TinasBookReviews: January 2010

Saturday, January 30, 2010

Wondrous Strange by Lesley Livingston

Wondrous Strange by Lesley Livingston

A Blog with Bite YA Feature

Book Synopsis: 17 year-old Kelly Winslow doesn’t believe in Faeries. Not unless they’re the kind that you find in a theatre, spouting Shakespeare—the kind that Kelley so desperately wishes she could be: onstage, under lights, with a pair of sparkly wings strapped to her shoulders. But as the understudy in a two-bit, hopelessly off-off-Broadway production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, wishing is probably the closest she’s going to get to becoming a Faerie Queen. At least, that’s what shethinks... In this fun, urban fantasy, Kelly's off-stage life suddenly becomes as complicated as one of Shakespeare’s plot twists when a nighttime trip to Central Park holds more than meets the mortal eye. (Goodreads)

Wondrous Strange was a love letter to all those who dream of dancing with pixies and meeting shimmering knights on horses. I loved, loved, loved it!!!!

We open our tale with flavor of A Midsummer’s Night Dream and Kelley Winslow, an aspiring actress living in New York City, practicing her lines in central park when she draws the attention of Sonny, a changeling and guard of the faerie realm. He is mysterious and intrigued by Kelley’s spark that drew him to her. That same fateful night she rescues a horse from a pond; the horse follows her home and proceeds to live in her bathtub. (The horse scenes were hilarious!) What she doesn't know is that the horse is a kelpie and Sonny is a part of the Unseelie King's elite guard, the Janus. Things get stranger as Kelley tries to figure out who Sonny is, and how she and the bathtub horse are involved.

Wondrous is told through the voices of Sonny and Kelley. Sonny fits the stereotype of a conflicted magical assassin perfectly; down to his unexplainable love of Kelley. Where things are predictable with them I loved that it wasn’t a pop out of nowhere romance. Kelley is a bit freaked out by Sonny and has normal stay away from me freak feelings. Reading through Kelley’s perspective was humorous as it was fun. I loved reading her come to terms with being a fairy, and at points the plot was a little to clean, to resolved for believability, but the charms of the characters made up for that immensely. The action scenes and magical world Livingston created were doused with detail and rich visuals that portrayed a fantastic view of the Fae world.

I found the writing to flow at a fast past and thought the humor, drama and magic worked together beautifully resulting in a big cloud of cotton candy.

Swearing is minimal and the biggest sex scene is kissing, this is a lovely tale for teens and adults alike. Id recommend this for 14 and up.

5/5 YA Fairy, romance

Blog with Bite 4/4

BWB Discussion Questions

1.Faeries seem to be very big in YA lit lately, how does Wondrous Strange compare to others in its genre such as Lament, Wicked Lovely, etc.? I think the world of the Fae was more believable and more fairyish (is that a word?) than the trendy stuff out right now, it was edgy without being extreme, ie like Tithe which took the darkness, trend and drugs way tooooooo far IMO for YA.

2. How did you view the relationship with Kelley and Sonny, was it a believable romance? I loved the romance....I think it started the right way....kelley was freaked out at first but then slowly fell for him, as slow as you can in a 200 something book.

3.Wondrous Strange was written in the typical fashion of paranormal literature, with the protagonist unaware of her supernatural abilities, meets boy who introduces her to the world... do you find these plot lines tiresome in their likeness, or do you believe there are always similarities within fiction and it is all about the deeper story? Im finding them a bit overdone.....but I did enjoy this story, I thought it was sweet.........

Join the Discussion at The Blog with Bite....and a chance to win Darklight.

Friday, January 29, 2010

Recommend Me (2)

Recommend Me Fridays is a fun Meme hosted by Kate at the Neverending Shelf
To play along, grab a favorite read and tell us about it. You can include your thoughts about the novel, its summary, your favorite memory related to the novel...

This week my recommendation is:

Dreamhunter by Elizabeth Knox

Laura comes from a world similar to our own except for one difference: It is next to the Place, an unfathomable land that fosters dreams of every kind and is inaccessible to all but a select few, the dreamhunters. These are individuals with the ability to catch larger-than-life dreams and relay them to audiences in the magnificent dream palace. People travel from all around to experience the benefits of the hunters’ unique visions. Now, fifteen-year-old Laura and her cousin Rose, daughters of dreamhunters, are old enough to find out if they qualify to enter the Place. But nothing can prepare them for what they are about to discover. In the midst of a fascinating landscape, Laura’s dreamy childhood is ending, and a nightmare is beginning.

Get lost in this magical world, with twists and turns and magic.

Thursday, January 28, 2010

Another 2010 Reading Challenge!!!!!

Dystopian Fiction Reading Challenge 2010

Well I have joined my third and final book challenge for 2010.....Im excited to add the dystopian genre to my Horns and Halos and 100+ reading challenges. So Thanks to Rachel over at Parajunkee's for hosting this awesome awesomeness!!

Here's some highlights for the challenge.....(you can read more at Parajunkee's)
Im shooting for the 20 mark, but you can choose 5-20.
Did I mention 20 somethings get a chance at a prize....woot....

dys·to·pi·a (dĭs-tō'pē-ə)

An imaginary place or state in which the condition of life is extremely bad, as from deprivation, oppression, or terror.

Here are features of Dystopian Fiction:

•Post-apocalyptic setting, usually there is the background story of natural disaster, revolutions, war, climate change, some kind of devastating event that changed society

•Dystopians are normally future based

•A difference in the standard of living than what we enjoy in today's society. This can be a poorer standard of living, as in The Hunger Games, or sometimes a more materialistic environment, like such in Brave New World and Uglies.

•Dystopian fiction typically elaborates on the darker society trends that effect us today. Usually the reader can identify things within our own society that could lead to this future terrible state.

