Summer read for years to come.Katrina works in her grandmother's coffe shop. Unfortunately, the old norwegian-style coffe shop isn't bringing in money like it used to because the new coffeehouse, Java Heaven is more hip and therefore stole all the costumers.One day before school, Katrina notices a homeless boy in the alley next the the shop. After calling her best friend, Vincent (and him telling her to keep away), she leaves him coffee, old pastries, and chocolate covered coffee beans.Turns out this boy is actually an angel, and now he is determined to pay Katrina back for her selfless deed. But, will he cause more problems than he can solve?I think what I love most was that a lot of people, especially myself, could relate to Katrina. She doesn't quite know where she fits in the world. She is an average student, doesn't do extracurricular activities, and she hasn't found something she is passionate about (besides the coffee shop, of course). Another thing about her is that she didn't fall for Malcolm (our angel) right away. Actually, she kind of resented him following her around. Not that I blame her, after pretty much the whole student body thinking she has slept with him.Malcolm's character was amazing, as well. His ignorance of the human world, despite him being there so often, is adorable.Then there are Katrina's best friends, Elizabeth and Vincent. Elizabeth is the spoiled rich friend who hasn't worked a day in her life. Quite the opposite of Katrina, she knows what she wants in life and strives for it. Vincent is her closest friend. They've been inseperable since the fouth grade.Like Elizabeth, he also knows what he wants. Unlike her, he and Katrina hit some rough patches throughout the book. Their confrontations were a bit heart-wrenching to think about because of some things were said.The main antagonist, Mr. Darling, is an ass. He pretty much harasses Grandma Anna in every scene he's in. I wanted to go through the book and rip his head off. He was so mean!Like I said, this book was really good. Adorably so. If you are looking for a light read, pick this up.

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

 

Pages: 418

Publisher: Little, Brown

Release Date: September 27, 2011

Rating: 3/5

 

Some Spoilers Containning Plot Are Revealed In Review

 

Daughter of Smoke and Bone stars Karou, and seventeen year old with a pretty normal life. She goes to an art school in Prague, has a best friend named Zuzana, and goes to France on errands. Wait...France?!

Okay, so maybe Karou isn't so normal, after all. Actually, as apart from her seemingly normal life, she lives in an alternate dimension with her chimera family: Brimstone, Issa, Kishmish, Triga, and Yasri. She has no recollection of ever having a normal family and is clueless as to why she lives with these chimera, as well as why she collects teeth for Brimstone. Or what's beyond the door that she is forbidden to enter.

This premise is very promising, right. I will admit, I was hooked right from the start. The writing was beautiful and witty; the setting was gorgeously described. Best of all, Karou was such a strong heroin. She always stood her ground. Well, until a certain someone came into play.

Karous met Akira while she was getting teeth from an old friend (really, he is quite old). It is here that Akira tried to kill her. Of course she was spared because, well, what's a story without the main character?

I didn't like Akira. Actually, he was the only character I didn't like in the story. Like most love interest in YA these days, he's a creep. He's boardering on Edward Cullen's level.

He even watched Karou sleep. Yeah, it was that bad.

I have heard from several people that this wasn't insta-love because he loved her before she died, in which I cry: bullcrap!

Warning! Spoilers below!
For those who have read the book, you know that Karou is, in fact, Madrigal. This is the supposed reason that it isn't insta-love, because Akira loved Madrigal. But, wasn't that insta-love as well? They knew each other for five minutes before claiming they, at least, had feelings for each other.

Afterward, they didn't see each other for two years, only to meet and, well, have sex and plan how they are going to bring peace to their two worlds.

It's insta-love.

Okay. Spoilers Are Finished
I just didn't feel they had chemistry with each other.

Moving on!

My favorite thing about the book were the side characters, mainly Zuzana, Kaz, Issa, and Yasri. They each brought their own flavor of humor into the story. Unfortunately, you don't see much of them. :(

This book was one I have been wanting to read for a long time, and I was deepy disappointed. What was a great plot and lovely set of characters was watered down by an awkward love story.

Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver

Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver

 

Pages: 414

Publisher: HarperCollins

Release Date: February 28, 2012

Rating: 4/5

Pandemonium is the sequel to Lauren Oliver's Delirium which I loved so much.

This book picks up where Delirium left off, with Lena escaping into the wilds. She finds a group of invalids and joins them, learning to live the way they do.

What's different about this book is, until about three-fourths of the way, its chapters are divided up between the "before" time, and "now". I found the "now" chapters to be a lot more exciting and enjoyable, but the "before" chapters were also good.

Lena is very different than she was in Delirium. She has learned to shield her emotions quite a bit, which is reasonable for her situation. It didn't make her any less of an enjoyable protagonist.

The side characters were also very enjoyable. They had real personality that fit their prediciments. My favorite had to have been Raven. Even if she pissed me off from time to time, she was a good friend and mentor to Lena.

