Lindsay's Review: A Great and Terrible Beauty (Gemma Doyle #1) by Libba Bray

A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray

Book One in the Gemma Doyle Series

Published on December 9th, 2003 by Simon and Schuster

Young Adult | Fantasy | Historical Fiction

403 Pages

Goodreads | Amazon | B&N

A Victorian boarding school story, a Gothic mansion mystery, a gossipy romp about a clique of girlfriends, and a dark other-worldly fantasy--jumble them all together and you have this complicated and unusual first novel.

Sixteen-year-old Gemma has had an unconventional upbringing in India, until the day she foresees her mother's death in a black, swirling vision that turns out to be true. Sent back to England, she is enrolled at Spence, a girls' academy with a mysterious burned-out East Wing. There Gemma is snubbed by powerful Felicity, beautiful Pippa, and even her own dumpy roommate Ann, until she blackmails herself and Ann into the treacherous clique.

Gemma is distressed to find that she has been followed from India by Kartik, a beautiful young man who warns her to fight off the visions. Nevertheless, they continue, and one night she is led by a child-spirit to find a diary that reveals the secrets of a mystical Order. The clique soon finds a way to accompany Gemma to the other-world realms of her visions "for a bit of fun" and to taste the power they will never have as Victorian wives, but they discover that the delights of the realms are overwhelmed by a menace they cannot control. Gemma is left with the knowledge that her role as the link between worlds leaves her with a mission to seek out the "others" and rebuild the Order. A Great and Terrible Beauty is an impressive first book in what should prove to be a fascinating trilogy.

As much as I hate to admit it, I'm a sucker for cute, cheesy romance books without a whole lot of substance. I thought it would be hard to read this book because romance was not the main plot, but I was pleasantly surprised.

A long time ago I remember reading one of the books in the series that my older sister let me borrow. I'm not quite sure which one it was, but even though I don't remember much, I'm left with fond memories of the beautiful place where the girls go. Something about it kept drawing me to this book so I finally picked it up.

Gemma is a wonderful main character. In the times where she's meant to be a proper lady who never speaks her mind, she struggles with keeping her opinions to herself and acting the way she's supposed to. On top of that she's very cunning, making the exchanges with the other girls very interesting and exciting to read because of how the pages turn with her choices.

Her friends, who you dislike at the start of the novel, become very real when you get to know them as Gemma's friends later on. They have valid reasons for the things they do, and even though sometimes they say things that are blatantly uncalled for, you get where they're coming from because of the lives they lived.

Even though the characters were very realistic and relatable, I felt like parts of the world were missing. I couldn't imagine the clothes they wore in that time, what the places in London were like. Maybe it's just me, but I had trouble putting images around the characters because of so.

One problem I had, and I'll try to be vague to keep from spoiling, was what happened at the end. I felt like the chapter touching on it should have been longer and more in-depth for such a big twist, but instead it kind of rushed by. When something big happens you want to know the details, to read what's happening to other characters, but it was over in a few measly pages and then shortly after the book ended. It might be the writer in me overreacting, but I really wanted more.

A Great and Terrible Beauty sucked me right in, making it nearly impossible for me to put down. Even though there was a romance only as a minor sub plot, I hardly noticed it. The book kept me flipping pages to find out what happens after each twist and I honestly can't wait to get my hands on the next one.

Lindsay's Mini Review: Such a Rush by Jennifer Echols

Such a Rush by Jennifer Echols
Series: None
Genre: Young Adult, Romance, Contemporary
Rating: ♚♚
Pages: 325
Published by MTV Books on July 10th, 2010
Amazon | B&N

A sexy and poignant romantic tale of a young daredevil pilot caught between two brothers.

When I was fourteen, I made a decision. If I was doomed to live in a trailer park next to an airport, I could complain about the smell of the jet fuel like my mom, I could drink myself to death over the noise like everybody else, or I could learn to fly.

Heaven Beach, South Carolina, is anything but, if you live at the low-rent end of town. All her life, Leah Jones has been the grown-up in her family, while her mother moves from boyfriend to boyfriend, letting any available money slip out of her hands. At school, they may diss Leah as trash, but she’s the one who negotiates with the landlord when the rent’s not paid. At fourteen, she’s the one who gets a job at the nearby airstrip.

But there’s one way Leah can escape reality. Saving every penny she can, she begs quiet Mr. Hall, who runs an aerial banner-advertising business at the airstrip and also offers flight lessons, to take her up just once. Leaving the trailer park far beneath her and swooping out over the sea is a rush greater than anything she’s ever experienced, and when Mr. Hall offers to give her cut-rate flight lessons, she feels ready to touch the sky.

By the time she’s a high school senior, Leah has become a good enough pilot that Mr. Hall offers her a job flying a banner plane. It seems like a dream come true . . . but turns out to be just as fleeting as any dream. Mr. Hall dies suddenly, leaving everything he owned in the hands of his teenage sons: golden boy Alec and adrenaline junkie Grayson. And they’re determined to keep the banner planes flying.

Though Leah has crushed on Grayson for years, she’s leery of getting involved in what now seems like a doomed business—until Grayson betrays her by digging up her most damning secret. Holding it over her head, he forces her to fly for secret reasons of his own, reasons involving Alec. Now Leah finds herself drawn into a battle between brothers—and the consequences could be deadly.

Though at first the cover drew me in, I've come to hate it. The girl looks plastic, mid-twenties, and nothing like the gorgeous, yet hand-me-down Leah in the book. I think this is my first problem.

The plot flowed nicely, however it didn't really feel like this was actually a book. Everything was calculated in a way that through every setback it worked out in favor for the main character Leah. On top of that, the other characters were also very basic. They had stereotypical personalities like brooding, popular, etc. They were only skin deep, and I wasn't very drawn to them.

Such a Rush was a basic read that I would flip through before bed, trying to quiet my mind. It kept me up some nights having to get through a particularly interesting part, however it's easily forgettable and not really full of substance. Things happened too easily, and it was all webbed together too carefully. I did enjoy reading it, but I don't think I'll be picking it up again.

