Saturday, December 31, 2011

Where She Went by Gayle Forman

3 years have passed since Mia decided to leave. Now Adam a famous "Rock Star" lives the life most people would kill to have but to him is not what it used to be. Adam doesn't know why Mia never came back. She didn't call to explain why she decided to breakup with him. Somehow they find themselves together in New York and a night of questions, answers, regrets, goodbyes and letting go begins.

Where She Went was an amazing read. Sometimes I think Gayle Forman writes her books with a magical pen. Her characters are so real it hurts when they suffer. My favorite character was Adam, that's why I was so mad at Mia throughout most of the book but then I got why she left (she had her reasons). I loved everything in the book but one of my favorite scenes was when they were in the garden full of fireflies. How the author wrote it was so beautiful that it got stuck to my brain. Overall Where She Went is incredible.

Vampire General: Intern with the Vampire By: Kit Iwasaki

Human medicine is easy. On her first day at Grace General Hospital, new intern Aline Harman risks vampire infection, demonic possession, and having her heart torn out of her chest... and this from her colleagues.

Juggling transhuman politics only becomes more difficult when a patient's life is at stake. With a zombie to resuscitate and a mermaid in critical care, Aline has her hands full. At least the doctors are good-looking
Synopsis taken from Goodreads



Vampire General was like watching E.R. but with a bunch of vampires, some black widows and zombies. The story was short but packed with excitement. The main character Aline was fantastic. Being the only human doctor in Grace General hospital Aline had to pretend to be a vampire to be able to care for her patients (a zombie and a mermaid!!). I'm not a big fan of cliffhangers but the way the author wrote the ending was perfect. Lets hope Kit writes a sequel because I can't wait to read more about Aline and the other doctors of Vampire Genral.

*UPDATE*


In the middle of posting this review I found out that there is going to be a sequel!! Isn't that exciting news? The sequel is call: Vampire General: Slash and Burn

Trapped by Michael Northrop

Trapped by Michael Northrop
It looked like a normal snow storm when Scotty looked outside. That’s why he decided to stay in school a few hours more instead of taking the bus home, to help one of his friends finish a school project. A few hours later Scotty realizes that there’s 8 feet of snow outside and there’s no way of leaving the school. Now Scotty and 6 other students are trapped in school and they have to figure out how to survive without heat, power and water.
When I started reading Trapped I was excited about it but when I finished reading it I was disappointed. The concept is original but to me it wasn’t properly developed. The author repeated himself too much and the plot didn’t move quickly. What I did like about the book was how the author described the storm and how being trapped really feels like. I liked how the characters grew close to each other and how they managed to survived.

Sweetly by Jackson Pearce


As a child, Gretchen's twin sister was taken by a witch in the woods. Ever since, Gretchen and her brother, Ansel, have felt the long branches of the witch's forest threatening to make them disappear, too.
Years later, when their stepmother casts Gretchen and Ansel out, they find themselves in sleepy Live Oak, South Carolina. They're invited to stay with Sophia Kelly, a beautiful candy maker who molds sugary magic: coveted treats that create confidence, bravery, and passion.


This great book is inspired by the classic tale of Hanzel and Gretel. Sweetly will leave you glued to your seat and biting your nails from fear. This is perfect dark and stormy night reading material. I assure you that you’ll devour Sweetly in one sitting.

Sweetly is the second book in the Sisters Red series. The first book was inspired by Little Red Riding Hood. I recommend you read Sisters Red first but is not necessary. Sweetly is a standalone book not a sequel.

The Shattering by Karen Healey


Seventeen-year-old Keri likes to plan for every possibility. She knows what to do if you break an arm, or get caught in an earthquake or fire. But she wasn't prepared for her brother's suicide, and his death has left her shattered with grief. When her childhood friend Janna tells her it was murder, not suicide, Keri wants to believe her. After all, Janna's brother died under similar circumstances years ago, and Janna insists a visiting tourist, Sione, who also lost a brother to apparent suicide that year, has helped her find some answers.

As the three dig deeper, disturbing facts begin to pile up: one boy killed every year; all older brothers; all had spent New Year's Eve in the idyllic town of Summerton. But when their search for the serial killer takes an unexpected turn, suspicion is cast on those they trust the most.

As secrets shatter around them, can they save the next victim? Or will they become victims themselves?


I think that the concept of this book was interesting but what messed it up for me were the multiple points of view. When writing from the point of view of several characters I think they have to be interesting in order to engage the reader. Unfortunately I didn’t like Sione or Janna’s point of view. I did like Keri a lot. I wanted to keep reading about her and less of the other characters. The book wasn’t all bad. The writing is beautiful and the way Healey describes Summerton is amazing. The Shattering had its moments but not enough of them to keep me wanting to read it in one sitting.

Secrets of My Hollywood Life by Jen Calonita



Secrets of My Hollywood Life by Jen CalonitaKaitlin Burke is a big Hollywood star. She has everything she wants, from a big house to designer clothes. But her celebrity life is becoming too much for her, she wants to know how it would be like to be a regular teenager. She and her best friend Liz come up with a perfect plan; Kaitlin will go to high school in disguise. But Kaitlin doesn’t know that her plan won’t go as smoothly as she thought and she will soon realize that being a regular teen is not easy either.


I loved Secrets of My Hollywood Life. I liked all the characters and I think one of my favorite ones was Sky (the antagonist in the book), I kind of understand how she felt. Kaitlin was always the good girl with better roles and Sky was just trying to be seen. I loved how Liz had always Kaitlin’s back and how Kaitlin found friends that liked her for who she was not because of her status. The characters were realistic and enjoyable. This book is fun, clean and easy read.

