City of Fallen Angels

City of Fallen Angels
Author: Cassandra Clare
Pages: 424
publication date: April 5 2011






Summary:
'He does make me happy,' Clary said. 'But he can't control everything in the world, Mom. Other things happen—' she fumbled for words; how could she explain that it wasn't Jace making her unhappy, but what was happening to him, without revealing what that was?" "In a world where everything went away from him eventually, she was one of the few remaining constants." Except for teasers, the fourth installment of Cassandra Clare's Mortal Instruments romance fantasy has been strictly embargoed, leaving us clutching for word clues. A teen series that keeps readers on tenterhooks.




Review:
Wow, after reading City of Fallen Angels I just am speechless. Not only do I not know what to say in my review but I feel terrible for the life Jace to have, give poor Jace a break. There’s always something happening in his life, never a dull moment that’s for sure.

But Jace did annoy me in this book more than others, He still thinks he doesn’t deserve Clary; it just annoys me when he gets into his brooding moods where he thinks he is undeserving of Clary and that the thought of being without Clary is the worst thing that could happen to him blah blah blah. He needs to realize that there meant to be together no matter what comes between them and if he keeps acting distant and undeserving he’s not going to be with her much longer. Another thing is he knows Valentine is not his father but he insists he has some Valentine in him. Ugh I’m just venting here.

Other than the usual Jace life, COFA is full of action, drama and suspense. I literally feel like strangling some of the characters for their stupidity. But I fall in love with the characters every book, there are some new characters and some old ones that come back…..to life.

Each time I read one of Cassie’s books I get lured into the fantasy world wanting more and more. Each time another book comes out her characters get easier and easier to understand. The characters get deeper and you can’t help but become addicted to reading about each of their lives. That’s what I love about getting to read everyone’s POV. It’s so interesting reading and getting into the minds of the characters.

I love the surprising twists that she delivers in each of her books especially COFA, none of her characters are perfect. In fact she likes to create a world where everyone suffers, leaving emotional messes.
The romance in this book, not only between Jace and Clary but between all the other characters is so profound, it almost feels personal reading the sizzling romance scenes, and I can’t get enough of it.

I have to give major props to Cassandra, this trilogy turned into a series; she has an amazing and creative imagination to be able to make a trilogy into a six book series, thanks for such a great series!

4/5 stars

Day #2 A book you have read more than 3 times

Memes are fun! Well, some of them are at least.
That's why I've decided to participate in this one! I stumbled across the 30 Day Book Meme when I was reading someone's blog.





Day #2 a book you have read more than 3 times


honestly I haven't read any book 3 times before, I actually hardly ever re-read books generally because I have so many other books to read and also because I already know what's going to happen.

But if I had to choose a book to read over and over again it would have to be:

What book would you or have read more than once?

Day #1 The Best book you read last year

Memes are fun! Well, some of them are at least.
That's why I've decided to participate in this one! I stumbled across the 30 Day Book Meme when I was reading someone's blog.






Day #1- The best book you read last year:

There were so many but if I had to choose one it would be:

Calla Tor has always known her destiny: After graduating from the Mountain School, she'll be the mate of sexy alpha wolf Ren Laroche and fight with him, side by side, ruling their pack and guarding sacred sites for the Keepers. But when she violates her masters' laws by saving a beautiful human boy out for a hike, Calla begins to question her fate, her existence, and the very essence of the world she has known. By following her heart, she might lose everything- including her own life. Is forbidden love worth the ultimate sacrifice?



Who doesn't love a book about Wolves and a good love triangle? If I had to pick just one....which was really hard I would pick Nightshade!



What's your favorite book from last year??

Trial by Fire

Trial by Fire
Author: Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Pages: 357
publication date: June 14 2011






Summary:
There can only be one alpha.

Bryn is finally settling into her position as alpha of the Cedar Ridge Pack—or at least, her own version of what it means to be alpha when you’re a human leading a band of werewolves. Then she finds a teenage boy bleeding on her front porch. Before collapsing, he tells her his name is Lucas, he’s a Were, and Bryn’s protection is his only hope.

But Lucas isn’t part of Bryn’s pack, and she has no right to claim another alpha’s Were. With threats—old and new—looming, and danger closing in from all sides, Bryn will have to accept what her guardian Callum knew all along. To be alpha, she will have to give in to her own animal instincts and become less human. And, she’s going to have to do it alone.

Bryn faces both the costs, and the rewards, of love and loyalty, in this thrilling sequel to Raised by Wolves.




Review:
I am honestly disappointed with Trial by Fire; I read the first one last year and loved it, was excited to read Trial by Fire and was disappointed by the plot. I did still like the book but I found some parts boring.

Bryn is the Alpha of her pack, she has to protect her pack and make tough decisions, and she puts her life on the line. Bryn is one of the strongest YA characters I have read about in awhile. She lays her life down on the line for her pack and especially Chase.

We are introduced to a new character named Lucas. Lucas shows up on Bryn’s doorstep bloodied and beaten, almost to the point of death. She takes him and lets him heal, all the while trying to figure out what to do with him.
Lucas is part of Shay’s pack, Shay wants Bryn dead, and she has to figure out if Lucas is a trap or not. Then she finds out Shay made an agreement with a family of physics. There bad news, and have far more power than Bryn can handle. Soon she is faced with a battle between her pack and the coven, only one of them will survive.