To Read or Not to Read

This discussion is about picking up a book you've already started!

I'm having a mid-book crisis. I bought Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand over a year ago, and with being caught up in other things and other books, I've only managed to get a quarter of the way through. And if you've picked up the book, you know that's kind of an accomplishment. If you don't know what I'm talking about, the book is 1168 pages. Yes, you read that right. And on top of that, the font is tiny. Tiny, minuscule, so small that your grandma couldn't read a single word with her extra strength reading glasses.

So here is my dilemma. I want to finish the book, but I'm unsure of whether or not to restart the book or continue from where I ended off. Especially with a book that long.

What's your opinion? If you've left a book untouched for a while, do you pick it up and start again, or continue where you've left off? Let me know in the comments!

Lindsay's Mini Review: Taken at Dusk (Shadow Falls #3) by C.C. Hunter

Taken at Dusk by C.C. Hunter

Book 3 in the Shadow Falls Series

Published on January 1, 2012 by St. Martin's Press

Paranormal | Vampires | Young Adult

380 Pages

Goodreads | Amazon | B&N

Step into Shadow Falls, a camp for teens with supernatural powers. Here friendship thrives, love takes you by surprise, and our hearts possess the greatest magic of all.

Kylie Galen wants the truth so badly she can taste it. The truth about who her real family is, the truth about which boy she’s meant to be with—and the truth about what her emerging powers mean. But she’s about to discover that some secrets can change your life forever…and not always for the better.

Just when she and Lucas are finally getting close, she learns that his pack has forbidden them from being together. Was it a mistake to pick him over Derek? And it’s not just romance troubling Kylie. An amnesia-stricken ghost is haunting her, delivering the frightful warning, someone lives and someone dies. As Kylie races to unravel the mystery and protect those she loves, she finally unlocks the truth about her supernatural identity, which is far different—and more astonishing—than she ever imagined.

Do you ever go to the bookstore, excited to get new books and realize there's nothing there that you really want at that time? That's what happened when I bought Taken at Dusk. Now, don't get me wrong, I do enjoy the series and hang onto the cliffhangers like my life depends on it, but I'm not completely invested in the series like I was in others.

The plot felt pretty lax compared to the other books. Sure, there were cliffhangers, but the book went up to a climax that fell flat. It wasn't all that exciting, and I was disappointed, but the underlining plots made up for it somewhat in how interested I was in them.

Character wise, the characters were realistic and with so many, it wasn't hard to follow. I felt like the scenarios were real, and I was interested in each of the characters as a whole.

I will be completing the series soon, hopefully, and I look forward to reading the next book when I have time to pick it up.

Lindsay's Review: How to Love by Katie Cotugno

How to Love by Katie Cotugno
Series: None
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Rating: ♚♚♚♚♚
Pages: 398
Published by Balzer + Bray on October 1st, 2013
Amazon | B&N

Before: Reena Montero has loved Sawyer LeGrande for as long as she can remember: as natural as breathing, as endless as time. But he's never seemed to notice that Reena even exists until one day, impossibly, he does. Reena and Sawyer fall in messy, complicated love. But then Sawyer disappears from their humid Florida town without a word, leaving a devastated-and pregnant-Reena behind.

After: Almost three years have passed, and there's a new love in Reena's life: her daughter, Hannah. Reena's gotten used to being without Sawyer, and she's finally getting the hang of this strange, unexpected life. But just as swiftly and suddenly as he disappeared, Sawyer turns up again. Reena doesn't want anything to do with him, though she'd be lying if she said Sawyer's being back wasn't stirring something in her. After everything that's happened, can Reena really let herself love Sawyer LeGrande again?

I'm hesitant to pick up hardcover books because of the price and also if they're really popular. I never seem to fall into the books that everyone seems to enjoy. However, How to Love surprised me.

How to Love switches every other chapter from Before, to After. Before is when Reena first meets Sawyer, the drama in between, and how she becomes pregnant. After is Reena's life with her child, her heartbreak and the happenings that come when Sawyer returns after disappearing for two years.

I can't say I've read a novel with two perspectives like these, and when I realized what they were, I was wary. But this book did not disappoint. Both perspectives were amazing and I never leaned towards liking one more. Before Reena is a naive teenager, and After Reena is a mature, adult mother. Though the same character, the changes in Reena are perfectly done, and the end of each chapter had me excited for the next one in that perspective.

Though Reena's life felt really real and her character was someone who I sympathized with, I had trouble feeling that Sawyer was believable. There are times when he is so sweet and I love him but his personalities in both perspectives aren't consistent. Also, Allie's character wasn't prominent throughout the book like I thought it would be. When a character's death has an impact on the MC, it shouldn't be a touch and go situation. It should provoke thoughts, emotions and sometimes actions. I didn't think that happened.

While reading, I couldn't put this book down and annoyed those around me who wanted to talk to me. It was a great, wholesome read and is now one of my favorites despite it's flaws. For a standalone book, it ended wonderfully, and the whole book kept me pulled in with each and every word.

Library Books—Yay or Nay?

This week’s discussion post is about whether you’re for borrowing and reading books from the library or against!

Tori:

I love using the library when I want to read a book that I’m unsure about! It’s a way for me to try a book but not make a commitment like buying the book.

Lindsay:

I agree, but I have two major issues with libraries. One is that they don’t usually have the popular books for quite some time, at least the libraries I’ve been to, and the other is that when I go, I end up getting 15+ books and only reading a small fraction of them.

Tori:

Yes, exactly! Usually, my library has a big selection, and if they don’t have the book I want, I can have my library transfer between branches, or I can put it on hold. As for the 15+ books, I completely agree. Right now I have 3 books checked out, and I haven’t even finished one. I try to only get the books that I’ve put on hold when I visit my local library.