The Piper’s Son By Melina Marchetta


When Tom’s uncle died his family fell apart. His dad became an alcoholic, his mom moved away taking his sister with her and Tom doesn’t want anything to do with his closest friends or the girl he loves. One night while playing guitar at one of his gigs Tom had an accident that took him to the hospital. After he got out he discovers that his roommates kicked him out of their apartment, leaving him on the street with nowhere to go to except to his 42 year old pregnant aunt’s house. After all this misfortune he decides to recover everything that he once had.


The Piper’s Son is the sequel to Saving Francesca and it takes place 5 years after. Is basically a standalone book but I assure you’ll want to read Saving Francesca after you read The Piper’s Son. This book made me want to cry and laugh in every chapter. It’s such a contradiction that a book makes you laugh and cry at the same time but that’s the way it is. The story is sad but the way the characters act is funny and is a perfect balance. The best part is that you know there’s light at the end of the tunnel. The stuff that happens to Tom and his family is so sad that I felt their pain because is so realistic that is scary at times. The Mackee-Finch are a normal family, when something bad happens they cry and get mad but they will go on living by helping each other survive. This book makes you realize that before giving up always think that something wonderful might be 12 minutes away from happening.

Legend of the Oceina Dragon By J.F. Jenkins


Every 8 years in Oceina Island the priests make a sacrifice to the great water dragon Lord Oceina. The sacrifice has to be a pure girl no older than 18 years old. If they refuse to this sacrifice the island will lose the protection the water dragons offer and will be left at the mercy of other species of dragons that are not as compassionate as they are. What the people from Oceina don’t know is that the sacrifice is not what they think it is, but much more than that.
 This book is a contemporary fantasy with a mix of dragons, high school, spells etc. The author goes straight to the point without leaving out any details. I was engage from the beginning and never felt the need to take a break from the book. The characters were amazing (especially Darien) and the chemistry between Darien and Tai was romantic and funny at times. Is a fantastic and easy read.

The King Of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner

By scheming and theft, the Thief of Eddis has become King of Attolia. Eugenides (yoo-JEN-ə-deez) wanted the queen, not the crown, but he finds himself trapped in a web of his own making.
Then he drags a naive young guard into the center of the political maelstrom. Poor Costis knows he is the victim of the king's caprice, but his contempt for Eugenides slowly turns to grudging respect. Though struggling against his fate, the newly crowned king is much more than he appears. Soon the corrupt Attolian court will learn that its subtle and dangerous intrigue is no match for Eugenides.

So I did love this book but I didn’t like that most of the book is written from Costis point of view. It was still good but why choose Costis as narrator? I wanted more of the king but I guess the author wanted us in the dark because it wouldn’t have been as fun to discover all the surprises at the end. So I guess I do know why she picked Costis to be the main POV. We do get to spend a lot of time with Eugenides and the queen. I was still happy with the book and how it ended.

The Queen of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner

RevengeWhen Eugenides (yoo-JEN-ə-deez), the Thief of Eddis, stole Hamiathes's Gift, the Queen of Attolia lost more than a mythical relic. She lost face. Everyone knew that Eugenides had outwitted and escaped her. To restore her reputation and reassert her power, the Queen of Attolia will go to any length and accept any help that is offered...she will risk her country to execute the perfect revenge.

...but

Eugenides can steal anything. And he taunts the Queen of Attolia, moving through her strongholds seemingly at will. So Attolia waits, secure in the knowledge that the Thief will slip, that he will haunt her palace one too many times.

...at what price?

When Eugenides finds his small mountain country at war with Attolia, he must steal a man, he must steal a queen, he must steal peace. But his greatest triumph, and his greatest loss, comes in capturing something that the Queen of Attolia thought she had sacrificed long ago...


My goodness was this book good. It was fantastic from beginning to end. I think is probably my favorite of the series. In the Queen of Attolia we see the Eugenides that was hidden in The Thief. He is smart, loyal and funny. I felt in love with his character. I have so many favorite scenes in this book and I know I can’t write any of them because I would spoil the book. The Queen of Attolia is brilliant!

The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner

"I can steal anything."
After Gen's bragging lands him in the king's prison, the chances of escape look slim. Then the king's scholar, the magus, needs the thief's skill for a seemingly impossible task - to steal a hidden treasure from another land.

To the magus, Gen is just a tool. But Gen is a trickster and a survivor with a plan of his own.


I was warned that this book would move a little slow and it did. It was a bit boring but still good. And then the last 100 pages were AMAZING! It explains a lot and I got why Gen was so pathetic and whiny at times. I know these are strong words but it’s the truth. The Thief is definitely a most read because you need to read it first to be able to enjoy the whole series.


Because I read the first 3 books back to back I’m going to do a mini review for each. Huge thanks to Alexa from Collections for recommending The queen’s thief series.

If I Stay By Gale Forman


17 year old Mia and her family go for a ride on a snowy morning. One minute Mia is listening to Beethoven’s Cello Sonata no. 3 and the next she’s standing out of the car looking at her dead parents and her crushed body. Mia follows her body to the hospital and learns she’s in a coma but still can see and hear those around her. Mia finds out she can decide whether to live or die. Will Mia choose dead or will she keep wondering what if I stay?

When I first read about this book I was a little hesitant to read it because it sounded too sad. But then I started reading good reviews and I had to read it. Let me tell you, this book does not disappoint. I have this obsession with knowing what page I’m on when I’m reading a book (I check every five minutes). I started reading If I Stay and last time I checked I was on page 10 , I swear five minutes past and I was on page 50 ( well to me it felt like 5 minutes). It’s such an easy read and beautiful story that I didn’t realize the time going by. I truly didn’t want this book to end. 



You get to know Mia’s family and you feel her pain for losing them, but at the same time you start to love them. The author takes you back to when Mia and Adam met and how their relationship develops. This story is not about death but of remembering the best moments of your life around those you love and lost, and never letting those memories go. It’s about choices, family and amazing friends.

