Jun 30, 2012

Jealousy

Holy crimony, that was fantastic. Just man oh man... and that ending was just cruel and dang this is so my fave so far in this series. holy cow. OK I'll review it:


Jealousy (Strange Angels #3)
Lili St. Crow

Jealousy (Strange Angels, #3)Dru Anderson might finally be safe. She’s at the largest Schola on the continent, and beginning to learn what it means to be svetocha—half vampire, half human, and all deadly. If she survives her training, she will be able to take her place in the Order, holding back the vampires and protecting the oblivious normal people.
But a web of lies and betrayals is still closing around her, just when she thinks she can relax a little. Her mentor Christophe is missing, her almost-boyfriend is acting weird, and the bodyguards she’s been assigned seem to know much more than they should. And then there’s the vampire attacks, the strange nightly visits, and the looks everyone keeps giving her. As if she should know something.
Or as if she’s in danger.
Someone high up in the Order is a traitor. They want Dru dead—but first, they want to know what she remembers of the night her mother died. Dru doesn’t want to remember, but it looks like she might have to—especially since once Christophe returns, he’ll be on trial for his life, and the only person who can save him is Dru.
The problem is, once she remembers everything, she may not want to...
Ok, so this one was so much better than the first two. It was much more intense and emotional and just great. I can even make comparisons with The Mortal Instruments & Vampire Academy. And, for me, that's saying something. But, you know, more on that later.

So, Dru is finally at the big Schola, and all her friends (minus Christophe, but he really should be more than a friend :P) are there with her. She's treated better, if stared at a lot, by the students and staff. And then the psycho-cheerleader (and/or Anna) head honcho of the Order comes, and makes everything much worse. There's a couple vamp attacks and, oh, Dru's trying to fix Ash (the Broken wulf). And then Christophe comes back and the poop hits the fan, and then some stuff gets better and some gets worse but everything gets so much more exciting. Isn't that just wonderfully vague? You should read it, and find the rest of the good stuff out though(:
I just loved this one. The plot was so much more interesting, and more intense and emotional and great. I loved it all. And there was plenty of awesome Christophe, too. So, you know, I kinda had to love it. It gets a little awkward when Dru learns some stuff about her mom and Anna and Christophe and how they all knew each other, but I kinda think it was supposed to. The only problem I had with the book was that Dru was kinda dumb sometimes, because she just didn't bother to figure stuff out that was right in front of her. It drove me a little batty. Other than that, it was great.

On to the characters- I love the wulfen Dru is friends with. Shanks and Dibs are so kind and loyal and you just can help but love them. And I really liked the guys in her guard (yeah, she got a guard), because they were so funny and nice to her. I especially liked Leon, because he was kinda painfully sarcastic and wasn't all snobby like some other guys we meet in this one. So, the minor characters totally had me. I just loved them. And then there's Dru, Graves, and Christophe. Dru & Graves as a potential couple make me think of Simon & Clary when they tried to date in City of Ashes. He makes her feel safe, but not electrified. Whereas the prospect of Dru & Christophe would be more Rose & Dimitri. He's older and wiser and she's young and reckless, but they still have a chance to be an awesome couple (and he doesn't feel like home to her). The age difference is a little Bella & Edward, though, and he still looks like a teenager, but that's okay. They'd be less annoying than Bella and Edward. I do love how protective Graves is of Dru (what the heck is her real name????), but Christophe is painfully protective, too, so... Graves is cool and sarcastic and Christophe is a little aloof and they both have great qualities, but uh Christophe doesn't have a unibrow. I'm a little Team Christophe, if y'all haven't noticed.

I don't like the cover though, because the cover-Dru isn't even the same chick from the Strange Angels cover, and I don't even know who the guy is supposed to be...

I definitely give this one 5 stars, because, well I just loved it. Even if I didn't like the cover.

I really should start on my original pile for this week, but it's so big. ugh. I'll get around to it eventually. I won *eep* signed copies of Angelfire and Wings of the Wicked (from The Little Reapers) last week and I'm mildly anxious for them to get here. But, it could take a while. Oh well, still psyched(:

So, yeah!


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Betrayals


Lili St. Crow
Pages:  304
Publisher: Razorbill
Format: Paperback
Source: Library
Age Group: Young Adult
Date Published: November 17, 2009
She’s no angel...
Poor Dru Anderson. Her parents are long gone, her best friend is a werewolf, and she’s just learned that the blood flowing through her veins isn’t entirely human. (So what else is new?)Now Dru is stuck at a secret New England Schola for other teens like her, and there’s a big problem—she’s the only girl in the place. A school full of cute boys wouldn’t be so bad, but Dru’s killer instinct says that one of them wants her dead. And with all eyes on her, discovering a traitor within the Order could mean a lot more than social suicide...Can Dru survive long enough to find out who has betrayed her trust—and maybe even her heart?
This book was so much better than Strange Angels. It had a lot more intricacy and plot twists and more Christophe (whom I just adore). I found myself skipping less and getting really into what was going on. It was very good.

The action and the fighting and the way you felt Dru's panic was so much more intense than in the first book. I was scared for her and for what was going to happen to those around her. It made me feel more of what was going on in the book, and I really liked that. I also loved seeing the whole "pack" dynamic play out with the werwulfen (& the token loup-garou) and the was Graves treated it all. So, yeah, the plot was better.