Lindsay:

I never put books on hold. I have no idea why. I think it has to do with how impatient I am. I’m like the toddler who wants something and wants it right now.

Tori:

Same! When I really want a book, I’ll just buy it. Especially with series. If I liked the first book, I’m just going to buy the second unless it’s at the library when I visit. Does the condition of library books bother you at all? I find the “used book” thing to be fun yet irritating because of my bookish OCD habits.

Lindsay:

I actually like reading used, tattered books which is weird because if they’re my own I freak about little bumps and scuffs. But what else bugs me is that if I read a book in a series at the library and have other books in the series at home, it looks empty. But I don’t want to flesh out the money for a book I just read.

Tori:

Yes! For some reason, I have a problem with buying books that I’ve already read if I don’t plan on reading them in the immediate future. I always think that the money could go to a different book that I could be reading. I’m constantly looking for new books to read even though I already have enough.

Lindsay:

You have enough to get you through the year.

Tori:

Or two.

Lindsay's Review: My Life Next Door (My Life Next Door #1) by Huntley Fitzpatrick

My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick
Series: My Life Next Door #1
Genre: Young Adult, Romance, Contemporary
Rating: ♚♚♚♚♚
Pages: 394
Published by Dial Books for Young Readers on June 14th, 2012
Amazon | B&N

"One thing my mother never knew, and would disapprove of most of all, was that I watched the Garretts. All the time."

The Garretts are everything the Reeds are not. Loud, messy, affectionate. And every day from her rooftop perch, Samantha Reed wishes she was one of them . . . until one summer evening, Jase Garrett climbs up next to her and changes everything.

As the two fall fiercely for each other, stumbling through the awkwardness and awesomeness of first love, Jase's family embraces Samantha - even as she keeps him a secret from her own. Then something unthinkable happens, and the bottom drops out of Samantha's world. She's suddenly faced with an impossible decision. Which perfect family will save her? Or is it time she saved herself?

A transporting debut about family, friendship, first romance, and how to be true to one person you love without betraying another.

I loved this book. Loved, loved, loved. I was a little cautious at first because the premise of the-boy-next-door is always overused and the same, but My Life Next Door is nothing like that.

Samantha's mother is running for a political position and urged Samantha to keep two jobs all summer to keep herself busy while her mother is working late and her sister is on vacation. With so much time alone, Sam builds a relationship with the family next door who make her feel like she belongs, instead of being second to her mother all the time.

As a main character, I sympathize with Samantha and was happy with how real she seemed. I felt like we connected and I honestly felt her emotions throughout the book. The only thing I struggled with was how she reacted to her mother because I am so outspoken that I was practically screaming at the page for Sam to freak out.

And then there's Jase. As a romantic interest, he is so perfect. And it's not too perfect either, when the plot comes into play. I think that's why I loved him so much was because he was actually an amazing guy to Samantha, and didn't do anything wrong like in other stories of the like.

So many things happened in this book that kept me prolonging my real life. I really don't have anything bad to say and to gush would be to reveal too many spoilers. Have you ever read a book that you just felt happily speechless about? This is that book for me.

Originally I thought My Life Next Door was a standalone, and it ended so well that I was okay with that. And now that I realize it's a  series, I'm unsure of how to feel. I don't want the second book to be disappointing after such an amazing opening novel because it will ruin it. It was a fantastic standalone book and now I'm skeptic about how Fitzpatrick will follow.

 

The Liebster Blog Award

I feel like a horrible person since I'm not nominating any bloggers for this award. I've found that all the blogs that I would've nominated have already been nominated. Plus, I don't really have any good questions to ask people, so I won't even try.

Although I'm extremely thankful to Eboni from Paperbacks & Protagonists and Rimsha from Ramblings of a Bookworm for both nominating me for this award!

What the Liebster Blog Award is:

The Liebster Blog Award spotlights "newbie" blogs that have no more than 200 followers.

The Rules:

• List 11 facts about yourself.
• Answer the 11 questions put forward to you by whoever nominated you.
• Ask 11 new questions to no more than 9 bloggers. They must have less than 200 followers on bloglovin' or their preferred method of subscription. You cannot renominate the blog who nominated you.
• Go to their blog and inform them of their nomination!

Like I said, I'm a loser, so I'm not nominating or asking any questions. I'm so sorry! :P But I felt like I should answer the questions I've been asked, so here goes!

Goodbye, February + Hello, March!

It's finally time to say goodbye to February and hello to March! (Okay, we're about 8 days late, but who cares about technicalities?)

• Rise (Eve #3) by Anna Carey | Tori & Lindsay | ♚♚
• The Indigo Spell (Bloodlines #3) by Richelle Mead | Tori | ♚♚♚♚♚
• Me Since You by Laura Wiess | Tori | ♚♚♚♚
• Ink (Paper Gods #1) by Amanda Sun | Lindsay | ♚♚♚♚♚
• The Killing Woods by Lucy Christopher | Tori | ♚♚♚
• The Name of the Star (Shades of London #1) by Maureen Johnson | Tori | ♚♚♚♚
• Cress (Lunar Cronicles #3) by Marissa Meyer | Tori | ♚♚♚♚♚
• The Cellar by Natasha Preston | Tori | ♚♚♚♚
• The Fiery Heart (Bloodlines #4) by Richelle Mead | Tori | ♚♚♚
• Ignite Me (Shatter Me #3) by Tahereh Mafi | Tori | ♚♚♚♚
• Unremembered (Unremembered #1) by Jessica Brody | Tori | ♚♚♚♚
• Better off Friends by Elizabeth Eulberg | Tori | ♚♚♚♚½
• Unforgotten (Unremembered #2) by Jessica Brody | Tori | ♚♚♚½
• Beatiful Redemption (Caster Chronicles #4) by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl | Lindsay | ♚♚♚
• Fire & Flood (Fire & Flood #1) by Victoria Scott | Tori | ♚♚♚