I did find this book enjoyable but also kind of boring at times, I don’t know why but I just couldn’t get into this book as much as I thought I would. I was disappointed with the lack of romance between Bryn and Chase. There were some intimate parts with the both of them, but everything revolved around the pack and she has some tough decisions to make.

I really did like Bryn’s loyalty to her pack but found her kind of annoying at times with her talking about saving the pack, having to protect the pack. I get it, I really do I just found some parts a little cheesy and annoying. But all badness aside I do have to say that Jennifer is a talented author, and I’m looking forward for the next book in the series.


4/5 stars

In My Mailbox #9

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The Near Witch

The Near Witch
Author: Victoria Schwab
Pages: 288 pages
publication date: August 2 2011





Summary:
The Near Witch is only an old story told to frighten children.

If the wind calls at night, you must not listen. The wind is lonely, and always looking for company.

And there are no strangers in the town of Near.
These are the truths that Lexi has heard all her life.

But when an actual stranger—a boy who seems to fade like smoke—appears outside her home on the moor at night, she knows that at least one of these sayings is no longer true.

The next night, the children of Near start disappearing from their beds, and the mysterious boy falls under suspicion. Still, he insists on helping Lexi search for them. Something tells her she can trust him.

As the hunt for the children intensifies, so does Lexi’s need to know—about the witch that just might be more than a bedtime story, about the wind that seems to speak through the walls at night, and about the history of this nameless boy.

Part fairy tale, part love story, Victoria Schwab’s debut novel is entirely original yet achingly familiar: a song you heard long ago, a whisper carried by the wind, and a dream you won’t soon forget.






Review:

I’ve heard amazing things about this book I was a little disappointed while reading but still liked none the less.

The Near Witch is one of those books that have an original plot, strong characters, romance, action, suspense. All those things are important for a novel but somehow lacked something. I felt bored at times, and couldn’t connect with the characters. After saying this I should also say that while it was lacking, Victoria created a beautiful novel, she definitely has a way with her words.

The Near Witch starts off with Lexi looking out her window and finding a stranger that looks almost ghostlike standing far away from her window. The next morning she went into town and heard everyone gossiping about the stranger, the protectors of the village wanted to capture him, they thought the stranger was bad news, they heard someone was hiding him. The only one that would take him in would the sisters, witches that live right outside of town.

Lexi knows that the sisters are hiding him, she goes up to their house and looks around, she found him, but he didn’t talk much, soon kids starting disappearing. The hunters went out in search of the kids and everyone assumed the stranger was kidnapping them. They were wrong, Lexi and Cole (the stranger) started getting to know each other better and they tried to find the missing kids, but there were no leads.

Soon more and more kids were disappearing and everyone was worried, soon Lexi was caught with Cole and they were both punished. Lexi, being the strong character that she was went and solved everything.

While reading this I had no idea that this book was set back in the older times, it surprised me when I started reading it. I thought this was going to be more of a modern setting.

I loved the romance between Cole and Lexi, it was so sweet, and they tried so hard to be together, while everyone was trying to hunt them down. No one trusted the stranger, and even more they were the ones who thought was kidnapping the kids.

This book was slightly boring at times, but I kept on reading and before I knew it I was finished. Two of the my least favorite genre’s are about witches and ghosts, but yesterday I read a book about ghosts, and today I read a book about witches, and I surprisingly liked both of them , I have to give these genre’s more of a chance.

If you love paranormal/witch books then this book is for you.

3/5 stars

Outside In

Outside In
Author: Maria V. Snyder
Pages:326
publication date:March 1 2011






Summary:

Me? A Leader? Okay, I did prove that there's more to Inside than we knew. That a whole world exists beyond this cube we live in. And finding that led to a major rebellion - between worker scrubs like me and the snobby uppers who rule our world. Make that ruled. Because of me, we're free. I thought that meant I was off the hook, and could go off on my own again - while still touching base with Riley, of course. He's the one upper I think I can trust. But then we learned that there's outside and then there is Outside. And something from Outside wants In.




Review:

After reading “Inside out” more than a year ago, I remember the cliffhanger at the end. Books with cliffhangers really annoy me. “Outside in” couldn’t come out fast enough.

Finally I got my hands on a copy thanks to Harlequin teen! I couldn’t read it fast enough. Unlike most books I read, they don’t have that much action in it, or it’s missing the suspense. The inside out series has both of those things and trust me, it’s never lacking.

As I’m reading I try to think of what will happen next, but just when you think you’ve figured it out, and unsuspecting twist happens and you’re thrown into a frenzy. Maria can write one heck of a story that’s for sure.
What I noticed is there is a lot of detail but not enough when it comes to some of the characters. For me it was really hard for me to truly capture what Trella, Riley and especially Bubba Boom looks like. I had the hardest time picturing Bubba Boom. I kept picturing his as a middle aged man. And then when he started showing signs of liking Trella I became kind of disgusted, but then I remember that he’s just a little bit older than Trella.

I love Trella. She is the most fierce, brave, badass girl character in all of YA. She gets thrown so many curveballs, so much pain, yet she keeps on going and does the unthinkable. She risks her life for everyone, even her enemies.

