Illyria by Elizabeth Hand

"Madeleine and Rogan Tierney are first cousins and descendants of the great stage actress Madeleine Armin Tierney. They live with their many relatives at Arden Terrace, a gated community with large, rambling houses in Yonkers, and as the youngest cousins they are the closest--so close that they share a connection no one else could ever comprehend, and ultimately fall in love. Encouraged by their glamorous Aunt Kate to pursue their legacy in theater, the two participate in their school's production of Twelfth Night, which causes all sorts of feelings and emotions to swell, and forces Madeleine and Rogan to face the uncertainty of their future together."

I really thought that this was beautifully written, but honestly I could not see the point that the author was trying to make. Or was there even a point? While the writing is vivid and sensuous and the characters realistic and complex the whole plot was simply to short to really show anything worthy of attention.  I was not very impressed with anything in Illyria. 

Evernight by Claudia Gray

"Bianca wants to escape. 

She's been uprooted from her small hometown and enrolled at Evernight Academy, an eerie Gothic boarding school where the students are somehow too perfect: smart, sleek, and almost predatory. Bianca knows she doesn't fit in. 

Then she meets Lucas. He's not the "Evernight type" either, and he likes it that way. Lucas ignores the rules, stands up to the snobs, and warns Bianca to be careful—even when it comes to caring about him. 

"I couldn't stand it if they took it out on you," he tells Bianca, "and eventually they would." 

But the connection between Bianca and Lucas can't be denied. Bianca will risk anything to be with Lucas, but dark secrets are fated to tear them apart . . . and to make Bianca question everything she's ever believed."

     You should all know early, I am not fond of Vampire books.   To me they just don't quite make sense and so are stupid.  Don't get me wrong, I did enjoy the Twilight series but other than that I have not found very many vampire books that are redeemable in any sense.
      As with all books there is a twist in Evernight that comes swiftly but not unexpectedly.  I knew what Bianca was all a long and I had already guessed what Lucas was but still the twist was not as l expected.  To me the author, Claudia Gray,  just seemed to want to surprise you in to shock.  Which she succeeded in doing.  But in the wrong sense. I was so shocked at the suddenness, fakeness and over all disconcerting way it was thrown on you, that I was tempted to throw the whole book away at that very moment. At first Bianca acts like she doesn't know whats going on, like she's a perfectly normal human being.  Because of this, I figured that she would find out at the same time as us.  But no.  Bianca already knew! Which makes almost no sense!  Why was none of this mentioned before! The word vampire and blood thirst or any of that didn't even surface before. It just kind of hits you in the stomach leaving you breathless! (And angry).  As I said before, I was tempted to stop reading the book.  But I didn't.  Which I am glad I did because the redeeming qualities come now.
      After that first twist things were a little messy, I was still confused and shocked over the twist.  A little over half way through the book there is another plot twist, which left me as breathless as before but this time for different reasons.  This twist in the plot was unexpected, exiting and, best of all, made sense! That first twist was lame but the book really developed after that in both the characters and the plot.  Also,  I really enjoyed the writing style.  Evernight has more redeeming qualities than  any other vampire book I've read so far.
   I will be reviewing the next book in the series, Stargazer, next week.  

Mistwood by Leah Cypress

     "The Shifter is an immortal creature bound by an ancient spell to protect the kings of Samorna. When the realm is peaceful, she retreats to the Mistwod.

But when she is needed she always comes.

Isabel remembers nothing. Nothing before the prince rode into her forest to take her back to the castle. Nothing about who she is supposed to be, or the powers she is supposed to have.

Prince Rokan needs Isabel to be his Shifter. He needs her ability to shift to animal form, to wind, to mist. He needs her lethal speed and superhuman strength. And he needs her loyalty--because without it, she may be his greatest threat.

Isabel knows that her prince is lying to her, but she can't help wanting to protect him from the dangers and intrigues of the court . . . until a deadly truth shatters the bond between them.

Now Isabel faces a choice that threatens her loyalty, her heart . . . and everything she thought she knew."

      Well, just as with everything there was some good and some bad involving this book.   I believe that it's always good to get the bad over with first so here goes.
First of all I thought that the plot was just a tad confusing. OK. Scratch that. Not a tad, a lot.  For close to the whole book i was completely lost. And not in a good way either.  Another thing that bugged me was that there is no character development. In order to really have a good novel you need to have character development.  Mistwoods characters were just as confusing and stranger like as the plot.  I only have one other really major problem with it, the romance was completely unneeded.  The amount of time spent on the romance development was simply nilch!  The ending romance was out of place, unpredictable and unrealistic.
      Enough of my complaining.  I really really really loved the writing style.  While it was complex and detailed it was also easy and enjoyable to read.  A perfect combination in my eyes!  When reading a book, the first thing I always notice is the writing.  If the style is not interesting and well written then that book already loses points.  It must grab you from the start with, not only a thought out plot and comprehensible characters, it must also have good writing!   I found that I did enjoy the read and so perhaps, despite it's problems, you too might enjoy Mistwood.  I look forward to more books by Leah Cypress.
      

Later this week

Sometime later this week I'll get the reviews of Evernight, Swoon, Illyria and Linger up.  Looking forward to it!

Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick

Falling in love was never so easy . . .

or so deadly.

For Nora Grey, romance was not part of the plan. She's never been particularly attracted to the boys at her school, no matter how much her best friend, Vee, pushes them at her. Not until Patch came along. With his easy smile and eyes that seem to see inside her, Nora is drawn to him against her better judgment.
But after a series of terrifying encounters, Nora's not sure who to trust. Patch seems to be everywhere she is, and to know more about her than her closest friends. She can't decide whether she should fall into his arms or run and hide. And when she tries to seek some answers, she finds herself near a truth that is way more unsettling than anything Patch makes her feel.
For Nora is right in the middle of an ancient battle between the immortal and those that have fallen - and, when it comes to choosing sides, the wrong choice will cost her life.