Hounded by Kevin Hearne

Atticus O’Sullivan, last of the Druids, lives peacefully in Arizona, running an occult bookshop and shape-shifting in his spare time to hunt with his Irish wolfhound. His neighbors and customers think that this handsome, tattooed Irish dude is about twenty-one years old—when in actuality, he’s twenty-one centuries old. Not to mention: He draws his power from the earth, possesses a sharp wit, and wields an even sharper magical sword known as Fragarach, the Answerer.

Unfortunately, a very angry Celtic god wants that sword, and he’s hounded Atticus for centuries. Now the determined deity has tracked him down, and Atticus will need all his power—plus the help of a seductive goddess of death, his vampire and werewolf team of attorneys, a sexy bartender possessed by a Hindu witch, and some good old-fashioned luck of the Irish—to kick some Celtic arse and deliver himself from evil.

Synopsis taken from Amazon.

Hounded was interesting but difficult to get into. I didn't know much about the plot of the book before reading it and I think that's why I was lost (I always do a mini research of the book I'm about to read). This book is mostly about Celtic Mythology and I know nothing about it. After a few chapters and some time I started to get into the book and it kept getting better.

With the help of Wikipedia and the Internet I finished Hounded. I recommend this book if you are into Celtic Mythology or if you like a challenge and learn new stuff. Hounded is a really good book and has awesome characters.

Hungry For You by A.M. Harte


Hungry for you is a collection of short zombie stories. These zombies are more human than your regular brain eating zombies and they even have feelings. I can’t tell you with detail what the stories are about because I would spoil them.
I loved Hungry for You! A.M. Harte knows how to write, that’s why every time I started reading a new story I caught myself wishing it was longer than the previous story. Some stories were a little confusing but the rest of the stories make up for the ones I didn’t get. Sadly I still don’t like zombies but if Harte writes another zombie book, I’ll definitely read it. The zombies in this book are more human, not as scary and they are Hungry for You! :)

The Host By Stephenie Meyer

Melanie Stryder is one of the few remaining “wild” humans in the world. Earth has been invaded by beings from another planet. They take over human bodies and the human that used to belong to that body fades away, but when Wanda is inserted in Melanie’s body she refuses to fade away. Melanie starts to show Wanda images of the man she loves and convinces Wanda to go look for the place where he’s hiding. Wanda and Melanie start this dangerous journey to find the man they love knowing that they have to work together to not get caught by the seekers.

This book took me 2 months to finish it. I thought it was going to be like twilight but with adults in it and aliens instead of vampires, but I was wrong. Is a little bit more complicated than your typical science fiction/romance novel. Is hard to get into and not an easy read, but when you get past chapter 5 is so worth to finish it. I learn to love Wanda and Melanie separately and I didn’t have a clue how the book was going to end, and that’s one of the things I loved most of this book.

Fury by Elizabeth Miles


It’s winter break in Ascension, Maine. The snow is falling and everything looks pristine and peaceful. But all is not as it seems...
Em is thrilled that the guy she’s been into for months is finally noticing her. But if she starts things with him, there’s no turning back. Because his girlfriend is Em’s best friend. And on the other side of town, Chase’s social life is unraveling and the stress of his home life is starting to take its toll. But that’s nothing compared to what’s really haunting him. Chase has done something cruel....And it’s only a matter of time before he’s exposed.

In Ascension, mistakes can be deadly. There are three girls—three beautiful, mysterious girls—to choose who will pay. Em and Chase have been chosen.

One of the things I liked the most about Fury was the cover. I was happy the author decided to alternate narrators between chapters. That was definitely one of the things that made the book more interesting for me; unfortunately I didn't like Em until the end of the book. She was selfish and what she did isn't something a true friend would do. I know everyone makes mistakes but Em's was just too big for me to overlook. But I think that’s what the author wants the reader to feel.

The concept of the book itself is really interesting. I wish the author would've written more about Ty and her cousins but I think there will be a sequel. There are lots of good things about the book like some characters and the suspense also. I was scared for half the book because so many things were happening when I weren't expecting them to.

Fury was not what I expected at all. It was a bit dark but is worth reading it.

Forgotten by Cat Patrick


Every night, while sixteen-year-old London Lane is asleep, her memory of that day is erased. In the morning, all she can “remember” are events from her future. London is used to relying on reminder notes and a trusted friend to get through the day, but things get complicated when a new boy at school enters the picture.

Luke Henry is not someone you’d easily forget, yet try as she might, London can’t find him in her memories of things to come. When London starts experiencing disturbing flashbacks, or flash-forwards, as the case may be, she realizes it’s time to learn about the past she keeps forgetting—before it destroys her future.
Synopsis taken from Amazon.



Forgotten was an interesting read. I was a little confused at the beginning because London remembers the future and not the past, but as I kept reading I got used to the way London remembers stuff. I think what Patrick did with the book was amazing and original. This book reminds me of the movie 50 First Dates and a little of The Butterfly Effect.

I loved the ending so much I wanted to cry of joy. Although I was disappointed when I found out that Cat Patrick isn’t going to write a sequel. There’s one thing that is not solve in the book and I though she was going to write more about it in the next book. I kind of get why she’ll leave Forgotten as a stand alone book but, I was hoping to read more about London’s condition and all the character in the book.

What I liked most about Forgotten was how it made me feel. When I’m reading a good book I get anxiety attacks when I’m away from it, and I kind of like that. Forgotten made me feel this way. I highly recommend this book.

Finally (11 Birthdays, #2) by Wendy Mass

Finally by Wendy MassRory Is an 11 year old girl who is turning 12 soon, so she has made a list of stuff she is allow to do when the time comes. There’s the little but important things like using the kitchen appliances without any supervision or staying home alone and there’s the big stuff to do like getting her ears pierced and getting a cell phone. Rory is excited to do everything on her list because finally she will be like her friends. Rory will soon realize all her wishes won’t come true.

