The Book of Blood and Shadow by Robin Wasserman

 Publisher: Random House Children's Books

 Publication Date: 10 Apr 2012

 Series or Standalone: Standalone

 ISBN-13: 9780375968761

 Format: eBook

 Pages: 448

 Websites:

 Robin Wasserman - Official Site

 Robin Wasserman - Blog

 Robbin Wasserman - Twitter

 Robbin Wasserman - Goodreads

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 Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

 Blurb:

It was like a nightmare, but there was no waking up. When the night began, Nora had two best friends and an embarrassingly storybook one true love. When it ended, she had nothing but blood on her hands and an echoing scream that stopped only when the tranquilizers pierced her veins and left her in the merciful dark.

But the next morning, it was all still true: Chris was dead. His girlfriend Adriane, Nora’s best friend, was catatonic. And Max, Nora’s sweet, smart, soft-spoken Prince Charming, was gone. He was also—according to the police, according to her parents, according to everyone—a murderer.

Desperate to prove his innocence, Nora follows the trail of blood, no matter where it leads. It ultimately brings her to the ancient streets of Prague, where she is drawn into a dark web of secret societies and shadowy conspirators, all driven by a mad desire to possess something that might not even exist. For buried in a centuries-old manuscript is the secret to ultimate knowledge and communion with the divine; it is said that he who controls the Lumen Dei controls the world. Unbeknownst to her, Nora now holds the crucial key to unlocking its secrets. Her night of blood is just one piece in a puzzle that spans continents and centuries. Solving it may be the only way she can save her own life.

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I had heard over and over again this book being referred to as a YA version of the Da Vinci Code. Only after having read it did I realize that these people were actually right. The suspense, mysterious documents, puzzles, religion, a murder, it was all there, wrapped up in an extremely intelligent narration.

After reading it I tried thinking of the first word that came to my mind to describe it and that word was dangerous. The danger was palpable throughout the story; it kept me on edge and made me desperate to find out what happened next. Not once however was I able to foresee what would happen and I found myself being constantly baffled by unexpected turns of events, and there were many of those.

Another aspect I really enjoyed was Nora’s character. Unlike many female characters I’ve read about recently, she was very smart and mature. She felt real and likeable. All in all, great book, definitely one of my favorites and one I would read again with delight.

Challenge(s): 2012 eBook Challenge

Source:  ARC Review Copy from NetGalley

The Pledge by Kimberly Derting

Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry

Publication Date: 15 Nov 2011

Series or Standalon: Series

ISBN-13: 9781442422018

Format: eBook

Pages: 323

Websites:

Kimberly Derting - Official Site

Kimberly Derting - Blog

Kimberly Derting - Twitter

Kimberly Derting - Goodreads

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Rating: 2 out of 5 stars

The Pledge Series Order:

Book 1: The Pledge

Book 2: Untitled (~ 29 Jan 2013)

Book 3: Untitled

Blurb:

In the violent country of Ludania, the classes are strictly divided by the language they speak. The smallest transgression, like looking a member of a higher class in the eye while they are speaking their native tongue, results in immediate execution. Seventeen-year-old Charlaina has always been able to understand the languages of all classes, and she's spent her life trying to hide her secret. The only place she can really be free is the drug-fueled underground clubs where people go to shake off the oppressive rules of the world they live in. It's there that she meets a beautiful and mysterious boy named Max who speaks a language she's never heard before . . . and her secret is almost exposed.

Charlie is intensely attracted to Max, even though she can't be sure where his real loyalties lie. As the emergency drills give way to real crisis and the violence escalates, it becomes clear that Charlie is the key to something much bigger: her country's only chance for freedom from the terrible power of a deadly regime.

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The Pledge, though being a dystopian, felt more like a fantasy novel to me, what with all the magic and ancient queens. That’s not necessarily a bad thing since I also like fantasy. But, unfortunately, I was a bit disappointed by the end to find that the story and its characters felt completely flat for me.