• Confession Time—Tori Hasn't Read Harry Potter... | Tori
• WWW Wednesday | Tori
• What Order Do You Read Books In—Order You Receive Them or When You Want? | Tori
• Preordering Books—My Love/Hate Relationship With Online Shopping | Tori
• Get Even by Gretchen McNeil COVER REVEAL + GIVEAWAY | Tori
• Top Ten Books That Made Tori Swoon | Tori
• The Queen of Zombie Hearts by Gena Showalter Cover Reveal + GIVEAWAY! | Tori (CLOSED)
• Valentine's Day Recommendations! | Tori
• Love for Books Read-a-Thon | Tori
• Why I Hate Lending Out My Books | Tori
• WoW: Fire & Flood by Victoria Scott | Tori
• Life of a Blogger: Introvert or Extrovert | Tori
• Stacking the Shelves (3) | Tori
• Top Ten OCD Bookish Habits of Tori's (REWIND) | Tori
• Life of a Blogger: Guilty Pleasures | Tori

For Macallan and Levi, it was friends at first sight. Everyone says guys and girls can’t be just friends, but these two are. They hang out after school, share tons of inside jokes, their families are super close, and Levi even starts dating one of Macallan’s friends. They are platonic and happy that way.

Eventually they realize they’re best friends — which wouldn’t be so bad if they didn’t keep getting in each other’s way. Guys won’t ask Macallan out because they think she’s with Levi, and Levi spends too much time joking around with Macallan, and maybe not enough time with his date. They can’t help but wonder . . . are they more than friends or are they better off without making it even more complicated?

From romantic comedy superstar Elizabeth Eulberg comes a fresh, fun examination of a question for the ages: Can guys and girls ever really be just friends? Or are they always one fight away from not speaking again — and one kiss away from true love?

Wren Caswell is average. Ranked in the middle of her class at Sacred Heart, she’s not popular, but not a social misfit. Wren is the quiet, “good” girl who's always done what she's supposed to—only now in her junior year, this passive strategy is backfiring. She wants to change, but doesn’t know how.

Grayson Barrett was the king of St. Gabe’s. Star of the lacrosse team, top of his class, on a fast track to a brilliant future—until he was expelled for being a “term paper pimp.” Now Gray is in a downward spiral and needs to change, but doesn’t know how.

One fateful night their paths cross when Wren, working at her family’s Arthurian-themed catering hall, performs the Heimlich on Gray as he chokes on a cocktail weenie, saving his life literally and figuratively. What follows is the complicated, awkward, hilarious, and tender tale of two teens shedding their pasts, figuring out who they are—and falling in love.

• Dark Horse (feat. Juicy J) by Katy Perry | Tori
• The Wolf by Phildel | Tori

So far, we know that Tori will be posting reviews for Don't Even Think About It by Sarah Mlynowski, Donners of the Dead by Karina Halle, Everneath by Brodi Ashton, and more! Lindsay will post My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick, How to Love by Katie Cotugno, Such a Rush by Jennifer Ecohls, and more!

Both of us will have discussion posts on library books, reading too much, length of reviews, and much more! So stay tuned, because the month of March looks like it's going to be amazing! :D

Do You Do Series or Do You Do Standalones?

This week’s topic is based on reading series versus reading standalones. While Tori loves series, Lindsay loves standalones.

(For you grammar people (such as Tori), just know that we can't decide how to use 'series' as a plural. Research has shown to not be fruitful whatsoever. The same goes for the word 'standalone.' We've seen it both ways, and we prefer it as one word, therefore that's how it's going to be.)

Tori:

I love reading series because they’re full of information (usually), and most of the time they’re way more complex than standalones. With series, authors have more time to build the world that they want. When standalones need complex world building, authors have less pages while series have multiple books.

Lindsay:

I think you just basically summed up exactly why I don’t read series very often before I even had time to realize it. Standalones aren’t necessarily easy reads, but I find myself more invested in their characters and plots. As a writer, I find myself enjoying writing standalones as well. I think something about it just seems like I can relax and read or write instead of worrying about plots making sense or putting things together.

Tori:

I think that—just like the plots for series—authors have more books and pages to create characters with more complexity and that seem more realistic. As for your stories, Lindsay, I think you create realistic characters, because you put yourself into each and every one. Some standalone authors don’t do this, and that’s when I almost give up on standalones altogether. It’s harder for me to connect to a character on a personal level with just 300 pages.

Lindsay:

I also think series are usually using another aspect such as paranormal or fantasy, from what I’ve seen. I don’t think I’ve ever seen more than a few series that have just plain teen fiction or something along those lines. For example, City of Bones by Cassandra Clare is based around fantasy, Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick is about paranormal, and Asylum by Madeleine Roux is based on horror. Honestly, I think I’m just a simple, contemporary or romance girl while, though you like it, I tend to see you lean much more towards fantasy as of late.

Tori:

Yeah, I just feel more comfortable with series, because the author can be more free. And I've found that I'm less harsh when reviewing fantasy novels for some reason. But as for contemporaries, Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins is contemporary and a series, but each book is about a different girl, and the author has to start all over with characterization (I have no read this book. It shall happen eventually). I think for me characters are just a big deal when I read a book, and that’s why I’d prefer to spend more than one book with a character to really get used to them. To be fair, Divergent and Angelfall are two books where I’ve honestly really enjoyed the main character right off the bat.

Lindsay:

Speaking of Angelfall, I think the character situation is exactly why I love the series so much, rather than just reading the first book and dreading the second. Also, the love interest was a good character, inside and out, and I think that I really have to connect with the characters in order to love a series.

Tori:

Exactly! Me too, but I just find that it takes me longer to really connect with a character. I really enjoy the Shatter Me trilogy because of Warner and Juliette together. But by reading just the first book, I wouldn’t have ever imagined those two together. It really took the second book to change my opinion. This is why I like series. I can learn to love the characters as the series progresses, which I love doing! And I love it when the author manages to change my opinion on a specific character, showing me that it's possible for people to change.