Now here's where I come to a crossroad: Julian. On one note, I liked his character and what he represented. Unfortunately, I did not like that he was used as a way to, in a way, replace Alex. It would have been fine if Alex had not come back, but since that DID happen, it made Julian seem like a filler.

The ending in this book was killer, and makes me absolutely hate that the final book doesn't come out until next year. Next. Year. That is insanity! I just hope it goes in the way I want it to go. Haha.

Cinder by Marissa Meyer

 Cinder by Marissa Meyer

 

Pages: 387

Publisher: Feiwel & Friends 

Release Date: January 3, 2012

Rating: 5/5

This is probably going to be a short review, because it is terribly hard to write a good review.xD

Cinder is a futuristic retelling of the classic fairy tale, Cinderella. In this story, however, Cinder is a cyborg--half human, half robot. Even better, she is a mechanic in the market place.

A plague is spreading through the kingdom, and one of the other merchants in the market place caught it and was taken away. This was on the same day Prince Kai paid a visit to her stand. His bot has broken down and he needs her to fix it. He claims it urgent.

Later on, her younger sister was taken away by scientists when she showed signs of having the plague. Her stepmother blamed Cinder for bringing in the disease and sent her away to get experimented on in hopes of finding a cure.

Except, cyborgs never make it out alive.

I have got to say, this book had me hooked from the first sentence. It was such a good retelling of such a great fairy tale. Though, what I liked about this book is that it could stand on its own without the Cinderella portions.

This book had so many twists and turns. Some of them more obvious than others, but like I've stated before: I'd rather a twist that is predictable than a twist that makes no sense.

The step-mother in this was even more diabolical than in the original fairy tale. She did more than just make her clean and lock her in her room. She tried to send her away to a place she KNEW Cinder may not--probably will not--make it through. That is just heartless...

Though, like in the original, Cinder had both a terribly bitchy step-sister, and a moderately decent step-sister. Pearl, of course, being like the sister who would call Ella of the original Cinderwench. The younger one (who's name I forget. >->) being the one who gives Ella the name of, of course, Cinderella.

Instead, of course, Pearl was more like: "I don't want you to go to the ball!" and the younger was like "Teehee!Isn't my dress pretty? Cinder, come to the ball!"

Big contrast, eh?

I liked Cinder. She was smart. Of course, she does have a bunch of wires running through her. I would hope she is intelligent. But, I like that she wasn't easily swayed by her adoration of the prince. She stood her ground.

What I really liked about this book was that it was scientific, but it was nothing that I couldn't follow. Some authors use all these scientific terms and analogies, and I'm just sitting here like: "...Wha...?" No me gusta eso.

I hope that made sense. I can't really run it past my mother at the moment. xD

I hope Scarlet still focuses on Cinder's story. I am going to have a fit if I don't know what happens...

When the Sea is Rising Red by Cat Hellisen

 

Pages: 296

Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux

Release Date: February 28, 2012

Rating: 4/5

When the Sea is Rising Red is a book I won't soon forget. I went into it thinking it was one thing, only to find it was something else entirely.

Felicita's best friend, Ilven, has just taken the leap after finding out she has to marry. With her friend gone and her brother insisting that she marry, Felicita follows suit. Except, she doesn't actually kill herself; she stages her death and runs to the poor side of town, where the non-magic users live.

While out, Felicita meets the charming Dash (more charming when drunk, though) and his gang of...misfits? She also gets involved with the Vampire Queen's son, Jannik, who wants nothing more than to be free of his binds to his people.

This was a beautifully-written story that was very character-driven, to say the least. Our main protagonist, Felicita, does seem to go threw some HUGE character development throughtout the course of the story. Where at the beginning, she is nothing but a bratty little rich girl, but by the end learns that the other people of the town, namely the "bats"/vampires, are just as bit as human as she is.

I wasn't too very fond of Jannik, though. He was a bit creepy, to say the least. It must be a vampire-thing, to be absolute creepers.

Dash, on the other hand, was in my opinion, very dimensional. In the beginning, he was nothing but a huge flirt with a somewhat far-fetched agenda, but we do see him with a more sensitive side (as well as a down-right psychotic side. Yum!).

Then there were the side characters, Nala, Lils, Esta, and Verrel. They all had distict personaities without being steriotypical. Nala and Verrel were probably my favorite.

My one and only problem was that I was intially confused on what was going on at the end. After reading through it a couple times, I got what it was about, but I wish it were a bit clearer.

This was probably one of my favorites of the year so far. I wish I could find a book like it.

The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff

 The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff

Pages: 352

Publisher: Razorbill

Release Date: Se[tember 21, 2010

Rating: 3/5

The Replacement is Yovanoff's debut novel, and after reading The Space Between, I was dying to read this. Sad to say that, despite all the great reviews and loving her other book, I was quite disappointed in this one.

Mackie lives in the eerie town of Gentry, where infants are sacrificed to the demons below the surface once every seven (I believe. Correct me if I'm wrong) years. Mackie is one of the changlings that replaced the child of his human parents. Despite this, his parents treat him as their own child and do their best to help him hide his secret.

