Review: Nightshade

Characters: 5

Cover: 5

Plot: 5

Romance: 5

Writing: 5

Read Andrea Cremer's blogs and other content on the Penguin Community. Calla Tor has always known her destiny: After graduating from the Mountain School, she'll be the mate of sexy alpha wolf Ren Laroche and fight with him, side by side, ruling their pack and guarding sacred sites for the Keepers. But when she violates her masters' laws by saving a beautiful human boy out for a hike, Calla begins to question her fate, her existence, and the very essence of the world she has known. By following her heart, she might lose everything- including her own life. Is forbidden love worth the ultimate sacrifice?

REVIEW

Oh my word! I can't even begin to imagine how awesome this book is and how much that I HAVE to read the next book, Wolfsbane, I believe? I am so behind on reviews, looking at the list of books I have compiled. I've only had this book for a quarter of a year and I'm slacking off already. Jeez, oh well, I'll have to deal with it for know while I can. By the way, do you like the new textbox I inserted for my summaries? I think I like it a lot better now. I've been trying to figure it out for a while and I finally got it now!

First of all, the characters. Calla's such an independent and great character and heroine. I think that she really holds her own when in a pickle and can stand up for herself extremely well. I don't know about you and your opinions, but I think that Calla was a fantastic person to read about because of her undeniable strength and leadership that made her an ideal alpha for her pack and an ideal protagonist, unlike some other types of protagonists. *cough* Bella *cough* (I actually managed to finish that book last night. The review will go up soon.)

This cover is beautiful. I love it, but I like the other version better than this one. This one, although extremely pretty, doesn't compare to the other version which I love so much more. The cover for the original (above) is not as pretty because in the second version, Calla looks more wild and unpredictable, sort of like how a werewolf should look, to me, at least. Th theme of the title and the blood drop coming down is still great, but something about this cover just appeals so much more to me.

The plot on here was absolutely smashing, as you probably know. Ooh, I feel all British today. :) There wasn't a lot of action, but there were definitely parts where you had to sit back for a while and just let it all soak in to its fullest. There were also sections of the book that were extremely romantic, and I think I like how Ren really cared about Calla, despite how obliviously oblivious the poor girl was. :) I like Ren better because I feel that Ren made a better argument and so many readers out there like the bad-boy a lot better than the sweet boy.

The writing is great in here. Andrew shows, not tells, which was a lot better than just saying "I'm hungry." It's not very lyrical or very fun to read, rather than something like "My stomach protested loudly" or something like that. Everything in here flowed so well and nothing was ever confusing and I recommend that you all read this book ASAP if you haven't already because it's a great read, let me tell you that.

Review: City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

Cover: 4

Characters: 5

Plot: 5

Setting: 5

Writing: 5

SUMMARY

When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder -- much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Then the body disappears into thin air. It's hard to call the police when the murderers are invisible to everyone else and when there is nothing -- not even a smear of blood -- to show that a boy has died. Or was he a boy?

This is Clary's first meeting with the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. It's also her first encounter with Jace, a Shadowhunter who looks a little like an angel and acts a lot like a jerk. Within twenty-four hours Clary is pulled into Jace's world with a vengeance, when her mother disappears and Clary herself is attacked by a demon. But why would demons be interested in ordinary mundanes like Clary and her mother? And how did Clary suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know. . . .

Exotic and gritty, exhilarating and utterly gripping, Cassandra Clare's ferociously entertaining fantasy takes readers on a wild ride that they will never want to end.

REVIEW

When I saw this, I thought the Shadowhunters were the bad guys here, and when I was formally introduced to Jace, I thought he was going to be this forbidden love thing that happened between Clary and Jace if they were the bad guys, and I knew Clary was going to end up siding with the good guys, and she was going to end up dating Jace because of what I'd heard about the books. But, oh, I was so happily wrong. Forbidden love almost never turns out right (The Iron Fey, but in the end it was all good; Romeo and Juliet, this is self-explanatory) so I was very happy when the Shadowhunters were actually the good guys. 

I actually didn't know that the Mortal Instruments series had that much buzz surrounding it, even after the series was basically done, until Ms. Clare made the horrible decision of extending it. I've read all four books, and I think that the ending to City of Glass was good enough and City of Fallen Angels shouldn't have come out. It would've been better if she just focused on trying to finish the Infernal Devices. But the first book was very good. I really liked how everything was neatly laid out and there was enough romance that it didn't get take away from the book but it still made me giddy with anticipation and excitement.

I'm pretty sure you all are aware of the twist that came at the end that literally had me screaming in frustration, but I knew that the second book would have a lot in store for Jace and Clary's relationship. I just really hoped that the twist would get resolved, but I sort of knew that it would be, because all three books had been out and I'd come into this series late—thankfully. The settings in this book were very well described, and I felt like I was a Shadowhunter by the way Ms. Clare so beautifully and accurately depicted the scenes, characters, and props. Brava, Ms. Clare!

Fallen by Lauren Kate

Cover: 4

Characters: 3

Plot: 3

Setting: 4
Writing: 4

SUMMARY

There’s something achingly familiar about Daniel Grigori.

Mysterious and aloof, he captures Luce Price’s attention from the moment she sees him on her first day at the Sword & Cross boarding school in sultry Savannah, Georgia. He’s the one bright spot in a place where cell phones are forbidden, the other students are all screw-ups, and security cameras watch every move.

Even though Daniel wants nothing to do with Luce–and goes out of his way to make that very clear–she can’t let it go. Drawn to him like a moth to a flame, she has to find out what Daniel is so desperate to keep secret . . . even if it kills her.