This book was a surprise! I though I wasn't going to like “Finally” because is for preteens but it was really funny and fast read. I loved Rory and how she handles every situation in the book. What I found more enjoyable in the book was Rory's relationship with her parents. Here is one of my favorite conversations in the book:

Dad scurries along, eyes down, with his hands held up to the right side of his face like he’s shielding it from the sun. “Dad, seriously,” I plead. “People are going to think you stole something”

“I’ll take my chances,” he says without looking up.

“You know, just because you see something in a store window doesn’t mean you have to buy it”

“These places are tricky”

Folly by Marthe Jocelyn

Mary Finn is unmarried and pregnant. Her baby's father has disappeared and she's been dismissed from her domestic position. A kindhearted woman takes her in, but then dies after the baby is born, and Mary is homeless again. She realizes that her son's only hope for survival is to be raised in the Foundling Hospital. Six-year-old James has been happy in his foster home, but now he must return to the hospital, where he was placed by his mother as a baby, so he can receive his education. His third-person narrative, which takes place in 1884, alternates with Mary's first-person account, which is set between 1877 and 1878.
Synopsis taken from Amazon



Folly was a different book. Not exactly my type of book but good anyways. This book was written from 4 different perspective and jumps back and fort between years. To me the author made every voice unique in the book and that way I knew who's perspective I was reading at the time. I grew fond of James quickly. We see him grow throughout the book and there is no way you can't help to care for him.

Folly is sad and realistic because it describe how things were in the past.This book shows how the misinterpretations of events and actions of one person can change completely the faith of another and how little control we have of our own destiny. It also makes you think how different things were back in the 1800s and how now everything it's so easy to accomplish.

I recommend Folly to people that like realistic books and are not easily intimidated by difficult vocabulary.

Element Keepers by E.P. Marcellin

Element Keepers by E.P. MarcellinRhet guts fish for a living. His live is pretty simple; he works and hangs out with his friend Peteal. The only thing out of the ordinary in his town is himself. He’s different from everybody, he has dark hair and he’s tall but everybody in his town is blonde and short. One day while working, nine exotic looking women took him and his friend prisoners without saying why. What Rhet doesn’t know is that he has the power to destroy the world.
I had a hard time getting to remember the names of towns and people, but I got used to it and it was easier to understand where Rhet was and where he was going next. One of my favorite parts was when Marcellin describes how The Rinsa choose their husbands. I liked how fresh and original Marcellin’s writing was.

Elixir by Hilary Duff

Clea is a 17 year old who is the daughter of a politician and a surgeon. She’s been always under the spotlight due to her parents’ career. A year ago her dad disappears in South America and there’s no clue of what happened to him. Now a talented photojournalist, Clea is able to travel around the world taking pictures of beautiful and different places. But after her last trip to Europe Clea comes home to go through her photos and finds an image of a man in every single one of them. When Clea finally meets this man it feels like they belong together.


Let me begin by saying that the cover of this book is beautiful and original. The concept was developed well and the chemistry between the characters was also good. I wish the couple in the book had more alone time and more dialog. I love Hilary Duff as a singer and actress and if she writes a sequel to Elixir I will love her as a writer. There are some cliff hangers in the book and the last time I check Hilary didn’t know if she was going to continue the series. Overall it was a fast and easy read.

Divergent by Veronica Roth

16 year old Tris has to choose which faction she wants to belong to. She was born in the Abnegation faction. They are selfless; they are not allowed to look at themselves in the mirror because that’s considered a selfish action and they put others needs before their own. She can choose to stay with her family and live a selfless life or she can choose between Erudite The Intelligent, Dauntless The Brave, Amity The Peaceful and Candor The honest. If she chooses a faction other than Abnegation she will lose contact with her family forever.

Divergent was fantastic! I love how original it was and I loved all the character no matter how bad or good they were. Divergent was dangerous and awesome. I had to stop myself from reading because I didn’t want it to end. The ending was perfect too. It wasn’t a big cliffhanger but you know there’s a second book.

Dark Parties by Sara Grant

Sixteen-year-old Neva has been trapped since birth. She was born and raised under the Protectosphere, in an isolated nation ruled by fear, lies, and xenophobia. A shield "protects" them from the outside world, but also locks the citizens inside. But there's nothing left on the outside, ever since the world collapsed from violent warfare. Or so the government says... 

From page 1 to page 308 my reaction to Dark Parties was:WOW!! This book was amazing and full of action. Romance in this novel wasn’t the author’s main priority and I was glad for that. Sometimes authors worry so much aboutdeveloping the characters romantic relationship that at the end, the story doesn't develop or it feels a little rushed. But Sara Grant balances plot and romance beautifullyand the reader doesn’t feel like there is something missing or rushed. Kind oflike Katniss and Peeta from the Hunger Games were you know they have feelingsfor each other but their main priority is to stay alive. Neva's main priority isto find out what’s outside the Protectosphere, everything else comes in second place.

DarkParties was perfect.

Daimon by Jennifer L. Armentrout

17 year old Alex is a Half-Blood. (Daughter of a Pure blood and a mortal) She and her mom left the Covenant 3 years ago, and have been moving from town to town constantly. Alex's mother never explained why they left the covenant, but what she does know is that she is not supposed to go back!

Life in Miami is not bad. She lives near the beach and has a HOT boyfriend. But an unfortunate event forces Alex to go on the run again. This time she is being chase by Daimons. With just a couple hundred bucks in her pocket and no place to go, Alex finds her only choice is to go back to the place she and her mom left 3 years ago: the Covenant.

My Thoughts:

I totally loved Daimon. It was short, but that’s completely understandable because Daimon is the prequel to the first book in the Covenant series title Half Blood. There was action, humor and I was afraid at times (‘cause Daimons are scary). There wasn’t a lot of dialogue but it was perfect for me because the way Alex thinks is entertaining, and you get to know her better. I found Daimon exciting and the author gives you hints that there's more important stuff coming Alex’s way. I think this prequel is a little taste of pure awesomeness coming our way in September 2011.

