[Review] Dark Territory by J. Gabriel Gates

Title: Dark Territory (The Tracks #1)
Author: J. Gabriel Gates & Charlene Keel
Published: July 1st 2011 by HCI Teens
Genre: YA Fantasy, Paranormal & Romance.
Rating: ★★★★★
Goodreads summary:

In the quaint town of Middleburg, an abandoned train yard and old railroad tracks form the dividing line between two rival gangs--the posh, preppie Toppers and the working-class Flatliners. When Raphael, the leader of the Flatliners, falls in love with Aimee, a Topper girl, the rival gangs prepare to do battle.

Emma's thoughts:

I started this book with NO idea what to expect. I mean, it sounds pretty innocent right? Rivalry gangs, cute romance, fights. And it was exactly that! For the beginning at least.

What I really enjoyed was the characters in this book. They were fun and relatable and the boys sounded damn hot! There were a few stereotypical characters, Rick, the bully, Maggie, the bitch, but even so, they were real. It was great that the story was told from all different points of views. It didn't stick with just one or two characters, but it told everyone's stories, even the not so prominent characters. From time to time, adults got their own little parts and it was just a breath of fresh air, reading from such a great range of perspectives. I gotta say though, I love Nass (Ignacio) and Raph! They were so cute (in lack of a better word)! Nass is hilarious and Raph is just drool-worthy! Totally jealous of Aimee right now...

The fighting in this book was awesome. Just plain, awesomeness. I love martial arts. I love watching guys fight. And not just some random punches flying around, but skilled fighting. The description of the action in here was just too good! I felt like I could see it, everything, being played out right in my head! And it's hot boys.♥

So, jump to the halfway point of the book and the creepy supernatural stuff starts to appear. And I mean creepy. I clearly haven't learnt my lesson (from The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer) to not read books like these in the dark! It's not horribly gruesome, but I definitely felt shivers. All the talk about endless black tunnels and strange monsters in the dark really isn't good for my current state of mind...

But this whole concept of time! Time time time! I just, I couldn't stop thinking about it. Time is something that's just always, constantly there. It ticks on and on and we all know we can't, yet still wish to pause, rewind or fast forward. But you know, maybe we don't need to. Anyways, I just want to praise Gates and Keel on this awesome concept of time. I won't spoil it for you, but READ IT. Your mind will be blown.

I am so excited to start the sequel! (Thank you, Netgalley! Review to come soon.) Needless to say, the end left me dying for more. Shit's about to go down in Middleburg...

Rating: 5 stars~ An endless, terrifying yet exciting journey!

First:

 Ignacio Torrez stepped into the Middleburg High School cafeteria at high noon, five minutes before the fists started flying.

Favourite:

 "I'd like to introduce my crouching tiger to her hidden dragon."

Teaser:

 "He looks like a monkey that took ballet lessons."

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[Review] The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater

Title: The Scorpio Races
Author: Maggie Stiefvater
Published: October 18th 2011 by Scholastic Inc.
Rating: ★★★★★
Goodreads summary:

It happens at the start of every November: the Scorpio Races. Riders attempt to keep hold of their water horses long enough to make it to the finish line. Some riders live. Others die.

At age nineteen, Sean Kendrick is the returning champion. He is a young man of few words, and if he has any fears, he keeps them buried deep, where no one else can see them.

Puck Connolly is different. She never meant to ride in the Scorpio Races. But fate hasn’t given her much of a chance. So she enters the competition — the first girl ever to do so. She is in no way prepared for what is going to happen.

Emma's thoughts:

Oh. My. God. Reading this, I am once again reminded of why I love Maggie Stiefvater's writing so much. Simply magical, really. The way she phrases her words, the detailed description of the settings, the characters. It makes me feel as if her stories come truly alive.

On the small island of Thisby, we meet Sean Kendrick and Puck Connolly. We're also introduced to these mythical creatures, capaill uisce. Water horses. Dangerous, predators, and beautiful. In my mind, I see an image something like that ------------------------------------>
Not quite so skeletal, but big, daunting and dark.

The entire concept of these water horses utterly fascinates me. They're creatures from the ocean, but on the land, they become these ferocious monsters that eat flesh, and yet, are an attraction. No matter how many people they have eaten or killed, people still want them, people still dare to sit on their backs and race with them.

Puck Connolly is the first female to ever enter the competition. She's barely an adult and doesn't even dare to ride a capaill uisce. No, she races on her land mare that everyone mistakes for a pony.

I love love love Puck. She's so strong and brave and confident in ways I could never be. Fierce and a quite stubborn, she really creates quite a stir in Thisby. Orphaned and living with two brothers, she's grown up to be pretty much independent. Well until her older brother decides to leave. SOMEHOW, I don't think entering a race where people actually die, is a great way to convince him to stay, even for a while longer. Not the way I'd go about it, but anyways.. it showed me just how much a jerk her brother is! Right, just leave your siblings because you can't pay for the freaking house...

So Puck enters this race, and she's mocked and treated a joke. It's a man's race. I love the fact that Puck doesn't really care about that. She's doing what she has to do, because she needs to win. I admire that she knows that people are going to think what they're going think and she doesn't need their blessing to prove to the men that a girl can win the Scorpio race.

And Sean Sean Sean! He's got the 'dark, mysterious, and brooding' appeal down pat. 'The dead speak more than he does.' He's focused, determined, the four-time winner of the races and quite the horse whisperer. For someone who speaks the bare minimum, he's got so much to say. At the age of nineteen, he's probably maturer than the majority of the island.

It's great that we get both perspectives of Puck and Sean. They're both such interesting and unique characters, it's hard not to feel a connection. By the end of the book, I couldn't help but to feel nostalgic. I've decided this is why I like series. I get to be excited and anticipate the next book. Puck and Sean's story is over, but it's one that will stay with me for a long while.

Overall rating: 5 stars~ Another heart-stopping and breath-taking story by Maggie Stiefvater!

First:

 People say my brothers would be lost without me, but really, I'd be lost without them.