•Within the plot of a dystopian fiction, the protagonist usually will try to escape or bring down the society that restricts them

Some great titles I read last year that you should run out and get...
1. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
2. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
3. Unwind by Neal Shusterman
4. The Compound by S.A. Bodeen
5. The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan

If you'd like to sign up head over to ParaJunkee's

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

The Army of the Republic by Stuart Cohen

The Army of the Republic by Stuart Archer Cohen

Book synopsis: In a revolutionary America at the edge of our imagination, two men face off in a struggle for the future. On one side is Lando, a twenty-something urban guerilla whose obsession with saving the country drives his Army of the Republic deeper into a violent campaign of bombing and assassination. On the other side is James Sands, a billionaire entrepreneur so determined to preserve his privileges that he unwittingly hires death squads to hunt down and murder his own family. Against the backdrop of mass demonstrations and corporate armies, this thrilling kaleidoscopic novel explores the deeper issues of love, family, and lethal rebellion. (Goodreads)

Army of the Republic is a lesson in left-leaning propaganda. Set in the future day after tomorrow America, featuring American Revolutionaries (terrorists) against the big bad corporations, who want to take back the US from a corrupt, war-mongering government. Its a call to change and a fight against the radical conservatives. I find it funny this was written while Bush was in office. The story, written from multiple first person viewpoints, starts with the assassination of a prominent businessman by an underground group calling itself "The Army of the Republic". It goes on to tell a tale of corporate corruption and the underground, socialist movement whose goal is to bring down the government, by revolutionary methods because voting is not seen as legitimate. Although the writer tries to justify the anti-government violence by making you connect with the terrorists, (aka- ticked off Americans who feel raped by big business)…..It didn’t work for me.

The one aspect I did like was the crafty little twist of the relationship between the radical group leader and the filthy water corporate leader! That’s my one positive from this book, but apart from the twisty plot I didn’t like the politics or the first person narrative, which switches between characters without letting you know whose talking. The author left it up to you to figure out who it was, which made it hard for me to get involved with the story. I didn’t connect to any character and felt no involvement in the book, other than feeling that I was reviewing homework on someone’s pissed off opinion of the United States.

So, this is what I took away from Army of the Republic, corporations are evil, and they control all the news toward capitalistic and conservative ends, so that no one can do the right thing, and that makes terrorism against them justified. That’s basically saying all the media today is highly conservative and slants all the news towards a conservative viewpoint…..WHAT…has Mr. Cohen been living under a mountain in Alaska? Last time I checked ….as of this morning….the media has an extreme liberal slant, besides Fox News, which leans towards the right. That being said, for me, I didn’t enjoy this due to the political views expressed in the book. Every cliché is here from the big brother government with twisted political agendas to the underground hero's dictating value systems of us naive Americans. So who will like this book? Liberals will love it, Conservatives will hate it and Moderates could go either way.

1/5 Political Thriller

Thank you to Meryl Moss Media Relations for review copy

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Prophecy of the Sisters by Michelle Zink

Prophecy of the Sisters by Michelle Zink

Book Synopsis: (goodreads) Sixteen-year-old Lia Milthorpe and her twin sister Alice have just become orphans, and, as Lia discovers, they have also become enemies. The twins are part of an ancient prophecy that has turned generations of sisters against each other. To escape from a dark fate and to remain in the arms of her beloved boyfriend James, Lia must end the prophecy before her sister does. Only then will she understand the mysterious circumstances of her parents' deaths, the true meaning of the strange mark branded on her wrist, and the lengths to which her sister will go to defeat her. Debut novelist Michelle Zink takes readers on an unforgettable journey where one sister's fateful decision could have an impact of Biblical proportions. Prophecy of the Sisters is the first of three books.

Set in the 1800’s, The Prophecy opens under the gloom of a funeral. The burial of Lia and Alice’s father sets the tone for this dreary, gothic setting amidst the story's alarming tale of lies, betrayals and the supernatural. A “seemingly unending” portrait unfolds of an author’s take of the mysterious legends from the Book of Enoch. I found the Sisters story a more original take on fallen angels and ancient mythology. The story has a classic written feel told from Lia’s perspective; she is a strong and convincing character. From the grief over her parents, to the love she has for James- her development of strength to face adversity was intriguing.

Soon after the funeral, a bizarre mark appears on Lia's wrist. Most girls would freak, but from her father's mythology books, Lia discovers secrets about her mark, and learns two other girls in the community share her secret. They have a common background and band together to find the truth behind the secret world they share. The first introduction of the prophecy comes from James, Lia’s love interest and son of town librarian, who stumbles upon a rare book belonging to her father and written in Latin. He translates the story to Lia and without knowing what the prophecy means, opens a door to a whole new world. When the girls discover that the prophecy surrounds Lia and Alice, one protector of good, one protector of evil, they know what they must do to safeguard the gate spoken of in the prophecy which will free the fallen angels of long ago.

I truly felt sucked into the atmosphere of this book. Zink’s talent for detail felt real to me, I could almost hear the river crash upon the cliffs of the Milthorpes’ home; hear the girls heavy skirts swish as they walked the halls. Feel the dreary weather seep from the pages and be on the edge of my seat waiting for something to pop out. Even with the prophecy centering around angels and the otherworld, no otherworld characters play a major role in this story, the plot mostly centers around the twins weird relationship and Lia's self-discoverys.

Zink has created a riveting story that was written with eloquence. Brimming with myths and religion the style and setting will suck the reader into this dark world. The supernatural realms are dangerous and eerie, and her plot entirely engrossing. Although a few plot threads are predictable it’s for sure worth a few hours of darkly entertainment. No swearing or sexual encounters occur in this book, besides the eerie factor, it’s suitable for 14 and up.

4/5 YA, Supernatural thriller

** Since this book was about angels...I get to count it in my Horns and Halos Challenge....woot woot.......

Monday, January 25, 2010

I Have a WINNER!!!!!!!!

My 150 Follower Contest has come to a close...and WOW what a great turn out. I had 111 enter with a total of 546 entry's. My brain is still on overdrive putting all that info on spreadsheet.

The nice 150/$20 prize turned into 265 followers and a $40 prize!!

Using Randomizer.org the lucky winner is.....................................

CELIA. A

Congrats Celia, I have emailed you!!

Thanks to everyone who entered and I will be having another contest soon!!

Happy Reading

Sunday, January 24, 2010

Mega Contest Time

Alyssa, Jake and Greg over at Teens Read and Write, are hosting a mega giveway over at their site!!
If you remember the last one, it was huge with over 30 winners!!
I didn't win (piece of poop) but lots of others did and maybe this time Ill get lucky!!
Hurry over and enter for a chance to win.

