Water. Earth. Fire. Air...
Right there, I just pulled an Avatar: The Last Airbender introduction. But it applies to The Carrier of the Mark, the seriously refreshing and unique read! I love Leigh Fallon's originality and her writing, especially since her novel was first found on inkpop.com! Mind blowing, right?

Ireland is just a marvelous place, one I hope to visit soon. I've been fascinated with all types of mythology and having Celtic mythology in here was amazing. Honestly, Leigh Fallon's story consists of a concept that the YA community hasn't seen much of yet. I think it's admirable for her to bring forth something new and creative. I know I loved the idea of the elements (being an Avatar fan after all) and the fact that some have the ability to control them, but I think I needed to see some more action and a lot of descriptions on their training--instead of kissing. I mean, not that I'm complaining or anything, but I think there should have been more fighting scenes.

For the romance, it was a mix of squeals and eye rolling for me. First off, I fell in love with Adam DeRís! The gorgeous, green-eyed, boy who Megan is instantly attracted and drawn to. I mean, who could blame her? With eyes like that, it'll be hard to stay away from him! And it helps that he is a great kisser (well, according to Megan, he is). But the thing is, Adam and Megan's relationship was too much like Edward and Bella's: here was some strong force that drew Megan to Adam, Adam tried distancing show more himself from her, but at the end they can't live without each other. That was too much like Edward and Bella for me. Just too much. Megan pretty much just revolves herself around Adam and her love for him.

I'm glad I picked up Leigh Fallon's The Carrier of the Mark. It was wonderful to take a break for a while from the usual paranormal creatures we encounter like vampires, werewolves, and fallen angels. I hope that the next book, Dawn of the Knights, won't overload the readers with too much information at once and hopefully we'll see less of the Edward-Bella effect. I'm glad I picked this book up and let Leigh Fallon welcome me to the world she built up where people could do the coolest thing ever--they could bend the elements!

I recommend this book to the fans of the Twilight Saga, mythology fans, and anyone who's willing to read. show less

I've always liked the idea of the Furies: three women who punish those who had done wrong. You can bet I was excited when I heard that Elizabeth Miles had wrote about those three women. Sadly, when I picked up the book, I had to struggle to get myself to like it and I wish I could have liked it more. Fury had so much potential and the ideas Elizabeth Miles played with were unique that I had hoped this novel would be a brilliant success.

Fury starts off with a death scene and immediately after reading that, I was hooked. But sad to say, I wasn't hooked on tightly. As the story progressed into the first few chapters, Fury's hook on me began to loosen until I could have fallen off. Pretty much three fourths of the book seemed like a contemporary novel told in both Chase and Em's point of view. Nothing interesting was happening, aside from the appearance of these stunning and mysterious girls. Em was all over her best friend's boyfriend, Zach, and Chase was obsessing over a girl he couldn't stay away from.

I could not relate to any of these characters. Em just irritated me most of the time as she fawned over Zach. She was so blindsided by her love for Zach that she forgot about the consequences. Sure she worried over what Gabby, her best friend, would think, but she hooked up with Zach anyway. I could not sympathize with her whatsoever until later on in the book. Em and Zach were shallow, thinking only about themselves most of the time. I was even more irritated with Em as she show more continuously blew off J.D, who was the only character I liked in this book. Probably the only time I came to sympathize with Em was when Gabby was hating on her. But really, Em deserved what she got.

Compared to her, I don't feel as strongly about Chase as I do with Em. He's a jerk and an ass, yes, but I had to feel sorry for him. He may be popular, but he's the poorest kid out of them all. I honestly don't really know what made me tolerate Chase. Maybe it was because he had it rough and his end of the torture scale was far worse than Em's was. But when it came to Ty, I couldn't help but feel disgusted with is infatuation with her. He was like a puppy hanging on to everything she did and every word she said.

Though annoyed with Chase's obsession with Ty, she and the two other Furies were what kept me reading. They were downright mysterious and a little frightening. Elizabeth Miles did a good job of creeping me out with these three girls. Some parts were so twisted and scary that I nearly jumped out of my skin and shrieked. I think Elizabeth Miles should have worked with that more since she was so excellent at all those creepy scenes.

I was at odds with the plot. I felt like I was reading unnecessary parts that didn't contribute to the story. Actually, I'd even find myself wondering where was the story going and what really was the point of what I just read. I kept on waiting for something interesting and engaging to happen, something that would make me double take and reread the paragraph. That wasn't what went down. I wanted to know when the actual story would start. Apparently, that only happened at the end.

The events that happened towards the end got my full attention and inevitably, Em began to be a character I rooted for. Because really, the Furies don't have the right to decide who gets punished and who doesn't. It's unfair and even infuriating. Also, I was a fan of J.D and Em's budding relationship. I really wanted them to get together. I wanted the Furies to pay for they did and what they will do.

I will read the next two books in the trilogy, Envy and Eternity because I would love to see what Elizabeth Miles plans to do with Em and the Furies. The ending was interesting enough and I have to say, I enjoyed it very much. As for recommendation, it seems very unlikely. But will I stop others from reading Fury? Heck no. show less

Okay. So after days after putting this review off, it's here. Because really, I can't write a review for this book without going on a fangirl rampage! This book was so amazing it nearly brought me to tears. Nearly. And it oh-so nearly drove me into hysterics. If you don't believe me, my friends can back me up on that. Before I even say anything: If you don't pick up this book, you are missing a lot in life. Your life will be incomplete without The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer.

All around, I've seen other people raving about this book. I expected it to be good, but I didn't expect Michelle Hodkin to blow my mind away. Her writing was exceptional and played with my head so much that I couldn't resist her words even if I wanted to (which I didn't). I fell in love with her through the voice of Mara Dyer. And from the very first page, I fell in love too deep with this novel. From the very first sentence, "My name is not Mara Dyer, but my lawyer told me to choose something." Mara Dyer and Michelle had me. The first chapter had already left me dazed and amazed. All I could say was, "That was impossible," because rarely do authors have me completely by the very first chapter. Usually it would take me about two-three chapters to leave me breathless. But no, The Unbecoming had me at one.

By the time I realized that I just could not put this book down, I refused to do anything else but read. Through Mara, Michelle swept me up and took me around and about Mara's messy world. Some parts of show more the novel were easy to follow and entertaining, then there would be a part that would make you go, "Whoa, hold up. What the--?" And then you'll have to reread it again. The Unbecoming has that double-take factor that books should have because it keeps the readers on a hook. The Unbecoming had me on a very, very tight hook.

Not only did the chilling story have me on a tight hook but so did the characters. And oh! The characters! I have to take a deep breath before I fangirl over them too. The characters, Mara, Jamie, Daniel...and let's never, ever forget Noah, had made me fall in love with them and root for these believably three-dimensional characters from the very first time they appeared. But if I had to pick the two characters that stood out, it would definitely be Mara and Noah Shaw. From their banter and sexual tension, to their deep conversations and chemistry, I had to back away a little from the book in fear that these two might actually light the book on fire. And oh Lord, Noah Shaw. I've said it once, and I'll say it a million times more, he will be held responsible if I don't marry in the future. Enough said. You'll fall in love with him in an instant.

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer is a phenomenal debut novel and a promising book that I have no doubts that this novel will have others falling in love it so deeply. This is a dark, edgy, beautiful, and with so much twists that will leave you shocked and romance that will make your heart swell. Michelle Hodkin is a brilliantly talented writer with a lot of potential that can be proven by the fact that her story will not let you go. The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer is unforgettable and will leave you thinking about it for so long that it'll become a daily ritual.

And that ending...just...Oh My God. show less

Honestly, I couldn't think of anything else cooler than a zombie butt kicking geek for a main character. Carrie Harris brings on one awesome story with the creepiest zombies I've ever met, so far. The romance and paranormal elements are put together to make up this totally entertaining and slightly creepy read. It's perfect for getting into the Halloween spirit! And it's a good thing that this book didn't have me hiding under my covers, listening for the only word in a zombie's dictionary, "brainsssss."

In my opinion, I thought that the romantic and paranormal elements made Bad Taste In Boys so enjoyable. Those elements did the book good and were well balanced that they didn't throw one another off. And what's a book without a little humor? Carrie Harris excelled at making me chuckle on one page, then laugh my head off at another.

Carrie Harris brings on a main character who I wish I was more like. Kate Grable's character shows that a geek can be as kick ass as a superhero can. She's incredibly smart and likable. She didn't give me a headache as I read on because she took matters into her own hands since she could. Her crush on Aaron and the relationship that develops between them was adorable and sweet, even if it did not play such a big part in the book. The secondary characters, like Kate's brother, Jonah, her best friend Rachel, and everyone else (except the zombies) were great additions to the story.

Bad Taste In Boys is a quick and fun read. Simple and easy to follow, show more Carrie Harris tickles your toes with this delightful story and makes your skin crawl with the unpredictable zombies. The only problem I had was that this book was just too darn short! I can't wait for the second book, Bad Hair Day.

Geeks can kick butt. That is all. show less

In Anna Carey's dystopian novel, she creates the story of a young girl, Eve, who just like in most dystopian novels, has been told lies her whole life. But when she escapes, only does she learn that she's being hunted down. Anna Carey brings on the meaning of love and gives it a creative take into this entertaining read.

Set in 2032, where most of the population has been wiped out, the King desperately tries to rebuild the New America. But how he's doing it--it's sick. It's twisted. It's wrong. I don't know how many times I've shuddered at the thought of what the orphaned boys and girls have to go through. Eve had been right to run away, I personally wouldn't have let it be. I would run as far as I could.

Anna Carey's New America is a dark one behind all the lies they tell as well as a unique one. I thought it was a great treat that the author had included a lot of things that we are familiar with today. I never expected them to be mentioned, which was great. I totally geeked out when "I Love Rock n Roll" by Joan Jett (or at least that's the version I think it was), when Winnie the Pooh was mentioned, and when Harriet Tubman's name appeared on the page. The girls at School have had a good education, but not the right one, which through Eve, you'll find out why.