Clarity by Kim Harrington

Clarity’s family is gifted. She is a psychic, her brother is a medium and her mom is a telepath. They live in Cape Cod a tourist town. Not much happens there until a tourist girl is murdered. For Clarity this doesn’t mean much until her brother tells her he was the last person to see the girl alive. Now Clarity has to use her gift to find the real killer and proof her brother is innocent.

I liked this book a lot. At the beginning I thought that I was going to know right away who the killer was, but it wasn’t that easy. The author makes you think that almost everybody is the killer and I liked that. The only bad thing is that I wanted to see more of Clarity and her family’s gifts. I love that the ending is open for another book and I can’t wait to read more of Clarity.

The Chronicles of Kale By Aya Knight


Kale is the last one of his kind in Ravondore. General Jedah has killed every dragon in the land except for Kale Firehart. He has only one friend that can save him from Jedah and his army, and that is Thomas an old sorcerer. Thomas only choice is to turn Kale in the thing that he hates the most, a human. Kale now an 18 year old human with human and not so human friends, depart on a journey full of magic to save the last dragon.


If you loved Finnikin of The Rock you are going to like The Chronicles of Kale. The author takes you on an adventure that you’ll enjoy. We see Kale in the beginning as a dragon that hates humans and while the book progresses we start seeing Kale growing into his human body and trusting those around him. The Chronicles of Kale is the first in the series and I can’t wait to read more of Kale’s adventures. This book is enjoyable and is well written.



Author interview : Aya Knight

What inspire you to write this book?

I have always been drawn to fantasy, even at a young age. Life is great, don’t get me wrong … but there are times when it’s nice to venture off to someplace different from our own – to put yourself in the shoes of another individual and live their journey. I have read many great books, and even enjoyed many hours with my dad playing D&D where I’ve explored amazing worlds and quests. At a point in my life, the story of Kale began to swarm within my mind and I knew that it was something I wanted to share with the world.

When is the next book for The Chronicles of Kale coming out?

The sequel is officially in the world (working title: The Chronicles of Kale: A Dragon’s Revenge). However, there is no set release date at the current time. I recommend those interested to sign up for the newsletter at www.ayaknight.com, or to join me on Facebook for updates and news.

What was the hardest part to write in the book?

The hardest part was dedicating time every day to writing – pushing myself to sit and write, even when I had 101 other things to do. There are times when I would get stuck, and couldn’t envision where I wanted the story to go. I learned that there are times when you need to take a backseat and let the story do the driving.

How do you choose the names for your characters?

Some of the characters in the book are named after individuals I personally know. Others were names that I was drawn to . . . they felt natural and fit.

What is your favorite novel by a different author?

There are actually 2 (I know, I’m cheating here, but I love them both) Stephen King’s Pet Sematary. It was one of the first books that got me heavily interested in reading, and in time, inspiring me to write. The other is The Hunger Games—this book was so amazing that I instantly fell in love with it. It fully immersed me.

Do you have any writing quirks?

I suppose the only thing that comes to mind is that I write best at night. It’s a bit difficult to toggle at times since usually, by this time I am exhausted and occasionally fumble words that later need editing…but it tends to be when my best ideas come to life.

At a movie theater which arm rest is yours?

Whichever one isn’t between me and a complete stranger. : )



Thanks to Aya Knight for being so cool and answering my questions!!

Breathe by Abbi Glines

Sadie White's summer job isn't going to be on the beach life-guarding or working at rental booths like most kids her age. With her single mother's increasing pregnancy and refusal to work, Sadie has to take over her mother's job as a domestic servant for one of the wealthy summer families on a nearby island.

When the family arrives at their summer getaway, Sadie is surprised to learn that the owner of the house is Jax Stone, one of the hottest teen rockers in the world. If Sadie hadn't spent her life raising her mother and taking care of the house she might have been normal enough to be excited about working for a rock star.

Even though Sadie isn't impressed by Jax's fame, he is drawn to her. Everything about Sadie fascinates Jax but he fights his attraction. Relationship's never work in his world and as badly as he wants Sadie, he believes she deserves more. By the end of the summer, Jax discovers he can't breathe without Sadie.

But can their love overcome the disparity in their lifestyles? Or will they have to learn how to without each other breathe again?

Synopsis taken from Amazon.


Wait while I come down from the clouds! That's how I felt after reading Breathe. This book left me breathless several times and wishing there was more books like Breathe for young adults. Sadie was a realistic character. She wasn't perfect and her situation was definitely not perfect. Her mom made me really angry and I caught myself wondering why Sadie didn’t hate her as much as I would have if she was my mom. And then I realized Sadie's mom was a bad mother from the beginning and that's the only way Sadie knew her, so there was no way she was going to hate her.


Let’s make it clear that I did not hate Sadie's mom character because that was the way the story was written. It had to be like that because if not then Sadie would have been perfect. It just that it made me mad thinking that there's people out there like Jessica (Sadie's mom). But I did love every single character in the book (even Jessica). Guess who my favorite character was? Jax of course!! He was so romantic and sweet! Jax is a combination of Edward Cullen (Twilight) and Adam (Where She Went).


I recommend Breathe 100%. So stop what you are doing and go buy it! After you buy it and read it come back here and tell me what you think of Breathe. If you do a review of it leave a link in the comment box below.



Anna and The French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins
Anna is looking forward to her senior year in Atlanta, where she has a great job, a loyal best friend, and a crush on the verge of becoming more. Which is why she is less than thrilled about being shipped off to boarding school in Paris - until she meets Etienne St. Clair: perfect, Parisian (and English and American, which makes for a swoon-worthy accent), and utterly irresistible. The only problem is that he's taken, and Anna might be, too, if anything comes of her almost-relationship back home.
As winter melts into spring, will a year of romantic near - misses end with the French kiss Anna - and readers - have long awaited?

