Courtney Crumin and the Night Things (Vol.1) by Ted Naifeh

Publisher: Oni Press

Publication Date: 28 May 2003

Series or Standalone: Series (Graphic Novel)

ISBN-13: 9781929998609

Format: eBook

Pages: 128

Websites:

Ted Maifeh - Oficial Site

Ted Maifeh - Blog

Ted Maifeh - Twitter

Ted Maifeh - Goodreads

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Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Courtney Crumin Series Order:

Book 1: Courtney Crumin and the Night Things

Book 2: Courtney Crumin and the Coven of Mystics (6 Oct 2003)

Book 3: Courtney Crumin in the Twilight Kingdom (22 Sept 2004)

Book 4: Courtney Crumin's Monstrous Holiday (31 March 2009)

Blurb:

Courtney's parents have dragged her out to a high-to-do suburb to live with her creepy Great Uncle Aloysius in his spooky old house. She's not only the new kid in school, but she also discovers strange things lurking under her bed.

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Courtney Crumrin and the Night Things was a fast, interesting and entertaining read. This edition in particular contains the four individual issues of the comic and is the first of four volumes.

The narration is a combination of Courtneys inner thinking processes and a goblin called Butterworth who lives in the woods and feeds on human flesh.

If you’re into dark, eerie graphic novels you might enjoy this one. The artwork works well with the story giving it a dark and gothic feel.

I enjoyed it, although I wasn’t blown away by it. I will be definitely reading the rest of the series since I found Courtney’s little adventures entertaining.

Challenge(s): 2012 Ebook Challenge

Source: ARC Review Copy by 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. 

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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?

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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

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?

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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.