Saturday, January 23, 2010

The Mark by Jen Nadol

The Mark by Jen Nadol

Book Snyopsis: Cassandra Renfield has always seen the mark—a glow around certain people reminiscent of candlelight. But the one time she mentioned it, it was dismissed as a trick of the light. Until the day she watches a man awash in the mark die. After searching her memories, Cassie realizes she can see a person’s imminent death. Not how or where, only when: today. Armed with a vague understanding of the light, Cassie begins to explore her “gift,” seeking those marked for death and probing the line between decision and destiny. Though she’s careful to hide her secret—even from her new philosophy-obsessed boyfriend—with each impending death comes the temptation to test fate. But so many questions remain. How does the mark work? Why is she the only one who sees it? And finally, the most important of all: If you know today is someone’s last, should you tell them?

THE MARK is an unusual and interesting debut that discusses questions of loss, philosophy, and destiny. Following the story completely through Cassie’s point of view I felt the writing was steady and flowed well to maintain an intriguing read. When reading The Mark, I was unsure where the story was taking me. The first half begins with Cassie’s life in Asheville, PA where we first get introduced to her ability and the plot points to an unraveling of the mark and a potential love story surrounding a school friend. Once Nan, Cassie's grandmther dies her life is tossed in the wind bringing about change she nor the reader expects. The meatier plot ensues after Cassie is living back in her home town of Kansas, (with the typical workaholic aunt whose never there so Cassie can live a life with no parental supervison) where suddenly the reader gets flung into Cassie's mysterious family history, a new love interest and a bit of random Greek mythology.

The elements I loved in the story were Cassie’s growth and her development. The idea around having this ability to see death coming isn’t a new thought but an interesting concept surrounding philosophy and fate. I liked the buildup of family history and the little supernatural twist the story entails. This by far is worth reading, the plot was gripping and besides a bit of a let down for an ending I enjoyed it.

The one aspect I didn’t like was the story line with Lucas. Number one although relationships between high school and college age students happen quit often, Cassie and Lucas’s relationship was built on lies. When people start a foundation with dishonesty you can only assume heartbreak and hard times lay ahead. The relationship tittered on predictability, I knew Lucas would ether wind up bearing the mark, or would have some supernatural ability to coincide with Cassie’s. At some point the reader knows the mark is going to alter Cassie into a new way of life, whether it be physically or mainly in the thinking department. The outcome I’m happy to say kept me guessing. In my opinion I do feel Cassie was living the life and behaving like that of a mature twenty something not a sixteen year old girl. I believe the characters should have been older, with the issues and philosophy concepts twirling around it would have been more believable and still able to pull off the YA genre. That being said, The Mark is pretty clean cut on sexual scenes, although Cassie is spending the night with Lucas, there is never a mention of sex or even physical acts between them. Profanity is low, only a couple throughout, and there is a scene with underage drinking. I’d recommend this for 15 &up.

3.5/5 YA, Thriller

**Review copy provided by Other Shelf Tours

Friday, January 22, 2010

Recommend Me

Recommend Me is a fun new Friday Meme created by Kate at The Neverending Shelf

To play along, grab a favorite read and tell us about it. You can include your thoughts about the novel, its summary, your favorite memory related to the novel... the possibilities are limitless. If you are up for a challenge, you can also include:

•Your review of the novel

•Links to others' reviews of the novel

•Recommending to a general group of readers or if you want to be extra daring, to specific reader friends

My selection for this week is
The Weight of Silence by Heather Gudenkauf

It happens quietly one August morning. As dawn's shimmering light drenches the humid Iowa air, two families awaken to find their little girls have gone missing in the night. Seven-year-old Calli Clark is sweet, gentle, a dreamer who suffers from selective mutism brought on by tragedy that pulled her deep into silence as a toddler.

Calli's mother, Antonia, tried to be the best mother she could within the confines of marriage to a mostly absent, often angry husband. Now, though she denies that her husband could be involved in the possible abductions, she fears her decision to stay in her marriage has cost her more than her daughter's voice. Petra Gregory is Calli's best friend, her soul mate and her voice. But neither Petra nor Calli has been heard from since their disappearance was discovered. Desperate to find his child, Martin Gregory is forced to confront a side of himself he did not know existed beneath his intellectual, professorial demeanor. Now these families are tied by the question of what happened to their children. And the answer is trapped in the silence of unspoken family secrets.

For sure a gripping read, Ill have my review up in the near future.

Thursday, January 21, 2010

Fade by Lisa McMann

Fade by Lisa McMann

Book Snyopsis: Fade, sequel to Wake, follows undercover investigators and high school seniors Janie Hannagan and her partner/boyfriend Cabel as they attempt to unmask and trap a sexual predator teaching at Fieldridge High. Janie is a dream catcher—she has the ability to be sucked into another person's dreams—and her job is to glean clues to the culprit's identity from her classmates and to act as bait. The latter task annoys protective Cabe, and their relationship, already strained by a scarcity of alone time and the need for secrecy is further stressed. Furthermore, Janie receives documents from her now-deceased dream-catcher mentor promising to detail the fate in store for her, and she's not sure she wants to know the truth. While there are few surprises in the main plot arc, the spare but effective narrative holds readers' attention, especially when Janie delves into the chilling truth of her ability. (Goodreads)

After finishing the wonderfully eerie world of Wake, I couldn't wait to dig in again with Janie and Cabel in Fade. The story picks up shortly after the end of Wake, Janie and Cabel are finishing up school, looking forward to the day when they can leave Fieldridge High behind and enjoy the freedom of college life.

McManns unique writing style flows just as sharply and the plot moves lightening fast for a few hours of reading. I will admit first that I liked Wake better, only because I thought the set up of dreams were superbly written and had a very dreamlike feel amidst the darkness of thoughts and loneliness.

Fade felt like a bungee cord drop, it was darker, faster, and much more disturbing. The subject matter is shocking and doesn't make the reading very entertaining as much as it makes you queasy. It was hard to fall in love with Cabel and Janie's romance while having to face the twisted, sick sexual predators Janie is helping the police track down at her school. There’s a ton of plot in this book, but very little character interaction other than Janie and Cabel’s dialog. Carrie is a background sentence or two; the mom is pretty much in her bedroom so much, that she's almost to the point of invisibility. Makes sense on the parental aspect because it seems in all these YA books, the parents need to be dead, drunk or evil. Even with the small relationship build of the Captain and Janie most of book centers on freaky dreams all focused on rape. One particular dream sequence of rape is so disturbing I had to stop, take a breath and move on. I still like the concept of Janie being pulled into dreams and although the side effects are predictable, my favorite parts of the book are learning with Janie where this is going to lead her. Instead of Wake being dreamlike it’s more about predators and real world rape issues. Rule number one girls and boys: Don’t go to a party when your creepy good-looking teacher is throwing it. If you find yourself being handed drinks and food by half naked teachers…RUN!!