For one thing, the dialogues and plot seemed a little forced and unnatural. Things were happening too abrupt, and there wasn’t always very much reasoning behind the characters actions. Also, there were some quick changes from one scene to the other, especially towards the end where everything seemed to be happening too fast. There was too much, too soon, without enough time to really grasp what was going on.

Furthermore, I never really grew a liking towards the characters because they didn’t have much depth. They seemed flat and superficial. I couldn’t bring myself to really care for any of them. The love interest between Charlie and Max was yet another thing I just didn’t get. I couldn’t feel the chemistry between them and their feelings were underdeveloped and, again, forced. 

A plus, are the unpredictable twists in the plot. There were a few things that I really did not see coming and they did take me by surprise. And Kimberly Derting leaves some hints which you are only able to pick up on when you read it again, after knowing all there is to know. I always find this aspect cool in books and movies.

The concept was an interesting one and the The Pledge ends without a cliffhanger (which is good), but I don’t think I will be continuing with the rest of the books in the series because I lost my interest somewhere on the way.

Challenge(s): 2012 eBook Challenge

Source: Purchased from Barnes&Noble

Angelfall by Susan Ee

Publisher: Feral Dream

Publication Date: 21 May 2011

Series or Standalone: Series

ISBN-13: 2940012975348

Format: eBook

Pages: 255

Websites:

 Susan Ee - Official Site

Susan Ee - Twitter

Susan Ee - Goodreads

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Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Penryn & the End of Days Series Order:

Book 1: Angelfall

Book 2: Untitled (~Summer 2012)

Book 3: Untitled

Book 4: Untitled

Book 5: Untitled

Overview:

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.

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Angelfall… wow… I feel like I literally don’t have the words to express how awesome, how amazing, how much I loved this book. To tell you the truth, I didn’t expect it to affect me this much but those are always the most pleasant surprises, when you find a gem where you least expect it. I don’t usually read self-published books, I usually don’t even have time to read most of the books I want and intend to read but I saw a review by Irish at Ticket ToAnywhere and she persuaded me to give it a try, the ebook was only $0.99 at Barnes & Noble anyway. Best $0.99 ever spent.

I loved the characters, especially Penryn. She had such a strong female leading role. She was street-smart, ready to fight and survive in a lawless and destroyed world. She cared for her family and she was loyal to them right to the very end and she always followed her instincts when she found herself in a dangerous and difficult situation.

The plot was full of twists and never once were they predictable. I was sucked into the story, literally forgetting anything going on around me from the very beginning, from the very first page. And I loooooved that opening line “Ironically, since the attacks, the sunsets have been glorious”. There something about it that just caught my attention right away and enchanted me.

Another thing that caught my attention was how action-packed it was. My heart was beating fast and adrenaline was pumping through me for the most part. I finished it last night at 3 am because I couldn’t stop until I found out what happened and when I woke up this morning and I was surprised to see there were still remains of my feelings from last night. I am desperate to see what happens next.

There were a few questions that I would like answers to, for example, why did her father leave them? I can’t express any of my other questions without spoilers so I’ll just keep them to myself. Perhaps they will be answered in book 2 (I’m pretty sure the questions I can’t express because of spoilers will be answered in book 2).

I feel like I want to find Susan Ee and just rave about how awesome Angelfall was. I might do that through her blog. I love love loved this book, I had no difficulty putting it on my “favorites” shelf and I can’t wait to read the next one. I still feel like I haven’t justified this book enough but I also feel like I never could no matter what I say because I’m at a loss of words because of how awesome it is.

Challenge(s): 2012 eBook Challenge

Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

Publisher: Harper Collins

Publication Date: 15 Nov 2011

Series or Standalone: Series

ISBN-13: 9780062085481

Format: eBook

Pages: 338

Websites:

Tahereh Mafi - Official Site

Tahereh Mafi - Blog

Tahereh Mafi - Twitter

Tahereh Mafi - Goodreads

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Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Shatter Me Series Order:

Book 1: Shatter Me

Book 2: Unravel me (~5 Feb 2013)

Book 3: Untitled (~ Nov 2013)

 Overview:

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. 

__________________

So much hype surrounded this book and the description was so promising but there was something that just didn't work for me.