Eve was smart, focused, and serious as a student, but everything she's learned would be undone when she finds out the truth and when she learns that this won't help her survive the wild. I found Eve to be an show more agreeable character. I loved being with her when she started to discover things on her own and when she finally understood the reality she lived in. I see her as selfless, thinking about her friends, the boys at the dugout, and others. I really didn't have a problem with Eve, it was great to be able to read about her and her world.

Eve and the girls have been told that men were bad, period. Men were dangerous, manipulators, and basically everything negative. I thought that Anna Carey's choice about having that be a part of her story was a good one because as far as I can remember, that idea has never been done before in any dystopian novel I've read. This also made Eve and Caleb's relationship a bit more interesting, since Eve had to be cautious because of what her teachers taught her at School. Their relationship was one I rooted for from the beginning. Caleb was a wonderful character, better than any of the men in the novel, really.

What I loved the most about this book was the definition of love. Anna Carey was able to come up with an effective and beautiful way of putting what it means to love someone. In the novel, love plays a big part. The love between Eve and her mother, the love between Eve and her friends, the love between Eve and Caleb, and the love between the young boys in the dugout. That part with the two boys in the dugout, Benny and Silas, struck me the most. Eve teaches them what love is and that love is an eternal thing. It's a heartfelt moment for me, but I won't dwell much on that because I might give too much away.

The only problem I had with Eve was that the pacing was a bit inconsistent. Sometimes it would go to fast and at times it was slow. Especially at the beginning, I was a bit unsteady about the fact that the story immediately jump-started at the very first chapter. It happened too fast for me and I was left going like, "It started already?"

All in all, Eve is an exciting dystopian novel packed with heart stopping scenes and page-turning moments. Anna Carey is a promising writer. Her writing is interesting and her ideas are creative. I can't wait for Once! That ending just had almost brought me to tears. I loved that ending. I loved it, I loved it, I loved it. show less

Never have I ever seen an author pull off such a great take on the tragic story of the RMS Titanic. Even, oh my gosh, werewolves! Who would have thought of putting werewolves into the Titanic? Well, Claudia Gray did and so very expertly, if I may say so myself.

When I heard that werewolves were among the passengers of the RMS Titanic, I wondered how Claudia Gray intended to write about them since the werewolves needed to change their form, how she would write about how they hunt, and how would their lives be like. Sure enough, I think Claudia Gray did an excellent job of inserting werewolves into the story. From how they become wolves to how and when they transform. This was my first time reading any of Claudia Gray's novels, and she has given me such a great impression on her writing and her books.

With the historical fiction part in Fateful, I was taken out of this century and put into the 1912s with Tess and the rest of the characters. The cruelty of Lisle family towards Tess was so believable because during that time period those actions toward the servants weren't uncommon. Readers would be rooting for Tess to get away from her employers. Irene Lisle, though, was a delicate lady, and someone who you'll root for as well, despite who her family is.

Tess is a strong character. She's someone who has her mind set on her one goal: getting to New York and starting a new life for herself, one where she isn't under the rule of the Lisles. She is somewhat compassionate and very show more driven. She later on gives Alec the hope he needs. I had no problems with Tess, so it looks like Claudia Gray's got a well-written main character here.

Tess' relationship with Alec is one that, in a way, touches your heart. Here is a monster who has no choice but to transform every night or join the Brotherhood, then you have a servant living under a headache of an employer, and when you put them together they fill in the places that each of them has been missing. Tess is there for Alec, and she cares deeply about him. It's the same way for Alec, he cares deeply for Tess and doesn't care what rank she is, even if she's at the bottom of the social ladder.

The villain in Fateful was a pain in the ass. But a good pain in the ass, at the least. He was such an annoyance and so evil that you wanted to find out what he does and what happens to him in the end. From the very first time Mikhail comes into the picture, I knew he was trouble. He really proved himself to be a villain and one that you wanted gone.

With a story set in the 1912s, there's bound to be some drama. Well, of course there is and you can't help but feel bad for those who have been affected. I won't spoil too much, but the relationship between two characters and their stories caught me off guard.

Fateful, can be seen as a story about forbidden love. Forbidden love doesn't only apply to vampires, wolves, and other paranormal creatures, but to humans too. And the fact that servants aren't meant to be with the rich, indeed spells forbidden love. What I love about Fateful is that it has many cases about forbidden love. And each character who finds themselves in it, pushes to be able to be with their loved one.

The plot is an exciting one with great additional characters. The ending completely took me off guard and Claudia Gray's descriptions about the Titanic's disastrous demise was heartbreaking and beautifully written, making the reader feel as if they were there themselves, watching as the unsinkable ship was pulled deeper into the water.

In Fateful, Claudia Gray masterfully takes historical fiction and paranormal romance together with perfect balance, creating an enthralling story that will keep the readers up for days just wanting to see whether their beloved characters would survive or not. This is a great read and I urge everyone to pick it up! show less

They weren't kidding when they said "Shatter Me is a fresh and original dystopian novel."

And I'm not kidding when I say that I agree completely. Tahereh Mafi creates a believable dystopian world, and it is in some ways, the ideal one. The world that Juliette knew before she was locked up in a cell was already falling apart, and it still continues to fall apart. The dystopian society Tahereh Mafi expertly builds if so full of the government/The Reestablishment's lies and deceits. In her story, Tahereh Mafi brings forth the most mind-blowing characters and the most brilliantly put together plot I have ever come across. It was just unbelievable.

Will you believe me if I tell you, that you will be completely wowed by Tahereh's writing?

Well, you won't be able to believe it until you see it. But I'm telling you now: You. Will. Be. Blown. Away. I am not messing with you. The first lines of the book had already captured me, pulled me in with it's strong grip. Heck, it never let me go. Tahereh's writing is so unique and beautiful, that I would not even dare to miss any single word on the page. They were lyrical and magical, so incredibly amazing. Her writing was nothing I've ever encountered before and it surprised me how someone can actually write this good. It wasn't even just her style--but the quality of her words. It's enough to make anyone--even other authors--jealous. Tahereh Mafi, you have a gift.

You will fall in love with, be torn apart, scream because of the show more characters.

Juliette Ferrars has to be the most strong character ever--I'm not even joking there. She possess a dangerous power. One touch from her and you could drop dead. It's amazing and frightening at the same time. But Juliette hates her power. Warner, a sickeningly attractive villain and character, is amazed by it. And Adam Kent admires Juliette and her power.

Juliette has been locked up for a long time. She's been tortured by the lack of love she's received, her power, and the memories that haunt her. The memories of the murder done by her own hands. People see her as a monster, but she's been nothing but that. She's committed so many selfless acts but no one acknowledges her for them. She's a character that one must look up to. She's extremely loyal, she will stick up for what she believes in, and she will fight back.

Warner on the other hand, was so disturbing yet, I craved for him. I wanted to know more about him, to know what his motives were for being this so cruel. He's a twisted genius and his brillance managed to make me gape. Goodness, I should learn to not underestimate him. But gosh, he seems like a tortured soul to me.

Adam. Oh, Adam. Just like Juliette is, I'm completely head over heels for this one. I remember Juliette mentioned that Adam wasn't just fighting for one thing. He was fighting for so much more than himself. To me, I see Adam as a freedom fighter. He won't be put down by everything The Reestablishment throws at him. Exactly like Juliette, he fights back.

The other characters such as Kenji and James in particular, I loved. Kenji made me laugh my ass off and James made me squeal because of his adorableness. For a ten-year-old--going on 11!--he's strong, just like his brother. But he has a childishness to him that makes him twice as cute.

When I say you will be torn, you will be torn. Team Warner? Team Adam?

Pfft, heck I'm team Kenji and James! Nah, I'm just messing around. But you will be torn between Warner and Adam. I was. Warner, who is evil, hard to understand, and secretive vs. Adam, who is a fighter, who is kind, understanding, and everything you wish for.

You'll root for Adam and Juliette's love, but then you ache to get to know Warner even more. I don't believe that Warner isn't capable of loving. I just feel that there's so much more to him. But then he goes and does something infuriating, that makes you decide that you're on Team Adam.

Will you laugh when I say that I went through two hysterical phases while reading?

Maybe you're like, "Two? Pfft, that's not enough." Well it was for me! Never have I ever been this crazy and hysterical over a book. Never. Gosh, my own family called me a lunatic. Trust me, when you pick up this book you will experience the same thing I did.

IT WAS JUST TOO MUCH. The awesomeness was just too much for me too handle. That plot is amazing. The most outstanding and shocking one I've ever experienced. I never expected any of the events that triggered my hysteria. Never. That's how clever Tahereh Mafi is.

Bring on the X-Men.

I thought that the only X-Men element this book would have would be Juliette's ability which is parallel to Rouge's in the X-Men series. But no. There's so much more X-Men in this book. I nearly died of happiness. The X-Men elements in this story is just so cool. Really. Watch out, Tahereh Mafi's bringing in X-Men.

They are wrong when they say that "readers will be anxiously waiting for the next book."

Anxiously? Please. More like we're going to die if the next book doesn't come sooner. The ending was perfect and I wouldn't want it to change. It's the best way to get a reader pumped for the next book. Goodness, it was the best.
You need to buy the book now. Or forever hold your peace. show less

Let's set the record straight: exorcisms scare the crap out of me.

I almost didn't pick up this book because of the fact that exorcisms and I don't go so well together. I watched Season of the Witch (Starring Nicholas Cage), thinking it was going to be a cool historical-set movie. I freaked out when later on, the viewers learned that the girl was possessed by a demon.
I swore I'd never have anything to do with exorcisms after that. But when I saw this book sitting on the shelf at the book store, I thought, what the heck? I'll buy it! And so I did. And I fell in love with Possess.

I didn't know what I was in for, but I was blown away.

I honestly didn't know how this book was going to turn out for me. I told myself that if this book gets too scary, I'd drop it. Turns out that this book and me were stuck together during the time that I was reading it. The suspense and the feeling that you get when you know that you're going to be scared out of your underwear was the main reasons why I didn't put this book down. Instead of making me drop the book it made me hold on because the fact that there's suspense will always keep the readers on the edge of their seats. And Possess did just that.