It's hard, though, as Mackie is allergic to iron and blood. If he stays near too long, he will become sick.

Tate, the quiet loner in him school, confronts him after her sister died. She believes it wasn't really her sister, but a changling. She also believes Mackie to be one, which is why she went to him.

At first, he blows her off and tells her she is crazy, but as his feelings for her grow, he becomes a little more willing to help.

First of all, the main reason I don't like this book is because of Tate. She is a complete and utter bitch! She's nice to Mackie until he doesn't do exactly what she wants. She is constantly questioning his motives. I just didn't see the appeal for her, and their relationship seemed very forced.

It took me a while to get into this book. The beginning was very tedious and just flat-out boring. I never did quite get into the characters.

This book, all-in-all was just okay. Nothing spectacular. As creative as it was, the execution was just alright.

Dearly, Departed by Lia Habel

Dearly, Departed by Lia Habel

 

 

Pages: 470

Publisher: Del Ray

Release Date: October 18, 2011

Raing: 4/5

 

 

Dearly, Departed by Lia Habel is a neo-Victorian, or Steampunk novel about, well, zombies.

Nora Dearly is living with her aunt after both her mother and father passed away. Where the novel starts, she and her best friend, Pamela, are coming home from their school.

On her way home, Nora encounters this myterious man with white eyes. He tells her that she is in danger and should leave with him. Like the good little girl she is, she tells him he is nuts and calls for help.

A few days later, a horde of zombies invade her house. To her rescue comes the mysterious men and his army of...zombies. They defeat the evil zombies and take her to their military base. It is here that Senor Miserioso reveals himself as Abraham "Bram" Griswold.

To Nora, he is gorgeous, perfect. Well, save for the fact that he's dead (Oh, but who pays attention to detail?)!

First and formost, the most irritating thing about this book is that is has five points-of-view. Five! That's a whole hand's worth! Out of these five, only two, maybe three, were needed.

The three that make sense being Nora, Bram, and (maybe) Pamela. The only reason I say Pamela was because I liked seeing what was going on in town. It was the only parts of the story I remember that it is a steampunk novel, as I quickly forget it is a Victorian era while reading about Nora and Bram with their guns.

The other two would be spoiler-y if I were to say.

Now, somewhere along the lines, zombies became sexy. Well, one did, anyway. In the story, Bram was the only zombie who wasn't torn or broken. He looked human (as was described). I felt this to be a little hard to believe, especially since he is in the army. A GENERAL in the army, no less. He could at least be missing an ear or something.

I really liked the main character, Nora. Unlike most of today's heroins, her tough persona is believable. The stands up for herself, and doesn't take shit from anyone (not even a zombie!).

The writing was incredible. There was one typo I found towards the end, but other than that, it was just beautiful.

This was my first steampunk novel, and it SO wasn't a let down. I can't wait until I can get my hands on the second!

Notice

The Hollow by Jessica Verday

The Hollow by Jessica Verday

 

Pages: 509

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Release Date: September 1, 2009

Rating: 4/5

Abbey's best friend Kristen vanishes near the bridge at the Sleepy Hollow Cemetary. She doesn't believe her death was accidental.

At the funeral, Abbey meets Caspian. She's never seen him before, but he seems to know her. She finds herself drawn to him, but he doesn't seem interested.

Abbey finds there is more than meets the eye in Sleepy Hollow; that maybe the legend is more true then she ever believed.

Did you like my fail synposis? :)

This is my second time trying to get through this book. The first attempt was last year. I put it down to read something else, and for some reason never picked it back up. Oopsie.

I think I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. I've never had much luck with ghost stories in the past, so I was a bit hesitant to pick this one up.

Of course, I love The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, so of course I just HAD to try this one out.

The writing in this book was beautiful. It was detailed, but not overly detailed. Just enough to give you an image of what's going on.

The twists in the story were somewhat predictable...Okay, very predictable! But they worked for the story. They made sense.

Abbey was a strong lead. She had a mind of her own. Of course, you have the classic swooning over the love interest, but I suppose I've just come to accept that in YA.

There were a lot of questions concerning Kristen that were left unanswered. There was that whole thing with the diary, but it seemed to have been forgotten by the end of the book, which is unfortunate because I kind of wanted to know what happened to her.

There was some major insta-love in this book. She seemed to have "fallen in love" with Caspian within the first few chapters. This was pretty unbelieveable considering their encounters only lasted mere paragraphs most of the time.

This was an entertaining read. It was one of the best ghost stories I've read in some time. I'd say give it a shot.

AR Reading Challenge

Due to recent events, the AR Reading Challenge between me and Christina is called off. The page will be kept open until the end of the school year (June 8th).

Hopefully we will be able to have another next year.

~Tye <3

Gone by Michael Grant

Gone by Michael Grant

 

Pages: 558

Publisher: HarperTeen

Release Date: June 24, 2008

Rating: 3/5

Points: 18/18

In Perdido Beach, California, every person over the age of fourteen disappeared. One second there, the next--poof--gone.