Favourite:

 “I say, 'I will not be your weakness, Sean Kendrick.'
Now he looks at me. He says, very softly, 'It's late for that, Puck.”

Teaser:

 They haven't discovered yet that it's not the fastest who make it to race day.
You only have to be the fastest of those who are left.

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[Review] Touch by Jus Accardo

Title: Touch (Denazen #1)
Author: Jus Accardo
Published: November 1st 2011 by Entangled Publishing
Genre: Young Adult, Romance, Contemporary, Humor.
Rating: ★★★★
Goodreads summary:

  When a strange boy tumbles down a river embankment and lands at her feet, seventeen-year-old adrenaline junkie Deznee Cross snatches the opportunity to piss off her father by bringing the mysterious hottie with ice blue eyes home.
  Except there’s something off with Kale. He wears her shoes in the shower, is overly fascinated with things like DVDs and vases, and acts like she’ll turn to dust if he touches her. It’s not until Dez’s father shows up, wielding a gun and knowing more about Kale than he should, that Dez realizes there’s more to this boy—and her father’s “law firm”—than she realized.
  Kale has been a prisoner of Denazen Corporation—an organization devoted to collecting “special” kids known as Sixes and using them as weapons—his entire life. And, oh yeah, his touch? It kills. The two team up with a group of rogue Sixes hellbent on taking down Denazen before they’re caught and her father discovers the biggest secret of all. A secret Dez has spent her life keeping safe.
   A secret Kale will kill to protect.

Emma's thoughts:

Cover:

Definitely not how I imagined Kale to look like... Somehow, I thought he'd look a tad more innocent. And that's the bummer about literal faces on front covers, because they're never how I imagine them to be! 

First Impression: 

HIS NAME IS KALE! HIS NAME IS KALE!!!!!!!!!!! Only Racquel will fathom my love for the name Kale. I can't even explain it, but that name! Is just.. AHH. I LOVE IT! If I don't find and marry a guy named Kale, I will name my child Kale so someone will have the pleasure of marrying a fine male specimen named Kale.

Plot:

Touch, meet Shatter Me, your long lost sister! Oh and, also, here's The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer too, because I'm pretty sure you're related somehow. All three revolve around this idea of this power of killing people. Touch and Shatter Me involve touching the victim in order to kill. And as much as I love the idea of these so-called powers and the vast range of possibilities that 'powers' hold, it's just being overdone! And I also hate that I feel like I would've liked Touch better if I hadn't read Shatter Me recently.

There's also that recurring theme of the 'evil people' recruiting (or kidnapping) those with powers to use it for the lesser good. In this case, it's the Denazen. A prison in a law-firm disguise, which Dez's father owns.

I liked the explanation of the name 'Sixes'. It's the genetic abnormality in the sixth chromosome. But then... *googles sixth chromosome* Contains the Major Histocompatibility Complex and plays a vital role in organ transplantation? Um... okay then... And, and, and, it's never really explained how Kale can touch Dez, but no one else! Well, it's not explained, period! There better be some answers in the sequel! Because I hate not knowing why weird things like that happen.

Characters:

Technicalities aside... I cannot get over Kale. When you first meet him, he's this clueless child who has no idea whatsoever what the word 'complicated' implies. And then, his mind blossoms and blooms. It's beautiful. He holds Dez's hand because he sees another couple doing it. He's in awe of the little things we take for granted. Television, cheese and chocolate... But he's not stupid, he's far from stupid. He's a little bit protective and possessive of Dez, and it's freaking adorable! And whenever he's confused, I imagine him wide-eyed and innocent looking... but it breaks my heart how honest he is. He's got so much to learn and to see, I just cannot wait for the next book. But read this: Untouched. It's a novella from his perspective following Touch. 

Dez makes an awesome heroine. She's strong, ruthless, and smart. Oh, and she knows some moves too. I was a bit iffy with her at the start. Because one, who runs off with the guy that potentially and intentionally tried to kill you?! And two, her life's purpose is to piss off her dad? I don't know, but it's just a weird concept to me. If he was playing the concerned dad role, then what more does she want to get yelled at for? But nevertheless, Dez grew on me. She's smart, and even if I didn't agree with some of her decisions, she managed to make it work! And well, she's perfect with Kale. The way they turn all googly eyed around each other makes me want to believe in love(: 

Thinking about all the other characters makes my head spin! Ginger, Dez's dad, Alex, Mercy, Brandt... Look there's a Six. There's another Six! Oh, look, he's a Six too! This place is crawling with Sixes... But who to trust? Who's not going to come stab them in the back!? Who, who, who??

Overall:

I read this for Kale. I read this in hope of finding reliable people. It was an intense, action-packed journey. Overused words, I know, but I couldn't put this book down! Definitely one to be read in a single sitting.


Overall Rating: 4 stars~ KALE KALE KALE! NUFF SAID!

First:

 I couldn't see them, but I knew they were there, waiting at the bottom.

Cute Things That Kale Said:

"Why does my heart pump faster when we're close? How is it you do that to me?"

 ...I heard Kale tell Fin to stop staring at my ass or he was going to punish him. 

"...If I had the ability to touch anyone else in this world, I still don't believe I'd want it to be anyone but you." 

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[Review] Titan Magic by Jodi Lamm

Title: Titan Magic
Author: Jodi Lamm
Published: September 30th 2011
Genre: Fantasy, Mythology.
Purchase it: Amazon
Rating: ★★★★
Goodreads summary:

Mute, heartless, and tormented by auditory hallucinations, Madeleine Lavoie never questions why her family has hidden her from the world. But the night her brother casts her out, she learns the mysterious voice she thought existed only in her mind is no delusion, and no matter how hard she tries, she can never disobey it.

Now Madeleine must find her own voice in a cacophony of powerful tyrants, monsters, and gods. If she fails, she will forfeit her life and the lives of everyone who loves her. But if she succeeds, she may finally gain the ability to love someone in return.