Tahereh Mafi has a rare talent with words and there were many beautiful expressions and images in Shatter Me. As well as some very sexy scenes in the shower *wink wink*.

The characters felt a little distant to me, I couldn't really relate to any of them. Juliette was portrayed as a tough girl in the beginning, but she did not live up to that characterization. There came a point in the book where she would cry in every single chapter. Not only that, but she was always trembling, shivering and wobbling. It became so frustrating. She definitely did not seem like a tough girl to me.

Adam...well, i don't know. He was nice but again I couldn't really "feel" him. I couldn't see him as a real person. I had the same problems with Warner. And there is this other person who enters the picture later on in the book (I don't want to spoil anything so I won't reveal a name) who presents such a poor and underdeveloped story that screams out that it's false. However, he manages to get everyone to do exactly what he wants. Everything just seemed so convenient in this book.

I wanted to like Shatter Me becasue the story was very interesting and promising, because the writing was so beautiful and so unexpectedly out-worldly and because I was so excited to finally start reading it. I kind of lost my excitement somewhere on the way.

I gave it 3 stars because of the writing. Tahereh Mafi really has a natural talent when it comes to words. I would love to see more of her work, perhaps something other than Shatter Me becasue her writing really impressed me. But who knows, she might pleasantly surprise me in Unravel Me.

Challenge(s): 2012 eBook Challenge

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

Publisher: Little, Brown and Company

Publication Date: 36 Aug 2011

Series or Standalone: Series

ISBN: 9780316134026

Format: e-Book

Pages: 418

Websites:
Laini Taylor - Blog
Laini Taylor - Twitter
Laini Taylor - Goodreads
Daughter of Smoke and Bone - Official Site

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Daugheter of Smoke and Bone Series Order:

Book 1: Daughter of Smoke and Bone

Book 2: Daughter of Blood and Starlight (~Fall 2012)

Overview:  

Around the world, black handprints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky.

In a dark and dusty shop, a devil's supply of human teeth grown dangerously low.

And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherwordly war.

Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real; she's prone to disappearing on mysterious "errands"; she speaks many languages--not all of them human; and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she's about to find out.

When one of the strangers--beautiful, haunted Akiva--fixes his fire-colored eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself?

 ___________________

Wow. Where to start? Let me begin by saying how much i loved this book. The story was enchanting and original, the world magical. Laini Taylor is really a great author. I literally couldn't put this book down; i would read it in the car, when i was out drinking coffee, while eating, i even took it to the super market (i was reading and pushing the cart at the same time). There were so many parts i liked in this book and while reading i would oftenly tell myself "genius; this is genius", "i love this", "brilliant".

Laini Taylor has a very original way of writing. She uses humor in just the right places, in the right way and knows how to provoke strong feelings (i did cry in this book). I especially enjoyed her lovely expressions and descriptions. Some were just so unique.

One of the places i would really want to visit in this book is "Poison Kitchen". I really loved the idea of a restaurant with coffins for tables and statues from a cemetery wearing gas masks. It might sound like a morbid place but i totally found it cool.

However, Loramendi is where i would most want to visit. Something about the two moons...i don't know. It felt so unworldly and romantic. And the story of how Angels and Chimaera were created..it was beautiful.

Finally, another aspect i loved about this book was that Karou wasn't yet another "helpless" little girl who falls in love with the wrong person (forbidden love) and is in danger because of that love and just waits for her lover to save her. No. Karou is a strong and proud character, very much capable of taking care and protecting herself.

There was a part in the book, where it said that many unsuspecting tourists and authors would sign a contract with an old storyteller, in which they would offer him a year of their lives for a story idea. That really provoked thought in me, would i ever give up a year of my life for a wish or success? I decided that i wouldn't, just the thought of it made death seem scary and i realized how short life could be, and to make it even shorter?

What would you do if you could have anything you ever wanted and longed for for the price of dying one year too early?