I equally liked and dislike Anna and the French Kiss. I hate when this happens because I don’t know how to review the book. So I’m going to start with what I did like.

The author knows how to write and thanks to that I finished the book. She knows how to keep the readers engaged and entertain. I loved how she described Paris and the Parisian people; it made me want to visit Paris. The characters were great especially St. Clair and Josh. St. Clair wasn’t perfect like all the main characters are. He was beautiful but he wasn’t tall (there’s nothing wrong with being short because I’m really short) usually your main character is tall; lets just say St. Clair was different and I loved it. Josh is not a main character in the book but his presence is so strong you know he is there. And the ending I think was the best part of the book.
To me the book was too long and nothing much different happened between the main characters. Unfortunately I didn’t like Anna as much as I wanted to. Sometimes she seemed a little selfish and didn’t see her own mistakes but at the end she realizes that she’s not perfect. To me the chemistry between St. Clair and Anna wasn’t strong, until the end of the book. They were all over the place when they finally realize they liked each other..

The book is an easy and quick read. It was cute and had good characters.

SPOILER ALERT!

Now I’m going to tell you what I did not like about the book with details. Keep in mind that no matter what I say here you should read the book and decide if you like it for yourself. This is just my personal opinion.

First of all I think the title is cool but wrong for this book. Because of the title I was waiting for a kiss that didn’t come until the end of the book. If the title was different I would have like the book better.

The characters had a lot of opportunity to kiss but never did. I don’t mind when this happens: Boy and Girl like each other and you feel the tension building up and they are about to kiss but they don’t for X reason. I quite like when this happens but not when it happens too many times. It was just painful to read these scenes in the book.

Finally, Anna and St. Clair’s relationship. It began nice they were friends and did everything together and supported each other, but when they realized that they liked each other everything went wrong. They were fighting a lot and they wouldn’t stay mad at each other for more than five minutes at a time. They fought, made up and act like nothing happened. It was just a little dysfunctional.


These are my reactions while reading the book:

Beginning:

“Cool! I like where the book is going!

Half way:

“Hmmmmm… Anna and the French Kiss?”

Almost done:

“Ok, I have decided the title of this book is misleading. It’s more like Anna and the nonexistent make out session”

End of the book:
“Finally!! Good ending but, why wait so long?”

Across The Universe By Beth Revis


Seventeen-year-old Amy joins her parents as frozen cargo aboard the vast spaceship Godspeed and expects to awaken on a new planet, three hundred years in the future. Never could she have known that her frozen slumber would come to an end fifty years too soon and that she would be thrust into the brave new world of a spaceship that lives by its own rules.

Amy quickly realizes that her awakening was no mere computer malfunction. Someone - one of the few thousand inhabitants of the spaceship - tried to kill her. And if Amy doesn't do something soon, her parents will be next.

Now, Amy must race to unlock Godspeed's hidden secrets. But out of her list of murder suspects, there's only one who matters: Elder, the future leader of the ship and the love she could never have seen coming.



Across The Universe was a fresh and different book. I liked all the characters and it was well written. The only thing that I didn’t like was that the book is predictable and less than half way through the book I knew who the killer was. But overall it was pretty good and easy read.

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Shut Out By Kody Keplinger



Most high school sports teams have rivalries with other schools. At Hamilton High, it's a civil war: the football team versus the soccer team. And for her part, Lissa is sick of it. Her quarterback boyfriend, Randy, is always ditching her to go pick a fight with the soccer team or to prank their locker room. And on three separate occasions Randy's car has been egged while he and Lissa were inside, making out. She is done competing with a bunch of sweaty boys for her own boyfriend's attention.


Lissa decides to end the rivalry once and for all: she and the other players' girlfriends go on a hookup strike. The boys won't get any action from them until the football and soccer teams make peace. What they don't count on is a new sort of rivalry: an impossible girls-against-boys showdown that hinges on who will cave to their libidos first. And Lissa never sees her own sexual tension with the leader of the boys, Cash Sterling, coming.


One thing I give the author is that she knows how to entertain the reader. To me, that is one of the things I look forward to when I read a book. Cash was dreamy and Cloe was my favorite female character because she was strong but also funny.


I did have some issues with the book. Reason 1: it's all about sex. I'm not being old fashion here but sometimes I just wanted the characters to talk about something else other than "gettin' busy", you know what I mean? Reason 2: The other thing that bothered me was Lissa. She's a likable character but towards the end she was a bit annoying. Although, she does redeem herself so it was only for a little bit of the book that I disliked her.


I was happy with how the problems got solved and it had a good ending.








Girls Don't Fly by Kristen Chandler




Myra is used to keeping her feet firmly on the ground. She's got four younger brothers, overworked parents, and a pregnant older sister, and if Myra wasn't there to take care of everyone, they'd probably fall apart. But when her boyfriend unceremoniously dumps her, Myra feels like she's lost her footing. Suddenly she's doing things she never would've a few months earlier: quitting her job, applying for a scholarship to study birds in the Galapogos, and falling for a guy who's encouraging her to leap from her old life . . . and fly.


Girls don’t fly is a realistic book where you can easily identify yourself with the main character (Myra). It’s a charming story and easy to read. In many parts I found myself laughing out loud thanks to the characters way of dealing with situations. I couldn’t help but want the best for Myra. She went from a shy, dependent and selfless girl to a strong and independent woman.



The Survival Kit by Donna Freitas



When Rose’s mom dies, she leaves behind a brown paper bag labeled Rose’s Survival Kit. Inside the bag, Rose finds an iPod, with a to-be-determined playlist; a picture of peonies, for growing; a crystal heart, for loving; a paper star, for making a wish; and a paper kite, for letting go.


As Rose ponders the meaning of each item, she finds herself returning again and again to an unexpected source of comfort. Will is her family’s gardener, the school hockey star, and the only person who really understands what she’s going through. Can loss lead to love?