Emma's thoughts:

I was drawn into this book from the very first line of the summary. Mute and mad, Madeleine Lavoie has lived her entire life confined to bedposts in her room. Her life is not what she believed it to be...

To say I was so excited to read this after the first chapter(here) may be an understatement. Mythology is something I absolutely adoooore. I think it's absolutely magical that Jodi took something that NOBODY has tried to recreate and made it into something beautiful! I shall bow down to Jodi for making me see golems with a totally new perspective. Because honestly, when was the last time you read an amazing story about golems?! Those clunky, clay things? This is what I love most about reading mythology. We've all had those long, droning history lessons about Greeks, Romans, and whatnot. But really, history's about the way you interpret it. So here's a fascinating interpretation of golems!

The heartbreaking moment when Maddy learns about her true nature, I just wanted to wrap her in a hug and assure she's just as human as any of us! Her creator/master, Jas, is one aggravating and confusing character. No, actually Marcus, Jas, and Eli are confusing. Their motivation and reasoning is just a shocker, really. I never knew what to expect out of this book. It just kept turning and turning and at the end, I was just left... flabbergasted.

All in all, Will Taylor was my favourite character. He's so sweet and and true gentleman. Oh and Marcus.. Marcus, Marcus, Marcus..! He's just...! I really love what Jodi did with his character! Yes, I got extremely confused throughout the book about Marcus, her supposed brother, but it made sense. It had me going: 'YES. I GET IT NOW!' because it was just such an ingenious twist to the book!

It was a such pleasure to read this book, to be introduced to this new way of looking at clay creatures. I think this will be one of those book I'll end up thinking about in the middle of class, contemplating the way I look at things now. I can't wait to see else Jodi has up her sleeve!

I recommend this to: Anyone who loves mythology with a twist!

Rating: 4 stars~ Books like these make the impossible seem possible♥

First:

Tonight, no matter what the voice said, Madeleine Lavoie would not listen to it, she would not sympathize with it and, most importantly, she would not obey it.

Favourite:

 "...love makes people stupid. It doesn't matter whether the person you love could ever love you back. You'll still follow them everywhere. You'll still do anything for them."

Teaser:  

"Nonsense. She's just a gorgeous piece of clay. You know that as well as I do."

Thanks to the author for a free copy of this ebook in exchange for my honest review!

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[Review] Putting Boys On The Ledge by Stephanie Rowe

Title: Putting Boys On The Ledge (A Girlfriend's Guide To Boys #1)
Author: Stephanie Rowe
Published: Published October 31st 2011 by TKA Distribution
Rating: ★★★
Goodreads summary:

Meet Blueberry Waller, whose name is the only interesting thing about her life. Until now.

Not only is Blue dealing with the worst name in the world, crazy parents and a clingy younger sister, she just got a part in the school play. And now she’s acting with Heath Cavendish, total crush-worthy senior. He would never give a second look to a girl like Blue. Except he has.

Her friends say Blue should play it cool, put Heath on the Ledge so she can keep the upper hand. Trouble is, she doesn’t know how to be clever around boys. Thankfully her pal Colin offers his help in teaching her how to get the guy. But he’s just being a good friend. Isn’t he?

Suddenly the wallflower is getting all the attention. But will being in the spotlight keep Blue from making the right decisions...for her?

A Girlfriend’s Guide to Boys: For these four friends, understanding the world of boys is only half the battle.

Emma's thoughts:

Blue is a fourteen year old girl. I am fourteen years old. That's where the similarities end. I always have so much trouble reading stories about teenagers my age, or younger. First of all, they never get it right - to me anyways. I realise that Stephanie Rowe didn't exactly write this two days ago and things change a lot, even within a year. But just in general, I think you have to be fourteen to write about being fourteen. Of course, this is not the same case for every other age, but the fact is, fourteen is an awkward stage. Girls are in and out of puberty, boys are short and scrawny or way too tall, and nobody likes to remember when they were fourteen years of age. Nothing happens at this stage. Parties and alcohol are reserved for those deemed cool enough by the older kids and sex is either too confronting or just perverted.

But maybe I'm just too biased for my own good. Stephanie Rowe did get most of it right though, I'll give her that. It's just that she wrote about the girls in my class that I hate. 'Oh my god guys, look there's Jake! Should I say hi?!' 'Do you really think he likes me? Even with my small boobs!?' It's a nightmare, I tell you (Not the book! The girls!). But one thing that I did find really weird in this? A boy in Year 12 would never, ever, ever, ever, ever look at a girl in Year 9. Even if they had to work together in a school production. Even if they had great chemistry on stage. I just... No. I could not wrap my head around that. Heath just CREEPED me out.

Blue, other than her annoying obsession with Heath and her, was actually pretty funny. I loved her friends. They made an awesome group. Allie and Frances were pretty awesome. I'd really love to read Frances' story. Sounds uber exciting with the whole best friend's brother she-bang!

Colin was another character I liked. I wish, I wish, I wish I could come across a guy like him! All I ever seem to see is endless Heaths *sigh*. He just had his own, cute confidence that was attractive in an entirely different way. But again with the whole age difference! Colin (no offense, Blue) could've done much better. But still, it was fun to read, and comical to say the least! So many quirky moments of the stories I could partly relate to and nod along in recognition.

It was a nice, simple read about teenagers attempting to fit into your typical high school and reeling in guys from all different angles, tempting them to the edge of the Ledge.

Rating: 3 stars~ A quick fun and entertaining read!

First:

The only way to survive boys is to put them on the Ledge as often as possible.

Favourite:

Forget boys and read a good book. Or study. When you're twenty-five and raking in the big bucks, men will be falling all over you because you're a successful professional woman.

Teaser:

"You want me to decide whether you want to be kissed?"

Thanks to the publisher for the free copy of this ebook in exchange for my honest review (via Netgalley).

