Showing posts with label paranormal. Show all posts
Showing posts with label paranormal. Show all posts

Thursday, July 14, 2011

Die For Me by Amy Plum


Die For Me by Amy Plum
Release Date: May 10th 2011
Publisher: HarperTeen
Age Group: Young Adult
Page: 341pages
Source: Library
Series: Book 1

In the City of Lights, two star-crossed lovers battle a fate that is destined to tear them apart again and again for eternity.

When Kate Mercier's parents die in a tragic car accident, she leaves her life--and memories--behind to live with her grandparents in Paris. For Kate, the only way to survive her pain is escaping into the world of books and Parisian art. Until she meets Vincent.

Mysterious, charming, and devastatingly handsome, Vincent threatens to melt the ice around Kate's guarded heart with just his smile. As she begins to fall in love with Vincent, Kate discovers that he's a revenant--an undead being whose fate forces him to sacrifice himself over and over again to save the lives of others. Vincent and those like him are bound in a centuries-old war against a group of evil revenants who exist only to murder and betray. Kate soon realizes that if she follows her heart, she may never be safe again.

When I first heard that this book would be set in paris, I got super excited. I mean, I love reading about France and knowing more their culture, language, etc.

To be honest with you,  I didn’t like the book much, it was good but not to the point where I was awed by it. but please do not take this review as a negative review. The book just didn’t captivate me into its world.

Now I will give it to you, it has a unique concept. I never read anything like that but the problems were in the characters. They were pretty much flat characters. I liked Amy at first because she does nothing in her life but read and read and read. But then she became irritating all the time. Vincent was boring and dull to me. He was mysterious, hot but the way he loved Amy all of sudden wasn’t realistic to me. I like things to come slow. Not OMG, I think I love you. It's just me!

The storyline was twilight themed. There were no vampires in this book but I felt like I was reading one of the twilight books all the time.  I don’t know why, really (Insert a sad face!).

What I liked about this book was the world that Amy had created. It was original as I mentioned and people will like it, but it wasn’t for me.

Tata for now

Thursday, July 7, 2011

Desires of the Dead by Kimberly Derting

Desires of the Dead by Kimberly Derting
Release Date: Feburary 15th 2011
Publisher: HarperTeen
Age Group: Young Adult
Page: 368 pages
Source: Library
Series: Book 2
 Violet can sense the echoes of those who've been murdered—and the matching imprint that clings to their killers. Only those closest to her know what she is capable of, but when she discovers the body of a young boy she also draws the attention of the FBI, threatening her entire way of life. 

As Violet works to keep her morbid ability a secret, she unwittingly becomes the object of a dangerous obsession. Normally she'd turn to her best friend, Jay, except now that they are officially a couple, the rules of their relationship seem to have changed. And with Jay spending more and more time with his new friend Mike, Violet is left with too much time on her hands as she wonders where things went wrong. But when she fills the void by digging into Mike's tragic family history, she stumbles upon a dark truth that could put everyone in danger.


Book 1 in the series was one of the best books I've read in 2010. So I had high expectations for Desires of the Dead. The book didnt fail me. It was awesome, epic, thrilling, enticing… just like book 1. I felt my hands sweating from the amount of the breathless scenes that I had to witness reading this book. It was so hard to stop reading. I just wished us, human beings, didn’t have to sleep to survive.

One of the things I liked about Desires of the Dead is the fact that I get to see more of Jay and Violet. You know I thought Ms.Derting would do the usual-Jay and Violet would break up or maybe make them less interested in each other- but, no, their relationship grew in this book and it was wonderful and very romantic.

The ending was a little scary but gripping. It kept me on the edge of my seat. I just left wondering and sorry for Violet for her curse which is her gift too.

I was happy when I knew that there was going to be another book in the series and I got even more excited when I saw its cover-The last Echo.

