NICOLE'S REVIEW: Burn Bright by Bethany Frenette

Title: Burn Bright

Author: Bethany Frenette

Format Acquired: Hardcover

Publication Date: February 25 2014

Publishing House:  Disney-Hyperion

ISBN: 9781423146667

Source of Copy: Purchased from Fully Booked

Summary: 

Audrey Whitticomb saved the world.

Actually, it was just her city. And sure, she maybe had a little help, from the superhero Morning Star (who just so happens to be Audrey's mom) and her mom's sidekick, Leon, Audrey's sort-of boyfriend, who is gorgeous...and frustrating.

But after two peaceful months, there is a vicious new threat in Minneapolis. Her name is Susannah, and she's a Harrower, a demon hell-bent on destroying people like Morning Star, Leon, and Audrey - the Kin. Like others before her, she seeks the Remnant, a Kin girl who has the power to unleash the inhabitants of the Beneath. But to what end?

Audrey already has a ton on her plate: dealing with her best friend Tink's boy drama, helping her other best friend Gideon, figure out his nightmares, and exploring the highs and lows of "dating" Leon. But when she develops a powerful new ability, she seizes on the chance to fight, despite her mother's protests and Leon's pleas.

As Audrey gets closer to figuring out Susannah's motives and tracking down the Remnant, she'll uncover more than she bargained for. The terrible truth is staring Audrey in the facae. But knowing the truth and accepting it are very different things.

        (Image and information courtesy of Goodreads; Summary lifted from actual book)

Review: 

Burn Bright is the sequel to Dark Star which I reviewed HERE. 

After saving her city, Audrey's all set to explore a relationship with Leon and, with the appearance of her new ability, she's all about lending a hand in the fight against Harrowers despite the naysayers (mainly her mom and Leon). But when a new threat in the form of a vicious Harrower named Susannah appears, determined to end the Kin, it's time for Audrey and her gang to once again step up to save the world. Sort of.

I just love the superhero theme going on in the books. It's way too much fun. Add to that the super cute romance between Audrey and Leon, a few bad guys who're out to rule the world and a crazy dude fixed on vengeance and getting himself killed and you've got yourself a winner. 

Frenette has a cast of wonderful characters. Audrey is terribly pragmatic and while some girls swoon at the thought of a guy willing to risk his life for hers because it's oh so dramatic, Audrey is afraid. She's scared and terrified and while I don't really approve of the way she distanced herself from Leon, I understand why she did that. Leon's got a protective streak going on and Audrey isn't exactly an ideal body to guard. She's also got a whole lot of things to deal with; like her best friend's boy problems, the nasty nightmares that torment Gideon and the fact that she and Leon have never gone out on an actual date. Oh and let's not forget the murderous Harrower who's hell-bent on annihilating them. Superhero stuff.

This series is seriously addicting though what with all the twists and turns and action scenes that Frenette doles out. It never got boring. And while the book is light-hearted and humorous at times, don't let that fool you because there's some serious stuff going around here. The relationship with Audrey's mom and her dad? Ugh. So. Painful. 

So anyway, I'd definitely recommend this series and I would like to see more Leon and Audrey kissy scenes in the next book. PLEASE. If you haven't picked up this incredibly fun series yet, well, what are you waiting for? 

Rating: 

   

                       

NICOLE'S REVIEW + Novel Nails #13: Rebel Belle by Rachel Hawkins

Title: Rebel Belle
Author: Rachel Hawkins
Format Acquired: Hardcover

Publication Date: April 8 2014

Publishing House: Putnam Juvenile

ISBN: 9780399256936
Source of Copy: Purchased from FullyBooked

Summary:

Harper Price, peerless Southern belle, was born ready for a Homecoming tiara. But after a strange run-in at the dance, Harper's destiny takes a turn for the seriously weird. She's imbued with the powers of a Paladin, a guardian with agility, super strength and lethal fighting instincts.