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[Review] Angelfall by Susan Ee

Title: Angelfall (Penryn & The End Of Days #1)
Author: Susan Ee
Published: Published May 21st 2011 by Feral Dream
Rating: ★★★★★
Goodreads summary:

It's been six weeks since angels of the apocalypse descended to demolish the modern world. Street gangs rule the day while fear and superstition rule the night. When warrior angels fly away with a helpless little girl, her seventeen-year-old sister Penryn will do anything to get her back. 

Anything, including making a deal with an enemy angel. 

Raffe is a warrior who lies broken and wingless on the street. After eons of fighting his own battles, he finds himself being rescued from a desperate situation by a half-starved teenage girl. 

Traveling through a dark and twisted Northern California, they have only each other to rely on for survival. Together, they journey toward the angels' stronghold in San Francisco where she'll risk everything to rescue her sister and he'll put himself at the mercy of his greatest enemies for the chance to be made whole again.

Emma's thoughts:

If you're only ever going to read one paranormal story in your life, let it be this one.

What I absolutely love, love, love about this book is that it's about bad angels! I mean, we've always seen angels as pure innocence, messengers of God, whatever else... but never as the deliverance of a massacre! The angels are the bad guys here. They're the one killing the humans they apparently were once supposed to watch over. I just cannot get over how much I adore this! I know, that sounds pretty horrid, but it's BOOM! New! Refreshing! I know we've all heard of bad angels before, but this brings it to a whole new level.

And of course, we've all read our fair share of fallen angels. Raffe is just... sigh... He's my perfect Valentine's date if you'll look back to the post a few days ago. I simply love him. He's so surprisingly human for a celestial being. And this quote just says it: "A sense of humor is one more thing I don't think angels should have. The fact that his sense of humor is corny makes it even more wrong." Raffe is FUNNY. In a sarcastic way. And who ever thought angels to be sarcastic? There's more to him that I'm sure you'll love, but I'll let you find out for yourselves!

Penryn makes an awesome MC. She's strong. She knows how to fight! (One thing I'll always be jealous of is people who actually know how to fight. I wish I knew how to defend myself!) And the whole time, she's on the mission to find her sister. Paige, crippled at a young age, presumably by her mother, was taken away by the angels when Penryn interfered with a civil fight. Paige is the reason Penryn saves Raffe time and time again and lugs around his wings for leverage. And that kind of determination is admirable, but I guess that's what fuels most MCs in situations like these.

Thing about Angelfall is that it doesn't start when the apocalypse happened. It starts after. I think it was exceptionally genius because we're not overwhelmed with attacking winged devils (of course, there is a lot of action throughout this nevertheless). And there is a lot of gruesome scenes in here. I don't mean to sound like a sadist, but it was awesome! It was just the perfect combination of post-apocalyptic paranormal romance! Angelfall had everything I could ever wish to read.

I just cannot believe I got all that for .99 cents on Amazon. NINETY-NINE CENTS. It makes me tear up to think that I had to spend $15 on a horrid school book that was barely 100 pages and was horribly tedious, when I could've gifted away 14 of these lovely copies of Angelfall... But seriously, just one dollar, and you will get so much more.

So there it is guys. This epic, adrenalin-fueled story about angels gone bad, and one particularly sexy fallen angel is not to be missed!

I recommend this to: Everyoneeee!

Rating: 5 stars~ It's about evil angels! What's not to love?!

First:

 Ironically, since the attacks, the sunsets have been glorious.

Favourite:

"You are nothing but a bird with an attitude. Okay, so you have a few muscles, I'll grant you that. But you know, a bird is nothing but a barely evolved lizard. That's what you are."

Teaser:

  "My friends call me Wrath," says Raffe, "My enemies call me Please Have Mercy. What's your name, soldier boy?"

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[Review] Brightest Kind Of Darkness by P.T. Michelle

Title: Brightest Kind Of Darkness
Author: P.T. Michelle
Published: June 27th by Patrice Michelle
Series: Trilogy (Brightest Kind Of Darkness #1)
Rating: ★★★★
Goodreads summary:

Nara Collins is an average sixteen-year-old, with one exception: every night she dreams the events of the following day. Due to an incident in her past, Nara avoids using her special gift to change fate…until she dreams a future she can’t ignore.

After Nara prevents a bombing at Blue Ridge High, her ability to see the future starts to fade, while people at school are suddenly being injured at an unusually high rate.

Grappling with her diminishing powers and the need to prevent another disaster, Nara meets Ethan Harris, a mysterious loner who seems to understand her better than anyone. Ethan and Nara forge an irresistible connection, but as their relationship heats up, so do her questions about his dark past.

Emma's thoughts:

"How do I fight something I can't see?"
This terrifying, chilling question was something that kept me on the edge of my seat for a good half of this book!

Last year, I attended a philosophy colloquium where we discussed the aspects of destiny vs. free will. It was by the far, the most confusing and 'stimulating' conversation I've ever had. All we did was go round in circles, trying to decide whether we actually had a choice in our lives at all, or if our decisions in life were predetermined. Are we destined to make the wrong choices, or could we have made the right one and continued life in an alternate universe?

But that's not really the point is it? Whether or not our days have already been outlined for us, we, as the individual pieces on the chessboard, don't know what will happen.

So, how do you go about fighting something already predestined, from a dark, intangible shadow?

Nara's little 'knack' for seeing ahead of her day obviously has her advantages. She knows what to do, and what not to do. She knows which route to take to school, which pair of shades to wear, and the direction the ball's going to shoot for goal. But when Ethan comes along, well...

My feelings for Ethan are a little mixed. It was hard to like him in the beginning, because their love story was such the typical 'we-share-a-big-secret-therefore-we-love-each-other' relationship. It makes me wonder if Ethan would even give Nara a second glance if he hadn't been stealing her dreams (but then again, this whole book was predetermined by P.T. Michelle, so who I am to questions the what-ifs of these fictional lives?) Their romance does develop better later on, but it took me a while for me to stop believing they weren't totally complete strangers. It sort of jumped from Ethan being 'that lonely guy with a bad past' to 'we can't keep our hands off each other'(not literally!); I just felt like there was no gradual growth. Regardless, there were still times where my cheeks hurt from smiling that goofy grin when they get cute!

