Review: Silence by Becca Fitzpatrick

Goodreads description:
WHEN SILENCE IS ALL THAT'S LEFT, CAN THE TRUTH FINALLY BE HEARD?

Nora Grey can't remember the past five month of her life. After the initial shock of waking up in a cemetery and being told that she has been missing for weeks - with no one knowing where she was or who she was with - she tried to get her life back on track. Go to school, hang out with her best friend, Vee, and dodge mom's creepy new boyfriend.

But there is this voice in the back of her head, an idea that she can almost reach out and touch. Visions of angel wings and unearthly creatures that have nothing to do with the life she knows.

And this unshakable feeling that a part of her is missing.

Then Nora crosses paths with a sexy stranger, whom she feels a mesmerizing connection to. He seems to hold all the answers...and her heart. Every minute she spends with him grows more and more intense until she realizes she could be falling in love. Again.

Silence is definitely the best in this series thus far. I couldn’t put it down at all!

The amnesia Nora went through was one of the things that kept me hooked. It was fun knowing stuff she didn’t, yet the author made it so we the readers were also missing important information. Kept me on my toes.

Ahhh Patch. I still don’t know if I can trust him. Fallen angel = bad. But argh!! He’s just so dang hot and says all the right things. Grrrr. I really hope he doesn’t end up to be the biggest jerk in the history of YA. (Nahhh, Erik from House of Night already has that covered.)

There is a bit of a love triangle in this. Well, I wouldn’t necessarily say “love triangle”. Another guy is trying to get Nora’s attention but she just wants Patch and that probably will never change. And no matter how much I love Patch, I kind of want Nora to be with the other guy. I feel like I can trust him more, despite his role in book #2.

Nora… her character is growing. I really like this fact. I mentioned in my review of Crescendo how weak of a character she is. Not this time around. I’m guessing getting kidnapped and not remembering one minute of it makes you grow a backbone.

I was re-reading my review of Hush, Hush from about a year ago. I said something along the lines of “I think their story is over…” now I’m just like What? O_o NOFREAKINGWAYISTHEIRSTORYOVER. It just gets more complicated with each book.

I Need. The. Next. Book. Now.

Obviously I loved this book. I think you will too, if you love paranormal romance. Give it a try (:

Review; Guardians: The Fallout by Lola St. Vil

Goodreads description:
Just because she has wings,
doesn’t mean she’s an Angel…

It's front page news on every Angel gossip rag:
“Marcus & Ameana: Gone The Way Of “Brad & Jennifer.”
So, Who Is The “Angelina?” Emmy Baxter—a mere mortal!”

Ameana tries to avoid her ex and his new love by focusing
on the other evil out to destroy the team. But soon her pain
turns to fury.

And before the end…a girl plots revenge, a leader is on the edge
and an Angel falls.

Purchase On Amazon!

Originality: Again, I have to say that this series is very original. I am loving seeing the human side of angels. They aren’t so perfect as they’re made out to be, and they are as vulnerable as humans in these books. I really like that. It’s nice to somewhat relate to a holy being. ;)

Characters: In The Fallout, you get more information about many of the characters, and in these cases, it makes you love them even more. There was a character in the first book that I didn’t really like a certain character and now I sort of, kind of, like them a little bit. They aren’t exactly nice but you can see why they act that way.

I’m still a fan of Emmy, the main character. She’s just so…normal. Okay, well, except for the fact that she’s in love with an angel and plays a crucial part in stopping the end of the world. If this was a book about, you know, human problems, I’m sure I would relate to her perfectly. She’s not extraordinary, a complete book worm, falls for the guy she can’t have. All these make her so lovable.

Content: I never really like “end of the world” stuff. But in this book? I am so hooked. It seems as if Good and Evil are playing a game of hide and seek- looking for clues to prevent humanity from being destroyed. It’s a unique perspective on a clichéd idea.

Setting: Basically, The Fallout is still set in present day New York, just like its prequel, The Girl. However, again like the prequel, the characters travel to other parts of the world. I personally don’t get a feel for the location as a part of the world, but if they are in a building or small area, I can picture it just as if I were there.

Overall enjoyment: This is a book that will leave your jaw dropped. I’m eagerly awaiting book 3 and am absolutely looking forward to learning more about some of my favorite characters. *cough* the twins *cough*. I want to know more about their lives, before and during the mission to save the world. Lola St. Vil has such an amazing talent that needs to be noticed!

Review: Crescendo by Becca Fitzpatrick

Goodreads description:
Nora Grey's life is still far from perfect. Surviving an attempt on her life wasn't pleasant, but at least she got a guardian angel out of it. A mysterious, magnetic, gorgeous guardian angel. But, despite his role in her life, Patch has been acting anything but angelic. He's more elusive than ever (if that's possible) and what's worse, he seems to be spending time with Nora's arch-enemy, Marcie Millar.