Again like Wake, Fade seeks a mature audience. The profanity is worse and the entire subject matter focuses on rape, sex and drug use. I read somewhere this was recommended for 8th-10th graders……the content in this book is very graphic, the sexual encounters would get an R rating if it were a movie. I would suggest this for 17 & up.

3/5 YA, thriller

If a teacher is harassing or touching you in an inappropriate way be it male or female, tell your parents….or an adult you can trust, if neither of those are options, please call the police or The Rainn hotline and file a report

The Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network - National Sexual Assault Hotline

1-800-656-HOPE

http://www.rainn.org/

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Immortal by Gillian Shields

Immortal by Gillian Shields

Book Synopsis:

Evie Johnson arrives alone to face her new life at the Wyldcliffe Abbey School for Young Ladies. Raised by her beloved grandmother, Evie never wanted to attend boarding school, especially one for spoiled rich girls. But Frankie has fallen gravely ill and Evie's father is away in military service, so off to Wyldcliffe she goes. It is as horrible as Evie suspected it would be. The girls mistreat her, the headmistress is a nightmare, and she keeps seeing a girl who looks just like her. Evie's only joy comes from her budding romance with elusive Sebastian….but things aren’t as they seem at the Wyldcliffe School for Young Ladies...(Goodreads)

Review

This little tale begins with Evie on her way to a new school, due to her mothers death and not having any family to take care of her. During her travel within the first few pages she meets a handsome boy and is attracted to him (whom no doubt will be the boy who sucks the life out of our young female character) The school is set on a old country side, Gothic in looks and environment. When Evie arrives at the school its your usual overdone ya cliche- girl is sent to boarding school treated like crap by the teachers and the rich kids, is of course the "normal" gal because she is a scholarship student leaving her to do extra chores and cleaning up after the rich gals...(kind of reminds me of that cute little Shirley Temple movie I saw as a five yr old)....she rooms with the other scholarship gal and together they form an awkward friendship.

Poor Evie, she's depressed and wishes for anything outside of the Wyldcliffe, and just when we think poor Evie wont make it another minute...very shortly and Im talking like page 30 pages, she starts sneaking out to meet Sebastian, handsome boy in pages 2-5….The bells are ringing in my head now as to why Evie would be sneaking out to meet a boy she doesn't know, a boy who actually scares her to risk getting hurt or GASP..kicked out of her school. Soon thereafter sneaking out with boy who scares her...but she kinda likes...Evie learns of a strange mystery surrounding him (shocker) and the school, and starts reading an old love story told through the pages of a journal dating back to the 1800’s……

My rule of thumb with any book is 100 pages. Towards page 60, I was getting a bit worried with this one; I felt I was on a bit of a writing roller coaster. The prose started rather amateurish, then picked up speed, then trailed off again. I found myself disinterested and after 100 pages I skimmed. I had hoped that the small promising tidbits would develop and bloom into something beautiful, unfortunately, it did not happen for me. In my opinion, I felt it was many recycled popular YA stories mushed together lacking character development, I guess the other issue I had was this girl sneaking off by herself and placing her life in potential danger with a boy she didn't know. Newsflash- even with the best of intentions girls, placing yourself in a bad situation is likely to cause a negative outcome. This could be a for sure pleaser for the 14 and under bracket, if simple plot and under developed characters aren’t issues for a younger reader, although you wont find me recommending this novel, nor would I recommend it to young readers.

DNF- YA, Paranormal

Wake by Lisa McMann

Wake by Lisa McMann

Book Synopsis:

Not all dreams are sweet. For seventeen-year-old Janie, getting sucked into other people's dreams is getting old. Especially the falling dreams, the naked-but-nobody-notices dreams, and the sex-crazed dreams. Janie's seen enough fantasy booty to last her a lifetime. She can't tell anybody about what she does -- they'd never believe her, or worse, they'd think she's a freak. So Janie lives on the fringe, cursed with an ability she doesn't want and can't control. Then she falls into a gruesome nightmare, one that chills her to the bone. For the first time, Janie is more than a witness to someone else's twisted psyche. She is a participant....

Wake surrounds main character Janie, and her friends Cabel and Carrie, all who live on the wrong side of town. The side of town with secrets, where new clothes are dreams and welfare checks pay the rent. The character’s back stories are incredibly sad and some horribly frightening. Their lives contain terrible events and all of them have grown up with parents who are unwilling to be parents because of their own troubles. There’s poverty, drug abuse and child abuse laced within the story giving you the feel of reality and emotional connections to believable characters.

McMann’s writing style is unique to say the least, it was very factual, in your face writing, (2:45, Janie falls into old man’s dream, 3:10 Janie wakes up and eats something) I was hesitant at first thinking I wouldn’t be able to get through the monotone of the writing, but after about five pages I was completely sucked in and didn’t stop until the book was over!

The action moves quickly in short chapter fragments that span from Janie's childhood to her senior year of high school where the fast paced plot slows down enough for the story to unfold around the development of the characters. I loved the depth of Cabel and Janie’s relationship, their young and both messed up so trust is a huge issue for both of them. A romance blooms out of need and loneliness. Once trust is formed, they begin to bond and are able to share the dark secrets haunting them. I thought the relationship was the best part of the book and the most believable look at young love without over the top Romeo and Juliet themes.

The freaky element to the book.....Janie gets pulled into people's dreams if anyone starts to dream near her. The connection is broken by a closed door or enough distance, unless the dreamer is having a nightmare. Then it is unpredictable and scary. I thought McMann was at her best when writing the dream sequences. Janie drifts into her friends and classmates dreams with no control. More scary are the nursing home dreams and stranger dreams she's pulled into. Through the course of the book Janie tries to help some of them through their dreams. And it is within their dreams that she learns to power her mind to bend and transform the dreamworld.

