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Sunday, June 30, 2013
"The Immortal Rules" AND "The Eternity Cure" by Julie Kagawa
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The Immortal Rules
From Amazon:To survive in a ruined world, she must embrace the darkness…
Allison Sekemoto survives in the Fringe, the outermost circle of a walled-in city. By day, she and her crew scavenge for food. By night, any one of them could be eaten. Some days, all that drives Allie is her hatred of them—the vampires who keep humans as blood cattle. Until the night Allie herself dies and becomes one of the monsters.
Forced to flee her city, Allie must pass for human as she joins a ragged group of pilgrims seeking a legend—a place that might have a cure for the disease that killed off most of civilization and created the rabids, the bloodthirsty creatures who threaten human and vampire alike. And soon Allie will have to decide what–and who–is worth dying for…again.
I resisted this book, because I wasn't a huge fan of the "Iron Fey" series, also by Ms. Kagawa. All I can say is, "what was I thinking?!" I will hands down say I loved it. It sucked me in, chewed me up, and spit me out. I feel bad giving a YA novel a higher grade than "The Great Gatsby", but this isn't about classics vs. trash. It's about how much I enjoy a read, and how it makes me feel. So with that in mind I give "The Immortal Rules" an A.
The Eternity Cure
From Amazon:In Allison Sekemoto's world, there is one rule left: Blood calls to blood.
She has done the unthinkable: died so that might continue to live. Cast out of Eden and separated from the boy she dared to love, Allie will follow the call of blood to save her creator, Kanin, from the psychotic vampire Sarren. But when the trail leads to Allie's birthplace in New Covington, what Allie finds there will change the world forever—and possibly end human and vampire existence.
There's a new plague on the rise, a strain of the Red Lung virus that wiped out most of humanity generations ago—and this strain is deadly to humans and vampires alike. The only hope for a cure lies in the secrets Kanin carries, if Allie can get to him in time.
Allison thought that immortality was forever. But now, with eternity itself hanging in the balance, the lines between human and monster will blur even further, and Allie must face another choice she could never have imagined having to make.
Because I was completely enamored with "The Immortal Rules", I had very high hopes for "The Eternity Cure". But, as most sequels do, this one failed to deliver on the same par. I still thoroughly enjoyed it, and will most definitely return for the 3rd book (what a cliff-hanger!!), but of the 2, the first is still my favorite. I give "The Eternity Cure" a B+.
#48 & 49
Monday, June 24, 2013
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"Across the Universe" by Beth Revis
From Amazon:WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO SURVIVE ABOARD A SPACESHIP FUELED BY LIES?
Amy is a cryogenically frozen passenger aboard the spaceship Godspeed. She has left her boyfriend, friends--and planet--behind to join her parents as a member of Project Ark Ship. Amy and her parents believe they will wake on a new planet, Centauri-Earth, three hundred years in the future. But fifty years before Godspeed's scheduled landing, cryo chamber 42 is mysteriously unplugged, and Amy is violently woken from her frozen slumber.
Someone tried to murder her.
Now, Amy is caught inside an enclosed world where nothing makes sense. Godspeed's 2,312 passengers have forfeited all control to Eldest, a tyrannical and frightening leader. And Elder, Eldest's rebellious teenage heir, is both fascinated with Amy and eager to discover whether he has what it takes to lead. Amy desperately wants to trust Elder. But should she put her faith in a boy who has never seen life outside the ship's cold metal walls? All Amy knows is that she and Elder must race to unlock Godspeed's hidden secrets before whoever woke her tries to kill again.
I first read this book when it came out a few years ago. At the time I liked it better than "Divergent", but that's not the case now. I, however, will continue to read the series because that's what I do. I just have to wait for it to hit my library shelves. At the end of the day, I give "Across the Universe" a B.
#47
"The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Unlike every other high school in America, ours never required us to read "The Great Gatsby". Weird, I know. I thought in honor of the film release I'd give it a shot.
From Amazon:The exemplary novel of the Jazz Age, F. Scott Fitzgeralds' third book, The Great Gatsby (1925), stands as the supreme achievement of his career. T. S. Eliot read it three times and saw it as the "first step" American fiction had taken since Henry James; H. L. Mencken praised "the charm and beauty of the writing," as well as Fitzgerald's sharp social sense; and Thomas Wolfe hailed it as Fitzgerald's "best work" thus far. The story of the fabulously wealthy Jay Gatsby and his love for the beautiful Daisy Buchanan, of lavish parties on Long Island at a time when, The New York Times remarked, "gin was the national drink and sex the national obsession," it is an exquisitely crafted tale of America in the 1920s that resonates with the power of myth. A novel of lyrical beauty yet brutal realism, of magic, romance, and mysticism, The Great Gatsby is one of the great classics of twentieth-century literature.
I had a very hard time finding a good synopsis to post in the above section. Partly because every site has the same blurb, and partly because "The Great Gatsby" doesn't really have a traditional plot. While the story is rich in beautiful description, it's not a fast paced story. While I enjoyed the read greatly, it won't top the list of my favorites. I give "The Great Gatsby" a B+.