Just when life can't get any more disastrously crazy, Harper finds out who she's charged to protect: David Stark, school reporter, subject of a mysterious prophecy and Harper's least favorite person. Things get complicated when Harper starts falling for him - and discovers that David own fate could very well be to destroy earth.

(Image and information courtesy of Goodreads; Summary lifted from actual book)

Review:

Harper Price is perfect. She's homecoming queen, captain of cheer squad and her boyfriend is the hottest guy on campus. Nothing can go wrong. That is until a run-in with a strange man who imbues her with Paladin powers and puts her in charge of her nemesis David Stark. The David Stark who mercilessly makes her life a living hell and the boy she might be falling for (gasp!). 

This book was so much fun. Harper is an adorable heroine, a little bit of an overachiever but totally likeable, smart and funny. She's also a prude - PDA is vile and she does not cuss. If she were a real person I don't think we'd get along very well. David is the anti-hero. He's moody, insufferable and wears really tight pants (he's a hipster and of course that disturbs Harper's delicate sensibilities). He's also nephew to the school principal and editor on the school paper. 

I had a lot of fun reading this book despite the fact that the ending was sort of rushed and the bad guys felt really random. You know, like, toss a bad guy in just for kicks. The book also seemed to put a lot of focus into Harper's messed up love life. Ryan aka The Perfect Boyfriend on one hand and David the Archnemesis on the other. Normally I'd be irritated by this but not this time. Rebel Belle was just too much fun. And you just know that Hawkins is totally setting readers up for the next book with the way Rebel Belle ended. Oh what a fine mess our adorable heroine is in.

Let me just add that the secondary characters were boring too but eh, who needs them. David and Harper were my sole focus so I couldn't really care less. And nobody needs a bunch of cheerleaders with super powers please.

Anyway I'd definitely recommend this to readers looking for a light, fun urban fantasy. Also suitable for those who'd like to ease themselves into the genre, I think. 

Rating:

   

"Novel Nails" is a feature of the blog that showcases nail art inspired by books and their covers. Nail art will be created by either Michelle or Nicole and will be featured alongside their reviews.

Aha! It has been so long since I last did a Novel Nails feature for the blog. I've recently been doing a lot of nail art inspired by books I've read before this feature was born. If you're interested please check out the instagram for my bookish manicures!

Novel Nails Designs 

Changed the instagram handle. Hehe.

Anyway! Onto the manicure. This week's feature is Rebel Belle, of course. And my nails are pink. PINK. With rhinestones and pearls and a ribbon.

Nail polish used:

OPI I Theodora You

China Glaze Fairy Dust

So here are my nails with the book. I'm not used to seeing my nails painted such a dainty color. It's weird! Can you see the pearls on my fingers? Heh.

My nails with the book. We match, don't we? Nails look so dainty. It's really strange.

Here are the rhinestones I used. They come in a cute glass bottle.

Hope you liked my nails! Don't forget to check out my other bookish manicures on instagram. I've been doing a lot of freehand recently.

Novel Nails Designs

                        

NICOLE'S REVIEW: The Dark World by Cara Lynn Shultz

Title: The Dark World
Author: Cara Lynn Shultz
Format Acquired: eARC

Publication Date: May 27 2014

Publishing House: Harlequin Teen

ISBN: 9780373211203
Source of Copy: NetGalley

Summary:

Paige Kelly is used to weird - in fact, she probably corners the market on weird, considering that her best friend, Dottie, has been dead since the  1950s. But when a fire demon attacks Paige in detention, she has to admit that things have gotten out of her league. Luckily, the cute new boy in school, Logan Bradley, is a practiced demon slayer - and he isn't fazed by Paige's propensity to chat with the dead. Suddenly, Paige is smack in the middle of a centuries-old battle between warlocks and demons, learning to fight with a magic sword so that she can defend herself. And if she makes one wrong move, she'll be pulled into the Dark World, an alternate version of our world that's overrun by demons - and she might never make it home.