When I said I was blown away...it wasn't literally.

But I was blown away! Just not literally. This book was amazing beyond words and topped all those horror stories I've ever read. But I really wasn't blown away with the wind and all that stuff. But the book definitely had me taking a step back show more and going, "Whoa."
You'd imagine that during a tornado, you'd likely be holding on to anything sturdy like a pole to keep from flying off the ground and getting sucked into the whirling blender of doom (random, I know). But while you hold on to the pole, I'll hold on to Possess, thank you very much.

My point is, you can't let go of Possess, Gretchen McNeil, Bridget, and everything else, won't let you go! You won't be able to until you get to the end and find out what the heck is going to happen to everyone especially Bridget and Matt.

Demons...shudder. Creepy talking dolls--I WANT MY MOMMY!

Posses was creeptastic! And man, did it scare the crap out of me. Somehow, Gretchen McNeil was able to tap into my imagination, and let me visualize all the scenes in her book--especially the scary parts. Usually in horror movies you'd cover your eyes and peek in-between your fingers, right? But I couldn't cover my brain and peek in-between my fingers, because that's just stupid and impossible (if it is possible, I'm just too lazy to try).

Since I couldn't peek through the slits I leave for myself, I was forced to read every hair raising part. Like I said, it scared the crap out of me. And I'm pretty sure I liked it. Gretchen McNeil is an expert for setting the stage for suspense and horror stories.

Sure yeah, possessions are nightmare educing, but creepy talking dolls? GET ME MY BLANKET AND MY MOM because I won't be able to sleep at all! Gretchen McNeil did something right when she wrote about these creepers, because I can actually hear their voices when they talked. *shiver*

Yeah, like being a teen exorcist is totally normal and won't frighten you in anyway.

Teen exorcist? That's Bridget. And it's a good thing she isn't frightened easily, since she deals with all these scary stuff. I think headstrong totally fits her because she won't run away and she'll finish the job. She's that "kiss with a fist" type of gal and doesn't exactly like all the other girls, which is one reason why she hangs out with the outsiders.
If there's one thing that will shock you about Bridget, it's the fact that she is something more. Let's leave it at that. It may be obvious that she is (but really what I'm talking about is not), but hey, I'm not spoiling anything. Gretchen totally popped that one up when I was not expecting it.

You're good and you're bad. No, wait--what?

There is Father Santos and Monsignor Renault. Who's good and who's bad? You won't know until towards the end. I certainly didn't, but I had my suspicions. And until you reach the part of the revelations, you'll be left with your only suspicions. You'll be jumping back and forth between these two men yelling, "YOU'RE BAD" and "YOU'RE GOOD!" Then when something pops up you'll take a step back, scratch your head, exclaim you're confused, and switch.
If you hadn't already guessed, that was my reaction.

This was the best Halloween read EVER!

And I'm serious about that! It is the perfect Halloween read. Read it before or on Halloween eve/day, because that's the best time to read it. It'll get you so paranoid and freaked out. Wait, that's not a good thing when it comes to trick or treating (don't want to be too paranoid).
But whatever, this is a kick-ass, action packed, horror story with a whole lot of things that will knock you off your feet (come to think of it, was that just the book or a spirit?) show less

Whoa, I think my mind has just been blown!

Don't worry, my mind is still inside my head the last time I checked. But even then, Daughter of Smoke and Bone had just grabbed a hold of me, spun me around, and left me dazed and impressively amazed. Daughter of Smoke and Bone is compelling and captivating, and believe me when I say that this is nothing like I've ever read before.

Why haven't I read something like this sooner?

Oh right, that's because Laini Taylor's book hadn't been published yet then. Not to spoil anything, but I was impressed by how Laini was able to pull off the story starting with present and then writing about the past towards the end. I'm not sure if that makes any sense to you, but if you pick this book up, you'll understand. You'll be amazed, too!

Laini Taylor's way of structuring her novel was unique and creative. To me, it would be hard to pull off, but apparently, Laini Taylor did that with ease. It's actually a very creative way of structuring writing, especially stories. I don't think I've ever read anything else that had the same structuring as Daughter of Smoke and Bone.

Truly, Daughter of Smoke and Bone, captured me with the way it was written and raised questions about the world Laini Talyor set up, that I just had to find the answers too--and the only way I could do that was to keep on reading.

Chimaera--wha?

Okay, the only time I ever heard of a Chimaera was in Pittacus Lore's I am Number Four. Even reading about them in IaNF had me confused. But show more as I read Daughter of Smoke and Bone, I was able to grasp what they were--and how Laini Taylor chose to represent them.

Learning and reading about Chimaeras was new for me, and I like trying new things. Points go to Laini Talyor for being original and introducing the YA community to these intriguing creatures. And not only that but, points for bringing us these creepy and edgy characters that seemed so real it nearly scared me. Some characters had an oddity to them that you couldn't help but tilt your head in interest. They were just characters that we don't normally see around books--I mean, how cool is Karou's name? Have you heard anyone in books named like her? I know I haven't!

Is this for real or is this just fantasy?

Laini Taylor builds up a world that is enchanting and creepy at the same time. It's dark, dangerous, and very unique. It's between the world of the humans and something more, which I find very captivating. The dangerous feeling Daughter of Smoke and Bone has sent chills up and down my spine, because I really didn't know what was going on behind closed doors. I wanted to find out but I really didn't know what to expect. That's the thing about Daughter of Smoke and Bone--you don't know what to expect.

Not only is the world of Daughter of Smoke and Bone unique, but so is Laini Taylor's writing style. She spins a story together with ease, and the voice of a passionate storyteller. Sometimes as I read, I would get lost in her words, only to be snapped back into the story slightly dazed. Laini chose her words well and when she strung them into a sentence, it was like you could hear the voice of someone, softly whispering a tale into your ear.

Once upon a time, there was a random girl and a book. She told you to read it.

And once again, I say that I'm blown away with the writing. Again, it's like nothing I've read before and that is a very, very good thing.

You have to read this book! Daughter of Smoke and Bone is a creepy tale with intriguing characters and a mysteriously compelling world. Laini Taylor writes with grace and a style that will captivate you. You have got to read it. NOW.

Please? show less

Whoa, this is definitely not Narnia.

I honestly don't know what gave me the idea to liken this novel to Narnia. But when I put them side by side, they seem good together. Except, Witchlanders isn't anything like C.S Lewis' books. As far as my memory is concerned, there are no talking animals in this book.

Within the world created by Lena Coakley, there is danger, there is a feud, and there are witches. It's undoubtedly unique and it's different from all the other books I've ever read. Witchlanders is strangely enchanting and alluring, with magic that readers have never imagined before.

Warts-be-gone.

I'd picked up this book thinking it would be one great Halloween read with all those witches involved in the story. You know how witches are normally associated with warts, broomsticks, poitions and long noses? Well, that's not the case here. Sure, some of the witches here may be old, but Lena Coakley's witches are different from society's take.

In Witchlanders, the witches pray to the Goddesses (another unique feat. in the story), throw bones and tell the future. The witches had to be the one thing that I was struck by. Lena Coakley's vision is creative and one-of-a-kind. I hadn't expected Lena to envision the witches this way and I enjoyed that she decided to do things differently. Points for creativity go to her.

Oh, so you're talking now.

Falpian and Ryder are two kick ass characters, and their personalities and backgrounds clash to make a great duo.

But I found the dual show more POVs confusing. For one thing, I couldn't memorize everyone's names because they were unique names that were authentic to the story's setting. It's not that they were bad names (they were very unique and even beautiful), but they were the kind that I couldn't remember. I'd often forget who was who and I had to flip back to the earlier pages to find out who this person was (and I don't like doing that).

So because it took a while for me to recognize the names of some characters, I had a hard time guessing the alternating POVs. In Witchlanders, readers have to assume who's POV it is and that can get a little confusing at times. It may even take a while for us to realize who's POV it is. I know I've had my fair share of that.

There's a fine line between confusion and being unique.

As I've mentioned a couple of times, the world of Witchlanders, is amazingly unique. But I often found myself being very confused while reading. Maybe it was the little information given at a time to the readers or maybe it was because I was just out of it. Maybe it's just because creating a whole new world by yourself is often harder than using an already existing one. Nonetheless, I'm glad Lena Coakley decided to be different. Different is good (in this case anyway).

Bromance + Adventure? I'm in.

Overall, I really enjoyed Witchlanders. It wasn't the kind of Halloween read I expected, but I didn't mind that. For one thing, there was no romance in this novel, but there was a strong sense of friendship and adventure.
Lena Coakley's Witchlanders allowed me to take a peek into what originality was, as she created a compelling world. I'll be looking out for Lena's other novels because she has potential and I know she'll come up with other great ideas. show less

I didn't expect to fangirl.

I really, really didn't. I picked up Half-Blood not knowing a single thing about it (with the exception of reading the synopsis at the back). I've seen the cover EVERYWHERE, but never did it cross my mind to think of picking it up. (Don't ask why, because I don't know).

When I saw a copy of this book at the bookstore, hungrily, I picked it up and hugged it tight to my chest (I was going to buy it, obviously. There's no need for me to shoplift. I do need to go back there soon). It was the only copy of Half-Blood I've ever seen in person. I don't know what compelled me to buy it.

But hell, I'm glad I did. And now, I'm going to spend the remainder of this moment trying not to fangirl all over the place, because I know I should keep my drool to myself.

This try-not-to-fangirl thing is going to be hard. I just know it.

Gods, when did Greek mythology get THIS COOL?

That's an easy question: when Jennifer wrote Half-Blood and Daimon. Duh.

Half-Blood is filled with tons and tons of action. Like hand-to-hand combat, kicking ass, and you know, the like. The action is pretty sweet and thrilling. Jennifer has no problem describing the fighting and training scenes. She writes it so you can imagine the scene and how the fighter feels, and in our case it's Alex.