Nora would have hardly noticed Scott Parnell, an old family friend who has moved back to town, if Patch hadn't been acting so distant. Even with Scott's totally infuriating attitude, Nora finds herself drawn to him - despite her lingering feeling that he's hiding something.

If that weren't enough, Nora is haunted by images of her murdered father, and comes to question whether her Nephilim bloodline has anything to do with his death. Desperate to figure out what happened, she puts herself in increasingly dangerous situations to get the answer. But maybe some things are better left buried, because the truth could destroy everything - and everyone - she trusts.

I don’t really want to write this review, because as a whole, this book was really amazing. But picking it apart and analyzing it, I realize that it could have been better.

Originality: The concept of fallen angels and Nephilim isn’t new. Teenage relationship problems are not new. The way they were put together was new, sure. The originality has to be a no from me.

Characters: Ughh Nora is probably the weakest character I’ve read about. All she does is put up with others’ crap and caves into peer pressure all the time. I mean, her best friend? I wouldn’t even consider her a best friend. Constantly she is wanting Nora to go out with her and when Nora says no, Vee keeps pushing it. I’m just like “She said no. Stop it.” And then there are the guys. Hot guys? Yes. But these aren’t guys to be going around falling in love with.

Content: Like I said, fallen angels and Nephilim aren’t new. However, I love reading about them. Especially when the author can write about angels in a way that doesn’t bring religion into the mix. I really enjoyed the content in this one.

Setting: Coldwater, Maine. This is the perfect scenery for this story. It gives the mood a sense of coldness and gloom, what with all the fog. I couldn’t have picked a better location to set this in.

Overall enjoyment: I actually did really like this book. Of course, I’m going to read the rest of the series. What’s keeping me holding on to the story is the suspense, the surprise at the end of each book when we find out who the real bad guy is. At the end of Crescendo, I was shocked to see who the bad guy was. Honestly, it was the person I least expected it to be.

So, yeah, I would most absolutely recommend this to those who love paranormal romance.

Review: The Zombie Playground by Brian Rowe

                                    Goodreads description:Brin Skar has had a rough couple of weeks. She barely survived the grisly vampire attack in Bodie Ghost Town, the mysterious Paul is now a guest in her own home, and her dad Kristopher, dead for over a year, has emerged from the grave to try to kill his only daughter. After two somber funerals and the baffling disappearance of her Film teacher, Brin decides she needs a break from all the pain and heartache. And what’s a better escape than a round of golf at the brand new Macabre Golf Course? But as soon as Brin and her friends hit the links, strange noises and bizarre sightings begin to occur. And unfortunately for the group, the vampire encounter is going to seem like child’s play… especially when the zombies come out to play!

Like the first in this series, The Zombie Playground was a super amazing fast-paced read. This is one of those stories where you’re never left bored because there’s always some kind of action happening. I really enjoyed it and think others will as well.

Brin is this funny teenage girl that has a lot to deal with. Somehow she pulls through and manages to make some witty jokes along the way. I love Brin as a main character and I love the other characters also. Yes, even Anaya- the girl who takes jabs at others because she’s insecure with herself. I’ve grown to like her because I see that while technically the entire situation is her fault to begin with due to her insistence in the first book, she still ends up saving others much of the time.

There is a teeny love triangle. Oh, do not worry. It’s not mushy and stuff like others. Honestly you can hardly tell there’s an underlying romance. This series revolves mostly around a group of friends who encounter a bunch of mysterious paranormal activity in their town and there just happens to be relationships along the way.

Like I said, little romance. It’s basically a horror/comedy. I. Love. It. There’s never a dull moment. Most “horrors” I’ve read do actually focus on the romance. Not this. Nope. The monsters are gross and just all around awesome.

My one complaint is the believability. You’re trying to tell me that all of a sudden there’s just vampires and zombies running around this town? How did they get there? Why are they just now showing up? Didn’t take away from my love of the story, but I feel like these should be answered.

But obviously, I’d recommend this to those who enjoy a good, gruesome story. In the words of the Doctor this was…

Good job, Brian Rowe, good job.

Review: Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Goodreads description:
Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, the ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl. . . .

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.

Cinder wasn’t very easy for me to get into. I only started really enjoying it about halfway through. To me, there was just too much going on; Cyborgs, androids, Lunars, the “blue fever”, Prince Kai. I was just overwhelmed with how much was happening.

I found it disrespectful how the author conveyed the blue fever. The symptoms named were nearly identical to that of the black death (Bubonic plague). Then the author even mentioned the black death a few times, such as the nursery rhyme;

                Ring around the rosy

                Pocketful of posies

                Ashes, ashes

                We all fall down

It just seemed like the author twisted the plague and changed the name instead of creating her own work.