As I’m writing this review I contemplate what to write. It’s hard to write down exactly how I feel about this book. Not only do I love this series so much, but I love imagining Trella as myself as she’s on her adventures. (It’s incredibly stupid of me, I would probably never even be able to live five minutes of her life) but its fun to insert yourself in a book character sometimes. (Is it just me? Or do other people do it to?)

Anyways, if you like books full of mystery, suspense, drama and romance, then you need to go out and buy this series immediately. Maria has become of my favorite YA authors, I haven’t gotten to read any of her other series but they are definitely going on my to-read pile.

By the way….. Maria, if you are reading this, you better be writing a third book! I want to know what happens next!!

5/5 stars

Waiting on Wednesday #13

waiting on wednesday is a weekly event
hosted by breaking the spine







This week's book  I can't wait for is:

Carrier of the Mark
Author:Leigh Fallon
publication date: October 4



Summary:
A move to Ireland is about to introduce Megan to her destiny, her real destiny, can she embrace it and will she survive it?

A tragedy in Megan’s past set her on a predetermined course. A chain of events has been set in motion that brings Megan to Kinsale, a small town in the south of Ireland where her destiny awaits her. Her life starts to fall into place as she makes new friends and settles into her new school. However, the reclusive and distant Adam DeRís calls to her body and soul.

She finds herself increasingly drawn to Adam and his strange family. Adam knows a secret from her past and he and his family hold the key to her future. A future that binds her to Adam and his world, a world of power, mystery and ancient orders. A world that unbeknownst to her, she very much belongs in.


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Double Take

Double Take
Author: Melody Carlson
Pages: 271
publication date: June 1 2011





Summary:
It's spring break of her senior year and Madison Van Buren is fed up. Stressed over Ivy League pressure, her parents' marital problems, and her boyfriend's neglect, Madison gets in her car and drives west. Meanwhile, eighteen-year-old Anna Fisher wants to escape the so-called simple life--which for her consists of caring for younger siblings, sewing, cooking, and gardening--and she's well aware that her future will simply be more of the same with a man she doesn't love. Suddenly, worlds collide when Madison and Anna meet in a small town, realize they look uncannily similar, and decide the grass is definitely greener on the other side.
Readers will love this funny and provocative tale of switching places from bestselling author Melody Carlson. As they get a glimpse into two very different worlds, they may find themselves happy to be just who they are, where they are.





Review:
Madison is a spoiled rich girl who lives in a penthouse in New York City. She is fed up with all the stress and just wants to get away. Her mother wants her to go to Tuscany for spring break, while her dad wants to go check out Harvard, her best friend wants her to come along with her to vacation and her boyfriend wants her to stay home so they can be together for spring break, so many stressful moments for Maddie.

Anna lives the Amish lifestyle, she works all day with her parents and he parents are forcing her into a marriage that she doesn’t want. She is in love with Jacob but he left Amish life and moved to New York, leaving her behind. Her Aunt is almost ready to have a baby and she is requested to live there for however long it will take and help with all the chores and the four kids. She just wants to escape Amish life.

Once day while at a coffee shop they bump into each other and see the resemblance. Maddie has the crazy idea of switching lives for a week, Maddie will learn to see what it’s like to be Amish and Anna moves to the city for a week, to experience what it’s like to live in the big apple. While she is there she hopes to find Jacob.

Both live in each other’s lifestyles and learn the difference in each other live. They didn’t realize how much different it was going to be and they were changed forever afterwards.

What I loved about the book was it wasn’t just the two characters in the book who got to experience what it was like living the rich/ Amish lifestyle, I learned a whole bunch and I felt like I was experiencing it with the both of them. I loved reading about the Amish, it was always interesting to read and I got a great outlook on how they live.

Reading this made me take a look around and see all the luxuries that we have and others won’t ever experience. I see life a whole lot differently after reading this novel. I appreciate things more now than I ever did. The only thing I didn’t like was how at the end she never wrote what happened after they went back to their old lives. I was a little disappointed in that.

I recommend this book to everyone, it a great way to learn about the difference between both worlds.


4/5 stars

Wondrous Strange

Wondrous Strange
Author: Lesley livingston
pages: 336
publication date: September 22 2009





Summary:
17 year-old Kelley 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 she thinks... In this fun, urban fantasy, Kelley'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 eyery:




Review:
Kelley is an actress, more like an understudy/ stagehand, but the leading actress breaks her ankle and suddenly Kelley is the star of the play. The first few rehearsals go not so good, she then goes into the park to practice more and that’s when everything starts.

First she meets a mysteriously handsome guy giving her a rose, days later she sees him showing up wherever she is. As she goes to rehearsals she finds out the play is more real than she thought. There aren’t just people playing fairies in the play, there are actually real life fairies in the Shakespeare play.

As the connection between sonny and Kelley deepen they find themselves both in more danger than they ever thought possible.

Kelley then learns what she really is and then all hell breaks loose, literally Queen Tatiana releases a bunch of her fairies to attack New York.

As I was reading this book I couldn’t help but compare it to the Iron Fey series by Julie Kagawa. I know that they are both VERY different plots and all but some of the fairies’ names were the same, which makes sense because those are real characters from a Shakespeare play. I think.