How do you feel about reading series? Or are you more of a standalone novel type of person?

 

Lindsay's Review: City of Bones (The Mortal Instruments #1) by Cassandra Clare

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare
Series: The Mortal Instruments #1
Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult, Paranormal
Rating: ★★★
Pages: 485
Published by Margaret K. McElderry Books on March 27th, 2007
Amazon | B&N

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.

I've always been someone who is late to jump on the popular book train. Well, either late or early. Never on time. That being said, as much as I despise reading hyped over books, I eventually do, and I've finally got around to reading Cassandra Clare's City of Bones.

I thought I was going to really love it or really hate it. By now, most of us already know the plot or have seen the movie, so I'm going to jump into what I thought while reading. The book itself was a great read, with plot twists, funny moments, and a sprinkle of romance. But I didn't find myself getting really excited about anything. Maybe one time in the book I actually was mentally cheering for the characters, and that was just simply for a romance part of the novel.

The only major problem I had with the book was Clary. For someone who has lived in such a big city her whole life, almost taking care of herself in a way, she is just so childish. There is innocent as a character trait, but I felt like Clary was portrayed as a much younger version of the character she was supposed to be. She didn't feel mature or even slightly like a teenager, but rather a young child, almost like a doll per-say. I honestly felt like Jace was babysitting her rather than being a romantic interest half the time, which is certainly not a good, or appropriate thing to do.

 

So here's my dilemma, now that I've finished City of Bones. I'm not that invested to go onto the series and get the next book, and frankly, I don't exactly want to. But when I start a series I feel like I have to finish it, it's almost like OCD. It may take me a while, but I always end up spending money to complete a series I'm not really interested in reading. Am I the only one who does this?

Now onto the verdict. City of Bones was actually a well written novel, and I would recommend it to avid readers who haven't picked it up just yet. However everyone has different preferences with books, and Fantasy just isn't my favorite genre. I liked reading it and didn't put it down for too long, but I'm not crazy about it. Of course, others will say the opposite, and that's why I say go for it! Clare did a great job with the writing, plot and characters. The book was worth the read!

SO TELL ME: DO YOU FINISH A SERIES EVEN IF YOU'RE NOT ALL THAT INTERESTED?

 

Lindsay's Review: Beautiful Redemption (Caster Chronicles #4) by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

Beautiful Redemption by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl
Series: Caster Chronicles #4
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal
Rating: ♚♚♚
Pages: 456
Published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers on October 23rd, 2012
Amazon | B&N

Is death the end . . . or only the beginning?

Ethan Wate has spent most of his life longing to escape the stiflingly small Southern town of Gatlin. He never thought he would meet the girl of his dreams, Lena Duchannes, who unveiled a secretive, powerful, and cursed side of Gatlin, hidden in plain sight. And he never could have expected that he would be forced to leave behind everyone and everything he cares about. So when Ethan awakes after the chilling events of the Eighteenth Moon, he has only one goal: to find a way to return to Lena and the ones he loves.

Back in Gatlin, Lena is making her own bargains for Ethan's return, vowing to do whatever it takes -- even if that means trusting old enemies or risking the lives of the family and friends Ethan left to protect.

Worlds apart, Ethan and Lena must once again work together to rewrite their fate, in this stunning finale to the Beautiful Creatures series.

When I first picked up the first book in the series from the library, I absolutely loved it. So much so that I ended up buying the book and continuing reading the series over the last few years. Before I get into it, I just want to let you guys know that there are major plot spoilers ahead.

The Plot: After jumping off the water tower to save all the people he loves, Ethan Wate is stuck on the other side, unable to return back to Lena and his remaining family unless he erases his page in The Caster Chronicles. He must complete the tasks at hand to get to the book and back in Gatlin, Lena must help him the best she can.

Honestly, it took me a while to get around to this book. First was because it was hardcover and I was not paying a hardcover price. But eventually I saw it soft cover and on a book buying spree, decided to complete the series on my bookshelf and finally read it.

I didn't reread the series before getting to Beautiful Redemption, and as much as I hate to say it, I didn't remember much of what had happened except for some key parts in the first book. And though it was a good read and a good end to the series, I just wasn't feeling the book. I've tried all day to think of reasons why but all I can come up with was that it didn't really end with a bang. A lot of the things that happened seemed un-character-like, and on top of that there was Lena's perspective for a third of the book and it was more interesting then the entire Ethan parts.

I just felt kind of

throughout the book.

And on top of that, the main bad guy, Abraham, dies. After all the crap he caused for them and how powerful apparently he is, you would think there would be some big fight with hardships and loss and all that. But no. Link kills him with garden sheers. Link. With gardening equipment. Are you serious? For such an antagonist and all the big fights with him throughout the series, he just dies the stupidest of deaths. I was actually yelling at my book. It feels like the authors just didn't want to deal with him anymore and killed him off in the easiest way possible.

I didn't hate it, but I didn't exactly love it. It was a thorough ending to a good series, and I'm glad I finished it.

Lindsay's Review: Ink (Paper Gods #1) by Amanda Sun

Ink by Amanda Sun
Series: Paper Gods #1
Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal, Romance
Rating: ★★★★★
Pages: 326
Published by Harlequin Teen on June 25th, 2013
Amazon | B&N

On the heels of a family tragedy, the last thing Katie Greene wants to do is move halfway across the world. Stuck with her aunt in Shizuoka, Japan, Katie feels lost. Alone. She doesn’t know the language, she can barely hold a pair of chopsticks, and she can’t seem to get the hang of taking her shoes off whenever she enters a building.

Then there’s gorgeous but aloof Tomohiro, star of the school’s kendo team. How did he really get the scar on his arm? Katie isn’t prepared for the answer. But when she sees the things he draws start moving, there’s no denying the truth: Tomo has a connection to the ancient gods of Japan, and being near Katie is causing his abilities to spiral out of control. If the wrong people notice, they'll both be targets.

Katie never wanted to move to Japan—now she may not make it out of the country alive.