#46
Sunday, June 16, 2013
"NOS4A2" by Joe Hill
Ok, here's the deal. I LOVE Diana Gabaldon. She is one of my favorite authors of all time. Her "Outlander" series is my go-to, my soul in novel form. I cannot, for the life of me, get into her Lord John Grey books. At all. I was hoping because this book is predominantly about Jamie Fraser (OMG the perfect man, ever), I would be able to finish it. It didn't happen. So, instead, I picked up Joe Hill's newest novel, "NOS4A2".
From Amazon:Victoria McQueen has a secret gift for finding things: a misplaced bracelet, a missing photograph, answers to unanswerable questions. On her Raleigh Tuff Burner bike, she makes her way to a rickety covered bridge that, within moments, takes her wherever she needs to go, whether it’s across Massachusetts or across the country.
Charles Talent Manx has a way with children. He likes to take them for rides in his 1938 Rolls-Royce Wraith with the NOS4A2 vanity plate. With his old car, he can slip right out of the everyday world, and onto the hidden roads that transport them to an astonishing – and terrifying – playground of amusements he calls “Christmasland.”
Then, one day, Vic goes looking for trouble—and finds Manx. That was a lifetime ago. Now Vic, the only kid to ever escape Manx’s unmitigated evil, is all grown up and desperate to forget. But Charlie Manx never stopped thinking about Victoria McQueen. He’s on the road again and he’s picked up a new passenger: Vic’s own son.
It was in this book where I could see Joe Hill's famous daddy's influence. I'm a huge Stephen King fan (second only to Gabaldon) and have been anxiously awaiting to read this book. It was great! A little bit of old school King, mixed will Mr. Hill's exciting writing style. I'm so glad I decided to pick this up after my failed attempt at "The Scottish Prisoner". At 704 pages, "NOS4A2" is a commitment, but it's worth every second. I give "NOS4A2" an A.
#45
Sunday, June 9, 2013
Saturday, June 8, 2013
"Boundless" by Cynthia Hand
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From Amazon:The past few years held more surprises than part-angel Clara Gardner ever could have anticipated. Yet through the dizzying high of first love to the agonizing low of losing someone close to her, the one thing she could no longer deny was that she was never meant to have a normal life.
Since discovering the special role she plays among the other angel-bloods, Clara has been determined to protect Tucker Avery from the evil that follows her . . . even if it means breaking both their hearts. Leaving town seemed like the best option, so she's headed back to California—and so is Christian Prescott, the irresistible boy from the vision that started her on this journey in the first place.
As Clara makes her way in a world that is frighteningly new, she discovers that the fallen angel who attacked her is watching her every move. And he's not the only one. . . . With the battle against the Black Wings looming, Clara knows she must finally fulfill her destiny. But it won't come without sacrifices and betrayal.
In the riveting finale of the Unearthly series, Clara must choose her fate once and for all.
I ate this series like candy. Chocolate covered candy to be exact. The Unearthly trilogy has been one of my favorite reads so far this year. It's not classic literature, but it made me want to read. I couldn't wait to get back to it when I put it down, and I was sad when it was over. I even read the novella "Radiant" while "Boundless" was in transit from my library. In my book, that's pretty damn awesome. I'm of the firm belief that any piece of literature, no matter how cheesy or awfully written, is a masterpiece if it can get a person to read. It opens the door to so much more and encourages a love for something that can be positively amazing. I give "Boundless" a B+.
#44
"Hallowed" by Cynthia Hand
From Amazon:For months Clara Gardner trained to face the fire from her visions, but she wasn't prepared for the choice she had to make that day. And in the aftermath, she discovered that nothing about being part angel is as straightforward as she thought.
Now, torn between her love for Tucker and her complicated feelings about the roles she and Christian seem destined to play in a world that is both dangerous and beautiful, Clara struggles with a shocking revelation: Someone she loves will die in a matter of months. With her future uncertain, the only thing Clara knows for sure is that the fire was just the beginning.
I'm kind of, sort of, obsessed with this series. Something about it grabs me. I can't put it down. I love that feeling! Don't get me wrong, it's not a classic. There aren't any life-changing moments in it, but it's good. Pretty sure I haven't felt like this about a YA series since "Twilight". For this reason I give "Hallowed" a B+ as well.
#43
Tuesday, June 4, 2013
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Monday, June 3, 2013
"Unearthly" by Cynthia Hand
From Amazon: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.
I was pleasantly surprised by how much I really liked "Unearthly". Again it was featured as a Kindle Daily Deal, and the synopsis sounded pretty decent. I would say this is definitely a sort of "Twilight" type novel more so than anything else I've read in a long time. There wasn't any "instant love", the characters are pretty likable, and while there is a love triangle, it isn't in your face. Because I was excited to come back to it again and again, and because I was anxious to start book 2, I give "Unearthly" a B+.
#42
Sunday, June 2, 2013
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