But I did love this series and couldn’t stop reading it; I held this book off so long. I kept checking it out of the library and then returning it without reading and now I look back and think about how stupid that was. I loved the first book. I immediately ordered the next two books in the series.



5/5 stars

Bitter End

Bitter End
Author:Jennifer Brown
pages:356
publication date: May 10 2011





Summary:
When Alex falls for the charming new boy at school, Cole, a handsome, funny, sports star who adores her, she can't believe she's finally found her soul mate-someone who truly understands her and loves her for who she really is.

At first, Alex is blissfully happy. Sure, Cole seems a little jealous of her relationship with her best friends, Zack and Bethany, but what guy would want his girlfriend spending all of her time with another boy? But as the months pass, Alex can no longer ignore Cole's small put-downs, pinches, or increasingly violent threats. As Alex struggles to come to terms with the sweet boyfriend she fell in love with and the boyfriend whose "love" she no longer recognizes, she is forced to choose - between her "true love" and herself.




Review:
Bitter End is a truly remarkable story that was so emotional and raw. Abusive relationships happen all the time and I’m glad that some authors incorporate that to the YA genre.

Bitter End starts off with Alex and her two best friends, Zack and Beth. All three of them has been inseparable ever since they could remember, Ever since Alex’s mom died Alex has wanted to go to Colorado, ever since then her best friends and her have been planning the trip, every week they would come together, hang out, and talk about the trip.

Then she meets a new boy at school. Cole is everything and more, he’s cute, athletic, and sweet. Alex falls for him instantly, after a little bit Cole asks her out on a date and she has the best time of her life. After that the warning signs start coming.

Cole doesn’t like Zack or Beth, he becomes jealous and doesn’t like when Alex hangs out with them, he becomes possessive, of course at the beginning of the relationship everything is fine and she’s completely in love with him, a couple of months after he starts hurting her here and there. Soon there is physical damage to her body and she has to hide it from her friends and family.

I read a couple of books about abusive relationships and I noticed that all the abuser’s father usually abuses them. The apple never falls far from the tree. And while Alex finds more and more about Cole’s family she starts seeing the reason he acts the way he is.

I’m so glad that Alex finally told someone about Cole. I hate reading a book where the girl just stands there and gets hurt over and over again but keeps it all to herself. I realize that telling someone could danger them even more but it never hurts to tell someone.

Jennifer did an amazing job creating a story that can help multiple teens out there. She showed us how a relationship can get dangerous quick, Alex just wanted attention from someone, her mom is dead and her dad acts like an emotionless zombie.

I loved Zack’s character, he was fun, witty, crazy and totally dedicated to his two best friends. I really loved his humor in the story, although it made me mad when Alex pushed her friends away, they have been nothing but there for her.

Bitter End shows how bad abusive relationships and shows the warning signs to an abusive relationship, It’s a nice wakeup call to all teens and adults. This topic happens all over, even if you don’t notice it!

5/5 stars

Waiting on Wednesday #12

waiting on wednesday is a weekly event
hosted by breaking the spine







This week's book I can't wait for is:

The future of Us
Author: Jay Asher
publication date: November 21 2011



Summary:
It's 1996, and less than half of all American high school students have ever used the Internet.

Emma just got her first computer and an America Online CD-ROM.

Josh is her best friend. They power up and log on--and discover themselves on Facebook, fifteen years in the future.

Everybody wonders what their Destiny will be. Josh and Emma are about to find out.



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Sharks & Boys

Sharks&Boys
Author: Kristen Tracy
publication date:June 28 2011






Summary:
When 15-year-old Enid Calhoun follows her boyfriend Wick to Maryland for a party, fearful that he might be intending to cheat on her, she finds herself sneaking on board a houseboat where Wick and his friends plan to have a wild night. But before the boys discover their stowaway, a hurricane strikes, and the teenagers are carried miles from the shore and shipwrecked. What follows is a harrowing, yet heartwarming, story of survival, as the teens battle hypothermia, dehydration, man-eating sharks--and along the way, confront their own deepest secrets, including their catalytic roles in the disaster.




Review:
After I finished reading this book, it really made me thankful for fresh water and a warm safe bed.

I literally could not stop reading this book because I wanted to know what would happen next. This book was so suspenseful and I almost wished I could reach into the pages and hand them each a glass of water and some food.

This book starts out with Enid and wick, making decorations for a cake and getting into a fight, they decided to take a break after dating for a year. Wick then decided to go to a party that his friends were having. Sort of a celebration before going off to college, the party consisted of wick and three sets of twin brothers and then Enid’s twin brother. All of them twins, all of them best friends, except for Enid, she was the only girl.

Enid didn’t trust Wick; she thought he was going to cheat on her while he was away. So she left her mom and drove to the party, she then followed the all the boys to “Gretchen”. Gretchen was a boat that skate and burr’s uncle owned. Enid snuck on the ship and hid in the bathroom down below the deck.

Suddenly she woke up to the boat rocking back and forth. There was a major storm and water was coming down the stairs and water was slowly coming up to her ankles. Next the window opened and water started streaming in. Soon enough the ship was sinking with everyone in it. All eight of them jumped overboard and got onto a raft.