But aside from the action, the concept of Hematois, Halfs, the Apollyon, Daimons, and such is just so damn unique. I know people have been comparing Half-Blood to the Vampire Academy. Having not read the show more series, I can safely say that Jennifer's novel is original and brilliant. The plot was never boring and never have I ever heard of the Hematois or Daimons. The newness struck me and I was interested in finding out what they were, as well as I was interested in seeing what Jennifer did with Greek mythology.

With Half-Blood, Jennifer brings in a whole new side of Greek mythology that is exciting and intriguing. I can't wait to see what part the currently absent gods will play in the next novel.

When it comes to bringing on the heat, Aiden is a total pro.

Have I ever mentioned how much I'm in love with him? No? WELL I LOVE HIM. OKAY? Are you happy now? Because I am. Aiden St. Delphi has my heart fluttering like some desperate butterfly trying to fly. I know that Alex and I share the same feeling.

Aiden is hella kick-ass and he seriously really kick ass. Kicking ass means you have to be in shape and Aiden is very well in shape...which means he has a very nice body *clears throat* And that is a very good thing.
But other that his physically perfect and drool-worthy features, he's patient, kind, strong, and isn't just a pretty face. He, just like Alex, has gone through a lot and he's dealing. The dealing part makes him more mature for his age, which is something Alex points out a lot.
Aiden also suprisingly funny. For someone as serious as he is, one can barely expect him to have fun. But he's funny in his own way and his chemistry with Alex is just hot. Alex and Aiden compliment each other.

And when you put Alex and Aiden together, woo, someone get me a fan, because it's gettin' hot in here.

Spunky, sexy, and badass. BOOM.

Alex is a beast. She's probably one of my favorite characters now.
What I love most about her is that she's sassy, sarcastic, funny, and determined. Her sense of humor and her witty comments had me rooting for her ever since the first time she ever came on the page.
When it comes to her humor, she's irresistible. She never fails to make me or her friends laugh. Another feat. of Alex that I love is her determination and perseverance. She may be funny, but she has depth. She wants to stay in the Covenant, she doesn't want to be a slave, and she was to prove that she's capable of taking a daimon down. And so she proves that she's worthy.
She's also conflicted. Her thoughts, feelings, and actions make her real and not like some character who is this and that, the end.

And it doesn't hurt to have a badass character who can kick but, right?

I'll root for Alex for the rest of the series because she's just someone who you can't help but cheer for. Her friends are awesome too, and I grew to love Caleb, her best friend, just as Alex had been able to grow to love him when she met him.

Kissing. Kissing is nice.

There's a handful of kissing in Half-Blood. And I have no problem with that. In fact, those shared kisses between Alex and Aiden were beautiful and sizzling. Not to mention one particular scene that included a bed. Ahem.

I loved forbidden love part of this novel. Sure, the forbidden love stories are very common now a days, but they're always great to read. And Half-Blood was no exception. In the novel, I couldn't help but feel anxious over what would happen if Alex and Aiden were caught (because I love them together so damn much). It's just one of those novels you can't help but feel anxious over because you have no idea what's going to happen to these forbidden lovers.

Sometimes they're given a happy ending, sometimes not, and sometimes they reach a point where there are major and halting complications. And it may seem that Alex and Aiden's relationship is the latter.
But God, I just love them together.

Bring on the next book. No seriously, bring it. I'm impatient.

*cringe* I hope I didn't sound like a demanding brat. Yikes. I didn't mean it that way. But the truth is, I am impatient. I'm dying to know what will happen to our beloved Alex and Aiden. I want to see what's next for the Apollyon, Seth and all the other characters. I just want to see what happens next. OKAY?

Half-Blood blew my mind. I'm still mind blown at this point because Half-Blood was just so unexpectedly amazing. Jennifer Armentrout has brought on an exciting, action-packed, and compelling story that should never be put down. She has graced us with funny and touching characters as well as a series that will capture all it's readers (or at least, it should because it's that awesome). show less

Medusa, you had kids??

That was my first reaction to hearing that Gretchen, Grace, and Greer were descendants of Medusa.
And the answer to that question was: yes, yes she did. And her kids had kids, and their kids had kids, and so on until we reach Grace, Gretchen, and Greer's generation.

In Sweet Venom, Tera Lynn Childs plays with the Medusa myth and expertly creates a story where these three kick-ass sisters kick the monsters' behinds like they were meant to be doing it. Funny, touching, and action-packed, Sweet Venom is a unique novel that opens us up to more Greek myths.

The badass, the good girl, and the princess.

Gretchen, Grace, and Greer all have different personalities and live different lives.
Gretchen, for example, had been fighting monsters ever since Ursula took her in when she was twelve. She's known about her destiny and who she is longer than Grace and Greer has.
Gretchen knows how to take these monsters down and she does it like a pro.
But Gretchen's life hasn't been easy and she's struggled constantly, which makes her a tough cookie and a hard nut to crack.
I loved reading from her POV the most, probably because she's the tough cookie and it's always nice to see what's going on in their head.

Grace is lovable, cute, and determined. If I had to pick which character I instantly connected with, it would be Grace.
All she wanted was a new start, to be braver and bolder. When she moves to San Francisco, that's what's she's hoping for. She didn't expect to meet show more her twin sister, let alone find out that they're triplets and descends of Medusa.
But when she does, she accepts what she has to do and is willing to train and learn. Family is her motivation. Grace understands how important it is now that the sisters have found each other and she will do everything to keep them together. Grace and Gretchen bond over training, and the more time they spend together, the more they grow to like each other.
Between the three, Grace is the one who will easily come to love her sisters.
And she has such an adorable crush on Milo.

My first impression of Greer was that she was a snob. Rich and popular, the whole "princess" attitude completed Greer's personality. She was the hardest to convince about her destiny and she's stubborn. This I expected. Characters like her are always the hardest to sway. But eventually, they give in.
What I like about Greer is that she struggles to come to terms with the truth and she becomes likable when she finally accepts it.
Though I have to say that because Greer came later into the novel, I didn't get to know her as much as I knew Grace and Gretchen. But I was on a need-to-know basis and Greer's personality was the easiest to recognize.

Sister power!

If there's one big theme of this book, besides mythology, it would be the love between sisters.
I'm a sucker for books like that.

In Sweet Venom, there's a whole lot of sister love, especially towards the end. I think that it's powerful to show the relationship between sisters than focus on romance between couples. While there are very adorable, crushable guys in this novel, I'm glad to have taken a break from all the romance and focus on the story and the relationship between these sisters.
I love how the girls realize that they need each other and I think it's funny how all three of them go an epiphany at the same time. I loved reading how they worked things out and decided to be together.

Sister power, man. There's nothing better than that.

This was sweet.

Sweeeeeet. Totalllyy.

Sweet Venom was a brilliantly thought of take on mythology and Tera Lynn Child's characters were lovable and realistic. With detailed action scenes that'll get the reader pumped up, this book will catch the attention of it's readers.

I don't know how many times I'm going to say this, but I loved the Medusa myth factor in this novel. And the mythological Greek creatures included in this novel were creepy and accurate.
It's just brilliant.

I can't wait for Sweet Shadows! show less

Always the hardest.

Anthologies are always the hardest and take the longest to talk about, but they're easiest to like. That's probably the case because there are such awesome writers contributing to the book, but there are lots of stories that it's kind of hard to talk about without blabbing on and on for a thousand years.

Like most anthologies I've read, I've been waiting for Enthralled for such a long time now. I'm always drawn to anthologies and I particularly like the theme of this one. All the talented authors featured in Enthralled took the theme and crafted a story based on it, with each one of them having such compelling stories--and I enjoyed reading each one.

The shorter version of it all.

I loved Enthralled.

Some stories I loved to death, some I liked, and some I also liked but never really understood. Some of these stories were easy to follow and some stories got very confusing.

You know how short stories get.
There isn't much time for the author to really build up on the information and take the long road. In short stories, authors usually use the style of in medias res (in the middle of things). For example: authors might start the story when their main character is facing off with a ugly beast. They pick up the story from there, dropping some information at some points, then they end with an ending that have their readers assuming this or that.

That's probably the main reason why I get confused. In short stories readers will have to find the clues that hold show more information about their world. Sometimes we're on a need-to-know basis.

While I was confused reading some stories, I ended up liking them nonetheless.

Please don't die of boredom.

Really, please don't. I don't want to be responsible for your death...and well, I wouldn't want you dying.

Here is where I talk about the short stories individually, because these stories differ from each other and so do my opinions on the stories. I've become fans of many of the authors here, while the rest I've already come to love.

Giovanni's Farewell by Claudia Gray - This was a great way to start the anthology. Claudia's short was sweet, intriguing, and enjoyable. I caught myself smiling at the end of this one. The twins, Cairo and Ravenna, develop interesting new abilities and they both have to come to terms with it. In Rome, Ravenna meets Giovanni, charming and the only boy she flirted with. She finds out he's a ghost later and well, something sweet happens. FIVE STARS.

Scenic Route by Carrie Ryan - Carrie Ryan really does love her zombie The Forest of Hands and Teeth world. Scenic Route is set in the same world, and features two sisters who are on the run from the zombies. They meet a boy who they may be able to trust, until one night when his brothers break into their hide out. Having read her other short story, Hare Moon, I think Carrie Ryan does a great job writing about her zombies and the world she puts her characters in. I especially loved the characters in Scenic Route. FIVE STARS.

Red Run by Kami Garcia - This is the first story of Kami Garcia that I've ever read. And I'm impressed and now a fan. Red Run features a ghost and a girl who wants to hunt down the ghost who killed her brother. When she finds the ghost, she lets him in, but she finds out that he isn't a killer. I loved this story and I still get chills thinking about it. FIVE STARS.

Things About Love by Jackson Pearce - I didn't expect this story to turn out the way it did. That's probably because I haven't read As You Wish (where this short takes after). In it there are genies or djinns. One djinn studies humans on Earth to learn about love. Funny and touching, Jackson Pearce wrote a good one here. Then again, she always does. FIVE STARS.