Can you imagine falling into someone else’s dreams? What a brilliant idea, dream catching would be fascinating….that is until you fell into someone’s nightmare!!! When Janie falls into the first nightmare of the book, I was seriously having 7th grade slumber party flashbacks of Freddy Krueger…..eeecccckkkkk!!!

Profanity is R rated in this book, McMann used it in a way that’s real though. Granted I don’t want my kids shouting the F-bomb but it did fit real world talk. Secondly, there are a lot of sexual situations in the book, mostly in dream sequences….nothing overly graphic but enough that Wake seeks a mature audience. Id recommend this to teens and adults. (16& up)

4/5 YA, Thriller

Monday, January 18, 2010

Movie Cast Monday's

Movie Cast Mondays is a fun Meme started by Natailie at Mindful Musings.....join the fun and create your own movie cast.

This week my book pick is Evermore by Alyson Noel

Since a horrible accident claimed the lives of her family, sixteen-year-old Ever can see auras, hear people’s thoughts, and know a person’s life story by touch. Going out of her way to shield herself from human contact to suppress her abilities has branded her as a freak at her new high school—but everything changes when she meets Damen Auguste… Ever sees Damen and feels an instant recognition. He is gorgeous, exotic and wealthy, and he holds many secrets. Damen is able to make things appear and disappear, he always seems to know what she’s thinking—and he’s the only one who can silence the noise and the random energy in her head. She doesn’t know who he really is—or what he is. Damen equal parts light and darkness, and he belongs to an enchanted new world where no one ever dies.

And heres my picks for the parts.........

Amanda Seyfried as Ever......she's so beautiful, I think she can play the young part, or they could always make the characters college age......

Ben Barnes as Damen...whew hew.....Damen is suppose to be sizz'ln hot...I think Ben is pretty nice to look at !!!!

Emma Roberts as Ever's friend Haven

Ginnifer Goodwin as Ever's Aunt, who is young enough to play younger sister to Ever's dead mom yet pull of adult. And last but not least Alicia Witt as The vile Drina.....

So what do think?????

Sunday, January 17, 2010

Devil's Kiss by Sarwat Chadda

Devil's Kiss by Sarwat Chadda

The time: modern London
The reason: humanity is being threatened by an evil, unstoppable force
The solution: The Knights Templar, an ancient order now operating in secret, is all that stands between the regular world and the supernatural.

Hunted down by the church and evil forces over several centuries, only a remnant of the group remains to hold back the darkness reeling to cross over into reality. Modern day Templar’s have fallen on hard times, living in discreet and close to poverty conditions, they train and live by the code. Arthur leader of the Order, demands loyalty along with no encouragement, comfort, or love from his daughter Billi, the only girl ever to become a member of the Templar. Billi, trained in deadly weapons and the occult longs for a simple life, but readers will realize long before Billi does that normal is well outside her reach. Things take a turn for the worse - Armageddon worse - when Kay, the Oracle of the group draws the attention of the Angel of Death. This event leads the Templar in a dangerous race to save Britain from the plaque dating back to Moses time, that threatens to kill all the first born children.

Review

Devil’s Kiss is a representation of fantasy set in the present day that mixes myth, legend and religion: the three religions being Christianity, Islam and Judaism. Chadda did a fantastic job mixing everything into a three ring circus. While most of the novel was predictable, the writing overall isn't terrible. The story is pretty religious and focuses mainly on Biblical characters and the Templar legend. Its so off the mark that I would caution what you take for truth and what you take for fiction when it comes to the Biblical aspects. I would hate for people to read this thinking Chadda was using anything based off real Biblical stories...

Let's make this clear- I have no issue with fantasy or the paranormal realm- or stories which center around a fantasy world, I love vampire stories, I like paranormal romance, however what I dont like is when an author uses a specific character or story out of the Bible and twists it into a piece of crap. The biggest assaults in the book are of course on Christians, interesting that Chadda’s characters are the defenders of Christianity yet do not practice the Christian faith. How can you defend something you don't believe in? And for me that was the biggest issue in the book, there were too many contradictions to Billi's faith, the books liberties and make-fun of attitude towards the three religions.

I was offended by this book and perhaps that was the authors intent....the words uttered by Satan that he could give Billi a weapon to kill Jesus with was the end of my open mind and this book. I personally would not recommend this and according to trends in the YA world its not really picking up popularity. If you do read it, I would hope you know all the biblical and religious elements are false. Although the story is made-up, impressionable readers {especially young readers} could mistake this as factual stories from the Bible, Quran {Koran} and Torah.

1/5 -YA, Fantasy

Thursday, January 14, 2010

Soulless by Gail Carriger

Soulless by Gail Carriger

A Blog with Bite January Adult Selection

Tinas quick synopsis: Soulless is a blend of Victorian romance, screwball comedy and paranormal goodies galore. Prickly Alexia Tarabotti is unmarriageable, she's also soulless, an oddity and a secret even in a 19th-century London that accepts and integrates werewolf packs, vampire hives and ghosts. Lord Maccon, an Alpha werewolf and government official, is causing many problems for Alexia…one of them being hot flashes everytime he looks at her……..another being the fact they can’t stand each other....sound familiar, yet another I hate you, NOW kiss me you fool books. After Alexia kills a vampire with her parasol, (which was hilariously funny) she and Maccon must work together to solve a supernatural mystery that grows quite steampunkly (is that a word?) romantic.

The world-building in Soulless was clever and well written in regards to creating steampunk London; the visual detail really put you in this crazy world, though I didn’t connect to the paranormal aspect Carriger tried to create. I loved the British dialog but the mixing of Jane Austin meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer didn’t work for me. Perhaps I’m in a foul mood today, because my love going into Soulless dried up after page 100. The dialog to me became verbose and all of Alexia’s funny quirks that I liked in the beginning of the story got on my nerves towards the end of the book.

I did enjoy the love story between Alexia and Maccon, it was like reading about Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennett only Ninja style with mad skills. The book was very humorous, yet I felt the mixture of plots were competing against each other. It was hard to immerse myself in this environment because the story couldn't decide if it was a love story, a gothic story, a paranormal story, a British humor story or a book all about Alexia's prominent nose. Is there a problem with olive skinned, dark haired women in England or something??????