With all the adults and teenagers gone, the bullies have taken over. Not only that, but some of the kids are developing powers, and the animals are mutating.

How long before all the food runs out? The medical supplies? How is one supposed to survive without the care of the adults?

I'm sure most kids have thought of living a life without adults, fantacising how perfect it would be without your mother nagging you to eat your greens and your teachers threatening you with homework.

I think Grant paints a pretty good picture of how things would really be like if there were no adults.

I quite enjoyed the world-building in this book. It's well developed, and to be quite honest, scary.

Unfortunatly, there are a couple things dragging this book down. The main issue being the many points-of-view. There was so much jumping between characters, they all blended together, resulting in a weak character development.

I also had a hard time believing these kids were fourteen and younger. I don't know why, I just didn't really buy it. They seemed quite mature for their age.

Now, I've never been to California (Hell, I've never left the east coast), so I don't know how people talk over there, but...

Do people really say "brah" anymore? Was that just a way to say "Hey, I'm a surfer...brah!", because that's how I took it.

Now, when it comes to character, it isn't all at a loss. I found myself quite liking our main villians: Cain, Diana, and Drake (I will admit to looking up their names on Wiki). They were, for lack of a better word, derranged. I loved it.

Especially Drake. I don't know why, but his inability to feel any type of human emotion (besides hatred) is just...rather sexy (Huh, so maybe I know why I refuse to believe they are fourteen). I can't wait to read more about him. ;)

The twist towards the middle of the book was unexpected, but I don't know how I feel about it. It's probably something that'll be developed more in the later books.

This was all-in-all an enjoyable read, when I had the will to pick it up. It wasn't the type of book I could just breeze through. I did have to take a few breaks.

Hamlet by Shakespeare

Hamlet by Shakespeare
Pages: 287

Hamlet is a very interesting book, slow at first but after the killings and plots start it picks up greatly. I would not recommend this book to just everybody because it is very hard to comprehend and understand what's going on at some points just because the language is different than we are used to speaking.

The main character Hamlet is after revenge for the murder of his father. He's kind of stupid if you ask me because he made everything harder than it really could have been and he didn't have to die in the end.
Claudius is Hamlet's Uncle/stepfather. Weird I know. He's also kind of annoying because he is to obvious with his plots.
Polonius is Claudius's best friend/advisor person. I just want to hit him because he talks way to much and he tries to act smart and make something that should have only been 5 words 50 words.
Laertes is Polonius's son. He's not there through most of the book, but he seems like a very loyal brother and son. But he likes ot have to much "fun"
Ophelia is Polonius's daughter and she is to gullible. She believes everything. And she cries to much.


The plot of the book is Hamlet's father was murdered and it's all about revenge and getting back at the people who hurt you. It takes a bunch of twists and turns and it's very ironic how the ending turns out. I won't spoil it for you though. :)

This book took me a while to read considering I read it in school with my english class and we had to keep stopping and explaining everything to some people. But if I had read it on my own it would have probably taken me about four days because of the contained material. I would have had to go on spark notes. xD
I would not recommend this book for everyone because it is a very hard read and not everybody can comprehend it.

The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan

The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan
Pages: 312


In Mary's world there are simple truths.


The Sisterhood always knows best.


The Guardians will protect and serve.


The Unconsecrated will never relent.


And you must always mind the fence that surrounds the village; the fence that protects the village from the Forest of hands and Teeth. But, Slowly, Mary's truths are failing her. She's learning things that she never wanted to know about the Sisterhood and its secrets, and the Guardians and their power, and the Unconsecrated and their relentlessness. When the fence is breached and her world is thrown into chaos, she must choose between her village and her future - between the one she loves and the one who loves her. And she must face the truth about the Forest of Hands and Teeth. Could there be life outside and world surrounded by so much death?

This book was so incredible, kind of slow at first, but after three or four chapters it picked up gratuitously.  This is a definite must-read. I think zombies are taking over the love of paranormal writers hearts, because the last few books that I've read have had to do more with zombies rather than faeries and such. But this book wasn't your average zombie book which makes it even better,

The main character Mary is just your average teenage girl who dreams of bigger and better things past the fence. She dreams of the ocean because of the stories that her mother passed down to her. 

Travis is the guy that Mary falls in love with but he doesn't want to marry her because his brother loves her. In the end he dies saving Mary from the Unconsecrated.

Harry is Travis' brother who wants to marry Mary. He is kind of annoying actually. But he was a key character to the book. 

Cass is Mary's best friend and engaged to Travis. She's a whimp. Like no lie. I wanted to hit her a number of tines throughout the book.

Jed is Mary's brother. He's an ass. Excuse my French but he really is. He throws Mary out and then wants to bring her back and then freezes her out again after his wife gets infected. I didn't like him much.