Dono yō ni shite iru? Don't know what that says? Don't worry! I'm just asking how are you in Japanese. I actually learned a lot of simple phrases while reading the book and if you know me in real life you're probably sick of me shouting out random things in Japanese.

Now, as much as I hate to admit it, I think that the reason I truly loved this book is because it took place in Japan. I love everything about the culture and the fashion, and Ink made me truly feel like I was really there in Japan. I felt like I was biking down the streets, staring at the sakura trees or in the school, feeling like a black sheep in a field of white.

Amanda Sun combines English and Japanese perfectly, making the words flow while also translating for the reader to understand. There's even a glossary at the back, but I found I didn't even look at it until I finished the book because Ink was so easy to understand. Also, the drawings throughout the book, both actual pictures and doodles, fit well and didn't take away from the story. As the pages kept turning I was genuinely trying to slow down because I didn't want it to end so soon, but I had to fight with myself because I absolutely needed to know what was going to happen next.

Katie is a main character I can relate to. When she's upset, I can really sympathize with her and feel what she's going through. I felt her struggle personally and loved her as a main character no matter what actions she took. 

"You're right," he said. "I'm sorry. Let me draw something to make it up to you."

"Draw yourself getting smacked in the face."

And Tomo as a love interest, despite my caution about how an author would integrate two languages together for romance, was perfect. Everything he did was justified, and unlike typical bad boys, he actually felt real.

I really don't have one bad thing to say about the book, the plot, or the writing. It was all fantastic in my opinion. The only thing I don't like? That I have to wait until the end of June to get a copy of the next book in the series! I want it in my hands right now!

Lindsay's Review: The Promise of Amazing by Robin Constantine

The Promise of Amazing by Robin Constantine
Series: None
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Rating: ★★★★
Pages: 371
Published by Balzer + Bray on December 31st, 2013
Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Wren Caswell is average. Ranked in the middle of her class at Sacred Heart, she’s not popular, but not a social misfit. Wren is the quiet, “good” girl who's always done what she's supposed to—only now in her junior year, this passive strategy is backfiring. She wants to change, but doesn’t know how.

Grayson Barrett was the king of St. Gabe’s. Star of the lacrosse team, top of his class, on a fast track to a brilliant future—until he was expelled for being a “term paper pimp.” Now Gray is in a downward spiral and needs to change, but doesn’t know how.

One fateful night their paths cross when Wren, working at her family’s Arthurian-themed catering hall, performs the Heimlich on Gray as he chokes on a cocktail weenie, saving his life literally and figuratively. What follows is the complicated, awkward, hilarious, and tender tale of two teens shedding their pasts, figuring out who they are—and falling in love.

I picked this book up on a whim, noticing the cover and how it looked like a cute, easy read, and that's exactly what I got. Boy meets girl, insta-love and all that cute, mushy stuff. If you're looking for something deep, realistic and  something for older adults, I suggest you stop right here.

Two differing perspectives make me wary, especially with romance involved. Usually I end up liking one character more than the other and dreading grueling through the other perspective. However, in The Promise of Amazing, both perspectives piked my interest and I enjoyed reading through them both, regardless of what situation the characters were in at the time.

Speaking of characters, despite my rating of four stars, the characters didn't seem real. They were easily forgettable, main characters and non alike, put themselves in situations no one in real life would and also lived lives that honestly, seemed like they were created instead of lived in.

And the title, just for clarification, lies. The book wasn't amazing. It didn't make me gush or cry or scream. It was a solid, easy read.

By now you're probably wondering, "Hey Lindsay, why the four stars?" Well, like I said at the start, the book was a cute read and that was exactly what I was looking for. Despite the holes in the writing, I found myself turning the pages, smiling and relaxing as I read. I didn't get annoyed with anything like the plot or the characters, I didn't end the book stating I would never read it again (I probably will). I knew what I was getting into, and I enjoyed what I read.

Lindsay's Review: Asylum (Asylum #1) by Madeleine Roux

Asylum by Madeleine Roux
Series: Asylum #1
Genre: Horror, Young Adult, Mystery
Rating: ★★★★
Pages: 310
Published by HarperTeen on August 20th, 2013
Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Asylum is a thrilling and creepy photo-novel perfect for fans of the New York Times bestseller Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children.

For sixteen-year-old Dan Crawford, New Hampshire College Prep is more than a summer program—it's a lifeline. An outcast at his high school, Dan is excited to finally make some friends in his last summer before college. But when he arrives at the program, Dan learns that his dorm for the summer used to be a sanatorium, more commonly known as an asylum. And not just any asylum—a last resort for the criminally insane.

As Dan and his new friends, Abby and Jordan, explore the hidden recesses of their creepy summer home, they soon discover it's no coincidence that the three of them ended up here. Because the asylum holds the key to a terrifying past. And there are some secrets that refuse to stay buried.

Featuring found photos of unsettling history and real abandoned asylums and filled with chilling mystery and page-turning suspense, Madeleine Roux's teen debut, Asylum, is a horror story that treads the line between genius and insanity.

Did you read the title of this post? Did you notice it rhymed? Did you smile a little on the inside? Yes? No? Great.

The first time I saw this book I was looking at the Halloween Reads table in a bookstore with my boyfriend. I wanted it so bad but couldn't decide whether to flesh out the high cost for a hardcover or not. And if you know me, I'm terrible when it comes to decisions. On top of that, my boyfriend is the exact opposite so when asked his opinion he said just get it, and when I told him of the cost he said, just don't get it, and then when I couldn't come to a conclusion that would satisfy my little anxious, awful decision making heart, I left without the book.

And for months, I couldn't remember the title or author. But while back in the bookstore in January, months later, I finally found it - I knew I couldn't pass it up the second time around. So I bought it and here we are today.