I also liked the characters much better in this one. Dru was considerably less swear-y, and picked fights with the guys more often than she should have (much like I do) and I liked that about her. I still wish they would tell us her real name, though. I also liked Graves much better. He was super funny and protective and would make a really great friend. I do wish someone would pluck his unibrow, though. & Christophe... where do I begin? We find out his true age (more or less) in this one, and it's a little shocking, but that's ok, I still like him best. He's kinda James Bond at times and then he's still caring and cool and awesome and yeah. I like him, lots.

I don't love the cover, 'cause I think those guys in the back are supposed to be Graves and Christophe, and that's so not what I'd think they looked like. & Cover Dru doesn't have frizzy curls. or even curls at all. not cool.

Anyways, I'll give this book a 4.5, since it was better than Strange Angels but I didn't really like the cover and it just wasn't one of my favorites. It was still really good though, and I would definitely recommend it to anyone who has read the first book.

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Jun 28, 2012

Vanish

It took me a while to start this, since my pile for the week is more than a little intimidating, and I have awful summer reading to do for AP English next year... Anyways I'm glad I started on my pile *finally*. So, ya know, review time!


Vanish (Firelight #2)
Sophie Jordan


Vanish (Firelight, #2)
An impossible romance. Bitter rivalries. Deadly choices.
To save the life of the boy she loves, Jacinda did the unthinkable: She betrayed the most closely-guarded secret of her kind. Now she must return to the protection of her pride knowing she might never see Will again—and worse, that because his mind has been shaded, Will’s memories of that fateful night and why she had to flee are gone.
Back home, Jacinda is greeted with hostility and must work to prove her loyalty for both her sake and her family’s. Among the few who will even talk to her are Cassian, the pride’s heir apparent who has always wanted her, and her sister, Tamra, who has been forever changed by a twist of fate. Jacinda knows that she should forget Will and move on—that if he managed to remember and keep his promise to find her, it would only endanger them both. Yet she clings to the hope that someday they will be together again. When the chance arrives to follow her heart, will she risk everything for love?


I just loved Firelight and was so excited when I saw that my library had Vanish. Like I said, it took me a while to get started on my pile of books for the week, but I am so glad that I did! This was an awesome sequel, and I am so happy I got to know what happened next!

So, the plot was pretty interesting. I loved seeing the pride dynamics play out and the way they all treated Jacinda when she came back. She was treated like much less of an individual and she was pretty much punished by everyone, except Cassian (more on him in a second). This whole love triangle thing that played out was so typical YA, but I totally loved it.

On to the characters: Jacinda reminded me of me in this one, because she had a really hard time making up her mind the whole book. She'd be like "I'm gonna forget about him." and then she'd change her mind and be all "I could never do that!" It made her seem very human, and I liked that. I had a major book crush on Will in the first book, and I still like him and all, but I don't think I'd be very upset if she did end up choosing Cassian. I kinda like the guy. I hated him in Firelight, but he's pretty cool.

The cover is gorgeous! It's just like Firelight, but it means something different. I love that you find out who the character is on the cover and what the title means as you read the book. I just love it when authors do that with their covers.

I think I'll give it 5 stars. It was great, and I never wanted to stop reading, and I was disappointed when it ended! The next book, Hidden, doesn't come out until September, though! This is such a great series, and I can't wait to see what happens next.

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Jun 27, 2012

Waiting on Wednesday (6)


Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine, where we book bloggers talk about upcoming releases we are excited for.

So, this week I am excited for:

Sever (The Chemical Garden #3)
By: Lauren DeStefano
Publication date: February 12, 2013

Sever (The Chemical Garden, #3)
What if you knew exactly when you would die? In the not-too-distant future, genetic engineering has turned every newborn into a ticking time bomb — males only live to age 25 and females only live to age 20. In this bleak landscape, young girls are kidnapped and forced into polygamous marriages to keep the population from dying out. When 16-year-old Rhine Ellery is taken by "the Gatherers" to become a bride, she enters a world of wealth and privilege. Rhine has only one purpose after she has been married to her new husband, Linden: to escape and find her twin brother.
But Rhine has more to contend with than losing her freedom. Linden's eccentric father is bent on finding an antidote to the genetic virus that is getting closer to taking his son, even if it means collecting corpses in order to test his experiments. With the help of Gabriel, a servant to whom she is dangerously attracted, Rhine is desperate to learn the truth and protect those closest to her. But, as her sister wife Cecily keeps insisting, her role may be much bigger than that.
In the first two books of the Chemical Garden trilogy, Wither and Fever, Rhine struggles to escape the mansion and then to navigate the brutal world outside. Now in Sever, the third and final book, Rhine uncovers some shattering truths about the past that her parents never had the chance to tell her and the alarming implications regarding her own genes. She may be the one who can save the human race.

*EEEEEP* I figured I kinda had to do this one, since the cover was just revealed (and I love it). I'm gonna die waiting for February 2013, though): This is one of my favorite series, and I need to know how it all ends!! I seriously hope Rhine ends up with Gabriel. I will have a fit if it's Linden :/

Anyways, I'm psyched for this one ('specially since it now has a cover!). So what are you guys waiting on this week? Links, comments, whatever, just please tell me. I enjoy feedback!


News Flash: I just found out Lauren DeStefano is giving away an ARC!! Check out the contest on her blog!

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