Challenge(s): The Eclectic Reader (Fantasy), 2012 e-Book Challenge

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain

Publisher: Penguin Classics

Publication Date: 28 Feb 2006 (first publication in 1876)

Series of Standalone: Standalone

ISBN: 0143039563

Format: e-Book

Pages: 282

Websites:

Mark Twain - Official Site

Mark Twain - House & Museum

Mark Twain - Project

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

“‎"TOM!"
No answer.
"TOM!"
No answer.
"What's gone with that boy, I wonder? You TOM!"
No answer.
The old lady pulled her spectacles down and looked over them about the room; then she put them up and looked out under them. She seldom or never looked THROUGH them for so small a thing as a boy; they were her state pair, the pride of her heart, and were built for "style," not service-- she could have seen through a pair of stove-lids just as well.” 

 ______________________ 

I’ve been meaning for a long time to read this book, I had heard so many praises about it that I just had to read it and see for myself what the fuss was about. Well, it captured my interest and hooked me from the very first page; it definitely deserves being called an all times classic.

I loved its timeless humor and how it often brought a broad smile to my face. I loved the carefree antebellum south rural life it depicted and I often found myself comparing life back in those days and life today.

What’s more, I immediately took a liking to Tom Sawyer and his adventurous spirit, I admired his impulsiveness and cleverness and his bravery. He made me want to get up and have an adventure of my own.

Finally, it got me thinking and everyone just seemed much more happy back then. The children were more innocent and looked forward to having fun and playing outside with their friends; Today’s children prefer to stay indoors and play video-games or watch TV, they seem to have lost their innocence, the very thing that makes them a children. It’s sad in a way and troublesome; it makes you wonder about the children of the future. 

Torment by Lauren Kate

Publisher: Random House Children's Books
Publication Date: 28 Sept 2010
Series or Standalone: Series
ISBN: 9780385739146
Format: e-Book
Pages: 452
Websites:
Lauren Kate - Official Site
Lauren Kate - Blog
Lauren Kate - Twitter
Lauren Kate - Facebook
Lauren Kate - Goodreads


Rating: 2 out of 5 stars


Fallen Series Order:

Book 1: Fallen

Book 2: Torment

Book 3: Passion

Book 4: Rapture (12 June 2012)

Companion Book(s):

Fallen in Love (24 Jan 2012)

Overview:
Hell on earth.

That’s what it’s like for Luce to be apart from her fallen angel boyfriend, Daniel.
It took them an eternity to find one another, but now he has told her he must go away. Just long enough to hunt down the Outcasts—immortals who want to kill Luce. Daniel hides Luce at Shoreline, a school on the rocky California coast with unusually gifted students: Nephilim, the offspring of fallen angels and humans.

At Shoreline, Luce learns what the Shadows are, and how she can use them as windows to her previous lives. Yet the more Luce learns, the more she suspects that Daniel hasn’t told her everything. He’s hiding something—something dangerous.
What if Daniel’s version of the past isn’t actually true? What if Luce is really meant to be with someone else?

 ______________________________

Unlike the first book which had enchanted me, Torment left me hanging disappointed. Was it because we still have no answers? Was it because the story was weak and full of black holes? Was it because you could see right through Lauren Kate's "mysteries" and twists? Was it because some things just didn't make sense? Was it because Luce had turned into a total bitch and spoiled brat? Not to mention stupid! It was probably a combination of all these and more.


Furthermore, i don't want to compare books, but o do prefer the more manly, tough and scary -not to mention sexy- Fallen Angles and Nephelim that Fitzpatrick portrays in her series hush hush to the gentle and sappy Fallen Angels of the Fallen series and the Nephelim who can do tricks like little warlocks and wizards. That did put me off a tad bit.


Moreover, something i just cannot wrap my mind around. How is it possible for angels and demons to get along and even form relationships? i just fail to understand this no matter how hard i try. Have you ever met a couple where one was a christian and the other a Satanist? it just doesn't work :/


Finally, i guess this isn't rally important but i just have to rant about it. Lauren Kate, why do fallen angles and demons in your series still have their wings? The whole point is that their wings were ripped out and that caused their fall which left them stranded on earth (or Hell). i know everyone has the freedom of imagining things the way they want and i don't really want to say it's wrong, but it just bothers me.