They thought the Coast Guard was coming. But three days out at sea with no water, no food, the sun shining down on them, leaving welts on all there exposed skin, and sharks swarming around them they were all doomed. Everyone thought they were going to die.

What I liked about this book was that there were some emotional and gruesome parts. The book wasn’t all happy, with rainbows and puppies. There were deaths, emotional breakdowns. Some parts I almost didn’t want to keep reading because I almost felt the pain they were in. But I voyaged on, and soon enough I was at the end. I really did enjoy this book though.

*spoiler alert*

The only thing I didn’t like was the ending. It didn’t end with a cliffhanger, but it didn’t say what happened after they got into the plane. I’m assuming everyone made it up to safety alive. I would have loved to read what happened when their parents saw them or what happened when they made it home. I was going hoping for that ending. Maybe the author is working on an alternate ending. I hope so!

Anyways, this was a great book so if you haven’t read it, and you want to take a break from paranormal books then dive into Sharks & Boys.


4/5 stars

Hereafter

Hereafter
Author:Tara Hudson
Pages:403
publication date: June 7 2011





Summary:
Can there truly be love after death?

Drifting in the dark waters of a mysterious river, the only thing Amelia knows for sure is that she's dead. With no recollection of her past life—or her actual death—she's trapped alone in a nightmarish existence. All of this changes when she tries to rescue a boy, Joshua, from drowning in her river. As a ghost, she can do nothing but will him to live. Yet in an unforgettable moment of connection, she helps him survive.

Amelia and Joshua grow ever closer as they begin to uncover the strange circumstances of her death and the secrets of the dark river that held her captive for so long. But even while they struggle to keep their bond hidden from the living world, a frightening spirit named Eli is doing everything in his power to destroy their newfound happiness and drag Amelia back into the ghost world . . . forever.

Thrilling and evocative, with moments of pure pleasure, Hereafter is a sensation you won't want to miss.






review:
I wasn’t really sure what to make of this book. I read some reviews, mostly good and I saw the beautiful cover but I had my doubts. I didn’t want to read it solely because I didn’t want to be disappointed. I saw the plot, the cover and I thought this looks great.

And I was right! I powered through this book in no time. I don’t usually like reading books about ghosts, purely because I don’t like watching, or reading creepy things. But this was different. I was surprised at how the book turned out.

I loved the relationship between Amelia and Joshua. Joshua is so sweet and charming; if it weren’t for him I don’t think I would enjoy the book as much. He was a great character. And his family really made the book interesting. What were the odds that Amelia being a ghost, falling in love with a human boy whose family deals with ghosts. When Amelia first explained to Joshua that she was a ghost, I thought he would have at least tried to push her away after that. I mean he invited her to go to school with him. I would be nervous that I would get caught embracing a ghost, which would be invisible to everyone else but him. It made me nervous every time they were together in public because I thought he was going to get caught kissing the air every time.

But I felt like Amelia was kind of whiny and needy at parts. She kind of annoyed me the way that having Joshua in her life was the only reason she started making a change in herself and actually trying to remember her past. What would have happened if she wouldn’t have met him? Would she still be struggling, lost forever?

I liked Eli’s character, dark and brooding, also a ghost, trying to convince Amelia to be with him forever. The only thing was I kept picturing him as an older man. Obviously he wasn’t, he was only 19 when he died but I couldn’t correctly picture him. I felt like Eli should have showed up a little more. Even though he was the bad guy I was secretly rooting for him at the same time. He sounded so lonely and sad.

I definitely created a little crush on Joshua, along with a bunch of other teenage girls who fell in love with this story, the storyline was perfect, and the romance was perfect. Everything about this book was perfect. I’m excited to see what happens in the second book!


4/5 stars

Once upon a Read-a-Thon

goal:

Monday:
Hereafter-done
outside in-done

Tuesday:
The Near Witch
Ash's Ash's

Wednesday:
Bitter End
68 knots


I accomplished my goal yesterday, here's to completing it again today!

Sometimes It Happens

Sometimes It Happens
Author: Lauren Barnholdt
Pages: 307
publication date: July 12 2011






Summary:
On the last day of her junior year, Hannah's boyfriend Sebastian dumped her. Facing a summer of loneliness, Hannah turns to her best friend Ava for comfort. Ava does what BFFs do: she stays by Hannah's side...until it's time for Ava to head up to Maine for the summer. Also left behind is Ava's boyfriend, Noah, who's such a great guy he gets Hannah a job at the diner he waits tables at. Slowly, Hannah comes out of her funk thanks to Noah's good conversation and their fun times at the diner. But things get complicated when their friendship turns into attraction--and one night, into a passionate kiss.

The novel opens on the first day of senior year; the day Hannah is going to see Ava, Sebastian, and Noah all in one place. Over the course of the day secrets and betrayals are revealed, and alliances are broken and reformed. In the end, everyone is paired up once again, but not the way you might think...




Review:
Lauren never lets me down; I have never NOT liked one of her books. Every time I read her books, I always finish reading them with a smile on my face.