After reading lots of dystopian and fantasy books my brain got a bit tired. So it was lovely to read The Survival Kit. This book broke my heart and then at the end put it together again. It was sad to read how Rose and her family were coping with the lost of Rose’s mom but, the author lets us know there is always hope and things will get better someday. The reader will go on a journey with Rose where she will learn how to let go, accept and find out who she really is.


I finished this book in one sitting because I couldn’t put it down. I just loved the character and how smoothly the authors’ writing was. Bottom line is that not many authors have the gift to write a book that touches the reader’s hearts and bring to live characters so real like Donna Freitas does.

Half Blood by Jennifer L. Armentrout


The Hematoi descend from the unions of gods and mortals, and the children of two Hematoi-pure-bloods-have godlike powers. Children of Hematoi and mortals-well, not so much. Half-bloods only have two options: become trained Sentinels who hunt and kill daimons or become servants in the homes of the pures.Seventeen-year-old Alexandria would rather risk her life fighting than waste it scrubbing toilets, but she may end up slumming it anyway. There are several rules that students at the Covenant must follow. Alex has problems with them all, but especially rule #1:Relationships between pures and halfs are forbidden.Unfortunately, she's crushing hard on the totally hot pure-blood Aiden. But falling for Aiden isn't her biggest problem--staying alive long enough to graduate the Covenant and become a Sentinel is. If she fails in her duty, she faces a future worse than death or slavery: being turned into a daimon, and being hunted by Aiden. And that would kind of suck.


Half Blood is pure awesomeness. I loved this book from beginning to end. The characters were amazing. Take Alex for example, she was strong and she could fight but she was vulnerable too. And Aiden was what every reader wants the main male character to be, dreamy, strong, sensible, hot and hot. I had two or three “What the?!” moments and I liked that very much. Usually I have an idea of what’s coming next in a book’s plot but that wasn’t the case with Half Blood. I had fun reading this book and loved every single page of it. Half Blood is one of those books you finish reading and can’t read anything else for months because you are stuck in that amazing world of unforgettable characters.

Everybody Sees the Ants by A.S. King



Lucky Linderman didn't ask for his life. He didn't ask his grandfather not to come home from the Vietnam War. He didn't ask for a father who never got over it. He didn't ask for a mother who keeps pretending their dysfunctional family is fine. And he didn't ask to be the target of Nader McMillan's relentless bullying, which has finally gone too far.


But Lucky has a secret--one that helps him wade through the daily mundane torture of his life. In his dreams, Lucky escapes to the war-ridden jungles of Laos--the prison his grandfather couldn't escape--where Lucky can be a real man, an adventurer, and a hero. It's dangerous and wild, and it's a place where his life just might be worth living. But how long can Lucky keep hiding in his dreams before reality forces its way inside?


I usually like reading from a female’s POV. For obvious reasons I can identify myself more with them. But reading from Lucky’s POV was different. I felt very protective of him. I couldn’t get why “mom” and “dad” couldn’t protect better their son, but as the book progressed I kind of got why everything was happening. I don’t want to get into details because I will spoil the book.


All her characters were amazing and realistic. One of the characters that impact me the most was Aunt Jodi because it reminds me of someone close to me. It amazed me how much they were so alike (Aunt Jodi and that someone). Oh and the ants!! One of my favorite things about the book were the ants. They were hilarious!


This book touched my heart, broke it and made me laughed like a crazy person. A.S. King is incredible with words, and I admire that she decided to write about bullying, to educate us about how bad the situations is for some kids out there.


I want to say something to people who witness bullying, if you see someone getting bullied do something don’t stand there and act like nothing is wrong. You might save a life


VIVA THE ANTS!!

The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater



Some race to win. Others race to survive.


It happens at the start of every November: the Scorpio Races. Riders attempt to keep hold of their water horses long enough to make it to the finish line.


Some riders live.


Others die.


At age nineteen, Sean Kendrick is the returning champion. He is a young man of few words, and if he has any fears, he keeps them buried deep, where no one else can see them.


Puck Connolly is different. She never meant to ride in the Scorpio Races. But fate hasn't given her much of a choice. So she enters the competition - the first girl ever to do so. She is in no way prepared for what is going to happen.


I wanted to read The Scorpio Races ever since I heard about it. Too bad it didn’t live to my expectations. The thing is that this book lacks dialogue and, I’m a dialogue kind of girl. I like how characters develop through it and, how they interact with each other. Sadly I didn’t find what I was looking for in this book. Sometimes there were too many pages without any dialogue and it gets kind of boring and lonely.


Another thing is that I found myself lost more than once. I don’t know if it was the use of big words or how she put them together but I was totally like “What just happened there?” and, I’m pretty sure nobody likes that. To tell you the truth it was a hassled to get into the book and finishing it.


I did think the idea of flesh eating horses was brilliant and the race was cool although it started 50 or so pages from the end of the book but, that wasn’t enough for me to give it a good review. I feel bad that I didn’t like it mostly because I loved Maggie’s previous work and her writing but hey, I have to be honest. I do know people who really enjoyed the book so maybe if you liked Maggie’s other books you might want to give it a try but be warned, The Scorpio Races is nothing like The Wolves of Mercy Fall series.

Devoted by Hilary Duff



Since Sage was kidnapped, Clea has no way of knowing if he is alive or dead. And even though she has only just discovered they were soulmates, she feels like a part of her is lost forever. What’s worse, she can’t even turn to her best friend Ben—because every time she looks at him, all she sees is his betrayal.


But waiting for something to happen is not an option, so Clea is ready for action. Suffering through dreams of seeing Sage with another woman, she makes an uneasy alliance with Sage’s enemies and sets out to be reunited with Sage...in this life or the next.