This book had me shivering and gasping. It was all kinds of creepy and disturbing. Even now, I'm trying to shake off the chills, because there's nothing that frightens me more than invisible sources moving, influencing physical objects. I'd rather look at the monster's hideous face charging at me than be attacked by something I can't see. So I commend P.T. Michelle for writing the creepy scenes so well, as much as I want to crawl into a ball and never leave my safe haven. I vow to never read these types of books alone in the dark again! Hovering shadows and devilish fates? I know I'd break if I was in Nara's position.

She was strong through the entire book. She did what she believed was right, and had the guts to stand up to the horrific Fate. Even though some of her decisions were stupid and aggravating, I know I would've done none different. I loved that I didn't find myself getting really annoyed at her (which is happening way too often with the MC's these days).

One thing that really confused me was the portrayal of 'Fate'. It's a shadow, it's a man, it's a what?! Nara's trying to fight Fate?! I mean, what if she was fated to fight Fate? But then it wouldn't really be 'fighting' fate, because then she'd be doing what she was fated to do all along...

See how mind-boggling that is?! I really hope that whole Fate dilemma will be explained further in the next books. I'm really looking forward to the novella, Lucid, coming out soon (COVER REVEAL: February 1st!).

I recommend this to: Paranormal/romance & urban fantasy readers, and fans of The Unbecoming Of Mara Dyer.

Rating: 4 stars~ absolutely bone-chilling, teeth-clenching, and heart-stopping!

First:

For me, being surprised was like wearing my best friend's favorite shirt; cherished for its borrowed uniqueness.

Favourite:

"Um, it's just... I had no idea you had such an awesome smile."

Teaser:

"Déjà vu and me..." I crossed my fingers. "We're like this!"

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[Review] Prized by Caragh M. O'Brien

Title: Prized
Author: Caragh M. O'Brien
Series: Trilogy (Birthmarked #2)
Published: November 8th 2011 by Roaring Brook Press
Rating: ★★★☆
Goodreads Summary:

Striking out into the wasteland with nothing but her baby sister, a handful of supplies, and a rumor to guide her, sixteen-year-old midwife Gaia Stone survives only to be captured by the people of Sylum, a dystopian society where women rule the men who drastically outnumber them, and a kiss is a crime. In order to see her sister again, Gaia must submit to their strict social code, but how can she deny her sense of justice, her curiosity, and everything in her heart that makes her whole? 

Emma's thoughts: 
 **SPOILERS FOR BIRTHMARKED**
When I started this book, I was really, super, extremely excited. Even though Birthmarked wasn't a mind-blowing five stars for me, I believed that there was so much potential and possibilities for the story. I can't say I was disappointed, but when I finished the last page, I was void of excitement and anticipation for the next book.

First of all: LEON. Okay, I was dying for him to reappear in this book after the tragic separation in Birthmarked, but when he talks to Gaia for the first time... I. just. wanted. to. slap. him. I hate that he changed so much, and all he ever was angry, frustrated, scary, and downright rude. He does redeem himself later on, but I was just so disappointed by him! But then again, he does have his reasons to be mad at Gaia. I was mad at Gaia. She's a strong protagonist, but sometimes she just made the stupidest decisions. She's awfully stubborn, and it's mostly admirable, until the joke's on her. The Martrarc made sure of that. Well, concerning the Martrarc, I was mildly confused about her. She was the royal bitch of the society, and also blind. No, I mean, literally. It's no surprise that she's portrayed as the evil mastermind that naturally annoyed the hell out of me, playing Gaia every chance she got. And it's just downright mean to take Maya away from Gaia! She was good for her part though.

And ohh, the Chardo brothers♥! Peter not so much, but Will! I'm sad that Peter had the more dominant part in the novel, but the little things Will did made me giddy! It was everything Leon would've done, if he hadn't turned into such a jackass..! Though Will disappointed greatly at one point near the beginning, I found myself forgetting that not much later. Peter on the other hand, every time he came around, I just wanted to tell him to 'LEAVE.' He can try be all stupidly cute he wants to be, but I am never going to like him! *crosses arms in determination*

Honestly, the whole Sylum society is a bit fucked up. The ratio of girls to boys is one to nine, and yet, girls rule. To me, that's just a tad bit unrealistic. Say, it's 1800 men, and 200 women. Who do you honestly think would win? The actual logistics behind why girls are only born one out of every ten times is really quite interesting, and to say the least, disturbing. As well as the mystery why no one could leave Sylum when they decided to stay, without dying anyways. That confused me a bit. It was explained, but O'Brien never really explained how. I guess though, in a world that doesn't exist, it's hard to elaborate on things like that.

{Okay, I just had dinner, and the woman I'm staying with me told me I need learn how to do stuff around the house since the boys don't have to, but I'm a girl, so I'm required to do housework. I must know how to cook and clean. I must wash and sweep. DO YOU KNOW HOW MAD THIS MADE ME?! I hate the fact that because I'm a girl, I have to this, and I can't do that, because that's what men do. This is reversed in Prized, but the same concept applies. I love that in this book, there's the clear, obvious moral that both men and women should have equal rights. Because, I shouldn't have to do anything I don't want, nobody should. And I don't even know these people for goodness sake!}

Anyways, waay off topic.

The ending of the book, to me, was, I don't know... too ideal? It was cute, and it made me happy, but then I thought about it again. It definitely leaves an exciting plot line for the final novel, but the only real thing that bothered me was Gaia's position. Yes, she's awesome and all, but was that really necessary?

Overall, I did enjoy it. I did love and hate parts. The chemistry between Gaia and Leon in Birthmarked didn't really make it in here, unfortunately. The love 'square' was a little lol worthy, but I really hope it'll sort itself out in the last book. Even though I'm not dying for it to come out, I'll be sure to buy it!

Rating: 3.5 stars~ My expectations were probably too high, but it's good for a sequel!  

First:

 She grabbed the hilt of her knife and scrambled backward into the darkness, holding the baby close in her other arm.