Before anyone considers reading this, I want to get something out there. There are real pictures throughout the book taken in real asylums over the years, and though some mind not agree with me, I found some of them to be a bit disturbing. They weren't gory, but the ones showing real people freaked me out, especially the one with the little girl with the scar and the other with the nurses and doctor outside the one asylum. It gave me such chills that I actually went to my mom and said, "you need to smudge this, right now, because I am freaking the **** out."

If you don't know what smudging is, it's when you take a smudge stick or put some in a bowl, light it on fire and move the smoke around your house or over an object to clear the bad energy from it. It's a practice common in natives and my mom does it around the house a lot.

So to sum this up because I'm dilly-daddling, she smudged it, I didn't touch the book for a day and when I came back I actually wasn't freaked out anymore and any negative energy I associated with the pictures was gone. Basically what I'm trying to say is that if you don't like creepy pictures, you might want to flip through the book in a bookstore before reading it. I, being the weird me, actually loved the creepy pictures after I stopped being a scaredy-cat.

Plot-wise, I think Roux did a great job creating suspense, cliffhangers and adding mystery around the characters that built up throughout the novel. Certain situations kept me pointing fingers in different directions and kept me on the edge of my seat for the entire book. I enjoyed reading about the characters, though they are easily forgettable, and I think the renovated asylum could have been creepier than it was described.

But just a little note about something that annoyed me about the characters - somebody dies, somebody else almost dies, somebody almost kills them, AND THEY STAY AT THE SCHOOL. ANY RATIONAL PERSON WOULD LEAVE, WHY WOULD YOU STAY?

Now onto the part I didn't like about the book - and there aren't going to be any spoilers because that's too mean, but I warn you, if you read ahead, you might be expecting something if you read the book. What I didn't like was the ending. In fact, I think I'm being pretty generous in giving the book four stars because the ending ruined almost the entire book for me. Not only did it make so little sense that you had to piece it together yourself, it was stupid. And I don't mean like it was a stupid idea, I mean it like there was no elaboration whatsoever, no reason for what happened to happen unless maybe piece it together yourself. And then it ends. Sure, every good book should leave a few threads untied, but this was just RIDICULOUS. I literally closed the book and said, "I don't know what just happened."

Overall, it was actually a great read despite what I just said, and the pictures were really good to look at while I read. I recommend it to anyone who likes the horror genre, or wants to dip their toes into it!

You might also like:

Dark Companion by Marta Acosta
The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

Lindsay's Review: Forever (The Wolves of Mercy Falls #3) by Maggie Stiefvater

Forever by Maggie Stiefvater
Series: The Wolves of Mercy Falls #3
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Werewolves
Rating: ★★★★
Pages: 388
Published by Scholastic Press on July 12th, 2011
Amazon | Barnes & Noble

then. When Sam met Grace, he was a wolf and she was a girl. Eventually he found a way to become a boy, and their loved moved from curious distance to the intense closeness of shared lives.

now. That should have been the end of their story. But Grace was not meant to stay human. Now she is the wolf. And the wolves of Mercy Falls are about to be killed in one final, spectacular hunt.

forever. Sam would do anything for Grace. But can one boy and one love really change a hostile, predatory world? The past, the present, and the future are about to collide in one pure moment - a moment of death or life, farewell or forever.

Why do we read? We read to immerse ourselves into a new world, to fall in love with characters we will never meet, and to enjoy ourselves along the way. And that's exactly what I got while reading this series, and especially Forever.

The book started off a bit slower than usual, especially with all the things that went down at the end of Linger, the second book. And despite how much I've defended the pace of the entire series, I think that Steifvater got a bit sloppy in this book with pacing throughout the whole story. The content, for the most part, was perfect, however not only the slow start bugged me, but the timeline in which things were happening.

Now I warn you, from here on out, there will be big and little spoilers alike. Read at your own discretion.

When doing a timeline through a book, I feel like if you're counting down to something bad, you're characters should be stressed, maybe even freaking out - especially freaking out if their friends might die, which in this book, was the case. But as time progressed, I didn't find the tension rising. It wasn't until the very end that there was so much happening all at once, amazing, but jumbled together in a nothing-built-up-to-this-very-much-and-now-all-this-is-happening-at-once kind of way.

However, despite the pacing, the content was excellent as always, and I couldn't help but get sucked right into Mercy Falls, knowing the place so well with the pictures in my head that I felt like it was a place I actually visited in real life.

The series, as a whole, is one I'm really glad I got around to reading. It was cute and sad and wonderful all at once. The Sam-Grace moments, the angry Grace moments, the Cole-Isabel moments and the Sam-Beck ones. Every one touched me and I really felt like I knew these people.

And even though I was unsure about Cole, I fell in love with him as a character who was lost but redeeming himself. In the end - huge spoiler here- when I thought he was dead, I was so close to bawling that I felt like I wasn't breathing. I hate to admit it, but I speed-read just to find out what happened to him and when he was alive, I wanted to cheesy fist pump freeze-frame in the air like all those 80's movies. So yes, if this book can make me do that, it is definitely worth a read. But I must warn you, do not have expectations, or it will ruin your read. Go in knowing nothing, and I can promise it will be a great read.

Lindsay's Review: Linger (The Wolves of Mercy Falls #2) by Maggie Stiefvater

Linger by Maggie Stiefvater
Series: The Wolves of Mercy Falls #2
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance, Werewolves
Rating: ★★★
Pages: 368
Published by Scholastic Press on July 13th, 2010
Amazon | Barnes & Noble

The astonishing #1 New York Times bestseller.
In Maggie Stiefvater's Shiver, Grace and Sam found each other. Now, in Linger, they must fight to be together. For Grace, this means defying her parents and keeping a very dangerous secret about her own well-being. For Sam, this means grappling with his werewolf past . . . and figuring out a way to survive into the future. Add into the mix a new wolf named Cole, whose own past has the potential to destroy the whole pack. And Isabelle, who already lost her brother to the wolves . . . and is nonetheless drawn to Cole.

