Book Review: Nightshade by Andrea Cremer

Title: Nightshade

Author: Andrea Cremer

Synopsis: Calla is the alpha female of a shape-shifting wolf pack. She is destined to marry Ren Laroche, the pack's alpha male. Together, they would rule their pack together, guarding sacred sites for the Keepers. But then, Calla saves a beautiful human boy, who captures her heart. Calla begins to question everything - her fate, her existence, and her world and the orders the Keepers have asked her to follow. She will have to make a choice. But will she follow her heart if it means losing everything, including her own life?

Review:

a.) Characters: 5/5 score.  WOW- Calla definitely came off as an Alpha- as well as Ren.  Everyone fit perfectly in the pack like pieces of a puzzle.  It was breathtaking on how easy everyone’s role was.  Beautifully connected and in sync.  I feel we got a balanced piece of everyone.  And Shay- wow, again- just blew me away.  I loved all these characters, even when I was hating them- like Logan.  I cannot rave enough about them!

b.) Plot: 4/5 score.  The beginning sucks you in and, before you know it, you’re spinning out of control with Calla and Ren and the uniting pack.  The course of the story draws you in keeping your attention balanced on the prick of a pin.  The ending leaves you wanting- no, needing!- more from all their characters and their lives.

c.) Writing style: 4/5 score.  Very smooth and easy- I would literally be floating through the chapters with such ease.  Sometimes I would reread a paragraph just to let the smoothness roll over me again.  It was such a change that I had a hard time remembering to pace myself.  Overall, I cannot wait to read more of this series and to see what else Andrea Cremer has out.

Rating: 13/15 total

Just, wow.  Wow.  I am amazed at this work.  I loved this book.  When my roomie picked it up and asked me what I thought, I was hesitate because I didn't like this new cover compared to the old.  But when I read the back, I figured <i>don't judge a book by it's cover</i>, right?  EXACTLY!  This made my week when I read it and basked in its awesomeness.  I cannot wait to get the next two in my library ASAP- especially because they are already out!!! 

Book Review: How It's Done by Christine Kole MacLean

Title: How It’s Done

Author: Christine Kole MacLean

Synopsis: Brought up in a fundamentalist home, 18-year-old Grace feels trapped by her overbearing father and timid mother. When college professor Michael Irving walks into Graces life, they begin an affair. Grace soon discovers that being involved with an older man is not all chardonnay and poetry.

Review:

a.) Characters: 4/5 score.  Grace is a strong character, and you are immediately thrown into her life with her overbearing father and timid mother.  You feel her frustration and defeat, and her admiration for Michael.  You get family with Liv’s family and Tori’s situation- and you see a lot of strength and weakness overall in everyone.  Because of all that, these characters felt amazingly real, as if I could call any of them up on the phone right now and have a chat with them.  

b.) Plot: 4/5 score.  I have conflict with the plot, because even though I liked it I had a hard time believing it.  I guess I do believe it, but it felt like it made Grace’s intelligence suffer because of it.  On the same note, the infatuation she felt toward Michale was fueled by all the points in her life, so it was believable.  I guess my conflict is more of a personal issue about her course of action.

c.) Writing style: 3/5 score.  There was nothing dynamic about this style except how much Grace ignored her own values/beliefs for the sake of “love” and “freedom”.  I myself, never having grown up with a religious background, am mystifies at how “damaging” it can be to life.  If this confuses you (which I bet it does), read the darn book.  

Rating: 11/15 total

I really do love this book.  It will be added to my reread selection on Goodreads (even though I have already reread some chapters).  I think I appreciate books like this because of the fine line between right and wrong, the challenge to her beliefs, and coming-to-age.  It is a type of book like this that can have a moral learning inside the writing.

So even if you come away from it now simply enjoying what you read, down the line you might make a different decision all together because of what this taught.  There are questions at the end of the book that I am going to post in a different post, once I complete them all.  So if you do happen to read it, we can compare notes!  :-) 

Book Review: Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

Title: Beautiful Creatures

Author: Kami Garcia, Margaret Stohl

Synopsis: Lena Duchannes is unlike anyone the small Southern town of Gatlin has ever seen, and she's struggling to conceal her power and a curse that has haunted her family for generations. But even within the crumbling graveyards of the forgotten South, a secret cannot stay hidden forever--and one secret could change everything.