Although this plot reminds me a lot of “Something like Fate” by Susane Colasanti I loved every second of it. There’s lots of drama, backstabbing friends, secrets, friendships, relationships and love. What’s not to love?
Hannah character was so innocent, she doesn’t want to hurt or planning revenge on others no matter how much they deserve it. She is one of those people that everyone loves. Well not apparently for some people. Hannah’s boyfriend cheated on her and then wanted her back. Her best friend Ava left her for the summer to be a camp counselor in Maine. Ava’s boyfriend Noah works at a diner where he forced Hannah to get a job, but then learned to love.

Over the summer Hannah and Noah got to know each other better. Hannah soon fell in love even though it was wrong to like her best friend’s boyfriend, even though Ava and Noah are having relationship problems. On the last day that Ava is away Hannah and Noah do something terrible, Hannah feels terrible about it but doesn’t regret it. She tells Ava about it and their friendship was put to the test.

Although every chapter switched from the past to the present I could easily switch without any confusion, I was tranced all the way from the first word to the last word. I read this all in one sitting and I was glad to read another one of her amazing books.

I loved every part of this; Lauren has a way with her characters that you can’t help but love. Although I wish Noah would have broken up with Ava way sooner I did like the outcome of the book. There was no cliffhanger; it’s just a standalone book.

If you haven’t read any of Lauren’s other book I definitely suggest going and picking one of, each one of her books is different and you can’t help but fall in love every time you start reading them.

5/5 stars

In My Mailbox #8

Thank you scholastic!!

The Last Archangel Blog Tour

The Last Archangel
Author: Michael D. Young
Pages: 288
publication date: July 14 2011







Summary:
Xandir has been exiled to earth until the end of time. But when his cherub trainee disappears, Xandir makes a deal with rogue angels and giants that could restore life to the mortal woman he loves and end his assignment as a destroying angel in exchange for helping them bring about the end of the world and all of mankind.

read more about "The Last Archangel" here



Review:
The Last Archangel is one of those books where I liked the plot and reading it but there was something that I just didn’t like.

I loved the plot, the story was great, Michael was very detailed in his descriptions of everything and I felt like I was looking at a picture of the actual story instead of just reading it. But there was something missing. Something just didn’t satisfy me.

I started this story off not expecting very much; first off it wasn’t a YA book. I’m pretty sure this was an adult novel and for some reason I get this idea in my mind where all adult books are boring and not interesting for me. But I did enjoy reading this and read through this book pretty fast.

The last Archangel is action packed, suspenseful and had me wondering what comes next. I have never read a novel quite like this one. Angel stories aren’t usually a popular genre, but I noticed that more and more Angel books are being published. Michael has created a creative and interesting plot that had me entranced from the beginning.

I really liked Xandir’s character. He was so brave, and when first reading the book I was confused as to what his story is. I didn’t quite get why he was cast out of heaven (I then got why later on) I loved his sarcastic and witty humor. He is on a mission to steal a seed from a death tree in the depths of hell. Which come on surviving that is most likely not going to happen, but he made it work. Luck was on his side. He is one brave soul. I loved the characters he got to meet in the book, like the yeti and how he loved his chocolate. It made me laugh.

One thing I would have liked was more scenes with Eden and Judy. Reading there scenes was my favorite part of the novel. I felt kind of connected to their characters. Some of the things that happened were just unreal.

Although I only rated this book 3 stars I didn’t hate it. But I didn’t love it. It was a hard decision for me to rate it. I definitely recommend “The last Archangel” to those of you who love the angel genre of books. I’m glad the author contacted me, thanks for letting me review this!





Bio:

Michael is a graduate of Brigham Young University with a degree in German Teaching and a minor in Music. He puts his German to good use by working to build online German courses for High School students. Though he grew up traveling the world with his military father, he now lives in Utah with his wife, Jen, and his two sons. Michael enjoys acting in community theater, playing and writing music and spending time with his family. He played for several years with the handbell choir Bells on Temple Square and is now a member of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.

His first book, "The Canticle Kingdom", was released in Feb 2010 through Bonneville Books. He is also the author of the inspirational pamphlet "Portrait of a Mother". He has also had work featured in various online and print magazines such as Mindflights, The New Era, Allegory, and Ensign.

Check out Michael's new book "The Last Archangel" on netgalley



check out Michael's blog here
Buy "The Last Archangel" here

The Teashop Girls

The Teashop Girls
Author:Laura Shaefer
Pages: 250
Publication date: December 30 2008







Summary:
The Official Rules of the Teashop Girls

1. Teashop girls are best friends forever.

2. Tea is held every week, no matter what.

3. All tea and scones must be split equally at all times.

Annie, Genna, and Zoe have been hanging out at the Steeping Leaf since elementary school. The Teashop Girls do everything together — at least they used to. With the end of eighth grade approaching, Genna's too busy with theater, Zoe's always at tennis, and Annie feels totally left out. What happened to tea every week, no matter what?

When Annie convinces her grandmother to give her a job as a barista at the Leaf, things begin to look up. In between whipping up chai lattes for customers, and attempting to catch the attention of her Barista Boy crush, Annie is finally beginning to feel as grown-up as her best friends. But an eviction notice spells trouble for the Leaf and unless they can turn the business around, the teashop will have to close its doors forever.

Fresh, honest, and sweet, Laura Schaefer's debut novel is sure to resonate with readers everywhere.