The plot is that Mary lives in a town ruled by the Sisterhood, and the Guardians. The village is surrounded by a fence, with the forest on the outside. You don’t leave the closure of the fence no matter what, unless you are infected by the Unconsecrated. Where the two paths lead no one knows. The Sisterhood tell everybody that they are the last people on Earth, only Mary knows that’s not true. Mary’s mother raised her on stories of the ocean and Mary decides that she’s going to escape the fence and find her ocean. So after a breach in the fence that’s exactly what she does. She makes her escape into the forest. But the Forest of Hands and Teeth is not what she expected.

I would definitely recommend this book for anyone who wants a good thinking book, because this book makes you think about what's important to you, what love is, and most of all would you risk everything for your dreams? It took me less than a day to read this just because I couldn't put it down. Happy Reading. :)

Fairest by Gail Carson Levine

Fairest by Gail Carson Levine

Pages: 326

Publisher: Haper Collins

Release Date: September 19, 2006

Rating: 3/5

Points: 8/8

All Aza wants is to be pretty. Abandoned by her parents as an infant, she was raised by the innkeepers of the Featherbed.
Aza has the prettiest voice in all the kingdom, but it doesn't keep people from being rude about her hideousness. It isn't until she is taken to the castle and meets the royal family that she realizes what true beauty is.
Fairest is a retelling of Snow White, but it isn't the most obvious about it. It really isn't until towards the end that the huge elements of the fairy tale are applied.
 I had a really hard time taking this book seriously. It is really hard to imagine a kingdom where everyone communicates by song. Whenever it was mentioned that someone "sang" their dialogue, especially one of the men, I couldn't help but put the book down and laugh. This was probably my biggest problem with the story.

When it came to the characters, I felt the only one I had a problem with was Prince Ijori. He was a royal jerk. He claimed to have loved Aza the second he laid eyes on her, but turned his back on her when she needed it the most.
Gladly, Aza's first instinct was to "hate" him, and just forget about him, but of course, she happily forgives him when he apologizes for being a pompous ass.
The villains in the story I felt were great. Telling who or why would be spoilers, but I will say that they fed off each other really well.
The ending of this story was sweet. The morals of the story really hit-home and was presented well.
Anyone looking for a quick, easy read should pick this up. The odd customs of the characters might be a bit off-putting, but it is quite enjoyable when you get past it.

Juliet Immortal by Stacey Jay

Juliet Immortal by Stacey Jay

 

Pages: 307

Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers

Release Date: August 9, 2011

Rating: 2/5

Points: 13/13

The story we have all come to love is a lie. Juliet Capulet's death wasn't suicide, it was murder. Her soul mate, Romeo Montague plunged the knife into her heart.
Now, he is her mortal enemy. As she tries to bring soul mates together, Romeo is trying to separate them in the most permanent way possible--he is trying to convince one to sacrifice the other, as he once did, for immortality.
*THIS REVIEW WILL CONTAIN MAJOR SPOILERS*
My first major problem was Juliet. She is the most self-centered person I have EVER read about. Even more so than Natalie Harvgrove, and THAT is saying something!
As she is supposed to be bringing people together, she is fawning over Ben Luna, her supposed true love.
This is where the story starts to get to me. It is quite obvious that Ben is really a reincarnation of none other than Benvolio. This just makes the whole story just scream FANFICTION to me. I'm sorry, I love Benvolio (from the original play), but not with Juliet. Just...no.
Speaking of Ben, he irked me too. In this book, Ben is Mexican. Okay, fine, whatever. This is my problem:
Authors tend to shove the fact that a person in the story is Hispanic down your throat.
"Hey, what's up, chica?"
See, as a person who IS hispanic and grew up around people who speak Spanish, I would know that MOST hispanics don't throw random Spanish into their sentences.
The onces that do are just annoying...
Besides that, it is stated that Ben is an exact replica of past-Benvolio, who in which...isn't Mexican.
Maybe I'm looking too far into this. It is just fiction, after all.
Then there is their relationship. They knew each other for three days before falling in love? I mean, it took Romeo and Juliet .5 seconds...So, maybe she was just playing off that.
Funny part is, it took Benvolio (past) .1 seconds to fall in love with Juliet, DESPITE her sleeping with his cousin.
Shakespear, what have you done?
At first, I thought the plot was amazing, but the more I read the story, the cheesier I found it. I think it was my excitment to read something Romeo and Juliet related.
Romeo was, by far, the most interesting thing about this book. The "intermezzos" (Italian for "intermission") were fun to read. I loved how psycho Romeo was.
As I said, as much as this book irked me, there was something drawing me in, making me read it until the end. That and Romeo is what saved this book and gave it the two stars. (:
By the way, I apologize if I offended anyone talking about Ben being Hispanic. It was more the sterotypes that bothered me than his race. >_<

The Iron Knight by Julie Kagawa

The Iron Knight by Julie Kagawa

 

Pages: 361

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Release Date: October 26, 2011

Rating: 4/5

Points: 17/17

Ash, former prince of the Winter Court, gave up everything. His title, his home, even his vow of loyalty. All for a girl… and all for nothing.Unless he can earn a soul.