(Image and information courtesy of Goodreads; Summary lifted from actual book)

Review:

Color me surprised. After DNFing Spellbound (I barely reached a quarter of the book) I never really though I'd pick up another book by Shultz again. How wrong was I? See, I was drawn in by the cover and the promise of demons so I said yes. Why not? And thank the universe I actually ended up liking this book.

Think parallel dimensions; our world on one side and a darker, more evil version next to it. That side is called The Dark World. Enter Paige - she's an outcast and her penchant for talking to ghosts isn't doing her any favors. Her best friend Dottie is the aforementioned ghost interested in boys and invested in Paige's nonexistent love life. Paige has always known she was stranger than most and she's learned to deal with it. That is until a fire demon attacks her and Logan steps in to save the day. Now she's got demons to face, a cute boy to play with, all the while trying to not get sucked into The Dark World. Sounds like fun.

I have, overall, no complaints about the characters. And the romance was pretty okay. There was a case of insta-love but nothing too cringe-worthy. I also thought I saw a love triangle in there but thankfully it was a false alarm. Thing is I kind of wished there was more story, less romance. But hey, at least Logan gives Paige her own weapon and rather than making her hide behind his back, actually teaches her how to use it.

Shultz has this super creepy alternate New York set up where all different kinds of demons in varying levels of power cluster as they wage war with the warlocks. It's interesting, I wanted more, I wanted to see blood and maybe a little gore (hello, bloodthirsty demons!) but there wasn't much of that. Hopefully we'll get more in book two.

I get though that all those teasing glimpses into the Dark World set us up for the next. With the way it ended, I'm not really surprised. I'm looking forward to the next book and thank you NetGalley and Harlequin for the copy. Looking for your next paranormal read? This could be the one.

Rating:

                        

[BLOG TOUR] MICHELLE'S REVIEW: Scan by Sarah Fine, Walter Jury

Title: Scan
Author: Sarah Fine, Walter Jury
Format Acquired: Borrowed ARC

Publication Date: May 1, 2014

Publishing House: Putnam Children's

ISBN: 9780399160653
Source of Copy: Borrowed from Dianne (Oops, I Read A Book Again)

Summary:

Tate and his father don't exactly get along. As Tate sees it, his father has unreasonably high expectations for Tate to be the best - at everything. Tate finally learns what he's being prepared for when he steals one of his dad's odd tech inventions and mercenaries ambush the school, killing his father in the process and sending Tate on the run from aliens who look just like humans.

All Tate knows - like how to make weapons out of oranges and lighter fluid - may not be enough to save him as he's plunged into a secret inter-species conflict that's been going on for centuries. Aided only by his girlfriend and estranged mother, with powerful enemies closing in on all sides, Tate races to puzzle out the secret behind his father's invention and why so many are willing to kill for it. 

(Image, summary, and information courtesy of Goodreads)

Review:


Tate has no idea why his dad insists upon him being perfect. With only his loving girlfriend as his sanctuary, Tate is emotionally distant from a father who spends most of his time developing inventions that Tate could not understand. What starts as a prank when he brings one of his dad's inventions to school turns into an action-filled chase resulting in his father's death, and him discovering that the world has been infiltrated by human-looking aliens... and that what he's holding in his hands could potentially start a war millions do not know that they're part of.

The ball starts rolling pretty quick when Tate sneaks into his father's supposedly secret workroom and brings to school one of his shiny, albeit "useless", inventions. All hell inevitably breaks loose, and immediately, readers are taken on a wild romp with Tate and his super girlfriend, Christina, as they try to outwit, outsmart, and outrun the aliens who wouldn't hesitate to kill them for the invention.

I did like Tate's predilection for making science seem cool with all the makeshift inventions of his own in lieu or boring firearms, and how well he works with Christina in tandem. While she is the girlfriend who just gets roped into this whole mess, Christina is very level-headed and it almost seems like she's used to being chased down by homicidal aliens. Tate's need for proof, or at least a hint, of his father's love is bittersweet, as readers would find out for themselves in the book.