REVIEW

At first, I was browsing around, looking through all the options of new books I could possibly read, and this came up. The cover was so pretty that I really wanted to get it ASAP. And I got it, but it didn't meet all my expectations. First of all, throughout the entire book, I had that weird feeling that the book was meant to be set in first person instead of third person. It felt a little out of place, but I sort of got over it after a while.

As I was reading through it, I slowly got more and more confused. Ms. Kate kept us in the dark so often that I had to piece everything together very slowly and by then, I was feeling very confused and flustered with everything. This book was still extremely well written, but I just think that the book should have been written in first person and that Ms. Kate should have kept us out of the dark throughout the book.

Another thing was that Luce was...well...really...kind of...annoying. She was definitely a courageous-type character, but I thought that she was really nosy and I thought that was how she got into so much trouble in the end. She also seemed really gullible around Daniel. But otherwise, this was a really great book.

Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

SUMMARY

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.

In this electrifying debut, Tahereh Mafi presents a world as riveting as The Hunger Games and a superhero story as thrilling as The X-Men. Full of pulse-pounding romance, intoxicating villainy, and high-stakes choices, Shatter Me is a fresh and original dystopian novel—with a paranormal twist—that will leave readers anxiously awaiting its sequel.

REVIEW

This cover is actually a pretty good cover, only I don't exactly understand the dress part. But that's beside the point. I was literally dying to get this book, and when I did, I was squealing and squeeing all over the house. (My brother is a witness) And this book did not disappoint my expectations. This book was absolutely awesome.

I loved the content. I loved how Juliette held up, even after being trapped for ages and ages. I loved Adam, but I found the "I've been in love with you since I was five" bit a little cheesy and overdone. You can't just fall in love with someone just like that. You need time to develop a good, trusting relationship. Besides, I wouldn't trust someone working for a bad guy that easily and without reservation. That annoyed me a little bit, but otherwise it was really good.

One praise I had was the fact that in the book, many phrases were crossed out and some repeated. I liked the effect that it cast on the book. It sort of gave me a vibe that tied in with the book just right. And think Tahereh is a really great writer, and that she should keep writing. This book was dystopian, but it had fantasy and paranormal tied in, which was something new.

Waiting on Wednesday: City of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare

SUMMARY

In Book 5: City of Lost Souls, the Shadowhunters struggle to piece together their shattered world after a betrayal by one of their own leaves them reeling.

I know it's not much of a summary, but the cover just released TODAY! I have a feeling that the summary will be coming soon. Very, very, soon. I read City of Fallen Angels a few months back, and I just recently found out the Mortal Instruments series, but I think Jace is just awesome. Clary is also one heck of a heroine, too! :) I need to pre-order this, like, NOW!

Best of 2011

I know I'm cutting it real close, making this Best of 2011 post now, but I had to honor this year someway somehow. So I decided to make a short yet meaningful post on the things that I have to be thankful for and to enjoy this year, books obviously. :D

Paranormal Romance (in no particular order)

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

This book has been out for a while now, and I heard about the book one day, and decided to give it a try. It was actually pretty good, so I read the entire series, and it turned out to be one of my favorite books. The drama in this book was non-stop, and the entire trilogy played out really well, actually. The only problem I had was the fourth book, because that felt a little like a prologue to the fifth book, but the first three were definitely awesome.

Dystopian (there are a lot more of these, since I recently found this genre and absolutely love it)

Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

I heard so many great ratings about this book that I decided to read it, and I had wanted to for such a long time. This book definitely didn't disappoint me. (Also, forgive me that I haven't had many reviews put up. I've read a bunch of books and have about five reviews waiting to be done, so just be patient for a while.) This book wasn't like regular dystopian, in my opinion, and it definitely delivered and was just really well written.

Divergent by Veronica Roth

I'm pretty sure everyone agrees with me on this one and that it's definitely an awesome book. When I first picked it up, I was really hesitant because I hadn't heard much about this book. But after I went through the first few chapters, I found that I instantly loved the entire thing. This book was definitely something that I would read again and again. I loved Tris's bravery and how she survived the ranks of the Dauntless.

Matched by Ally Condie

This book was something that I had heard a few things about, but I never actually thought that I was going to read it. But then, I decided to give it a try, to read it, because this cover is actually super-pretty. And it turns out that I was right. This book was really good, and even though it was a tiny bit slow, I still loved everything else about it, including Ky and Xander. (Did you know that Cassia is pronounced Casha? I thought that it was pronounced Cassea, but it turns out I was wrong. Xander is also pronounced Zander, but I've never been good with Xs)

Middle Grade (there are barely any, but I had to do it, because I know some of you out there like Middle Grade. And to be honest? I kind of like it, too.)

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Cabin Fever by Jeff Kinney

Come on. Tell me that you didn't used to like this series. I know you can't. Because deep down, we all have that immature, childish person inside of us. We all have some type of Greg Heffley in us. I know I do. And this is such a classic for the kids in middle-school. 

Okay, so that's all. I know—short is what I said right? Such an understatement. But I've read a lot of books this year, and only a few stood out to me like these did. And half the books I read I don't even remember. The others were so early in the year or so insignificant that I can't bother to conjure up the pictures in my mind. So, this is my small little list. Only six measly books. Pitiful, for someone who's probably read 100+ books this year, but it is what it is.

Have a great new year, everybody! Oh, and don't you like my new blog design? In the Follow Friday post below this one, I said that I wanted a new blog design, and everybody was encouraging me, and a very kind blogger (thank you, Priscilla TheGreat!) referred me to this website (silversdesigns.blogspot.com) who does free blog designs, and they're really fabulous, so I searched through them and found the one I currently have, which really stood out to me.