To cold, emotionless faery prince Ash, love was a weakness for mortals and fools. His own love had died a horrible death, killing any gentler feelings the Winter prince might have had. Or so he thought.

Then Meghan Chase—a half human, half fey slip of a girl— smashed through his barricades, binding him to her irrevocably with his oath to be her knight. And when all of Faery nearly fell to the Iron fey, she severed their bond to save his life. Meghan is now the Iron Queen, ruler of a realm where no Winter or Summer fey can survive.

With the (unwelcome) company of his archrival, Summer Court prankster Puck, and the infuriating cait sith Grimalkin, Ash begins a journey he is bound to see through to its end— a quest to find a way to honor his solemn vow to stand by Meghan’s side.

To survive in the Iron realm, Ash must have a soul and a mortal body. But the tests he must face to earn these things are impossible. At least, no one has ever passed to tell the tale.

And then Ash learns something that changes everything. A truth that turns reality upside down, challenges his darkest beliefs and shows him that, sometimes, it takes more than courage to make the ultimate sacrifice.

Review:

There really isn't much to say about this book without spoiling it, so I'm going to skip the synopsis of it and just get on with the review.

I was a bit on the fence about it being in Ash's point of view, but I think Kagawa was pretty spot-on with her "man voice," even if he was a tad angsty


.I really felt for Ash in this book. The choices he had to make, the challanges he had to face, made me feel bad for him, in a way. I would hate to have to go through what he did to get what he wanted.
The return of a familiar, yet a bit unknown, character made the journey that much harder on him, making him question if it was Meghan he really wanted.
Puck, of course, was the ever-humorous character he was in the previous books. Although, he is a lot angrier in this book, perhaps a bit desprate

As this book was amazing, I kind of wish it wasn't written. I don't particularly like that he and Meghan got their happy ending. I wish it had ended with The Iron Queen

Of course, that is my opinion. I'm sure a lot of people will enjoy the happy ending. I just found it too convenient.

Darn Mrs. Kagawa for being talked into writing this book.

Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake

Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake

 

Pages: 316

Publisher: Tor Teen

Release Date: August 30, 2011

Rating: 4/5

Points Earned: 12/12

Theseus Cassio isn't your normal teenage boy. He's a ghost hunter. After his father died while hunting a ghost, Cas vowed to avenge his father's death.
Cas gets a request to track down Anna Dressed In Blood, a tortured spirit who haunts her old house, killing whoever dares step forth into it.
Except, when Cas get's thrown into the house by butt-faced Mike, Anna spares him.
Despite the feelings Cas grows for Anna, he is determined to bring her down. Or, is he?
First and foremost, I must say that this would make a kick-ass movie if done right, no?
Some of the images this book gave me were downright frightening. That one particular scene when Anna peers out the window in her "evil" form has just stuck itself into my mind, and it's creeping me out.
Speaking of Anna, I felt so much for her. Her backstory just broke my heart into pieces. I was hoping her the best throughout the story.
Cas, as good as he was, bothered me a bit. His cocky attitude just got to me sometimes. He is the only one who can hunt ghosts. He is the only one who can wield the athame. Jesus, boy, who made you God?
At the same time, I loved his character, and as weird as it sounds, I loved his love for Anna. It was so deranged, but at the same time, cute.
This is probably one of my favorites this year. I can't wait for the next book to come out.
I was never a fan of ghost stories, but I think everyone should give this book a try. (:

Awakened by Kristin + P.C.Cast

Awakened by Kristin + P.C.Cast
Pages: 290
Points: 13/13

This book actually surprised me with the way it turned out. I was getting bored with the series and I wasn't sure if this book would turn out any good. It was actually quite good.

The characters are still the same so I don't feel the need to go over all of them. But the main ones you need to know are Zoey, Stevie Rae, Rephaim, Kalona, Stark, and Neferet. Zoey is the main girl who defeats everybody woo hoo. Stevie Rae is her trusty anoying hick sidekick. Rephaim is Stevie Rae's half bird lover (my favorite character <3) Kalona is one of the bad guys. Stark is Zoey's guardian thing. And Neferet is the worst of the bad guys.

The plot was basically about Neferet trying to get Zoey killed because Kalona didn't do it like he was supposed to in the Otehrworld. It was quite an interesting plot to be honest. I can't really explain it much without spoilers, so just know that it was really good.

I finished this book in less than 24 hours because I couldn't put it down. The authors definately brought back something good. I would recommend for you to start reading this series but be prepared to get bored, but once you start reading, read till you finish the series!

Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver

Before I Fall
Pages: 470

Points 18/18


What if you had only one day to live? What would you do? Who would you kiss? And how far would you go to save your own life?
Samantha Kingston has it all: the world’s most crush-worthy boyfriend, three amazing best friends, and first pick of everything at Thomas Jefferson High—from the best table in the cafeteria to the choicest parking spot. Friday, February 12, should be just another day in her charmed life.
Instead, it turns out to be her last.
Then she gets a second chance. Seven chances, in fact. Reliving her last day during one miraculous week, she will untangle the mystery surrounding her death—and discover the true value of everything she is in danger of losing.


This book was quite spectacular actually. When Tye asked me to read it and I aked her what it was about I thought that it sounded dumb and that nobody could do that without getting cheesy or repetitive. But boy was I wrong.

The main character in this book is Samantha Kingston, and pardon my french but in the beginning of the book she kind of is a bitch. But by the end of the book she has a change of heart and actually does the right thing. Her friends are Elody, Ally and Lindsay. They're all pretty cool but they definately have their problems. They're the stuck up mean girls of high school. Samantha's boyfriend Rob was a jerk who didn't understand anything. It was kinda great. Kent was the wierd kid that liked Samantha, they had been friends forever. (He was my favorite character. <3)

The plot of this book was that Samantha died and kept waking up on the day she died, given seven chances to relive her last day and make everything right again. Again, I thought that nobody could pull off this plot but Lauren Oliver did it wonderfully.

This book took me less than a day to read due to the fact that it was just so amazing I couldn't put it down. I recommend this book greatly. It's a must read!!!

Fearscape by Simon Holt

Fearscape by Simon Holt

 

Pages: 320

Publisher: Little, Brown

Release Date: October 5, 2010

Rating: 4/5

Points Earned: 11/11

Review:

Where we left off in Soulstice, Reggie was finally able to break Quinn free of the Vour's hold on him. Unfortunately, Reggie also get's sent to Home, a mental institute run by Dr. Unger, and Vours.

Reggie is forced into people's fearscapes in order for Unger to conduct research.

All the while, Aaron, with the help of Quinn and ex-tracer Machen, plan on freeing Reggie before it's too late.

I had forgotten how much I loved this series. It must have been the boring, slightly unsettling cover that's put me off for so long.

My only real problem with this book was the ending. It was resolved, but at the same time, it wasn't. I felt that Holt could have wrapped things up a little better. This is, I believe, the last book in the series after all.

I loved the new fearscapes in this one. They still kept on with their creepy nature. The descriptions of the horrors were just incredible.

The twists in the story were unpredictible, and added great tention, and sometimes a bit of hope, into the story.

I really just wish there was more. The way it ended could be left open for at least another book, which I doubt will happen.

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

Speak
Pages: 198
Points: 8/8




Melinda Speaks: I wasted the last weeks of August watching bad cartoons. I didn't go to the mall, the lake, or the pool, or answer the phoe. I have netered high school with the wrong hair, the wrong clothes, the wrong attitude. And I don't have anyone to sit with.
I am Outcast.
The kids behind me laugh so loud I know they're laughing about me. I can't help myself. I turn around. It's Rachel, surrounded by a bunch of kids wearing clothes that most definately did not come from the EastSide mall. Rachel Bruin, my ex-best friend. She stares at something above my left ear. Words climb up my throat. This was the girl who suffered through brownies with me, who taught me how to swim, who understood about my parents, who didn't make fun of my bedroom. If there is anyone in the entire galaxy I am dying to tell what really happened, it's Rachel. My throat burns.
Her eyes meet mine for a second. "I hate you." she mouths silently.


This book was really touching. That's the only way I can describe it. I can't really explain much of the book or it could lead to spoilers and  hate spoiling books. But this book isn't that long, it's an easy read and a lot of teenagers can compare to it.

The characters mostly are the parents, Heather, Rachel, and Melinda. Melinda, the main character is super quiet and barely ever talks. But she had gone through a lot so it's understandable. The parents are never there and when they are they're (for lack of a better word) butts. Melinda has a terrible home life which is just one of the many things that adds to the horribleness of her life. Heather is just annoying. Enough said. Rachel is a go with the crowd type of girl. I don't know why Melinda wants to be her friend so bad honestly.

I'm not going to say much about the plot because it kind of unfolds as you go along. But the plot was excellent and there was one major twist in it that I wasn't expecting.

It only took about 2 days to read this book because it's so short and easy to read. It was an amazing book. For the win Laurie Anderson. Quite an exceptional book.

The Space Between by Brenna Yovanoff

The Space Between by Brenna Yovanoff

 

Pages: 365

Publisher: Razorbill

Release Date: November 14, 2011

Rating: 5/5

Points Earned: 0/13 (Test not taken)

Review:

Daphne is the youngest daughter of Lilith and Lucifer. She isn't quite like her sisters, the Lilim. Daphne is more human than them. She doesn't want to feed off of men's pain and sorrow; she's never even left Pandemonium. That is, until her brother, Obie, says he's leaving, that he fell in love with a human girl.

Daphne sets after him when her mother sees a vision of blood, thinking that the Angel of Death, Azrael, and he's minion, Dark Dreadful, have found him.