Tata for now 

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

The Gathering by Kelley Armstrong

The Gathering by Kelley Armstrong
Release Date: April 12th 2011
Publisher: HarperCollins
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 359
Source:  the library
Sixteen-year-old Maya is just an ordinary teen in an ordinary town. Sure, she doesn't know much about her background - the only thing she really has to cling to is an odd paw-print birthmark on her hip - but she never really put much thought into who her parents were or how she ended up with her adopted parents in this tiny medical-research community on Vancouver Island.

Until now.

Strange things have been happening in this claustrophobic town - from the mountain lions that have been approaching Maya to her best friend's hidden talent for "feeling" out people and situations, to the sexy new bad boy who makes Maya feel . . . . different. Combine that with a few unexplained deaths and a mystery involving Maya's biological parents and it's easy to suspect that this town might have more than its share of skeletons in its closet. 




The book took place in Vancouver. With the beauty of its beautiful people and the nature of the wildlife that was described in the book, I fell in love with Vancouver. 
And more importantly, I loved the book.

Each page left you wondering of what might happen next. I was wondering till the last page. It was quite fascinating to get clues from here and there and to match them up together. Of course, this book was a set up for the next, upcoming books in this series.

The characters were very well written. However, I felt like shaking Maya to tell her to open her eyes. I want to tell Maya to listen to Daniel's dad. Because with all the craziness that Daniel's dad keep saying and how he bullies Daniel, you, Maya, can read in between the lines. And figure what he meant in one of his shouts.

Did I lose you? Sorry, I just had to say that to Maya. I think you will get the grip of what I mean when you read the book yourself.

After reading this book I was 1) I was so proud Kelley is a Canadian author 2) omg! I can't wait for book 2 because book 1 was promising and epic.

Tata for now    


Monday, June 13, 2011

Unearthly by Cynthia Hand

Unearthly by Cynthia Hand
Release Date: January 4th  2011
Publisher: HarperTeen
Age Group: Young Adult
Page: 435 pages
Source: Library

In the beginning, there's a boy standing in the trees . . . .
Clara Gardner has recently learned that she's part angel. Having angel blood run through her veins not only makes her smarter, stronger, and faster than humans (a word, she realizes, that no longer applies to her), but it means she has a purpose, something she was put on this earth to do. Figuring out what that is, though, isn't easy.
Her visions of a raging forest fire and an alluring stranger lead her to a new school in a new town. When she meets Christian, who turns out to be the boy of her dreams (literally), everything seems to fall into place—and out of place at the same time. Because there's another guy, Tucker, who appeals to Clara's less angelic side.
As Clara tries to find her way in a world she no longer understands, she encounters unseen dangers and choices she never thought she'd have to make—between honesty and deceit, love and duty, good and evil. When the fire from her vision finally ignites, will Clara be ready to face her destiny?
Unearthly is a moving tale of love and fate, and the struggle between following the rules and following your heart.


Could debut books of 2011 get any better? I doubt that!

Unearthly starts with so many questions, wonders and a great intro to a whole new mysterious world. We are introduced to Clara who finds out that she is an angel who has a purpose in life. She moves out to get closer to her purpose who turns out to be "saving Christian" from fire. But things don’t go the way it's planned.

This book had a gripping, addictive storyline. Maybe the book was glued to my hands, so that would explain why I found it hard to put the book down? Maybe? The writing is unique and beautiful. The "clean romance" is just attractive and incomparable. So like, when Tucker falls in love with Clara from first sight, isn’t that great? Well, I don’t see that often in books I read. For most of the time, I wanted to be Clara because she had so much fun this summer and talked to bears(the summer in the book).

BUT, I didn’t like the ending that much. It wasn’t on the same level as the rest of the book. Or maybe I didn’t want the book to end.

Finally, I want to say this book was UNEARTHLY.

