Book Review: Sweet Evil by Wendy Higgins

February 1, 2013 by 6 Comments

Title by Author Sweet Evil by Wendy Higgins
Release Date: May 1, 2012
Publisher: HarperTeen
Source: LAPL
Rating: ★★★☆☆ 
Buy It: Amazon | Book Depository

What if there were teens whose lives literally depended on being bad influences?

This is the reality for sons and daughters of fallen angels.

Tenderhearted Southern girl Anna Whitt was born with the sixth sense to see and feel emotions of other people. She’s aware of a struggle within herself, an inexplicable pull toward danger, but Anna, the ultimate good girl, has always had the advantage of her angel side to balance the darkness within. It isn’t until she turns sixteen and meets the alluring Kaidan Rowe that she discovers her terrifying heritage and her willpower is put to the test. He’s the boy your daddy warned you about. If only someone had warned Anna.

Forced to face her destiny, will Anna embrace her halo or her horns? – Goodreads

Review:
With very few exceptions (Unearthly, Angelfall), angel books are usually a big miss with me, but Wendy Higgins’ Sweet Evil was middle of the road.

I’ll start off with what I did like:
• The addictive quality of the book. Seriously, this book was like candy and I read it in one sitting which is pretty rare for me nowadays.
• The angel mythology. It’s so different from other YA angel books so thumbs up for originality!
• Wendy Higgins wasn’t afraid of making her world dark. Perhaps I’m just too used to the fluff and such, but I was really surprised by some of the themes and actions of Nephilim in Sweet Evil. They made sense for the world she created, though, so I’m glad she didn’t shy away from that.
• The chemistry between Anna and Kaiden was pretty good. I did have some issues, but the UST was definitely there.

My dislikes are a little difficult to put into words because, yes, I did enjoy reading the book quite a bit, but I didn’t love it.
• I found the characters to be grating at times — especially Anna who was annoyingly naive and suffered from the always eyeroll inducing “I’m beautiful but I don’t know it” character flaw.
• Kaiden is a typical bad boy (he even has a British accent!), and I’m not too into those personally, but at least his “badness” had a reason. So, not all that much to DISLIKE here, really, I just wasn’t super into him.
• Patti, Anna’s mother, is a trip and I really don’t understand what was going on in her head. At all.
• The other side characters had interesting backstories, but as characters themselves, I found them to be flat. That sounds really odd, I know, but I guess I liked their larger roles in the angel mythology more than I liked them as individuals? We’ll stick with that.

I will read the next book because this one was so addictive, but I do wish the character development had been expanded. I’ll be curious to see how Wendy Higgins handles that in the next installment.

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Book Review: Something Strange and Deadly by Susan Dennard

July 24, 2012 by 6 Comments

Something Strange and Deadly by Susan Dennard Something Strange and Deadly by Susan Dennard
Release Date: July 24, 2012
Publisher: HarperTeen
Source: SDCC 2012
Rating: ★★★★★ 
Buy It: Amazon | Book Depository

The year is 1876, and there’s something strange and deadly loose in Philadelphia…

Eleanor Fitt has a lot to worry about. Her brother has gone missing, her family has fallen on hard times, and her mother is determined to marry her off to any rich young man who walks by. But this is nothing compared to what she’s just read in the newspaper—

The Dead are rising in Philadelphia.

And then, in a frightening attack, a zombie delivers a letter to Eleanor…from her brother.

Whoever is controlling the Dead army has taken her brother as well. If Eleanor is going to find him, she’ll have to venture into the lab of the notorious Spirit-Hunters, who protect the city from supernatural forces. But as Eleanor spends more time with the Spirit-Hunters, including their maddeningly stubborn yet handsome inventor, Daniel, the situation becomes dire. And now, not only is her reputation on the line, but her very life may hang in the balance. – Goodreads

Review:
Susan Dennard’s Something Strange and Deadly pulled me in with its idea of zombies in a Victorian setting, but it kept me hooked due to its consistent fast pace, the intriguing mystery that carried throughout the course of the novel, and its energetic leading lady, Eleanor Fitt.

As soon as I began the story, Susan Dennard enveloped me in the atmosphere of her world. How could it not, with the Dead making an appearance at the train depot where Eleanor is waiting for her brother, Elijah? They were a different type of zombie than the ones I have grown used to — with a necromancer raising and controlling them in this case — but this only added to the layers of the mystery. Who is the necromancer? For what purpose are they raising the dead? And, most importantly, how are Eleanor and her brother connected to it all? Susan Dennard effortlessly kept the momentum going throughout the entire book; I never felt that the story stalled because everything that happened tied directly into the main mystery and I eagerly wanted to uncover all the details.

My favorite part of the book? ELEANOR!! Okay, I loved the entire cast, especially the Spirit-Hunters, I loved the curveballs Susan Dennard threw in regarding a few other characters, and, of course, I loved the development between Eleanor and her love interest, but Eleanor was the highlight for me. She’s determined, feisty, clever and self-reliant and it’s always great to have such a strong lead to root for. After a certain event that happened towards the end of the book, I’ll be cheering her on even MORE in the upcoming installments because she tackles difficult situations head on, without letting them overwhelm or define her. Eleanor Fitt is definitely a character to admire.