Review:

a.) Characters: 3/5 score.  Didn’t really feel like a 16 year old boy and girl to me.  Sometimes they felt younger, and rarely did they feel older.  Ethan and Lera’s relationship develops over time, slowly and believable.  But in the process, I felt like other characters were lost.  I feel the only other major characters were Macon and Amma.  

b.) Plot: 3/5 score.  Nothing wrong with the storyline but it dragged at times, and I still have some questions (which I hope will be answered in book two).  It was an even pace, but it bordered on boring.  Don’t bite my head off, I was interested enough in it to finish it and still like the book.  It’s just, II don’t think the suspense carried through for me.  I liked the count down on each chapter to her birthday- but the longer the story dragged, the more annoying it was.  

c.) Writing style: 3/5 score.  The writing felt bland.  Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed the plot, the characters, and the writing style, but it was missing something that would’ve bumped it up to a four star.  I don’t know if they purposefully tried to make it a long story, but I think the length is what really caused the story to lack the proper suspense.  It was, however, interesting to read a first-person where the main character is male.  

Rating: 9/15 total

I really have a hard time putting into words on how I feel about this book.  You see, I liked it and enjoyed it, but something was missing, something that gives a story a 'wow' feel to it.  Because that was lacking, I feel this story was just 'okay' and nothing great.  Maybe it will all work out in the end for me when I read the next book in the series, or maybe my opinion will worsen.  Whatever it is, this book is balanced on the fence and can go either way really fast.  

MIA: Happy Belated Valentine's Day

OMG OMG OMG I was going to buy The Hunger Games at WalMart yesterday, but I somehow talked myself into believing food was more important.  Crazy, I know!  

              OR

So, like, yeah, sorry about the disappearance.  I was doing great until suddenly, it's Valentine's Day, and I completely flaked.  I have to type up a couple reviews and get everything back in order.  I was so excited for the 14th, I spaced and forgot to keep up with my blog.  Of course, then the day actually comes and my boyfriend and I slept right through dinner.  I was so upset, but he didn't forget the chocolates (thank God!).  

This weekend is going to be Hell too.  My roomies/best friends/fellow coworkers are going down to a dog show and I am stuck taking care of about 20 dogs at the kennel.  That's the bad news.  The good news is Vince will probably be here all weekend as well, and when the cats are away, the mice will play.

It fits better if I say "when the dogs are away, the cats will play" since I don't feel very mouse-y.  I feel frisky, like a kitty, and that's why if you ask me what I am doing this weekend I am just going to smile and let you figure it out on your own. 

(SEX people- I want to have SEX!)

*Ahem*

Anyway, I promise to work on the reviews of Beautiful Creatures, Nightshade, How It's Done and probably Shiver because I should be done with it by then.  Then on top of that I might convince Vince to take me to Half Price Book store on Monday.  Can't promise I will or won't get anything, but who knows.  (I do- I always get something at HPBooks!)

Better get started on those reviews.

Later, peeps!

Book Review: Frostbite by Richelle Mead

BOOK 2 of the Vampire Academy Series

READ THIS REVIEW AT YOUR OWN RISK!

Title: Frostbite

Author: Richelle Mead

Synopsis: Rose loves Dimitri, Dimitri might love Tasha, and Mason would die to be with Rose... It's winter break at St. Vladimir's, but Rose is feeling anything but festive. A massive Strigoi attack has put the school on high alert, and now the Academy's crawling with Guardians--including Rose's hard-hitting mother, Janine Hathaway. And if hand-to-hand combat with her mom wasn't bad enough, Rose's tutor Dimitri has his eye on someone else, her friend Mason's got a huge crush on her, and Rose keeps getting stuck in Lissa's head while she's making out with her boyfriend, Christian The Strigoi are closing in, and the Academy's not taking any risks....This year, St. Vlad's annual holiday ski trip is mandatory. But the glittering winter landscape and the posh Idaho resort only create the illusion of safety. When three friends run away in an offensive move against the deadly Strigoi, Rose must join forces with Christian to rescue them. But heroism rarely comes without a price...

Review:

a.) Characters: 3/5 score.  Same characters from before, plus some.  The new characters are easy to follow, and the old characters have returned with the same spunk.  However, something was missing.  The characters felt ‘safe’ and ‘easy’, and there was no real achievements mad until the end.  And even then, it was all Rose’s.  

b.) Plot: 4/5 score.  While the suspense was edgy, it was also slow and drawn out all the way up until the end.  I feel like the first half of the book was longer than it needed to be.  Not that I didn’t enjoy reading it (I did), just that the focal point was a little wide in this plot than the last one.  But the ending was what made it a 4 instead of a 3.  

c.) Writing style: 3/5 score.  Same writing style, but there were times I lost myself in certain descriptions that were unnecessarily lengthy.  Some of that could have been used elsewhere.  I still enjoyed the snark and sass that made Rose.  

Rating: 10/15 total

Favorite quote: “Do you know your birthday?” [Dr. Olendzki]
“Of course I do. What are you asking me such stupid things? Did you lose my records?”(Yep, Rose is still snarky in this one.)