Tata for now 

Friday, May 13, 2011

Book Review: Origins (Stefan's Diaries #1)

Heyhihello
Origins (The Vampire Diaries: Stefan's Diaries #1) by L.J. Smith, Kevin Williamson, Julie Plec.
Release Date: November 2nd 2010

Publisher: HarperTeen

Source: Purchased

The description of the book:
Set during the Civil War, against a backdrop of grand estates, unimaginable riches, and deadly secrets, three teenagers in Mystic Falls, Virginia enter a torrid love triangle that will span eternity.
Brothers Stefan and Damon Salvatore are inseparable until they meet Katherine, a stunning, mysterious woman who turns their world upside down. Siblings turned rivals, the Salvatores compete for Katherine's affection, only to discover that her sumptuous silk dresses and glittering gems hide a terrible secret: Katherine is a vampire. And she is intent on turning them into vampires so they can live together-forever.


 I love the vampire diaries...the show, I mean. I've been watching the show since its beginning. When I knew that HarperTeen will be having a dairy for Stefan before he was a vampire, I knew I had to read it. However, if you do watch the show, you kind of know of Stefan's life before his death-after life.

Basically, for many parts of the book, it was just a repeat of the many flashbacks that took place during the show's storyline. But I did enjoy reading it anyways.

The biggest surprise of the book was Demon and his behavior and attitude. They are nothing like Demon we know off from the show.

Also, in this book we get to see how Stefan and Demon loved Katherine and how the brothers competed against each other to gain Katherine's heart. If you enjoy reading Love triangles, this book is for you.  

But of course, there is no Elena in that book. Well, because she didn’t existed back then.

Overall, I think if you are a fan of the vampire diaries (show or books) you need to get Stefan's diaries now.

Tata for now

Saturday, April 30, 2011

Book Review: Vampire Academy

HeyHiHello

I shall review a book titled "Vampire Academy" by Richelle Mead.

Release Date: August 16th 2007
Publisher: Razorbill
Source: Public Library
Series: Book 1
The description of the book:
St. Vladimir's Academy isn't just any boarding school—it's a hidden place where vampires are educated in the ways of magic and half-human teens train to protect them. Rose Hathaway is a Dhampir, a bodyguard for her best friend Lissa, a Moroi Vampire Princess. They've been on the run, but now they're being dragged back to St. Vladimir's—the very place where they're most in danger...
Rose and Lissa become enmeshed in forbidden romance, the Academy's ruthless social scene, and unspeakable nighttime rituals. But they must be careful lest the Strigoi—the world's fiercest and most dangerous vampires—make Lissa one of them forever.


To be honest with you I had mixed feelings towards this book. I had high expectations since everyone had read it and loved it. And it's about vampires. So I was ready to get some action and fun while reading the first installment in the vampire academy series.

First off, the dialogues throughout the whole book were very weak. It was just too unrealistic to me. Therefore, I didn’t feel any connection between me and the characters. I didn’t care about them. And we all know if you don’t care for, at least, the main character, then there is a problem. The characters were not memorable at all. Of course, I am not talking about Rose, Lissa and Dimitri, but I am talking about the other minor characters. They didn’t stand out at all. Also, I was bored for most of the time. There wasn’t enough interesting "things" going on in the book to keep me awake.

The relationship between Rose and Dimitri was the cutest thing. Towards the end of the book, it was the only thing I was paying attention to. Also, Lissa and Rose friendship was so inspiring and moving.

So I know the series consists of 6 books. Will I be continuing reading the series?

The answer is: Yes

Because I read on goodreads.com that the series gets better. So I'll read it because 
of that comment.

Tata for now

Sunday, March 13, 2011

Book Review: Born at Midnight

Heyhihello

Today I shall review a book titled "Born at Midnight" by C.C. Hunter.