If you’re looking for an exciting adventure and an amazing heroine, Something Strange and Deadly is definitely a book to pick up. There are so many possibilities for what’s ahead in A Darkness Strange and Lovely and I can’t wait to find out what Susan Dennard has up her sleeve.

 

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Book Review: The Selection by Kiera Cass

April 19, 2012 by 22 Comments

The Selection by Kiera Cass The Selection by Kiera Cass
Release Date: April 24, 2012
Publisher: HarperTeen
Pages: 327
Source: ARC from publisher
Rating: ★★★☆☆ 
Buy It: Amazon | Book Depository

For thirty-five girls, the Selection is the chance of a lifetime. The opportunity to escape the life laid out for them since birth. To be swept up in a world of glittering gowns and priceless jewels. To live in the palace and compete for the heart of the gorgeous Prince Maxon.

But for America Singer, being Selected is a nightmare. It means turning her back on her secret love with Aspen, who is a caste below her. Leaving her home to enter a fierce competition for a crown she doesn’t want. Living in a palace that is constantly threatened by violent rebel attacks.

Then America meets Prince Maxon. Gradually, she starts to question all the plans she’s made for herself- and realizes that the life she’s always dreamed of may not compare to a future she never imagined. – Goodreads

Review:
The Selection by Kiera Cass is many things, but one thing it is not is a dystopian novel. Labeling it as such only creates high expectations about the world building and I felt that The Selection’s attempt of a controlled society was very flimsy. Yes, there was a caste system, rules for the country’s citizens, and — gasp! — rebel groups, but they all came across as superficially inserted into the story; they served no purpose except for proving that dystopian is the thing to do in the YA market at the moment. Every time there was a mention of the different castes, or a “threat” from the rebels, I couldn’t help but roll my eyes because it lacked so much depth and Kiera Cass did not explore any themes with her world.

So what IS The Selection? I thought it was a light read that heavily focused on the competition of 35 girls vying for the affection of Prince Maxon. It had the typical mean girls, pretty dresses, makeovers, and gossip. I wish more time had been spent developing the girls, and perhaps their provinces at the same time to flesh out the world of Illéa, but it was still easy to get swept into their drama.

As far as characters go, I thought America was a little bland. Kiera Cass attempted to make her a strong lead, but I didn’t really get that from her character. Still, she did have her likable moments and I can appreciate the fact that she’s trying to figure things out for herself. For the love interests, Prince Maxon easily wins as my favorite. Aspen was whiny, insecure, and a bit of a jerk, so no thanks! Maxon had his faults, but he came across as a much more open minded, sweet guy. Plus, he’s a prince and who doesn’t love a prince?! The rest of the characters were either not developed enough for me to have an opinion or, in the case of America’s maids and some of the other contestants, they sort of blended together.

The Selection is the first in a series and Kiera Cass definitely left me hanging. This is probably one of the worst cliffhangers in recent memory and it’s not because I’m anxious to find out what’s next; I simply think The Selection had a complete non-ending. What was that?! As it is, I’m not sure how this particular story will be expanded into multiple books without feeling dragged out, but I guess we’ll see!

Though I obviously thought there were some shaky aspects to The Selection, I did enjoy it quite a bit. I was into all the drama of the competition and America’s growing friendship with Maxon was a highlight. The ending was aggravating, but I’m curious to see how Kiera Cass will continue on with the story. I’ll definitely get around to reading the next book.

On a side note, who else is planning on tuning in for the CW show? I fail at watching television, but I want to see how this translates on screen so I will tune in for at least the pilot if gets picked up!


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Book Review: Hallowed by Cynthia Hand

January 28, 2012 by 8 Comments

Hallowed by Cynthia Hand
Release Date: January 17, 2011
Publisher: HarperTeen
Pages: 403
Source: Received ARC from publisher | Purchased copy
Rating: ★★★★★ 
Buy It: Amazon | Book Depository

For months part-angel Clara Gardner trained to face the raging forest fire from her visions and rescue the alluring and mysterious Christian Prescott from the blaze. But nothing could prepare her for the fateful decisions she would be forced to make that day, or the startling revelation that her purpose—the task she was put on earth to accomplish—is not as straightforward as she thought.

Now, torn between her increasingly complicated feelings for Christian and her love for her boyfriend, Tucker, Clara struggles to make sense of what she was supposed to do the day of the fire. And, as she is drawn further into the world of part angels and the growing conflict between White Wings and Black Wings, Clara learns of the terrifying new reality that she must face: Someone close to her will die in a matter of months. With her future uncertain, the only thing Clara knows for sure is that the fire was just the beginning. – Goodreads

Review:
Gutted.