Every author puts their own spin on concepts of vampires and werewolves, and for the most part she sticks to the basics (like blood and undead) she adds her own flare to things - like how vampires have influenced fashion and I quote, "pale, my dears is very much in"….ugh- vampires with fashion how delightful!! I think I prefer the sparkly ones next to high society vamps. Not all the paranormal aspects were bad, I loved the werewolves in this and Alexia's gifts as a soul sucker kicked major how do I say this...Arse....I'm so not up to date on my British lingo, I've begged my husband to speak in a British accent...its so sexy....he won't do it...shucks.......guess all those Brit actors will have to do it for me.....

The book was a quick read and at points very fun, I like my paranormal edgy so this didn't deliver for me...... Steampunk and British culture fans will have a blast with this one….hard core paranormal junkies- it’s a toss-up.

3/5 Paranormal, steampunk, gothic love story

Join the discussion at The Blog with Bite

Discussion Questions

1.With the rise in popularity of steampunk trends, do you think the dialog and environment created in Soulless fitting within the paranormal genre?

No- the reason being, I couldn't connect the steampunk with the society and the paranormal. Perhaps I like my PR dark and edgy and intense, I thought this was more of a comedy.

2.For better or worse, Soulless throws together a lot of unconventional story elements. What ones worked for you? What ones didn't? Will you be reading the next book in the series, Changeless?

I liked the love story, and the whole society Carriger created, but I couldnt connect them all to the paranmoral world, it was funny for a few hours then I just lost my interest......I will not read Changeless.

3.The comedic tone of the novel was ever present even when the novel was at it's darkest plot-threads. Do you think this added to the depth of the novel and characters or did it trivialize the plot? For me it was trivialized, and thats why I thought the paranormal threads didn't work, thunking a vampire on the head with a parasol....(funny, but not typical vampire genre)

Monday, January 11, 2010

Book Review~Angel Time by Anne Rice

Angel Time by Anne Rice
October 27, 2009 by Knopf
Hardcover, 340 Pages
Purchased

Full of provocative moral reflections, Angel Time centers on hired assassin Toby O'Dare, a one-time aspirant to the priesthood until personal tragedy unmoored his life. Guardian angel Malchiah visits Toby, who's just consummated his latest kill, and offers him redemption for his sins. After accepting the offer, Toby is whisked away to 13th-century England, where, in the guise of a Dominican friar, he becomes the protector of a Jewish couple accused wrongly by the gentile populace of having murdered their young daughter for her conversion to Christianity.

How to begin…..? How do I write a review on a Jedi Master author?

Angel Time opens with the dreary story of assassin Toby O’Dare, his thoughts are heartbreaking and numb. As we follow Toby through a murder he struggles with the inner demon always taunting him, the darkness that pushes him and always underneath this shell of man we see the wanting. We suffer with Toby and his despair to be loved and have purpose.The first half of the book focused on Toby’s past and what lead to his murdering ways. His life an echo of so many others caught in the world of bad parents and growing up to fast, had a haunting tragic twist. He’s an undeniably fascinating character with tremendous flaws. Rice writes him in a way where we want to see him redeemed and almost understand why he's broken to the point of no return. Although cracks of his goodness seep out on the pages it isn’t until the second half of the book where Toby basically becomes a completely different character shown in an altered light. This is where I had some problems with the story itself. In part two, Toby seems to be more of a background character and one not recognizable from the first half. I understand the new found birth of religion here but as the story progressed I was never able to connect with any of the characters after Toby travels with Malchiah to the 13th-century. I felt there was this great story with rich detail but no real substance to draw me in emotionally.

Fans of Rice will recognize her descriptive style and her ability to make you see and feel what she is writing. Her gothic trend is seen a bit in Angel Time however, many of the old Rice fans will not be impressed. Rice focuses deeply on her Catholic faith, I myself found it heartfelt and refreshing. Others looking for the old scary vampire Anne Rice will be disappointed. I’ve always enjoyed Anne Rice’s work; her new found writing devoted to her faith did not fail to please me. Lacking in some areas overall I did enjoy reading it. Rice’s writing is as always, flawless and beautifully woven together on the page. Dive deep into the historical past and depiction of broken characters struggling to reconcile matters of the heart and cultural divides of personal faith.

4/5 Angels, Romance, Religious

This is a part of my Horns and Halos Book Challenge

Movie Cast Mondays

Movie Cast Mondays is a fun Meme started by Natalie at Mindful Musings

Anyone can play.....head on over to Natalie's to sign-up and get more info!!

My Pick this week is Strange Angels by Lili St. Crow

Sixteen-year-old Dru Anderson has grown up traveling the country with her demon-hunter father. When he tries to tackle a powerful sucker named Sergej in the Dakotas, he is turned into a zombie. After stopping him from killing her, Dru must save herself when she, too, becomes Sergej's target. She is befriended by Graves, a classmate who is quickly bitten and turned into a loup-garou (half werewolf), and meets Christophe, a djamphir (half-vampire vampire hunter). Dru also learns that she is growing into her own special powers. This is the first book in a series, and a large portion of it is spent developing the three lead characters, which occasionally slows down the action. While Graves seems to be the love interest, it is clear that both young men are attractive enough to draw Dru's attention, promising tension in future installments.

And my Picks for the Main parts....( by the way this is one of my Favorite YA series....)

Isabel Lucus (Photo Credit: Creative Commons) as Dru....Give her dark brown hair, grunge her up a bit and I think she could pull it off.....I love the girl on the cover but hey I have no clue who that is so Isabel it is...shes going to be in Daybreakers, and looks pretty kick butt.

Rafi Gavron as Graves.....( Remember him in Inkheart?)

Give him some shaggy hair...perfect.....

And my fav....Taylor Kitsch as Christophe....he'd have to go a bit lighter on the hair but WOW what a smok'n hot Christophe.......

Last but not least.......Viggo Mortensen as Dru's dad, who plays a small role but does double time as a zombie!! So What do you Think???

Sunday, January 10, 2010

Horns and Halo's Challenge

I’m getting started on my Horns and Halos Challenge; I’m currently reading Anne Rice's Angel Time, which is a very intense page turner thus far.......

I’ve picked two movies for the challenge, Hollywood must be jumping on the Angel/Heaven and Hell thing.....these movies look great and I will be going to the theater to see them and will do my first movie reviews. Whew-hew!!