Fast-paced and quite riveting this book may be, Scan felt overly long sometimes, which I can't fault it for since I am not an action flick kind of girl. And while I did like the characters, it did feel like there wasn't enough of their characters shining through that made them tangible or corporeal-like to me.

Scan would undoubtedly appeal to huge fans of alien-themed action movies. I like my alien movies mostly rom-com (like Stephenie Meyer's The Host, no judging please) so I probably wasn't the best audience for this. Scan was nonetheless quite interesting to read, if only because I, too, won't be surprised if aliens actually live amongst us, and because I didn't realize that I can pelt out predators with oranges in the event that I'm near a grocery. (Thanks, Tate.)

Rating:

              

[Blog Tour] The Twins on Thursday: Resistance by Jenna Black

"The Twins on Thursday" is reserved for the Twins' joint reviews. It is a special feature of our blog that discusses books that we either both like, dislike, or have mixed feelings about. This is also the day where we post reviews for books (and ARCs/Galleys) that have been sent to us by authors/galley sites/publishing houses. And because we don't believe much in uniformity, we'll be trying to mix things up a bit by adding random stuff in relation to our review (well, mostly for books we purchased anyway).

Title: Resistance
Author: Jenna Black
Format Acquired: Paperback

Publication Date: March 11, 2014

Publishing House: Tor Teen

ISBN: 9708765333728
Source of Copy: Borrowed from Dianne

Summary:


Nate Hayes is a Replica.

The real Nate was viciously murdered, but thanks to Paxco's groundbreaking human replication technology, a duplicate was created that holds all of the personality and the memories of the original. Or... almost all. Nate's backup didn't extend to the days preceding his murder, leaving him searching for answers about who would kill him, and why. Now, after weeks spent attempting to solve his own murder with the help of his best friend and betrothed, Nadia Lake, Nate has found the answers he was seeking... and he doesn't like what he's discovered.

The original Nate was killed because he knew a secret that could change everything. Thanks to Nadia's quick thinking, the two of them hold the cards now - or think they do.

Unfortunately, neither of them fully understands just how deep the conspiracy runs.

(Image, summary and information courtesy of Goodreads)

Review:

Against her will, Nadia is sent to a "spa" to keep the heat off her family and to their family name. Nate doesn't know that Nadia is in seclusion, and Nadia knows that she is useless when the real battle is outside... Until an ally steps in to inform her about the new developments in Nate's life. Nate, on the other hand, finds himself in a stickier situation, what with politics and love and familial duties and ties entangling themselves into a web where he finds a bigger conspiracy that no one is really quite prepared for.

If you think Replica (the first book) was pretty good, Resistance is even better. Replica only skimmed the surface of the conspiracy, so we were really impressed at how bigger Black makes this ruse out to be without sacrificing too much credibility. While things may have come to a certainly roundabout way, both Nadia's and Nate's characters have grown and their resolve is no longer as shaky and conflicted as before.

We like that not only has Nadia cemented herself as a kickbutt girl (We knew the girl had it in her since book one!) in Resistance, but Nate isn't so much as the hang-back-and-let-Nadia-worry-about-it Nate here. He's actually testing his limits and control, which makes us proud of him.

Another thing we have to love about Resistance is the pacing, there's never a dull moment in this book and it's full of action packed scenes. Nate and Nadia have matured a lot and have to make a lot of hard decisions. We totally approve of Black's willingness to put her characters through one catastrophe after the other. 

In Resistance, everything is falling into place - the plot, the characters, the conspiracy. It's an interesting roller coaster of suspense and action with romance throw in. Plus points to that because it's not forced at all and we kind of wish that Nadia's romance with this spy flourishes. (And we're pretty grateful that the revolution isn't run by a bunch of teenagers this time.)