My Thoughts:


Devoted was mostly fast paced and a lot darker than Elixir (the first book in the series). Though, easy to read I found myself a little bored at the beginning because there wasn’t too much dialogue. But, as soon as Ben and Clea got in that plane to find Sage everything moved a lot faster.


I enjoyed Ben’s “good guy to not so nice guy” change of attitude towards Clea. She kind of deserved it. Her “I don’t want you but I don’t want you with anyone else” way of thinking got annoying and made my blood boil with anger. I thought she was being self-absorbed and selfish. I don’t know if Duff was aiming for this kind of reactions from her readers, but if she did she nailed it.


To tell you the truth I don’t know how to feel about the ending. Is it brilliant or awful? It all depends on the next book. Hopefully Duff can wrap up this series nicely with all the characters living happily ever after or at least most of them.


What I think about the cover:


I love, love Elixir’s cover. I loved it so much that I bought the book just because of the cover. So I was expecting a cover from Devoted with the same WOW factor. Sadly it didn’t have it. To me the cover looks dull and sad. Totally the opposite from Elixir’s cover with its vibrant colors and beautiful flower.

Shadowlander by Theresa Meyers



Four sisters, three rules to live by, one big problem.




O'Connell Family Rule #1: Don’t let the Fae know you see them.
O'Connell Family Rule #2: Don’t talk to the Fae.
O'Connell Family Rule #3: Never, ever follow them.


Most people only believe what they can see. Gifted with the ability to see the deep, dark fae of Shadowland, Catherine Rowan Mary O’Connell would prefer not to. When the fae abduct her friend Maya, Cate breaks the sacred O’Connell Family Rules and sets a trap for the handsome fae who haunts her every step.


Rook, High Court Advisor to the Shadow King, has been following Cate since she was sixteen. When Cate reveals herself as one of the fabled “Seers”, Rook is stunned---she is one of the few that can permanently open the gates between their worlds. If he turns her over to the Shadow King, his court will rule the human realm.


Cate knows she has precious little time to find Maya. By midnight, the glamour of Mid-Summer’s Eve will fade, leaving her trapped forever in the Shadowland, but Maya’s abductor won’t give up the woman he’s mesmerized easily.


The midnight hour is almost at hand. Cate must choose: her freedom or her destiny.


I’ve been in a reading slump for the last few weeks. Every book I read just doesn’t pull mein. So, yesterday in the attempt to stop my reading laziness I decided to read Shadowlander by Theresa Meyers and WHOA this novella is amazing! FYI Shadowlanderis an ADULT read and that’s why I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it because I mostly read YA books. I guess I’m a little tired of the same old thing. Anyway, Shadowlander has everything. I promise. The author goes straight to the point, there’s none stop action and oh my goodness, Rook! She wrote the perfect male character there. The plot goes a little fast at times but Meyers doesn’t miss details. I love all the characters including Kallus. I don’t know why I like him so much but I’m hoping he’ll be in the next books. The only thing is that I wish I had the next book in my hands now because I can’t wait to read more about the O’Connell sisters.

Bunheads by Sophie Flack



On-stage beauty. Backstage drama.


As a dancer with the ultra-prestigious Manhattan Ballet Company, nineteen-year-old Hannah Ward juggles intense rehearsals, dazzling performances and complicated backstage relationships. Up until now, Hannah has happily devoted her entire life to ballet.


But when she meets a handsome musician named Jacob, Hannah's universe begins to change, and she must decide if she wants to compete against the other "bunheads" in the company for a star soloist spot or strike out on her own in the real world. Does she dare give up the gilded confines of the ballet for the freedoms of everyday life?


My thoughts:


Since I was a little girl I’ve been drawn to everything that has to do with ballerinas. With their pretty dresses and make up. But I never wanted to be one I just wanted to know what happens behind stage. If you are like me, fascinated with ballerinas then “Bunheads” is the book for you. I definitely felt that the author knew what she was talking about since she was a ballerina herself. Let me tell you that is not as pretty as it seems.


I knew that being a ballerina wasn’t easy but those? girls have to work their butts off to get somewhere in this business. It’s kind of a cruel world. I wouldn’t want to be part of it myself. That doesn’t mean “Bunheads” was a bad book but the contrary I really enjoyed reading it. It was an eye opener. Nothing comes without hard work.


Hannah was a different kind of character. She was naïve and a bit shallow. Well almost all the ballerinas were shallow. I didn’t feel like they had each other’s backs. They were just too competitive. Maybe it’s not as bad in real life but it still makes me sad.


What I think about the cover:


Brilliant! At first I didn’t notice it was a bunch of ballerinas in formation so, I was a little confused but when I saw them I was blown away. It’s not a cover you see and you fall in love with it instantly but you have to keep looking at it and you’ll see the beauty in it.

Existence by Abbi Glines



What happens when you are stalked by Death? You fall in
love with him of course. Pagan Moore doesn’t cheat Death, instead, she falls in love with him.


Seventeen year old Pagan Moore, has seen souls her entire life. Once she realized the strangers she often saw walking through walls were not visible to anyone else, she started ignoring them. If she didn’t let them know she could see them, they left her alone. Until she steps out of her car on the first day of school and sees an incredibly sexy guy lounging on a picnic table, watching her with an amused smirk on his face. Problem is, she knows he's dead. Not only does he not go away, when she ignores him he does something none of the others have ever done; he speaks. Pagan is fascinated by the soul. What Pagan doesn’t realize is that her appointed time to die is drawing near and the wickedly beautiful soul she is falling in love with is not a soul. He is Death and he is about to break all the rules.

Abbi's books are amazing and Existence was definitely the bomb! The plot moves fast for most of the book. It's slows down a bit towards the end but Existence still is a fantastic read. Dank was dreamy like all Abbi's guys. The only think I wanted more of was background story on Dank. I'm guessing Abbi will let us know more about him in the next book.


Overall Existence is a fast and entertaining read.


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