1.) The Book of Eli

2.) Legion

If you want to join the challenge check out My Fluttering Heart for details!!!

Friday, January 8, 2010

The Dead Girls Dance by Rachel Caine

The Dead Girls Dance by Rachel Caine.........

Book Synopsis: Claire has her share of challenges. Like being a genius in a school that favors beauty over brains; homicidal girls in her dorm, and finding out that her college town is overrun with the living dead. On the up side, she has a new boyfriend with a vampire-hunting dad. But when a local fraternity throws the Dead Girls' Dance, hell is really going to break loose.

Well first things first, the title and synopsis of this book really didn't fit the story. The dance was a very brief (very scary in a real world way) chapter of the book, but the premises of the story was not about this dance. If you read the first novel you know our story was left with a major cliff-hanger. It’s going to be hard to review any of the books here after due to the fact that it will spoil any outcome for a future reader.

So here are a few things I can share with you. ………

Shane's father has returned to Morganville with an agenda. He wants to kill as many vampires as he can, even if he gets killed in the process. After the trauma Shane's family went through with the loss of his sister, and, subsequently, his mother, Shane and his father have cooked up a plan for revenge. Shane's phone call to his father sets the plan in motion and once his father arrives, Shane realizes what a mistake he's made. The protection Claire, Eve, Shane, and Michael have under Amelie is in jeopardy now that Shane's dad and his gang are causing trouble in the haunting little town. If any of them are thought to be involved in a plan to kill vampires, their protection will be removed and it will be open season on the Glass House -- When one of the most powerful (and icky nasty) vampire is found dead, Shane is accused of the crime and sentenced to death. It’s up to Claire and Eve to save their friend without getting killed them selves. Of course the dynamic duo runs into plenty of trouble along the way.

Dark creepy alleys, kidnappings, and IMO the scariest aspect of the book: a disturbing chapter dealing with ruffies and out of control jocks. What I didn’t like about this was the fact that the “potential victim” didn’t take this as seriously as she should have. Vampire town or not, rapists need to go to jail and little boys thinking their men need to face the consequences of their actions, just like a grown man would in JAIL, with a nice cellmate who nick names him fluffy……. these situations are so serious, I think authors who open the rape can of worms need to be really careful how they present the content and how its handled after. If an author is going to bring this subject to the table in a YA book, they are responsible to follow through with the right message.

The plot moves fast and there are times when the characters seem overly immature, but the pace of the story makes up for those problems. Caine leaves us readers with yet another shocking cliff-hanger. Sure to be a pleaser for you vampy lovers out there!!

Due to language and sexual content I’d recommend this for 10th grade and up

3/5 YA Vampires.

Wednesday, January 6, 2010

Rampant by Diana PeterFreund

Rampant by Diana Peterfreund
August 25th 2009 by HarperTeen
Hardcover, 402 pages
Purchased

Forget everything you know about Unicorns.
They are not magical, sparkly creatures of fairy tale, but violent, venomous beasts that can only be killed by virgin girls descended from Alexander the Great. Hunted to extinction more than a century ago—their race died out-or have they?

Review

Astrid is a 16-year-old teenager living the life of any normal sophomore girl. Even though her mother has spun tales of killer unicorns and lunacy of Astrid being a great warrior, she is happy laughing at her mothers tales and thinking nothing of it. Then one night everything changes when Astrid’s boyfriend Brandt is attacked by a zhi, a domesticated unicorn in the hunter’s world. Astrid is freaked out and dismayed to learn that all her mothers stories were true. Like her ancestors, Astrid fits the criteria for a unicorn hunter, and her mother sends her off to Italy to train for battle. Astrid is reluctant to enter this mysticism-laced world, but half-way into the story instead of fighting who she is she learns to embrace her destiny.

Astrid and the rest of the 'virginal' warriors train and learn of their ancestry which surrounds an ancient Goddess and Alexander the Great. Although even with the amazing background of her history, Astrid soon learns that not everything is as it seems at the convent, betrayals begin to leak out and lies are uncovered making Rampant a quick and sometimes fun read. Violence and blood soaked battles cake the pages to give the book action, but I thought the story was best when the characters discuss the moral and social aspects of their lives. How does a female virgin warrior, dedicated to exterminating a species of unicorns fit in with modern ideas of feminism. Some of the girls are torn about killing the Unicorns and argue about exterminating the race. In the sexual aspects of the book, Astrid and the others discuss the fact that they often feel pressured by their peers to have sex.

I've studied intensely about Alexander the Great and the Mede-Persian empires, so it was hard to get into the fantasy aspect that Rampant delivers, but the writing was alright and Peterfreund can tell a somewhat intriguing story. I do however have a huge rant with this book and its author, something that pissed me off as a reader and as a parent to a teenage daughter....... here it is:

~In chapters 5-6 Astrid and her 19 year old cousin decide to sneak away from the convent and have a night on the town in Italy. After being mugged by a gang of kids, two local boys rush to their aid and befriend the girls, after a few minutes of chit-chat the boys offer to take them on a tour of the city. Of course our naive characters without thinking twice about just being attacked only see that the young men are hot. Brains are turned off and they go along into the city with these "hot" boys.

EXCUSE ME!!!!!..This is parenting 101: its not safe to get in a car with strangers......it is not safe to take candy from strangers, its not even safe if they are your age - if they are good-looking or if you feel they are normal. You should NEVER go with a stranger to an area where you would be alone with them! Even worse though is not only do the boys take them clubbing but at one point the girls get separated from each other. I found this strike a raw nerve with me and it’s not like these chapters were written to discourage this behavior but promotes it. This heeds the question to Diane Peterfreund: What the fuck were you thinking writing this in a YA novel??? Fiction or not have you seen the movie Taken? Does anyone remember the story of Natalie Holloway? Has anyone heard of Human Trafficking? Although the author draws the mistakes of that night into full circle, (meaning the boys already knew the girls were virgin warriors) I think the message of a sixteen year old wondering off with a boy she met five minutes ago in a foreign country is outrageously IRRESPONSIBLE AND ASININE WRITING!!!

Perhaps fans of knights and medieval adventures will enjoy this bloody, far-fetched look at the legends that surround the Great Alexander. However for this reader, with my primary focus being to find responsible YA for teens to enjoy, I cannot recommend.