Release Date: March 29th 2011
Publisher: St.Martin's Griffin
Source:ARC
Book Series: Book 1
Interest: 2011 debut author
The description of the book:
One night Kylie Galen finds herself at the wrong party, with the wrong people, and it changes her life forever.  Her mother ships her off to Shadow Falls—a camp for troubled teens, and within hours of arriving, it becomes painfully clear that her fellow campers aren’t just “troubled.”  Here at Shadow Falls, vampires, werewolves, shapshifters, witches and fairies train side by side—learning to harness their powers, control their magic and live in the normal world. 
Kylie’s never felt normal, but surely she doesn’t belong here with a bunch of paranormal freaks either.  Or does she?  They insist Kylie is one of them, and that she was brought here for a reason.  As if life wasn’t complicated enough, enter Derek and Lucas.  Derek’s a half-fae who’s determined to be her boyfriend, and Lucas is a smokin’ hot werewolf with whom Kylie shares a secret past.  Both Derek and Lucas couldn’t be more different, but they both have a powerful hold on her heart.  
Even though Kylie feels deeply uncertain about everything, one thing is becoming painfully clear—Shadow Falls is exactly where she belongs…

My review:

This book was different from all of the other books that I've ever read for so many reasons.


First off: readers sometimes hate reading books from 3rd person narration because it doesn’t connect them with the main character. Well, that’s true but it wasn’t the case for "Born at Midnight". The narration was in 3rd person but it was written differently in a way that would make you forget that it was in 3rd person. Therefore, it was like narrated by Kylie (the main character) so I mean it was an incredibly smart from the author to do that.

The addiction element wasn’t missing from this book. I couldn’t get enough from it. It was so good and I liked all the characters and the setting too. You get to read about young vampires, fairies and werewolf. I mean, most of the time vampires are century old but in this book the vampires are young and new to the supernatural world.

Each character had a unique voice. Kylie was cute, innocent and confused character. She seemed so real to me. Hunter did a great job in creating a dynamic character that will be useful for the next book in the series.
And please let's take a second to mention the guys in this book. For the first time ever, I was confused on which team I should be on.

Team Derek or Team Lucas

Ok so they both like Kylie and they want her so much but both of us...er… I mean Kylie doesn’t know who she likes more.  Derek is just so nice and patient and loveable. While Lucas has this mysterious side to him and she knew him since they were kids. Maybe book 2 will help pick a team.

There are so many twists in this book and each chapter ends with a cliffhanger.

Overall, this book was amazing and I seriously can't wait for book 2. And I can't for book 1 to become a bestseller.   

Tata for now 

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Book Review: 13 to Life

Heyhihello

Today I review a book titled 13 to Life by Shannon Delany

Description of the book: 
When junior Jess Gillmansen gets called out of class by Guidance, she can only presume it’s for one of two reasons. Either they’ve finally figured out who wrote the scathing anti-jock editorial in the school newspaper or they’re hosting yet another intervention for her about her mom. Although far from expecting it, she’s relieved to discover Guidance just wants her to show a new student around—but he comes with issues of his own including a police escort.  
The newest member of Junction High, Pietr Rusakova has secrets to hide--secrets that will bring big trouble to the small town of Junction—secrets including dramatic changes he’s undergoing that will surely end his life early.

My review:

I heard really great stuff about this book. Everyone said it was great…very unique.
When I started reading this book, I didn’t feel a connection with the main character. I felt she was one of those who would keep talking and talking, non-stop. The author tried to show the love between the main character, Jess, and Pietr wasn’t a love from first sight but to me it was. The realism concept was missing from this book (I don’t even know if such term exist…realism, I mean). The book wasn’t engaging at all. I found myself skipping and not really focusing on what I was reading.

Personally, for me to be able to like the main character is very important to like the whole book…so I liked neither the main character nor the book. But that doesn’t mean that Shannon writing wasn’t great. In fact it was really good. It was very simple to understand and digest.

Also, one of the things I didn’t like about this book is the fact that it used so many literature references. And I could list them for you but I'd rather you go read the book and pick up at least 2 literature references.

Again, I am not saying this book was bad… it just wasn’t for me. If you searched it on goodreads.com, you will see people giving it 4 and 5 stars.
Book 2 came out this month and book 3 is coming out this summer.

Tata for now 

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