But first, she must seek out Obie's human friend, Truman Flynn, because he was the last person to see Obie when he left.

Truman is in no shape of helping anyone, being a cutter and alcoholic. The only thing he wants is to drop dead. When Daphne find him at a party, comatose in the bathroom, she has to beg her cousin Moloch to spare his life.

His time on Earth was up, but Daphne needs him to find her brother.

It took me a couple days to get fully into this book, but when I did, I was hooked. This book had be laughing, crying, and just going "Awwww!"

This book goes from first to third person, in a way that is wonderfully done. The chapters in first are from Daphne's point-pf-view, and the third person follows Truman.

Once again, I think I enjoyed reading about Truman than I did Daphne. Truman's development throughout the book was just outstanding. By the end, he did fully understand that he isn't just some screwed up bastard, and that he is capable of accomplishing things in life.

Daphne was, in my opinion, just adorable. Her ignorance of just the simpliest "human" things, well, adorable! Her development throughout the book, while not as strong as Truman's, is just as great.

The romance was refreshing. Yes, this is in the span of about three days, so technically, they fall in-love pretty quick, but it was gradual throughout the book. In the beginning, all Daphne wanted from Truman was information about her brother's whereabouts. By the end, she wanted to save them both.

Another character I loved was Obie's daughter, Raymie. She was cute in a creepy sort of way. From what I understood, she wasn't even a year old, but could speak full sentences, and knew all about medical terms and stuff (Obie was a doctor while on Earth). I just wanted to hug her.

The writing was dark and beautiful. It had a way of drawing you in and not letting go until the very end.

Speaking of the end, it was both heart-wrenching and beautiful. It gave you just enough to be satisfied (you know, after I was tearing up from the sad part ;-;).

This was probably one of the best "demon" books I've read. Yovanoff didn't water the demons down. She didn't make them pleasant. Not to mention she didn't screw with Lilith's story. Props to her.

This is certainly one of my favorite books of 2012 so far

The Betrayal of Natalie Hargrove by Lauren Kate

The Betrayal of Natalie Hargrove by Lauren Kate

 

Pages: 235

Publisher: Razor Bill

Release: November 12, 2009

Rating: 1/5

Points Earned: 0/8 (Test not taken)

 

Review:

 

We all know how much I love Lauren Kate, right? I have pretty much no respect for her as an author, but I can't help but pick up all of her books. Perhaps I enjoy putting myself through literary torture.

The Betrayal of Natalie Hargrove is a modern retelling of Macbeth, and what an epic fail it is!

All Natalie wants for her senior year is to be crowned Palmetto Princess (prom queen, for all you normal people out there). He long-term boyfriend, Mike, is a lot less enthusiatic. At this rate, pretty-boy Justin Balmer is going to get crowned Prince. That is, until a prank the night of Rex's Mardi Gras party goes horribly wrong.

How on Earth is she going to get her crown, while at the same time covering up her tracks? And why is it she is still seeing Justin wherever she goes?

The first thing I have to say about this book: unrealistic. I mean, yes, this book does boarder on paranormal, but I mean on more of a high-school-level.

You know, like how you see on television. There is always that one girl who dreams of being crowned homecoming/prom queen. Times that by ten and you get Palmetto High.

Not everyone is set on being crowned, but they are all pretty into the whole thing. To the point where they have a day on just showing off their jessamines, rightly named Jessamine Day.

Now, I don't know about your schools, but at mine all the grade levels pretty much get along. I don't know any "Bambies" and none of my Junior friends are hippies. Maybe you do?

The way people talk in this book is just odd. Most people my age wouldn't use the word "polyamorous" (well, except my friend Alex) and little to none know what a "thespian" is (I'm just a freak like that), so using the phrase "polyamorous thespian" just doesn't work.

Then again, Kate is known to use big words in her books.

Another problem: grammar. I can let commas and stuff slide, but "more softly" is just not acceptable. Perhaps this is to prove that Nat is uneducated? But, then again, she used the phrase "polyamorous thespian," so I don't know.

Really, wouldn't it just be easier to say "whore?"

Normally I can tell from the beginning whether or not this book with be enjoyable. The first paragraph was pretty good, and then the style just went juvenile.

Once upon a time, we knew nothing--like ohmigod! I sooo want those shoes

The ending was no better...until the last paragraph. I think we have a pattern!

*SPOILERS*

We all know that in the play, Lady Macbeth kills herself. Well, not in this story! Instead of killing herself, Natalie planned to run away to New York. Her plans went wrong (again) when she got into an argument with Mike in their "secret spot." It resulted in him pushing her off the edge of a cliff to her ultimate death.

This was obviously supposed to take you off-guard, make you sad. I say that she deserved it.

*END SPOILERS*

Natalie was just an unlikeable character: selfish and manipulative. She didn't even really have any character development. I suppose there was a small hint of remose in the end, but not really.

All-in-all, this is a standard Lauren Kate book: a gorgeous cover with terrible content.