Favourite:

"...Maybe you could ask eight hundred people to carry my cot."

"How do you think we got you here?"

Teaser:

 She was absolutely not going to ask him if his sperm were viable.

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[Review] Daphne and The Mysterious Girls Secret Bathroom Society by Robert Shields

Title: Daphne and The Mysterious Girls Secret Bathroom Society
Author: Robert Shields
A little bio on Robert~ His day job is writing expert testimony used for cross examination before regulatory commissions.  He has self-published a few books, some of which were bestsellers on Amazon in their genre of sports and economics.  He has also been a syndicated sports writer in Arkansas for the past fourteen years.
Published: December 19th 2011 (self published)
Available at:Amazon
Rating: ★★★
Goodreads summary: 

Following years of persecution at the hands of Vivica Vance, Daphne Downing levels the playing field wielding her No. 2 Ticonderoga pencil as she belatedly enters the world of witchcraft. Daphne becomes part of the Mysterious Girls’ Secret Bathroom Society and finds out that the politics governing witchcraft are daunting and sometimes deadly. She realizes she is aligned with the Charmers in this political battle with the Spiters led by her nemesis, Vivica. Along the way, she discovers that witches do not perform magic or witchcraft but a differentiated form of physics that only some women have mastered. The story deepens as she learns about the long history of witches’ domination and annihilation of wizards.

Emma's thoughts: 
To say the least, I was intrigued by the summary. Witches? I love medieval history (regardless of whether I got good grades or not) and funnily enough, the topic for one of my most recent projects was on witchcraft! But in Daphne Downing's world, witchcraft is not about cackling laughter and brewing boiling green slime. I love the world Robert Shields created for this book! It put a nice twist to history as we know it today. I was excited to learn about the witch societies worked and the significance of each person in their society. It was obviously well planned and thought out. I despise it when the ends don't tie and I'm left wondering why something is the way it is, but not here.

This book is the ideal combination of my favourite subjects: history and physics. Call me a nerd, but those are a few of my favourite things ;D If it had a little stars and constellations (and a little extra romance), I would've dropped to my knees and worshiped this book!

But why not 5 stars? 

What I personally didn't like about this book was the formality of it. Sometimes I felt like it wasn't really a story being told, it was just someone informing me: this happened, and then that happened, so that's why this will happen. There was no feel to the book, I couldn't connect to the characters, I couldn't feel what they were feeling. Even the words they supposedly said seemed to come out stiff and formal, not like a group of thirteen year olds (a pet peeve of mine is reading stories about people younger than me. I know, I know, it's not like I'm going to read stories about sixty year olds when I'm fifty, but whenever I think back to when I was thirteen, my only thoughts are stupid stupid stupid. I know this doesn't apply to all thirteen year olds, but again, it's a personal opinion. Maybe if I read this when I was twelve, I'd like it better, but not just for the age reason. Keep reading!).

Daphne was a hard protagonist to relate to, because while we're close in age and I found some things in our lives alike, nothing about her spoke out to me. Everything felt very stiff and controlled and calculated. Kyle confused the hell out of me, but I wish I could've seen more of him. He just kinda popped in and out of the book randomly. Lyla, the best friend, she annoyed me at times. One moment, she's all 'Team Daphne! :D' and then she's all 'You owe me :(' but I never got the see the emotions of it. She went from one straight to the other with no transition except for the physical motions of losing of her book.

Also, while I loved the logic and reasoning behind the witches and all, the information was loaded onto me too hard, too fast. I had to reread some passages over and over again to make sense of it, because really, it was just too much for my slow brain to take in...! I wish it could've been explained a bit better and in less massive clumps. Small bites at a time is the way I like it.

I just want to point out, I feel like this was a middle grade read more than young adult. This is why I believe I'd like it better if I'd read this when I was twelve/thirteen, or even younger. It's not a bad book in any way, it's just not my taste at this age.

I'd definitely recommend this to anyone who likes a quick, fun read with a little bit of spy action and witchery!

Rating: 3 stars~ A good read for younger teens! 

First line:

 With wand raised, Daphne paused and looked at her No. 2 lead pencil with Ticonderoga written on the side of it.

Favourite:

"...we threw Paige so high, I think her knockers hit her in the face."

Teaser:

 Marybeth Chappell just happened to be grabbing her chest when she found out that she was a witch.

PS: Thanks Robert for providing me an epub copy to review! 

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[Review] Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare

Title: Clockwork Prince
Author: Cassandra Clare
Series: The Infernal Devices #2 (sequel to Clockwork Angel)
Published: December 6th 2011 by Margaret K. McElderry Books
Rating: ★★★★★
 
Goodreads Summary:

 In the magical underworld of Victorian London, Tessa Gray has at last found safety with the Shadowhunters. But that safety proves fleeting when rogue forces in the Clave plot to see her protector, Charlotte, replaced as head of the Institute. If Charlotte loses her position, Tessa will be out on the street and easy prey for the mysterious Magister, who wants to use Tessa's powers for his own dark ends.
With the help of the handsome, self-destructive Will and the fiercely devoted Jem, Tessa discovers that the Magister's war on the Shadowhunters is deeply personal. He blames them for a long-ago tragedy that shattered his life. To unravel the secrets of the past, the trio journeys from mist-shrouded Yorkshire to a manor house that holds untold horrors, from the slums of London to an enchanted ballroom where Tessa discovers that the truth of her parentage is more sinister than she had imagined. When they encounter a clockwork demon bearing a warning for Will, they realize that the Magister himself knows their every move and that one of their own has betrayed them.
Tessa finds her heart drawn more and more to Jem, though her longing for Will, despite his dark moods, continues to unsettle her. But something is changing in Will; the wall he has built around himself is crumbling. Could finding the Magister free Will from his secrets and give Tessa the answers about who she is and what she was born to do?
As their dangerous search for the Magister and the truth leads the friends into peril, Tessa learns that when love and lies are mixed, they can corrupt even the purest heart.