This book is both amazing and also forgettable to me. I don't know how to explain it clearly, but I'll try my best. It's forgettable because when I think about it, all I see is the main plot through the series about the wolves and Sam and Grace. But when I sit down for a moment and think, little things come to mind that I read that make the book amazing and worth reading.

I think it takes a certain type of reader to read this book. Either one who is experienced in the art of reading (yes, I've declared this a thing) or someone who genuinely likes the flow of a book. I think Stiefvater's writing and the series in general is never about the ending or the climax. I think it's about the road to getting there and all the small moments that you have to read between the lines to let them warm your heart. I know it sounds super cheesy, but it's true. It isn't romance-packed, full of action or even entirely about the werewolves. It's a book I can only explain as, for lack of a better expression, about the path along the way to the destination.

I had only a few problems while first getting into the book, and it was that there were two new perspectives introduced, which I was not prepared for. I find reading two perspectives is enough for me, but switching from that to four upset me at first. Isabel we met in Shiver and although seemed like the bad guy, turned out to be important to the story. This time in Linger I liked her a lot more than I did before, and being in her perspective actually gave us more insight to her and the story. But Cole was hard for me to like throughout the novel, and I didn't actually enjoy reading his perspective until the end. I find it very difficult to read a book when the writer integrates new characters in the middle of the series. The author didn't necessarily fail, but it was a rocky thing to throw into the Linger series.

My second issue was that Sam and Grace need to be more realistic as not only characters, but also a couple. They think they will be together for ever and love each other, but I didn't feel like Stiefvater  succeeded in giving that information to the reader. They just seemed like a regular teenage couple that are obsessed with each other at the start of the relationship instead of truly being in love. I also found that their personal problems were secondary to the story, which I can understand why the author did, but I felt like their problems should have been equals with the story because they were so personal and huge to live day-to-day life with.

Grace and Sam as main characters are not only wonderful, but they find ways to say so much meaning with so little words. They have me thinking about what they say and think, reading in between the lines and applying their thoughts to my own life, even after I've put the book down for a while. Some people might find it slow, but I found Linger to be a good book to curl up in and escape life with. If you've read the first book, this book is a must because I promise, the story gets better. And also, Cole is pretty hot, so that's a definite plus.

Looking Back on December 2013 (1)

This is a new segment that we're going to do at the beginning of every month, looking back on the previous month! I was originality going to make one of these every week, but then it got a little too out of hand, and I've decided to just make one at the beginning of each new month. Primarily, this series is just a simple way to inform you of what's been posted in the month in case you've missed anything or you want to go back and look. Also, in this series we're going to include the books we've read in the previous month as well as the books we're going to be reading in the month that the Looking Back post has been posted. So sit back, enjoy, and read!

Last Month in Review:

We amazingly had 19 reviews last month! Here is the list and their links:

• The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
• Nantucket Blue by Leila Howland
• The F-It List by Julie Halpern
• Unbreakable (The Legion #1) by Kami Garcia
• Shiver (The Wolves of Mercy Falls #1) by Maggie Stiefvater DFN
• Opal (Lux #3) by Jennifer L. Armentrout MINI REVIEW
• Reboot (Reboot #1) by Amy Tintera MINI REVIEW
• Origin by Jessica Khoury
• Siege and Storm (The Grisha #2) by Leigh Bardugo
• Sweet Evil (The Sweet Evil Trilogy #1) by Wendy Higgins
• Flat-Out Love (Flat-Out Love #1) by Jessica Park
• Finale (Hush, Hush #4) by Becca Fitzpatrick
• Steelheart (Reckoners #1) by Brandon Sanderson MINI REVIEW
• World After (Penryn & the End of Days #2) by Susan Ee MINI REVIEW
• The Lair (The Farm #2) by Emily McKay
• Exceptional (Exceptional #1) by Jess Petosa
• The Iron King (The Iron Fey #1) by Julie Kagawa
• Bloodlines (Bloodlines #1) by Richelle Mead
• 52 Reasons to Hate My Father by Jessica Brody

So many reviews! So if you haven't already, be sure to check some of those out and leave comments telling us what YOU thought of that book (:

Last Month in Posts:

Last month, we had 5 posts that weren't book reviews. I can't decide if this is a good or bad thing.

• Top Ten Books on Tori's Winter TBR (9)
• Lindsay's Current To-Be-Read
• Top Ten New-to-Me Authors Tori Read in 2013 (10)
• WoW: Landline by Rainbow Rowell (11)
• 2013 End of the Year Book Survey!

Same thing with the book reviews! Be sure to go check out these other posts from Lindsay and I and leave a comment telling us what you think (: 

Tori's Next Month Reading:

I have bought so many books, and I have so much to read. So, so much.

• Precious Blood (The Blessed #1) by Tonya Hurley
• In the After (In the After #1) by Demitria Lunetta
• Rise (Eve #3) by Anna Carey
• Ten by Gretchen McNeil
• The Fall of Five (Lorien Legacies #4) by Pittacus Lore
• Love Spell (A Comedy of Love #2) by Stan Crowe

Not too much... I received Precious Blood in a giveaway, and I intend to review all books that I receive for free. In the After is something that I started because Precious Blood started getting boring. Rise, Ten, and The Fall of Five are library books, so I have to get those read. And Love Spell is my blog tour book, so I have to read that and review it! (Psst, look out for that review. January 28th. Mark your calenders.)

Lindsay's Next Month Reading:

• City of Bones (The Mortal Instruments #1) by Cassandra Clare
• Beautiful Redemption (Caster Chronicles #4) by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl
• Ink (Paper Goods #1) by Amanda Sun
• Asylum by Madeleine Roux
• Rise (Eve #3) by Anna Carey
• The Promise of Amazing by Robin Constantine 

Rise and Beautiful Redemption are two finales to a series I've been loving and lacking on getting around to finishing. The others are ones I've been interested in, and let's be honest, I'm completely late on getting into The Mortal Instrument series and need to get on that. I guess this is how adults feel when they realize that they're no longer trendy.