Also, I was a little confused by the whole cyborg/android thing. By the end, I’d figured out that cyborgs are humans with robotic parts and androids are just robots with personality chips. Okay. Sure. I wish that had been cleared up right away without just being thrown into the story. I couldn’t help but visualizing them as the cybermen from Doctor Who.

Everything was too predictable. Early on we find out there’s this princess that’s been missing for years. I knew right away what would happen and who the princess was. I wasn’t surprised at all when it was revealed at the end.

Don’t get me wrong, I liked this story. I just wouldn’t recommend it. If you need something to read, sure, go pick this up at the library. It might be your kind of thing. I might read the sequel just to see what happens, but it won’t be something I’m anxiously awaiting.

Sidenote; In Marissa Meyer’s bio, it says she likes to color code her bookshelf. My reaction, “Whoa! I thought about doing that…but most of my books have black covers…”

W.W.W. Wednesdays (25)

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•Grab your current read



•Open to a random page

•Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

•BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

•Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!


Pg. 303

"Well, I'm sure I could have come home faster, except someone stole my foot."













P.S. The button above was created by Jess @ Gone with the Words

Review: Power Within by C.L. Causer

Goodreads description:

Charlotte 'Charlie' Gordon wants nothing more, than to be a normal girl. But having a near death accident as a child, she finds out that she has powers. After accidentally electrocuting her sister and blowing up her mother's kitchen, she suppresses her powers for ten years. Unknowing that there are more people like her out there. A lot more.

That is until a secret group of them try and hunt her down because of her unusual abilities. Forcing her family into hiding, she goes on the run. Having to learn about her powers and her past, she meets many new friends along the way. But you can't run forever. She learns that someone has betrayed her to the very people she is running from.

Eh… This review is hard to write.

First off, the characters didn’t hold much appeal to me. They were typical, average people. I mean, I think what I liked was that they are adults (20s). But they just weren’t like…mind blowing awesome. They were normal, and some people like that.

I really love the idea the author had, though. The Lazarus children? Yeah. I really have no idea what that is. I guess it’s some story in the bible? I don’t know. It was mentioned in another book I’ve read though! Anyways, it was interesting how all these people in a community had different powers and that is what’s making me want the sequel.

To be blunt, the grammar sucked. I had a hard time sticking through this one because of all the errors. Honestly I wanted to print it out (it was a PDF) and go through it with a red editing pen (felt tip of course). With more extensive editing (and C.L. Causer, if you’re reading this, I’d be willing to help with that), this story could be a creative masterpiece.

So, to wrap this up, I enjoyed this story aside from the grammar. If you have the patience to ignore some errors, and want to read a unique story, then yes I would recommend this. Currently this is on Amazon for just $0.99, so even if you can’t make it all the way through, it’s not a huge money spender!

Review: Where She Went by Gayle Forman

Goodreads description:
It's been three years since the devastating accident . . . three years since Mia walked out of Adam's life forever.

Now living on opposite coasts, Mia is Juilliard's rising star and Adam is LA tabloid fodder, thanks to his new rock star status and celebrity girlfriend. When Adam gets stuck in New York by himself, chance brings the couple together again, for one last night. As they explore the city that has become Mia's home, Adam and Mia revisit the past and open their hearts to the future-and each other.

Told from Adam's point of view in the spare, lyrical prose that defined If I Stay, Where She Went explores the devastation of grief, the promise of new hope, and the flame of rekindled romance.

 

To me, Where She Went was better than the first in the series, If I Stay. A lot of people told me that If I Stay was really emotional and one of the best books they’ve read. It just didn’t cut it for me. I still decided to pick up Where She Went. I wasn’t disappointed.

Where She Went evoked so much emotion from me. Emotion I didn’t even know I had. I was laughing and crying throughout the entire book. It’s just so real, you know?

This book touched on so much that regular people go through. Love, loss, redemption. The love between Mia and Adam isn’t like the fluffy relationships you usually read about. The fight, a lot. They call out each other’s BS. But at the end of the day, their love is so completely obvious and undeniable. I feel like anyone could relate to them.

There were just two things I didn’t like;

1.       The beginning pages. If you just picked up the book and started reading without reading the summary (like I did), you’d be completely confused as to who is telling the story. Adam is the narrator this time. I went into the book thinking Mia was, which created some confusion for me. However, I did enjoy reading from Adam’s POV more than I did Mia’s in If I Stay.

2.       Language. I have no problem with cuss words in books…as long as they are used in the right context. In Where She Went, there were F bombs that didn’t necessarily need to be put in, at least not in that specific place. Still didn’t take away from my love of this book.

I also need to say that I’ve been in a huge reading slump lately. This book? This book seemed to bring me out of that. So I’d definitely recommend this one to anyone having trouble getting into reading, or well, anyone who enjoys a good book.