Emma's thoughts:

I hate Cassandra Clare. But I love her so much. My first thought after reading the last page was to scream. Why, why, why must I wait a year for the story to continue?! Now I know I should wait for the entire series to finish before starting any. Clockwork Angel started off the series so well, but surprisingly, I like Clockwork Prince better (which for me, is a first, because let's face it, no sequels live up to the first). Well, when I first found out this had come out, I was so convinced I had to reread Clockwork Angel to remember the story, but after a few pages, it was like slipping back into an old routine. Everything just came flooding back. Tessa, Will, Jem, and the Institute! And oh, I love how Magnus with his cat eyes is a part of this series as well! He's certainly quite the charmer of a warlock.

But, aside from the niceties; my heart has shattered into miniscule pieces! I want to cry, and oh, why must Cassandra Clare do this to us?! This book definitely deserves the most heartbreaking tear-jerker novel I've read this year, as well as my favourite (and hated) love triangle. Don't get me wrong, I love Will, and I love Jem and it absolutely sucks that they are parabatai. But it has always been Will for me. His story is so tragic, I want to hold him, let him know that he is loved and he deserves better. And I am honestly surprised by how many people are pro-Jem! I shouldn't be, but me, I'm always pining for the dark, mysterious, haunted hero.

The actual mystery of who Tessa really is intrigues me. Clare doesn't answer many questions, and only leaves more hanging. She cracks me up with Will's witty comments. And although I'm not the biggest fan of reading novels set in the past, I couldn't resist Clare's work. Daunting enchanted clockwork machinery and blue skinned demons? I found myself gasping and gaping toward the end, and I know I will be impatiently waiting for Clockwork Princess to be released next December. Which, my god, I can almost say is this year!

Rating: 5 stars~ It made me laugh, cry and grip my iPad in utter fear for Tessa!

 

First line:

The fog was thick, muffling sound and sight.

Favourite: 

She couldn't have been named something awful, could she, like Mildred. He couldn't imagine lying awake at night, staring up at the ceiling while invisible voices whispered "Mildred" in his ears. But Tessa-...

Teaser: 

"You said he was blue. This one's blue." 

"He is blue," Will acknowledged, stepping closer to the circle of flame. "But the demon I need - well, he was really a cobalt blue. This one's more... periwinkle."

 

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[Review] Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

 It's twenty twelve. Wow. I feel like I should be renewed and rejuvenated! Anyhow, the fireworks in my boring ol' city were beautiful, and I hope you all had a chance to set sights on such lights :)

Title: Shatter Me
Author: Tahereh Mafi
Published: November 15th 2011 by Harper/Harper Collins
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Summary:

 Juliette hasn't touched anyone in exactly 264 days.

The last time she did, it was an accident, but The Reestablishment locked her up for murder. No one knows why Juliette's touch is fatal. As long as she doesn't hurt anyone else, no one really cares. The world is too busy crumbling to pieces to pay attention to a 17-year-old girl. Diseases are destroying the population, food is hard to find, birds don't fly anymore, and the clouds are the wrong color.

The Reestablishment said their way was the only way to fix things, so they threw Juliette in a cell. Now so many people are dead that the survivors are whispering war-- and The Reestablishment has changed its mind. Maybe Juliette is more than a tortured soul stuffed into a poisonous body. Maybe she's exactly what they need right now.

Juliette has to make a choice: Be a weapon. Or be a warrior.

Emma's thoughts:  
Mind. Fucking. Blowing.

The writing ~ I really like Mafi's writing style, even though some found it annoyingly repetitive. I love the repetition and the strikethroughs. It gives the story the exact touch it needs. It's unique, it's striking. The lack of commas in places sometimes bothered me (and the numbers!), but Mafi made it work more often than not. She strings words together so beautifully, I want to hold them to sleep. There are so many lovely quotes in the book; talk about raindrops, birds, about life. I wish I could memorize them all.


The characters ~ Juliette is a bit of a confusing character at the beginning. She's isolated, she's lost. This is good though, because you get to see her grow and mature through the book. She's the one with all the power. The one with the lethal touch. Adam, he surprised me. I was so caught up in the story, I never stopped to consider how he really fit in it all. He has such faith in Juliette, it's honestly such a moving sentiment. I feel like he's a constant, a reliable anchor. Maybe, in the second and third books, while Juliette is fighting with her touch of death, he'll be the one to hold her to reality.

Warner is intriguing... to say the least. He's so obviously posed as the bad guy, it makes me want Juliette to become his ally one day, in one way or another. He's not nearly creepy enough to be considered a devil's spawn. He's a character I can't wait to read more about! And James! He is so adorable! The brotherly love between Adam and James makes me all giddy. I mean, why can't all older brothers be as awesome as Adam? I know mine isn't... And last of all, Kenji! He made me laugh, and that was enough for me. He served a purpose much more than to entertain us readers though, and as for what, I'll let you find out for yourselves!

The story ~ I can't say it's original. Supernatural powers in the new age? Sounds like a billion other dystopian novels around. But Mafi didn't overwhelm us with completely odd powers from the very beginning. It's Juliette, and only Juliette's story. It's chair-gripping, hair-ripping. So many times I found myself holding my breath in anticipation. So many times, I wanted to dive through the pages myself and fight along.

As some of you may know, this book made it to many of my favourites of 2011. If I could devour Tahereh Mafi's words, I would.

Rating: 5 stars - simply breathtaking ♥

First line:

I've been locked up for 264 days.

Favourite:

 Hope is hugging me, holding me in it's arms, wiping away my tears and telling me that today and tomorrow and two days from now I will be just fine and I'm so delirious I actually dare to believe it.

Teaser:

Warner drops the gun on my plate. The silence gives it space to clatter around the universe and back. "Choose your words very wisely, Juliette. One word from me and your life here won't be so easy."

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Faves of 2011: The Random

Day Four: The Random

1. Fave first sentence

Racquel's pick: 

Something About You by Julie James

"Thirty thousand hotel rooms in the city of Chicago, and Cameron Lynde managed to find one next door to a couple having a sex marathon." 