Rating

For readers 17&up and contains: Violence, folklore, language sexuality- semi-graphic, rape and topics on virginity, female bodies and sex acts.

1/5 YA Fantasy

PS- Check out this A21 Campaign statistics video, a charity that I support. Your awareness is what helps stop atrocities like this.

Monday, January 4, 2010

Movie Cast Mondays- Bones of Faerie

Movie Cast Monday is a Meme started by Natalie over at Mindful Musings

Anyone can join the fun, head over to Natalie's and start your own Movie Cast!

This week my pick is Bones of Faerie by Janni Lee Simner

The war between humanity and Faerie devastated both sides. Or so fifteen-year-old Liza has been told. Nothing has been seen or heard from Faerie since, and Liza's world bears the scars of its encounter with magic. Corn resists being harvested; dandelions have thorns. Trees move with sinister intention, and the town Liza calls home is surrounded by a forest that threatens to harm all those who wander into it. Still Liza feels safe. Her father is strong and has protected their town by laying down strict rules. Among them: Any trace of magic must be destroyed, no matter where it is found. Then Liza's sister is born with faerie-pale hair, clear as glass, and Liza's father leaves the baby on a hillside to die. When her mother disappears into the forest and Liza herself discovers she has the faerie ability to see--into the past, into the future--she has no choice but to flee. Liza's quest will take her into Faerie and back again, and what she finds along the way may be the key to healing both worlds.

Here's my Picks to play the main roles.

Jodelle Ferland as Liza, Jodelle looks a bit young but Liza is a very young 15. There is no romance, kissing or anything like that in the book so it was easy to cast a young actress with an older boy.

Logan Lerman as Matthew. Matt is Liza's best friend and is also a shape-shifter. He protects and guards Liza throughout the journey.

Hugh Jackman as the Liza's nasty mean father. Hugh seems like a nice guy but I think he can do mean scary beast man as well.

And lastly my pick for Allie, a Faerie and Healer who befriends the duo, could be played by Anna Sophia Robb. So what do you think??

Photo Credit: Jedelle Ferland: Twilight Saga- Eclipse Movie

Sunday, January 3, 2010

Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

A Blog with Bite YA Review

Beautiful Creatures follows the story of 16 year old Ethan, a normal teenage boy living in a small southern town called Gatlin. Only our poor Ethan isn’t like most normal teenage boys. His mom died in a gruesome car accident and his father is going slowly insane locked away in his office where he only comes out for dinner. The only one who is there to take care of Ethan is his live in nanny Amma, who has been with the family since Ethan was born. She cooks, cleans and practices a little voodoo on the side. Nothing like a little southern voodoo and chicken bone grave reading to get the hairs on the back of your neck standing.

Ethan under the surface is looking for more than the small minded town of Gatlin. He wants more than the pretty girls who prance around like the southern belles they are. When Ethan starts having dreams of a girl with no face, he is sure for the first time in his life he has fallen in love.

Lena Duchannes is what every girl wants to be, beautiful smart and different. She’s also the girl everyone wants to hate, with her edgy looks, and her “We're Different” family she immediately becomes the outcast of every town she goes to.

Lena and Ethan meet- it’s so powerful a hurricane surrounds them, without knowing Lena is a powerful Caster (witch, magic wizard of some sort) he realizes she is the girl from his dreams. Eventually Ethan and Lena discover they share the same dreams and can talk to each other telepathically. Lena on her 16th birthday will be claimed to either the light side or the dark side…..Ethan will do anything to protect her, thus we venture into a story of cursed and forbidden love. Dark forces of evil will torment and do anything to break them apart.

So savvy readers, perhaps when a book is so hyped up and the reviews so dazzling, when you finally sit down to read it your expectations are set way to high. When I started Beautiful Creatures I was expecting a dark gothic southern fairy tale…as stated by the description of the book. What I was not expecting was a story chop full of political agenda. Maybe that’s why I as a reader couldn't emotionally invest myself to any of the characters. Everything seemed to have some hidden meanings and the characters felt forced to say things that didn't fit them. I liked Ethan and Lena’s relationship and that it faintly mixed with the older dead couple featured in the book. Although the characters weren't having sex I thought the physical and intense emotions were a bit overboard for 15 year olds. Honestly towards the big end….I found myself wanting the story to just BE OVER…...I will admit, I won’t be continuing on with Lena and Ethan’s journey.

2/5 YA Paranormal

Discussion Questions

All the lies and deceit that was occurring in the book to the teenagers seemed a bit much, right? Do we lie to our children to protect them, or brutal honesty? It seems like a reoccurring theme in Hollywood and literature, but is it a reoccurring them in real life?

Agree, the lies in the book made the adults look stupid......I think its better to be honest with your kids.

Do you feel Lena and Ethan were too chaste, with only random kissing? With rampant teenage pregnancies and condoms being distributed in schools, do you feel these YA novels that stick to just kissing and no cursing aren't reality, or do you agree with their good show of morals?

GOOD SHOW OF MORALS....come on are we really going to say hey kids go have sex? I wrote in my review I thought Lena and Ethan's feelings were too intense, and that's honest. At least I can give the authors props on not sexing their characters out.

Obviously the authors lean towards a very strong liberal political viewpoint...the story does a great job labeling conservatives as bible thumping, closed minded racists who burn books........in that sense how do you feel about censorship and do you feel its fair to label all conservatives this way?

I dont believe in censorship- but how typical that the authors would label the only Christian in the story as the crazy mother who wanted to burn Harry Potter books.

I don’t care for left wing propaganda or extreme right wing politics either. The little digs against conservative politics creep in almost every page of the story. Although the digs are very subtle- some are like a slap in the face. Nothing annoys me more than listening or reading an American talk about being ashamed of being an American....if you hate America please do us all a favor and go move to France.

Southern, small town close-mindedness is a big feature of Beautiful Creatures, did you find the towns reaction to Lena something that could really happen, or a gross Southern, small-town stereo-type?

Stereo-typing was so bad in this one.... I think there are some people (all races and religions of people) who can target a certain person or idea but this book was all about blanket statements.

It doesn't matter if you’re a republican or a democrat, black or white......stupid is stupid!

Pages

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Friday, January 8, 2010

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Currently Reading.....