Review:
Every once in awhile I read the younger teens books, the teashop girls is a book for younger readers, and while reading it I couldn’t help but cringe at how childish it was at times.

Annie and her two best friends Genna and Zoe have loved the teashop ever since they were little girls. Their grandmother owns a tea café called the steeping leaf in town. Annie and her best friends are always there. As they grew up Genna and Zoe have become busier and busier. Annie is the only one dedication to tea.

Annie asked her grandmother if she could work at the steeping leaf in her spare time. Her grandmother agrees and Annie immediately starts working there. But she had no idea about the cute intern that works there, except he’s only got eyes for her sister.

Soon after starting their Annie receives devastating news, the steeping leaf is losing money and there’s not enough for the monthly rent. The Steeping leaf is going out of business.

Annie gets her friends to help and with their help they try anything in their power to save the Steeping leaf. They create flyers they advertise as much as they can but they just can’t compete with the new coffee shop across the street. There are some dedicated customers that come to the steeping leaf but it’s not enough. While trying to save the shop all three girls are growing further apart. They aren’t spending as much time together and now they’re all in a fight.

“The Teashop Girls” was a quick read and I was happy to read it but it was just lacking something. I don’t know if it’s just that I’m used to all these young adult novels but I felt like the story was lacking. Although I didn’t like it as much as I thought I was I was happy to start reading the second book which has just come out.


2/5 stars

The Secret Ingredient

The Secret Ingredient
Author:Laura Schaefer
pages: 230
publication date: June 28 2011





Summary:
It’s nearing the end of summer before ninth grade and Annie has been busy working as a barista at her grandmother's teashop, Th Steeping Leaf. In between serving up chai lattes and matcha frappes, Annie has gotten involved in a scone bakeoff with one of Louisa's tea suppliers. The winner gets an all-expenses paid trip to London for a tea vacation! Annie The competition is tough and sabatoge is in the air when suddenly Annie's food blog begins attracting mean comments. Then there's the whole matter of a stolen kiss with Zach Anderson in the Steeping Leaf stockroom. Could Annie's former sworn enemy become her current love interest? With the help of her two best friends, Genna and Zoe, can Annie come up with an awesome contest entry and sort out her love life before the end of the summer?





Review:
The secret Ingredient was one hundred times better than the first one. I was glad that I enjoyed this one as much as I would. It was fast paced and enjoyable.

Anna and the teashop girls along with all her friends and family have saved the tea leaf, her grandmother’s tea café. Ever since they saved it the business has been booming, there was customers always there and Anna had a blast working there.

I loved the way Anna and Zach (the most annoying boy on the planet, according to her) had a love/hate relationship. One day Zach slipped a kiss with Anna then he ignored her, then they went back to throwing insults at each other. Anna’s friend has just come back from actress camp and she comes home with a little appetite, an appetite that’s barely there. Her friend starts eating less and less and exercising more and more. Thankfully her friends and family were there to show her some healthier ways of eating instead of barely eating anything.

Throughout the whole book Anna is trying to find the perfect scone recipe. She tries again and again to find the perfect recipe and finally she figures it out. She goes to the competition in Chicago where she would compete with other bakers and bake the perfect scone. Whoever won first place got an all expense trip to London.

The only thing that bothered me was the book didn’t really share any of Anna’s life outside of the tea leaf café. Sure she was there pretty much all the time but the book made it sound like she was there 24/7.
I’m glad I got to read this on the galley grab. I had heard nothing of this book or the first before this. It’s good to read other genre’s and younger teen’s book every now and often.


4/5 stars

Forgotten

Forgotten
Author: Cat Patrick
Pages: 288
publication date: June 7 2011







Summary:
Each night when 16 year-old London Lane goes to sleep, her whole world disappears. In the morning, all that's left is a note telling her about a day she can't remember. The whole scenario doesn't exactly make high school or dating that hot guy whose name she can't seem to recall any easier. But when London starts experiencing disturbing visions she can't make sense of, she realizes it's time to learn a little more about the past she keeps forgetting-before it destroys her future.

Part psychological drama, part romance, and part mystery, this thought-provoking novel will inspire readers to consider the what-if's in their own lives and recognize the power they have to control their destinies.






Review:
Oh My God. I loved this book so much, how could you not. I haven’t read a book that was anything like this. It was great. Forgotten is one of those books you won’t be able to forget. Cat better be writing a sequel ;)

Every night at the same time London loses her memory of the day before, she can’t remember any of her past but she can see into the future. She can’t remember any important dates; she can’t remember the cute boy at school that she just may like. She has to write everything down each night before she goes to sleep; otherwise those memories are gone forever.

Every once in awhile she would start seeing little glimpses into the past, little tidbits of information. She tries to piece together what she sees but she doesn’t remember anything and she thinks they are from the future.

When she was 5 years old, her and her dad were in the car in the grocery store parking lot while her dad was returning the cart. A lady came up to them and told them they were family friends and they wanted her to unlock the car. She did but it was too late to lock them, a guy came out from nowhere and stole her little brother.

Ever since then she wanted to find the killer, and then each time she would remember another tidbit of information the past would come back in little pieces. As they look for her brother she learns more and more.