Niederwald by Rachel Vincent - This is another of my firsts. I haven't read any of Rachel Vincent's novels before, but I think from the impression I'm given, I'll have to check them out soon. Rachel's characters Sabine and Emma (from Soul Screamers) visit the town of Niederwald, which is populated by Harpies. Interesting, a tad bit funny, and a little creepy, Niederwald was a cool read. FIVE STARS.

Merely Mortal by Melissa Marr - Oh look, another first. I've tried reading Wicked Lovely, but I couldn't get into it. Though when I read Merely Mortal, I became all too interested in the events that happened in Melissa's series. Her characters were lovable and their situation was touching. Her characters, Keenan and Donia, take a vacation, but both are thinking hard about Keenan's mortality. I'm thinking about looking into Melissa's Wicked Lovely series again. FOUR STARS.

Facing Facts by Kelley Armstrong - Another first! Set in her world of the Darkest Powers series, Kelley impresses me with her interesting characters and their world. Chloe struggles to come to terms with the guilt over the deaths of Dianne Enright and Dr. Davidoff. When their daughter, Tori, learns that Dr. Davidoff wasn't her father, she runs away and gets into some trouble, with Chloe being the one to help her. It was hard for me to understand this short at the beginning, but I grew to like the characters and the story at the end. FOUR STARS.

Let's Get This Undead Show On The Road by Sarah Rees Brennan - Ah, this was one of the confusing shorts. The summary of this was that there was a "vampire" boy band (with only one being an actual vampire) goes on tour and end up bonding with each other. From the beginning, I didn't understand the story at all. Progressing through the story, I could barely grasp it, which kind of frustrated me because I wanted to get it. The parts I understood were funny, while the others were just downright confusing. FOUR STARS.

Bridge by Jeri Smith-Ready - Writing in free-verse, Jeri Smith-Ready shares with us a touching short. This is a first for me as well. As a companion to Shade, I had trouble understanding a few things like why her character died and why his brother was so upset. It was a tad bit confusing, but it was touching nonetheless. FOUR STARS.

Skin Contact by Kimberly Derting - AHHHH. RAFE. Set in the world of Kimberly's The Body Finder series, this was an easy one to follow. In Desires of the Dead, we were introduced to Rafe who was all too mysterious. In this short, we get to learn more about his character and what he's been through.
Just like in her series, Kimberly uses her talent of keeping her readers at the edge of their seats, shivering under the suspense and then dropping their jaws on the floor when all the scary killing stuff is revealed. This had to be one of my favorites out of all the shorts in this anthology. FIVE STARS.

Leaving by Ally Condie - I was unsure about whether I would like this one because Matched wasn't all that sparkles and rainbows for me. But in her short, Ally writes a sad and touching story that readers can connect and sob over. This short clearly impressed me. FOUR STARS.

At The Late Night, Double Feature, Picture Show by Jessica Verday - This was so win, I'm not even kidding. Drag vampires? They were the boss! And who knew Girl Scouts could be so lethal and scary--well, at least cannibal and flesh eating Girl Scouts. Funny and entertaining, I enjoyed reading this one so much. FIVE STARS.

IV League by Margaret Stohl - I've never read anything by Margaret Stohl before, and this had been my first time reading something by her. I thought IV League was interesting and dark, but it was one of the shorts that confused me. I tried my best to understand it, and I think it paid off at the end. But because I spent most of the story in confusion, this didn't stand out for me. FOUR STARS.

Gargouille by Mary E. Pearson - FINALLY, someone writes about gargouilles! I don't know about you, but I've never seen these paranormal creatures anywhere in the YA community. Nope.
I was so excited to read this after the author announced that her story was going to be about them. Mary E. Pearson's take on these creatures was unique and intriguing. I loved the story, it was touching and heartbreaking that I teared up at one point. FIVE STARS.

The Third Kind by Jennifer Lynn Barnes - I'm a fan of Jennifer's and I was interested in seeing how her short went. And I have to say, I enjoyed it. It was something unique and interesting.
The two sisters in her story travel to San Antonio, all the while trying not to be killed. In San Antonio they learn about the Guardians, Heralds, and the third kind. Jennifer always brings up something unique and I really wish that this was longer. FIVE STARS.

Automatic by Rachel Caine - I knew nothing about Rachel's Morganville series and that's kind of the reasons why I struggled to understand this story. So there's this soda machine where vampires are able to buy canned blood, but they later find out that this machine isn't perfect. I thought the story was kind of odd and well, I just thought it was odd. FOUR STARS.

Enthralling *wiggles eyebrows* Get it?

Enthralled was enthralling and compelling. It was a great anthology to read and I'm glad that it didn't let me down. I'll be looking out for the all the authors' works as well as hoping that they get crack their heads together and collaborate on another anthology.

Hey, a girl can hope. show less

Feels like homecoming to me.

If you're a regular on the blog, you might already know that Becca Fitzpatrick's books hold a sentimental touch for me. Picking up the first book in the series, Hush, Hush, was one of those life changing moments of mine, believe it or not.

So when I picked up Silence, I braced myself for the effect it would have on me. Opening up Silence, a big wave of nostalgia rushed towards me. That was it, when I read the first sentence of Silence, I was rapt--no exceptions. I was filled with the sense of familiarity and the idea that I have no idea what's going to happen.

But still, reading Silence was like coming home. Immediately and easily, Silence became one of the books I think of highly, regardless of what others say. Becca Fitzpatrick is an author who brings life to her characters with so much care and ease, and she masterfully put them into a story that will shock her readers and leave them restless afterward, craving, needing more.

It's possible to be rendered speechless with so much things to say, right?

Because that would be me right now.

It's quite funny, though. Because while reading, there was just so much gasping, screaming, and crying on my part. The series of events in Silence were so brilliantly put together. They flowed easily from event to another, and they did so in a way that the reader would not be able to suspect what would happen next.

I know I didn't. And that's why most of the time, there was a fair amount of cursing. That's a show more good thing...for the author, I mean. The events that happened in the book still have my thoughts scattered and all I can think about is, "Oh my God."

I know by saying this, it might torment those who haven't read the book yet--but so much happened in Silence. Everything that had been happened in the past two books have been falling towards the events in Silence. And in Silence, everything that has happened all falls towards the events in the final book. Knowing this, I just can't imagine how epic the next book will be.

I was beyond excited when it was announced that there would be a fourth book to the saga. With that said, I think Silence turned out perfectly and the end was just that. Perfect. I had never expected the book to end that way and in every way, I knew that by the time I finished the book I would need the next book so very damn badly.

Trouble is a friend...and amnesia...and crying.

Trouble meaning, Nora just somehow ends up finding herself in dangerous situations and that there's trouble everywhere.
Amnesia meaning, Nora can't freaking remember a single thing about the best past five months of her life for most of the book.
And crying meaning, me constantly bursting out into frustrated or happy tears--it depends on the situation.

First, I don't mind the trouble. The dangerous situations that happen in this book make it all too exciting and Becca is an expert at writing them. Plus, when Nora gets herself into trouble she can either take care of herself or she needs someone to save her. So Nora and the readers get an instant scene with Patch--which I have absolutely no problem with.

Second, I do mind the amnesia. Nora's amnesia made me so frustrated. As someone who is a fangirl for this series, it broke my heart that she forgot all those moments between her and Patch, forgetting what happened before in Hush, Hush and Crescendo, and just her forgetting. As Nora searches for her memories, readers are given a refresher and a dose of nostalgia. While reading, I found myself being overwhelmed by nostalgia it nearly drove me to tears.

Oh yeah, the tears. They're tears of frustration, sadness, remembering, or happiness. It honestly depends on the situation and I can tell you that I've cried those tears at least once while reading Silence. And that's a good thing because Becca was able to get through and her story affects her readers.

But that could also mean that I'm overly emotional.

Patch, you are mine.

Mine. Mine. Mine.

Ladies, we thought that Patch stole our hearts in Hush, Hush. But in Silence, this time he'll really capture us.

Comparing Patch's character in Hush, Hush and Crescendo, he comes off as a mysterious, sexy, jerk. We're only given glimpses of the real Patch, and those were enough to make us fall in love with him. In Silence, we're given access to Patch's motivations and real feelings towards Nora. We get to see Patch as a character with depth that runs deep.

But of course, he's still sexy and charming...and a bit of a jerk too.
For some reason, I don't mind. I love him too much.

Now, Nora is someone who I rooted for from the very beginning. She's a character who stands out from all the other YA girls. I've never hated Nora, I probably became frustrated with her in Crescendo only. But in Silence, I saw Nora as a rational girl who wanted answers. Here, Nora develops into someone who's more mature, someone who has to think hard on a lot of things, and she's more determined. I understood her character and regardless of what she does, I'm on her side.
Nora's grown up in Silence and I can't wait to see how she takes on the problems she now faces at the end of Silence.

It's all been falling towards the final book.

Honestly, I don't think what I've said is enough to justify how great this book was and I really feel that way deep down inside (feel free to take me seriously...because I am serious).
Silence took my fangirling to new heights and Becca Fitzpatrick as earned a spot as my favorite author.

Silence doesn't lack in action, suspense, and hot, sexy moments. It will engage it's readers, and make fans of the series go nuts with it's brillance. Everything that has happened in Silence all has been falling towards the last and final book in the series.

And oh boy, it's going to be epic.

But I can't wait a year. Oh hell, I can't.

*sigh* In the meantime, my love for this series will never waver.
Oh yeah, and read the book too! It's better than I could've ever imagined. show less

Do you believe in magic?

Because this brilliantly written book is.

If there is one way I could describe this book, it would be: Magical. Absolutely magical. Never have I ever come across a book that was as magical and enchanting as The Night Circus.

I picked up this book, thinking it would be a great Christmas read. I have to be honest, I was judging this book by it's cover. So when I picked The Night Circus up just a few days before Christmas, I deemed it as a fairly good enough read for the Yuletide season.
I have to say, I was wrong.
Because, not only was The Night Circus magical, it was also mysterious and a tad bit creepy.

The Night Circus was an intriguing and enthralling read with it's author, Erin Morgenstern, as it's wonderfully skilled magician. Her writing cast a spell on me through and through, till the end of the novel and quite a while after.