That’s how I felt when I turned the last page of Hallowed. I was struck by how personal the book came across; it had a certain depth I don’t often encounter in most of my YA reads — especially not those with paranormal elements. And yet Cynthia Hand touched on love, friendship, loss, and difficult decisions in a very tangible way.

Love – A few pages into the book and I found myself smiling like an idiot. If you’re at all familiar with Tucker Avery that’s understandable, right? He is my favorite forever and I was so elated to see his return on page. Their relationship remains genuine and sweet and I appreciated the natural progression of it. They do hit some road bumps in this book, and there are some shifts that occur that made me sad, but it’s all a part of growing up. Though they both matured, together and individually, they still have ways to go. Lucky for us, Hand has an excellent foundation setup for them and I’m looking forward to seeing their evolution.

Friendship – Guys, Christian is the loveliest! I’ve had a soft spot for him since the first book, but this one just made me adore him all that more. He knows what Clara is going through and, whether he has feelings for her or not, it doesn’t change the fact that he’s someone she can fully rely on. Hand did an amazing job in showing their deepening friendship, how Christian brings out some of the best in Clara when she needs it, and making it all feel real. Yes, some love triangle aspects are part of the book, but Hand keeps it all from being contrived by making the reader truly feel and understand the emotion and conflict that Clara experiences.

Loss – This book made me cry! The book carries a heavy feeling of sorrow throughout and there were multiple times when my heart ached so much. I felt overwhelmed and drained and yet Hand also managed to show the strength that one displays in these situations. I wish I could mention certain things, but they would be spoiling the story, so I’ll just say that Clara’s loss, while definitely sad, included so much love. It was heartbreaking, but also beautiful.

Despite the obvious supernatural element — which is also handled very well — the real highlight of Hand’s writing is how she tackles human emotion. The highs, the lows, and everything in between rings true and allows us, the readers, to form a personal connection with her characters. I can’t wait to reunite with them in book three.


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Book Review: Fateful by Claudia Gray

September 29, 2011 by 9 Comments

Fateful by Claudia Gray
Release Date: September 13, 2011
Publisher: HarperTeen
Pages: 328
Source: Purchased copy
Rating: ★★★☆☆ 
Buy It: Amazon | Book Depository

Eighteen-year-old maid Tess Davies is determined to escape the wealthy, troubled family she serves. It’s 1912, and Tess has been trapped in the employ of the Lisles for years, amid painful memories and twisted secrets. But now the Lisle family is headed to America, with Tess in tow. Once the ship they’re sailing on—the RMS Titanic—reaches its destination, Tess plans to strike out and create a new life for herself.

Her single-minded focus shatters when she meets Alec, a handsome first-class passenger who captivates her instantly. But Alec has secrets of his own. He’s in a hurry to leave Europe, and whispers aboard the ship say it’s because of the tragic end of his last affair with the French actress who died so gruesomely and so mysteriously. . . .

Soon Tess will learn just how dark Alec’s past truly is. The danger they face is no ordinary enemy: werewolves exist and are stalking him—and now her, too. Her growing love for Alec will put Tess in mortal peril, and fate will do the same before their journey on the Titanic is over.

In Fateful, New York Times bestselling author Claudia Gray delivers paranormal adventure, dark suspense, and alluring romance set against the opulent backdrop of the Titanic’s first—and last—voyage. – Amazon

Review:
Thanks to an annoying werewolf in another series I’m not too big on these particular beasts, but I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to read this book. Werewolves on the Titanic? Yes, sign me up! As crazy as the initial idea sounds, I thought Claudia Gray executed the storyline very well.

Gray gets things going very quickly during the introduction to the narrator, Tess. She’s running an errand for her employers before they embark on their journey on the Titanic when she runs into a bit of trouble: a wolf. She’s saved from a vicious attack by a young man, but ultimately pulled into the supernatural world as it follows her onto the ship.

Though Tess did have a few facepalm-worthy moments, I found her to be a well-rounded character with a good head on her shoulders. She’s loyal to those that deserve it, intelligent, and brave. She’s terrified at times, but who wouldn’t be when coming face to face with a werewolf? Despite her fear, she still demonstrated so much courage and I felt compelled to root for her. Her romance with Alec was sweet and, thought did move fairly quickly, their scenes together were some of my favorites.

I enjoyed how Gray incorporated the Titanic into her novel. Before I read the book, I thought it was very ambitious and tricky to try to weave this real historic event with supernatural lore without coming across as hokey. However, I found that Fateful had just the right amount of both. There were moments when I was so swept up in the werewolf aspects that I forgot the Titanic was the backdrop to the story until a few tidbits popped up every so often. Similarly, Gray offered some interesting information on the ship throughout the novel, but she never let it consume her story… until the big ending, of course, which had my heart racing to find out who would make it off the sinking ship safely.

Overall, this was a solid read, but I found myself able to quickly move on after I was done. Neither the story nor characters lingered in my mind, so it wasn’t one of those “I LOVE THIS!!!!” reads. Still, I do recommend giving it a try because Claudia Gray had some great elements in her book.

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