As I was reading forgotten I realized that memory is so important. We usually don’t think about what would happen if we lost our memory or a part of ourselves. It makes me think about what would happen if I were in London’s situation. I felt really bad for her, not remembering anything. But I felt worse for Luke and her mom. Luke had to look at her everyday and act like they just met because London never remembers him. And her mom had to live through all those memories while London didn’t even remember, then when the truth came out London wrote it down and had to look at her notes and go through her past over and over again.

The ending really left me wanting more. I really wanted to know what happened with her whole family and what their life was like after London regained her memory. I was very shocked at the ending and didn’t want it to end. I got a little teary eyed throughout the book and each page was a new mystery.

Forgotten is a book about romance, guilt, hurt. And whole lot of lost memories. The mysteriousness of the book had me hanging on to every page wanting more. Definitely a must read!



5/5 stars

Moonglass

Moonglass
Author:Jessi Kirby
Pages: 232
Publication date: May 3 2011





Summary:
I read once that water is a symbol for emotions. And for a while now, I've thought maybe my mother drowned in both.

Anna's life is upended when her father accepts a job transfer the summer before her junior year. It's bad enough that she has to leave her friends and her life behind, but her dad is moving them to the beach where her parents first met and fell in love- a place awash in memories that Anna would just as soon leave under the surface.

While life on the beach is pretty great, with ocean views and one adorable lifeguard in particular, there are also family secrets that were buried along the shore years ago. And the ebb and flow of the ocean's tide means that nothing- not the sea glass that she collects on the sand and not the truths behind Anna's mother's death- stays buried forever.




Review:

I read the synopsis awhile ago and really wanted to read it. I finally got to read the book and I have to say I was a bit disappointed. I saw the couple on the cover and thought that this was going to be a great romantic story. I was wrong; Moonglass didn’t really that much romance in it. It was about Anna trying getting over the guilt of her mom and running away from the memories of her mom. But even without the romance it was still a beautiful heartwarming read.

I see a little bit of Anna in myself. Anna has a certain outlook on life where she judges before she finds out what things are really like. Take Ashley, by looking at her Anna thought she was a spoiled rich girl and that the whole school was like Ashley. But once she got to know Ashley she saw her true personality, the caring, sweet side of Ashley. Yes she was rich but not all girls are like what you see in movies.

My favorite character was Jillian, for some reason I really loved her character. At first I thought of her as a shallow, sporty girl who just wanted to show off with her running skills but once I saw her through Anna’s eyes I really felt compassion for her.

Some parts of Moonglass were boring but it all led up to the climax of the story. The whole book is at a beach and I have only ever been to a beach before and I know how beautiful it is I loved how much detail was put into this book, I could picture the empty cottages, the bottom of the ocean, the whole aspect of the story.

I thought the parts where they said that the sea glass was mermaids tears, crying for their human loved ones was really cool. Everything came together and all the pieces fit together, Anna certainly was a strong character.

Moonglass was all about Anna finding her true self and finally finding out about her mom. I admit the ending made me tear up a little bit. Moonglass is a great summer read and Jessi created such a wonderful emotional book about love and guilt.


4/5 stars

Abandon

Abandon
Author: Meg Cabot
Pages: 304
publicatin date: April 26 2011





Summary:
Though she tries returning to the life she knew before the accident, Pierce can't help but feel at once a part of this world, and apart from it. Yet she's never alone . . . because someone is always watching her. Escape from the realm of the dead is impossible when someone there wants you back.

But now she's moved to a new town. Maybe at her new school, she can start fresh. Maybe she can stop feeling so afraid.

Only she can't. Because even here, he finds her. That's how desperately he wants her back. She knows he's no guardian angel, and his dark world isn't exactly heaven, yet she can't stay away . . . especially since he always appears when she least expects it, but exactly when she needs him most.

But if she lets herself fall any further, she may just find herself back in the one place she most fears: the Underworld.





Review:
Like Sarah Dessen, Meg Cabot creates captivating stories that leave you breathless.
Abandon was nothing like what I thought it was going to be.
I had my doubts about reading “Abandon” mainly because I heard it was about mythology. I do not like learning or reading about anything mythology and when I heard what this book was about I was disappointed. I read and loved every single Meg Cabot book and I didn’t want to be disappointed with this one.

Thankfully I wasn’t, I wanted more and more of Peirce and John.
Abandon was a retelling of the old story of Persephone and Hades, I never read or heard of that story before so reading this wasn’t familiar to me but I loved every second of it. The characters that Meg created were so real and full of love and mystery. Peirce was sweet and caring; she cared for everything, animals, and people and always put others before herself, trying to save animals that are drowning or hurt.

John was mysterious, sexy and has a full temper. He was what kept the story going for me. He really did care for Peirce and his loving side was just so tempting I had to keep reading. I devoured Abandon in a few hours, now I must wait a long and agonizing year for the next one.

I really liked Richard Smith and Alex. Richard seemed like he was an evil character but he wasn’t, in fact he was very helpful to Peirce. I am so glad that he found the necklace and not someone else. As soon as John threw the necklace in the cemetery it made me so mad, if she wouldn’t have gotten I would have had to put the book down for awhile.

Meg Cabot created a great start for her trilogy and I can’t wait for the second book to come out!




5/5 stars