This was one heck of a Christmas read.

Ooh, watch out J.K Rowling, looks like you've got competition.

Okay Potterheads, don't kill me. I'm just saying that Erin Morgenstern's writing matches up to the high standards J.W Rowling set (as she is one of the world's greatest writers).

I've heard around that The Night Circus was a bit like the Harry Potter series, so I wanted to try it out even if I am stuck in The Chamber of Secrets (don't kill me, please!). Because I haven't exactly finished the Potter series, I can't say if that's the case. But I can safely say, that The Night Circus earns a spot right next to the Potter show more series. Though it's not going to be the next Harry Potter--I don't think anything can beat this series.

Again, I've heard around that Laini Taylor's Daughter of Smoke and Bone and The Night Circus rivaled the Potter series. I can't say they do, but they're actually both equally impressive novels and both equally unique. I can say that one big thing DoSaB and The Night Circus have in common is that both their authors write with the skill of graceful storytellers.

Erin Morgenstern's writing was...wow, it was something. And that something is a good thing. From the very first line of the book, I was under her spell. Her writing seemed to flow like (here we go again), magic. At one point, her writing got to me and I was so overwhelmed at how beautifully written this book was. Erin Morgenstern taps into her readers senes and her book taps into her readers' hearts and feelings.

There is a fine line between reality and fantasy--you will cross it.

The Night Circus is a book that will guide you from the 18th and 19th century streets of London and Massachusetts, to the magical grounds of Le Cirque des Rêves.

The circus is, yet again, magical and intriguing. A circus as dreamlike as this one, doesn't seem real at all. But through Erin Morgenstern's writing, it does. It seems that we're among the visitors and we're actually walking and watching. Bottom line, it seems as if we were there ourselves.
Le Cirque des Rêves makes me wish there were still circuses around and with wishful thinking, circuses that are like it.

The story may get confusing at some points, but the plot just keeps getting better and better. It becomes so much better that at some points I end up screaming, gasping, and crying (which is actually pretty normal). This proves that Erin Morgenstern has a lot of tricks up her sleeve and those tricks will catch readers off guard.

Erin Morgenstern's characters were the best part of the novel. They seemed so realistic and each had depth. I enjoyed getting to know all of them and I've come to love them and hate some. Readers will, at some point, come to understand and sympathize with the characters like Celia and Marco. Erin Morgenstern gives each character a sense of strength with a slight air of mysteriousness.
Readers will get to learn from these characters and each of them give a bit of advice and wisdom.

I know romance plays a big part of the story, and it affects every character, especially Celia and Marco. The romance here is passionate and it leads to many sacrifices and tears (mostly from me). It's not that cheesy type to romance. Readers will really be swept up in it and like me, yearn for the two lovers to be together.

Hello, my name is Guen and I'm a rêveur.

Now where is my red scarf?

I loved this book--the characters, the story, everything! I'll be looking out for more of Erin Morgenstern's writing because she has left such a good impression on me.

Guaranteed, The Night Circus is one of those books that will stick with you for ages and more. I invite you all to pick up this book and enter the--here we go--magical world of The Night Circus. Be swept up in it's dazzling appearance and it's musical words.

But remember, "The circus arrives without warning."
And it opens at nightfall and closes at dawn--just make sure you weren't dreaming. show less

History. Time traveling. The reasons I immediately added this to my list in a heartbeat. What first brought me to Wildwing was while I was browsing through amazon for any historical fiction books, then I came across this. The cover first sparked my interest then came the summary. It was an exciting story in which the pages soared taking me to a whole different world, really.

At first, I was confused when I was at the early chapters of the book. I thought that Addy would be from the present, 21st century, which is why it came to me as a shock when it took place in the 20th century. But as I came over that confusion, I was swept into Addy's world in 1913. Addy's struggle to get over the bullying is relatable to some girls today, and I think everyone would just love to escape their life.

My excitement began to build as Addy was transported by the time-machine to her town in the 13th century. Nothing was as epic as the Medieval times. Addy, having got the main role in their school play before her mother pulled her out, was ever the great actress. I found her slip-ups chuckle-worthy. Addy's fascination with birds seemed to pop out of nowhere but I enjoyed reading about it nonetheless.

Addy's relationship was enjoyable to read about, how the love they shared for each other seemed to build up. It seemed like nothing, but then towards the climax of the story I finally fell for Will. Will, I think is one of the most interesting characters and not until towards the climax I figured show more out how Will stumbled upon that time. I have to say, when Emily Whitman added that interesting and entertaining bit, it caught me by surprise.

Wildwing was an amazing fantasy that took me to two different centuries, full with romance, secrets, acts, and the will to overcome those who look down on you, make peace with your enemies. I couldn't have enjoyed this book more, like the seas, it was rough at the beginning then it slowly settles and calms down, peacefully. I loved it, that's all I can say. show less

Set in 2150, 139 years from now, life is very much different for the teens--especially the girls. By 16, they get their XVI tattoos, telling the world that they're ready for sex. Only 15 year old Nina isn't ready to be a sex-teen. And just when her normal life is thrown off track, her 16th birthday approaches. I've got to say this was a thrill that chilled me to the bone.

The plot was a mix of predictable and surprise. The events that took place were thought provoking and the clues that Nina finds which her mother left behind was intriguing, and I liked how everything unraveled at the end. But, boy there sure were things I didn't expect at all. The characters provoked many reactions. At one point tears were flowing out of my eyes when Ginnie, Nina's mother, died (especially since it freaked me out because when I read that part it was the day before Mother's Day). At another point, I was angered by the retellings of how Ed, Ginne's boyfriend, beat Ginnie up and how Joan, Mike's sister, turned out. I rolled my eyes at Sandy for her Media influenced XVI ways, felt bad for Mike, and squealed at the Nina and Sal, Wei and Derek moments. The whole concept of girls being ready for sex at 16 made me shiver.

Though I enjoyed the book a whole lot, that I stayed up until midnight (on Friday the 13th) reading and trying to see what would happen next, there were a few things that had me crinkle my nose and go, "What?" First of all, in a dystopian world set in the future, there's a whole show more lot of descriptions you have to make because the world there is different from the world we have now and of course, there's technology available there that aren't available now. Many of the descriptions and explanations didn't help me imagine as I read. I didn't get what NonCons were until I was halfway through the book, and I had to guess what most of the gadgets they used were and how they looked like. And a trannie? Took me a while to figure out it was transportation *face palm*

XVI was a dark dystopian tale, with sick and twisted oozing along the lines. I enjoyed it, savored it, and was swept through. I can't wait for the sequel, Truth. Hopefully we get more answers, and more action on the Resistance's part. show less

I fell head over heels for this book. Right after the first chapter I was already in love with the book and the main character, Amy, who tells the story through her perspective. When I first read the summary of the book, I knew that this was the book for me--I was completely sold. Put aside the vampires, this was going to be a book that I fell hard for. And call me psychic, I was right.

Amy was I character I connected to instantly. Fanfics, loving a fictional character, and just who she is as a person made me so excited because I was so like her. I've never come across a book character who I've related to me so well before (okay maybe I've met one). She was so utterly realistic it was unbelievable and her reaction when she met Alexander was so practical. I loved Alexander as well, and all of the characters really. They were so human and the fictional characters were believable too.

The romance was the most amazing thing. Any girl would've wished that happened to her. I mean, come on, we're all book lovers here. Who doesn't dream about the fictional guy falling in love with you? And that's another thing, the whole concept and plot Allison van Diepen has created was so unique and original. Honestly, I've been waiting for something like this to be written (since I have seen any like this so far).

The only problem I had with this book was that is was too short! Really, that's the only problem I had--the length. I finished it within a few hours and after reading, proudly show more pronounced that it was my favorite book (one of them, anyway). This was so impressive and just...wow. I will wave this book in your face until you grab it from my hands and read it. show less

The ocean calls to her, but life on land is great. Both are her homes. Yeah, that's what Tempest Maguire gets for being half-mermaid, which she openly blames her mother for. Too bad her mom has returned to the ocean years ago. She's never wanted to be a mermaid, but her seventeenth birthday approaches. Now Tempest has to make a choice—the sea or land?

Tempest—I totally love that name, by the way—has always loved the water, and her love for surfing doesn't come as a complete shock thanks to that mermaid half and the fact that her father is also a pro at surfing. But her mermaid changes are taking shape, and their happening fast. Then she meets, Kona, the sexy, totally hot, muscled, mysterious boy who Tempest feels a strange connection to.

Tempest and Kona's chemistry is just so entertaining but very passionate. Within deep gasps for breath due to laughing so hard, I'd be blushing when they shared those heartfelt moments. Tempest's character is so real. She cares for her family deeply, blames her mother for everything, and is caught in a love triangle—she's just so realistic to me, it's like I know her. Plus I just love her remarks and comments.
Just past the first few pages of the book, I was blown away by the writing. It was just amazing, captivating, and seamless. Plus, real amusing. I just love how realistic Tempest situations seems—when it really isn't (erm, do mermaids really exist?).

Tracy Deebs brings in a tale complete with realistic and lovable characters, show more steamy romance, and twists that I didn't expect. The world she created has me wondering, what else lurks within the depths of the ocean? Beats me. Tempest Rising was just fantastic--or well, Fintastic! show less

Believe the legend. Beware the wolf. In this new and darker spin on the 700 year old legend, the wolf is not just a wolf. But a werewolf.

I had high hopes for this one, only to be left disappointed. I was so excited to read what the characters were thinking. While I did enjoy the movie, despite what some may have said (Uhm, hello? Max Irons! *swoon*), but the book was just a total flop. What I did like about this book was that I was able to picture the scenes not because of the writing but because of the movie. I also appreciated the fact that we got at tiny bit of background information on Valerie's sister and all the other characters. Speaking of characters, my favorites are the two gorgeous boys, Henry and Peter.