 I love this! It was a great set up to the plot of the book. Julie James is a genius.

 

Emma's pick:

Matched ~

'Now that I've found the way to fly, which direction should I go into the night?' I love how it links to the recurring line of the Dylan Thomas poem. It makes me wonder how completely magical it would feel if I ever had a reason to utter those words.  

2. Fave book title

Racquel's pick:

Double Clutch by Liz Reinhardt 

Double Clutch means: "A pattern of breathing in which a runner inhales two breaths for every breath exhaled." The way I interpreted it is Brenna has 2 guys after her & she can only choose one. Awesome!

Emma's pick:

 Shatter Me, Shiver, & Ballad ~

I like sweet, short titles. But some words are just odd, and others draw me right in. These three are my favourite by far ♥

3. Fave reading experience (ie: created a great reading memory)

Racquel's pick:

 

 Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead
Every time Emma & I agree, it's always on VA & are reasons are exactly the same.
Emma's pick:

 Vampire Academy series ~ 

Can I just point out I read this entire series from Friday night til Sunday night? That weekend, I simply lived and breathed Rose and Dmitri. Thought of nothing else, looked at no other thing. When I finished Last Sacrifice, I felt so, so deprived, but there was still that satisfied, elated feeling inside.

4. Book with the best food in it (made you so crazy-envious-hungry)

Racquel's pick:

Moonglass by Jessi Kirby

Anna, her dad & his best friend have Poke-N-Eat days, they go diving, catch goodies and cook on the spot. Fresh sea food straight out the water is DELICIOUS!

Emma's pick:

 Um, lol... I don't know... All the books I read either don't even mention food, contains tasteless meals that are purely for protein and nutritional purposes, or it's just scraps of whatever they find along their journey. Although I have to say, the food in The Hunger Games before the actual 'game' sounds pretty delicious.

5. Book with the most sensual weather (made you shiver/sweat)

Racquel's pick:

Sixteenth Summer by Michelle Dalton

 Again book set in books make me feel like I'm in the beach! I hate the summer, I'm a winter girl but if at a beach, summer becomes my favorite.

Emma's pick:

Shiver ~

Even the title says it all... And the fact that the plot relied so much on the cold (or not cold) weather. Every time Sam felt vulnerable, I just wanted to wrap him in a thousand blankets and cuddle with him by a blazing fire.

6. Most embarrassing book cover (feeling sheepish in public or just plain ugly)

Racquel's pick:

Hard Evidence by Pamela Clare

Thank god I read this one as ebook because yikes, there was no way I was leaving my room with a cover like that! it's hot, but not in public xD (P.S. I LOOOVE Julian♥)

Emma's pick:

 Spirit Bound & Perfect Chemistry ~

I kinda miss reading from pages of paper, but I would NOT want to take these books out as lovely as these books are.

7. Can’t believe you waited this long to read the book (!)

Racquel's pick:

Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead 
I waited until the series was complete! That's definitely long! 

Emma's pick:

 Crossed by Ally Condie ~

Okay, it was a little less than a year, but still. I counted down the days until the release date (which I never do) and to my disappointment, it wasn't available as an eBook. My friend had it pre-ordered and promised to lend it to me when it came, but that never happened either! I found it in the school library a week later, and oh, I cried sweet relief!

8. Book you'd give your mum/sister to read

Racquel's pick:

we have definite different book taste! 

Emma's pick:

 Hahahaahahhaha. Neither of them read, so...

9. Book you'd give your dad/brother to read

Racquel's pick:

again, we have definite different book taste!  

Emma's pick:

 The Maze Runner ~

To my brother, because anything else would be plain awkward. (Although he has read Twilight, and actually liked it.)

10. Book you'd like to give your past-self to read

Racquel's pick:

 IDK...

Emma's pick:

 I don't know if I can really answer this, hahah... but maybe Naomi and Ely's No Kiss List.

11. Book that lived up to (or superseded the hype)

Racquel's pick:

Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead
VA went BEYOND hype♥ 

Emma's pick:

Vampire Academy & The Mortal Instruments ~

I waited quite long to read these two series, mainly because I couldn't get a hold of them, but because I didn't want to read it, then wait. But VA is now finished and I picked up City of Bones in the library during English class and couldn't go back! So yes, these two series were amazing, and they definitely superseded the hype!

12. Book you stayed the latest to finish (confess!!!)

Racquel's pick:

There You'll Find Me by Jenny B. Jones

I stayed up until like midnight & I usually can't read past 9 o'clock. I'm an early reader, not a late one.

Emma's pick:

Unearthly & Shatter Me ~

In the holidays, I'm practically nocturnal and do all my reading in the middle of the night. But these two, I stayed up way past 3am (Unearthly - 4am), regardless of the fact that I had school/work the next morning.  

13. Book you were *dying* to get your hands on the most

Racquel's pick:

 Chain Reaction by Simon Elkeles
 I have been dying to read this book since 2 years ago when I knew PC was going to be a trilogy.

Emma's pick:

Crossed ~

Yep, as I said before, I feel like I waited so long, I hugged it for the entire day and wouldn't let it go.

14. Fattest brick of a book you read (by page count)

Racquel's pick:

Last Sacrifice by Richelle Mead

past 600 pages, definitely a lot! I'm not complaining though;D

Emma's pick:

Everything I read now is on my iPad, so I really wouldn't know. The thickest book I own is definitely The Host at 619 pages.

15. Killer cliffhanger award

Racquel's pick:

 Only the Good Spy Young by Ally Carter

is he alive, dead, guilty, not guilty, who trust?!?! 

Emma's pick:

Crescendo ~ 

Agh agh agh!! I stopped breathing at the last page, and it was really quite horrible. The half year wait felt like forever!  

I spent Christmas Eve typing this up. That's just how awesome my life is ;D -Ems 
I love your dedication! You're inspiring<3 -Rac (I can't shorten my name, it sounds like rack which therefore sounds like boobs.)

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