Love the cover!!!!!

Warning: This review may contain spoilers.
I have very mixed feelings about Hush Hush.  At first I was appalled at the way Patch treated Nora.  It was bordering on abusive!!! My feelings for Patch went from definite like to complete mistrust where it stayed for almost the rest of the book.  For me, the end was a creative and surprising twist, that I defiantly did not see coming.   I did like how close Vee and Nora were.  In the end, I very much liked how Nora acted for Patch and how, in return, Patch acted for her.  I noticed that a few things in the last chapter did not make sense but perhaps I didn't read them thoroughly. For a first book, this was an excellent read. Also, there was a bit of violence, including two characters that die and quite a few attacks on Nora and Vee.  I will be reading the sequel, Crescendo, and look forward to review it too.
      

Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

"Some loves are meant to be…
others are cursed.

There were no surprises in Gatlin County.
At least, that’s what I thought.
Turns out, I couldn’t have been more wrong.
There was a curse. There was a girl.
And in the end, there was a grave."
That is one teasing teaser.  It was what got me hooked on the book.
Dark, mysterious and captivating, those were my finally thoughts as I read the last page... Just kidding, although those thoughts did go through my head throughout the book. At the end it was more like, 'Ahhhhh!!!!! Must have more !!!!!' Or something akin to that.  Ethan was a lovable character.  All ways looking after the Lena.  Well, more like, trying to look after Lena.  Lena can take care of her self most of the time. That was one of the things I liked most about the book.  I absolutely love it  when the girl has magical powers. Totally Awesome!  Just as I said in the beginning though, it is dark. Very dark.  Of course you are dealing with powerful dark (or light), magic. So what could you expect?  Ms. Garcia and Ms. Stohl created a wonderful book that leaves the readers begging for more.  I can't wait until the sequel Beautiful Darkness is released.  Oh yes, another thing.  I found that it was really cool that Beautiful Creatures is narrated by the boy which is some what uncommon and very exiting when it is.

Mockingjay

One more week until Mockingjay ,(the third book in the Hunger Games Trilogy), is released!!!! Official date: August 24th 2010.

Crash into Me by Albert Borris

"Owen, Frank, Audrey, and Jin-Ae have one thing in common: they all want to die. When they meet online after each attempts suicide and fails, the four teens make a deadly pact: they will escape together on a summer road trip to visit the sites of 
celebrity suicides...and at their final destination,they will all end their lives. As they 
drive cross-country, bonding over their dark impulses, sharing their deepest secrets and desires, living it up, hooking up, and becoming true friends, each must 

decide whether life is worth living--or if there's no turning back."

After reading some very good reviews on Crash into me I felt that I just had to 

read it myself. It started out very good, catching readers on the first chapter. But

towards the middle it just seemed to peter out. By the time I almost decieded to 

give up on the whole book it started up once again. The end was supprising and 

was, in my humble opinion, a great ending for this book. Albert Borris did a good 

job of writing a book for teen about a very tough subject. Despite it's problems, 

I found that this was a well written and rather capturing book.

New posts

I'll have my reviews for Beautiful Creatures, Hush Hush and Crash into me up later this week!

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Each year two children from each of the twelve districts of what remain of the US are picked to be participants of the annual Hunger Games. In the Hunger Games the children must all fight each other to the death in order to stay alive. The Battles are all ways long and bloody but the people who watch this event on TV all love it.  When sixteen year old Katniss's  younger sister is picked for District 12, Katniss steps up to take her place.
   I love action and romance so when I read this book I loved it. While it is action packed, ( Life or death situations are always action packed aren't they?), it also has plenty good wholesome love.  Suzanne Collins is now one of my favorite authors.  I must warn all of you though, there is plenty of violence.  A PG- 13 rating in my opinion.  This is a must read for anyone who loves action.

Waiting for Linger

My copy of Linger should be arriving next week so expect it's review soon!!!

Shiver, by Maggie Stiefvater

     I figured that I ought to start this blog out with a really great book that I loved, so what better book than Shiver??  The overview below is from Maggie Stiefvater's website.
       "For years, Grace has watched the wolves in the woods behind her house. One yellow-eyed wolf—her wolf—is a chilling presence she can't seem to live without. Meanwhile, Sam has lived two lives: In winter, the frozen woods, the protection of the pack, and the silent company of a fearless girl. In summer, a few precious months of being human... until the cold makes him shift back again.

Now, Grace meets a yellow-eyed boy whose familiarity takes her breath away. It's her wolf. It has to be. But as winter nears, Sam must fight to stay human—or risk losing himself, and Grace, forever."
    I was some what worried before I read this book being that I hadn't really like many of the werewolf books I'd read in previous years except for Twilight. But after the first chapter all of my fears were washed away. Shivers werewolf lore is different and more imaginative than any other werewolf book I've read so far. 
    Ms. Stiefvater's writing is wonderful. Being both beautiful and descriptive at the same time, Shivers writing gives the feeling of sadness, playing in with the story well.  Grace and Sam's romance will give you shivers guaranteed! 
    If your looking for a fast paced, action packed read though, this is not the book for you, being that there is close to no action and it is kind of slow as the two teens get to know each other. 
    For all you team Jacob people out there this is the book for you.

Hello all

Hi all, I'm Nessa. I'm an excessive teen reader, reading mostly YA fiction.  Being that I'm new at blogging I would greatly appreciate all of your patience with me. So far I plan on simple reviewing YA fiction, adding on at the end of the post what I personally thought of the book.  I will try my best not to bore you or spoil any plots.  Thank you everyone!