But then again, this book had a love triangle. I was torn between Henry and Peter as well, but in the movie I thought Valerie was stupid for not even having a second thought about Henry. Thanks to the book, I don't see her that way anymore. She was torn, yes, but she was always head on for Peter, which kind of annoyed me. But even though I understood Valerie's choice, her character annoyed me all throughout the book. The characters had no development at all.

I liked the feeling that the village was on edge and lived in fear, paranoid that the wolf might come into their village again to attack any one of them. Another plus, was you pretty much had to keep guessing who the wolf was (except I already knew, since I watched the movie before reading) and it would be show more the one who you least expect. Despite that, the often changing point of views irritated and confused me. I would have liked it if the transition of POVs were smoother and clearer instead of having the reader guess.

I was frustrated that when this book was released in our country, the ending was still not published with it. I had to look it up on their website and read what I already knew. Valerie's totally and madly in love with Peter, big whoop. I knew that already, from the first few chapters. I get that this is based on the screenplay by David Leslie Johnson, but I think the screenplay was so much better than this. It seems that Catherine Hardwicke has a lot of faith in Sarah Blakley-Cartwright, while I'm not so convinced with that, I guess time will tell and if she publishes her own story, I'd probably read it.

If you didn't know: Sarah Blakley-Carwright appeared in a lot of Catherine Hardwicke's movies, including, yes, Twilight. I'd show a picture of her but I can't find one. show less

've heard quite good things about Prisoners In The Palace, and me being so wildly interested in history that I think I was probably born in the wrong century, I had to pick this up. I had to read it. Besides, the cover was so hauntingly beautiful, Victoria's blue eyes stared at you with beauty, grace, and power. I have to say, I loved the cover, hands on.

Michaela MacColl almost got me fooled, I thought that Liza was really present during the time of the young Princess Victoria, until I read at the end that she sadly, was not real. Michaela MacColl gave Liza such a character with power and strength that I thought she should be Queen. Liza's smart, head-strong, and a young lady. It's like you could hear the power in both Liza and Princess Victoria's voices; and that's all Michaela MacColl's doing. She was able write as if what Princess Victoria and Liza (if she were real) truly uttered it. It brings you back into the 19th century.

The others characters such as Sir John Conroy, who ticked the life out of me, Will, who tickled my excitement, and Inside Boy, who sometimes got me chuckling for no reason at all. Each character made me feel something dislike, love, and like. Some characters are ones who portray real people living during that century, take Annie for example. Her story didn't go so well neither did it end well, some women's stories were similar to hers. Michaela MacColl let us take a peek into history, take a peek into different characteristics and motivations. show more

After I finished Prisoners In The Palace, I couldn't stop thinking about it! It's not boring nor too extreme. Including scandals, romance, history, the book is so brilliantly woven it'll capture anyone's heart and mind with its captivating flow of words. You can bet I'm going to watch The Young Victoria again...and again...and again. show less

I fell in love with Fallen because of Hush, hush by Becca Fitzpatrick, and my whole obsession with fallen angels. When I was reading Fallen, it had this dark and dangerous out-to-get you feeling, because she was in the dead gloomy reform school, Sword & Cross, that even has it's own cemetery in it's backyard (har har). But when Luce was forced to transfer to California and stay at the bright and relaxed school, Shoreline, it sort of felt a little lighter than Fallen. But you knew that something was going on and that Luce was not safe. Compared to the feel of Hush, Hush or Crescendo, Torment was not as dark as they were.

I think a reason why Torment was different from the other books was because of it's characters and the setting. California--sunshine, tans, and beaches. Not exactly the darkest place on earth unlike Sword & Cross. Shoreline seemed more like a camp instead of a school. The students--who were Nephilim, children of fallen angels and humans--were so relaxed and easy going. They seemed like ordinary students, which was different from being in the same class with kids who probably murdered people or has a rep/record.

The characters in Torment were so entertaining. Shelby, Jasmine, Miles, Dawn, and Lilith, they all made the chapters enjoyable and usually lightened the mood--especially Shelby and Miles. They were normal kids (if you took away the fact that they were half angel half human), and they would not fit in, in the type of school such as Sword & Cross, show more "They were good kids," as Luce said.

In Torment, Luce beings to question her relationship with Daniel, and she wishes it wasn't so complicated. Throughout the book, I can't seem to recall me ever disagreeing with her. It was unfair to not know about your own past but it seems like everyone did. It's painful to be kept in the dark but your boyfriend knows too much. People were targeting Luce but she had no idea why or who they were. I too, wished that her relationship with Daniel wasn't complicated and I hated to see them fight.

Though I did enjoy reading this very much, I missed Fallen every time I started a new chapter, and I loved it when Luce went back to her roots because it's satisfying to be reminded of how the series started anyway and how the two characters ended up in this situation. But I loved how Lauren Kate wrote, the arrangement of the chapters and the countdown to the final showdown, which I have to say, was EPIC.

I think Lauren Kate has a knack for writing pre-battle scenes and battle scenes. As I was reading the scene where all the angels stood, poised and ready to fight, it just makes you feel this rush of adrenaline, and the faster you being to turn the page, anxious to know more and more, yelling at times when something happens. I could just imagine the whole book as a movie (I think Fallen is going to be a film by Disney)

Overall, I loved the book, loved the characters (especially Arriane), and loved everything. But one thing though, I wish there was more intense romantic scenes between Luce and Daniel that you couldn't help but obsess over. Also, I wish there had been more of Cam, you know, Team Cam or Team Daniel. The ending was superb, and I know that Passion would be a whole new level of interesting since every chapter (according to Lauren Kate) would be another past life of Luce. Torment: a definite recommend. show less

You can totally bet that this book was passionate. Passion took me back in time, along with Luce, to experience the love she and Daniel had over the centuries. I've been waiting for this book for, forever and nothing excited me more than seeing Luce and Daniel's love evolve throughout time. Plus, I love history, and that was more than enough to make me love the book.

I was glad that in Passion, Luce finally grew up and understood in depth what kind of relationship she and Daniel have. She finally realized that it wasn't all about her, it was about Daniel as well--how much pain her death has put him through. The romance in Passion was just brilliant. The love that Daniel has for Luce is something that anyone would envy.

I would've liked to see the other characters in Passion more. I missed each and everyone of them. I totally jumped up and down when Miles and Shelby were together with Daniel. I loved those two in Torment and I couldn't be more happier when I came across them in Passion. But I'm sure that in Rapture, the final book in the Fallen series, will have those very characters that we love.

Passion ended in a cleverly crafted cliffhanger, making me want more. This has been one of my favorite series and I couldn't put Passion down. How can I wait another year for the finale?

At first, when I picked up Paranormalcy, I thought it would be some dark and paranormal story. To my surprise, it was practically the total opposite--just a bit. It was a mix of both serious/dark and light. I thought I should mention that the cover is beautiful and it does make you think that this book is in fact the type of atmosphere the cover shows.

Evie's character was not what I imagined her to be. I imagined her to be like those characters in other paranormal books, but with her own little spark. I was wrong. Evie was bubbly, energetic, and like a normal teenager. Throughout the book, it's shown that she is growing weary of her life in IPCA, and that she wants to understand what she is. It may be the same as a couple of other books, but none of those characters have Evie's eccentric attitude. She was hilarious. I loved it when she would get all giddy and excited when Lend would talk about "real life/normal life," it was just too cute.

Of course, I loved Lend (Water Boy) and Evie. Big fan of the two of them together, *sigh* Compared to other books out there, Lend and Evie's relationship started out differently. It was just like any ordinary teenage relationship...besides the fact that Evie tased him and that Lend was some strange watery shape-shifter...yeah but still, ordinary. Evie reacted to her crush/relationship with Lend like any teenage girl would (well, that's what I think anyway), which was different for me but Kiersten White made it so enjoyable.

But Reth, oh show more Reth, he annoyed the heck out of me. Despite Vivian's strange actions, I didn't come to dislike her. In fact, I thought she was a great character. I hope to read more about her in the next books.
Yeah okay, let's just say, Paranormalcy, was just bleeping fantastic. show less

I have never read a book that made me laugh after reading a paragraph or a line or two. Personal Demons is a sexy, thrilling, story that made me jump back and forth from peaceful, loving, angel, Gabe to a seductive, hot, and not to forget, dangerous demon, Luc.

For one thing, I've never had such a difficult time choosing between a demon and an angel. Honestly enough, I haven't. But when I picked up this book, holy cow, it was hard to choose. Luc was a demon, he was bad. Gabe was an angel, he was good. The line between Heaven and Hell--bad and good--should be crystal clear. It was obvious I should pick the angel. But the book was told through Frannie and Luc's perspective. Luc who was as hot as the fires of hell, pretty much blurred the line for me. I've heard this voice in my head saying, "he's not at all that bad," while I read. We've all got good hearts.

Aside from myself, I know who had the most frustrating difficult time choosing between Luc and Gabe. Frannie. She just kept on going back and forth over and over again. Not that I didn't enjoy every single part of the book, it's just that one moment she'd be obsessing over the things she'd want to do with Luc. The the next she'd be in Gabe's arms.

Overall, I think Personal Demons, is a exciting, sexy page-turner full of sizzling edge and passion. I enjoyed reading this book, and throwing my head back to laugh and never put down this book. This deserves to be picked up immediately at the bookstores. Go dash to the store and show more start reading! No regrets. show less

In this dystopian society, there was only two choices for Vi Schoenfeld: duty or death. Vi didn't follow the rules—she broke them. She doesn't want to be controlled. Too bad, cause it's “control or be controlled.”

Bad. Ass. That's what Vi is. Totally headstrong, I admired her character throughout the novel. Plus, I couldn't get enough of her. She cracked me up with her witty comments and sarcastic remarks. She and Jag, the irresistible and charming Baddie, have great chemistry that was absolutely entertaining and amusing. Not to mention how totally great these two are with their abilities—especially Vi.

There were twists throughout the story that made me gasp in realization and making me go, “Whoa!” The plot was just wow—interesting and captivating, always leaving me with questions with the only answer being turning the page.

Elana Johnson's debut novel is overall entertaining, intriguing, and exhilarating! Not to mention, totally wicked awesome. The ending had me in tears, leaving me breathless and needing the next dose of Possession.

HOLY HEAVEN ABOVE! Orignal Sin was wickedly amazing. Lisa Desrochers blew my mind with the sequel to her sinfully exciting novel, Personal Demons. Original Sin was action packed, humorous, and deliciously sexy. I devoured each and every page.

I have to admit, after reading Personal Demons, I was pretty much set with my decision of who I wanted--Luc, the demon-turned human, or Gabe, the beautiful and powerful angel. I wanted Luc. But oh my goodness, in Original Sin I could not decide where I stood. At the beginning, I was with Luc as I had been in the first book. But as the story progressed I began to miss Gabe more--more than I should. It was as if there was this emptiness that only Gabe could fill (wow). Then on the other hand, there was Luc. Completely Human and utterly in love with Frannie. Up to this point, I'm still as torn as Frannie is between these two gorgeous men.

The characters Lisa created, all had their turn of making me jump from side to side. Trust or not? Like or dislike? Matt, Frannie's brother and current guardian angel, was one of those characters. As well as Lili, innocent and shy Lili. Oh gosh, she had me jumping until I was dizzy. Taylor, Frannie's best friend, pretty much pissed me off most of the time, but her presence in the story made it more intense. At the end though, these were the characters who I know I stand with or against.

Lisa Desrochers plot was genius and came at me with full force, knocking me off my chair. I couldn't have enjoyed it show more more. And man, Original Sin upped the level of sexiness. This book was hotter, steamier, and sexier than ever. Now, that has me wondering...what does Lisa have planned for Last Rite (formerly known as Hellbent)? Not to mention Original Sin ended with some pretty intense stuff--especially since it had me stupidly screaming at the book for leaving me hanging and craving to know more. show less

A werewolf. A hot mysterious boy. A full moon. Could it get anymore predictable? As much as it pains me to give it two stars, I couldn't bring myself to put it up higher. While I have to say, that I adore the cover, it doesn't add much to what I thought of the actual story.

Once in a Full Moon's plot was very simple and I got quite tired just reading about it. It seemed like there wasn't any plot in the beginning and once new kid, Brandon Maddox, comes in the picture, bam. There finally was a plot. While there was a plot, it got very predictable. And with that being predictable, it got very boring. I seriously can't picture Brandon as a werewolf, only as a human (which is what I prefer most). A goatee? A hairy chest? Fangs? Just sounds like a shirtless man with a hairy chest wearing fangs on Halloween, to me. Sorry.

The writing didn't do any good either. Often, words were used when they weren't needed and it just made everything so confusing. Many sentences and phrases were repeated over and over, countless times. For example, "Beware of a kiss under the full moon. It will change your life forever." - Dr. Meadows. Many of the warnings that Dr. Meadows told Celeste tended to be replayed in her thoughts again and again...and again...and again. Of course, that's what the plot is based on, but again, it's predictable. The guy would change into a werewolf. So what? Dr. Meadows' warnings tended to get old and more annoying.

Eastsiders vs. Westsiders. It was a common problem but show more that's fine because books with those dilemmas tend to have something deep running through. Sad to say, this book didn't. It only pointed out the obvious. I do however, like how Celeste was such a nice, giving, person who cared about people and that she would have liked the two groups to be together instead of separated and that she cared for Mr.Worthington, one of the few characters I liked. Sometimes I think that Celeste cared too much. Her ex-boyfriend, Nash, was a pain in the neck. Then again, he's like some guys out there. It's my own opinion, that I think Celeste's best friends Ivy and Abby were just the wrong friends for her, though I did like Abby better than Ivy. Brandon, I liked him the most. It reminded me of a guy I know at school (that's all I'm going to say) and how mysterious they both are. I also did like that Celeste clung to her notebook and scribbled down ideas for stories, because it's what I do. Those two things I mentioned, scored two points for the book.

Pretty much half of the book was spent as Celeste thought about Dr. Meadows' predictions, then about how she felt sorry about getting Brandon's hand injured. And the other half was spent on Celeste being unable to believe that the guy she loved was a werewolf, then trying to help him and find a cure, then worrying over whether the wolf everyone was seeing was Brandon.
A couple of people at school read the summary and commented that it was weird. I felt bad because I wasn't able to disagree with them and the defend the book. I'm hoping that Magic of the Moonlight will change my mind about this series. Once in a Full Moon wasn't that bad, which is why I'm going to give the next book a try. show less

For a long time I've been wanting to read Kisses From Hell since it featured Alyson Noël's short story. I also liked the idea that famous YA authors wrote short stories and put them together in one book. Honestly, I was amazed that all the stories fit in a 272 paged book.

This was the first of the "....From Hell" books that I've read, and I've got to say it was pretty hard to read. While reading I had no idea what the story was about so I didn't know where everything was going, what the point of the short was, etc. Long story short, I was confused while reading. Also, just after reading Alyson Noël's short I figured that all of the shorts in this book would be about Vampires. Vampires are not my usual cup of tea, but I keep an open mind.

Sunshine by Richelle Mead: 4 stars
I liked this short story by Richelle Mead, although I have not heard of her or have read The Vampire Academy series (but I have heard of it). I thought it was a pretty interesting story and it was a good way to start the book.
The characters, Eric and Rhea, kind of remind me of Kyle (later Adrian) and Lindy from Alex Flinn's Beastly. Eric was more of the partier and he was richer, while Rhea was quiet yet observant, and she wasn't as rich as the rest of her classmates. They seemed a lot like normal teenagers--except that they were vampires.
The plot was interesting and didn't seemed as rushed as a couple of shorts in the book. I liked the action in the end, it wasn't boring but it wasn't as grand show more considering the fact that it's a short. Overall, this was an enjoyable short.

Bring Me To Life by Alyson Noël: 4 stars
This was my favorite out of all the shorts in the book. I loved how a bit history and art was thrown into the short, and I'm a history enthusiast. If you previously read any of Alyson Noël's books, particularly the Immortals series, you feel as it is her without knowing it because she has a thing for history and she's great at writing historical fiction tied with modern fiction. While reading you sort of get hints, that it is her since in Bring Me To Life, there's art and so does the Immortals series (Damen and artwork). Again Alyson Noël works with immortality.
Dani, shows a little resemblance to Ever, their curiosity, their modern ties, and the fact that they look great in fine gowns from the past. Bram has Damen's cool and the fact that he knows more than Dani does. Damen and Bram have been and will be there for eternity.
I couldn't get enough of this short! I wanted to keep reading to see what would happen next because I was completely clueless. I loved it...except for the fact that it was a vampire story. Like I said, vampires are not my cup of tea.

Above by Kristin Cast: 3 stars
While reading I was just so confused. I didn't know what the Others were or what was the Above. I did, however, thought the way Kristin wrote was interesting. It makes you go like, "what?" and "whoa..." at the same time. This is one of the shorts where I desperately needed a summary but had none so I couldn't make sense of what was being told.
The short seemed kind of rushed and went by too fast, that I felt as if I didn't get to know the characters well enough. Their romance also seemed rushed. It's as if Sol fell in love with Aurora (Rheena) in just a few hours, then they were both in love, then Aurora just dies...yeah, that part was sad, for me. What made me actually like this short a bit was the love Sol had for Aurora.

Hunting Kat by Kelley Armstrong: 4 stars
I liked the slow start of the short. Katiana explains a couple of thinks which makes you understand her and her world. Katiana reminded me a bit of Kiersten White's Evie and Lesley Livingston's Kelley. A bit of Kelley's cursing and a bit of Evie's girly-ness.
At first I was on Chad's side, then I switched to Neil, who I thought was kind, tough, smart, and not a geek at all. The short did seem a bit rushed though, something like that could've happened in 24 or more hours. It was pretty rushed to me. It was another different vampire short. Different is good.

Lilith by Francesca Lia Block: 3 stars
It was pretty odd to me. I didn't really feel the plot or the characters. The plot didn't seem to have a point and just ended with a, "wait, what?"
The characters were okay but there wasn't enough on Paul Michael and Lilith. It was only towards the end where you get to know Lilith a bit. In the last chapter, I kind of favored Paul Michael since he transformed into a vampire (it was unclear to me when he'd become a vampire or not, until that last chapter), he seemed more attractive. But then, Lilith left him. While reading I felt mixed up and all over the place.

This wasn't the best various author book I've ever read. It was interesting, but I felt incomplete and confused. It was enjoyable, yes and I would recommend Kisses From Hell to all the vampire fanatics and fans of any of these authors. I'm looking forward to reading Kiss Me Deadly: 13 Tales of Paranormal Love with Becca Fitzpatrick's short in it! show less

Miranda Hoberman wanted so badly to be Juliet. Well, she should’ve been careful about what she wished for. Douglas Rees takes on the tale of Romeo and Juliet, and cleverly entwines it with our world, creating the entertaining read that was The Juliet Spell.

I love reading anything Romeo and Juliet related, and it’s easy to say that I enjoyed The Juliet Spell as well. I think it’s interesting that Douglas Rees decided to put the spotlight on William Shakespeare’s brother, Edmund, instead of the author himself. But even so, I grew fond of Edmund, Miranda, and the other characters. Though I do think that their reactions about Edmund were unrealistic, but hey, I was fine with that anyway. I also applaud Douglas Rees for being consistent about the way Edmund and William talked, it was very believable and in my opinion, it never faltered.

The story’s plot was enjoyable with a very relaxed pace. My favorite part of the story would probably be when they performed the play, I could actually feel Miranda’s excitement about performing and a big fat grin was plastered on my face because I had felt relieved that all their hard work had paid off. A little side note though, I think towards the end, the flow of events began to pick up the pace and things were soon happening too fast that you didn’t notice you reached the end of the story.

Overall, The Juliet Spell was delightful to read and entertained me throughout a storm (there was a typhoon when I was reading it). Douglas show more Rees carried me through the story with his engaging writing and interesting plot. I honestly recommend this book to those who love time traveling, Will Shakespeare, and the widely known and tragic love story of Romeo and Juliet. show less