Rating:

The Twins on "Thursday": Into Darkness Peering by Amber Gilchrist

"The Twins on Thursday" is reserved for the Twins' joint reviews. It is a special feature of our blog that discusses books that we either both like, dislike, or have mixed feelings about. This is also the day where we post reviews for books (and ARCs/Galleys) that have been sent to us by authors/galley sites/publishing houses. And because we don't believe much in uniformity, we'll be trying to mix things up a bit by adding random stuff in relation to our review (well, mostly for books we purchased anyway).

Title: Into Darkness Peering
Author: Amber Gilchrist
Format Acquired: PDF

Publication Date: May 15, 2013

Publisher: Amber Gilchrist

ASIN: B00CSTSGMA
Source of Copy: Sent for review by author

Summary:

When her father died, leaving behind nothing but chaos and a secluded Gothic inn, seventeen-year-old Voirey Cruz lost control of her life and her faith in anything. Her search for answers about her father's mysterious behavior and sudden death thrusts her into a world of evil doppelgangers intent on destroying everything she has left.

If she believed in magic, she'd bring her father back from the dead. If she believed in heroes, they wouldn't be punk boys with guyliner, tattoos, and a lip piercing. But if she doesn't start believing in demons, she might not make it to eighteen.

(Image, summary, and information courtesy of Goodreads & details provided by the author)

Review:

Voirey Cruz finds her new home unsettling. There are birds that seem to record her every move, the strangeness of the family of caretakers, but especially by Griffin, the cute guy who seems determined to keep her at arm's length. The inn was the last purchase of her deceased father, and Voirey seems to know that something is amiss - because something's out there and it seems that it knows what it wants: her.

Into Darkness Peering got a lot of things right, mainly the rather engaging characters and an interesting plot line. Voirey is a normal girl, normal until she lost her father, moves into a gothic inn and starts getting attacked by demons. Have we mentioned the birds that follow her around? Creepy. She's strong and determined, a little droll and sarcastic but we can totally get behind a character like that. 

As for the love interest, we initially didn't really know what to do with Griffin at first. Was he the kind of guy who suddenly professes his love after a few staring contests with the girl? Thankfully, Griffin has a lot more layers than that, and we can totally count on him as being one of our too few book boyfriends.

The romance aspect of the book was very believable, and there were a lot of instances we just wanted to knock both their heads together because Voirey and Griffin are simply too adorable together. The fantasy, on the other hand, was quite intriguing, and had us nodding along enthusiastically.

Our only qualm with the story was that it read like a prequel. Initially, the pacing was a bit slow since there was nothing much really happening aside from Voirey discovering her powers and her settling into her new home. But when Gilchrist got the ball rolling, the few encounters with demonic entities were quite tastefully done.

Truth be told, we were both surprised at how well this book turned out. It's actually more interesting than some of the published books we've read, and we do think that this book has potential. We definitely recommend this one for those of you into the whole demon invasion scene and while you pick up a copy, we'll be eagerly awaiting the second book in this installment.

Rating:

MICHELLE'S REVIEW: The Collector by Victoria Scott

Title: The Collector
Author: Victoria Scott
Format Acquired: Paperback

Publication Date: April 2, 2o13

Publishing House: Entangled Teen

ISBN: 9781620612422
Source of Copy: Purchased from Fully Booked

Summary:
Dante Walker is flippin' awesome, and he knows it. His good looks, killer charm, and stellar confidence have made him one of Hell's best - a soul collector. His job is simple: weed through humanity and label those round rears with a big red good or bad stamp. old Saint Nick gets the good guys, and he gets the fun ones. Bag-and-tag.

Sealing souls is nothing personal. Dante's an equal-opportunity collector and doesn't want it any other way. But he'll have to adjust, because Boss Man has given him a new assignment:

Collect Charlie Cooper's soul within ten days.

Dante doesn't know why Boss Man wants Charlie, nor does he care. This assignement means only one thing to him, and that's a permanent ticket out of Hell. But after Dante meets the quirky Nerd Alert chick he's come to collect, he realizes this assignment will test his abilities as a collector... and uncover emotions deeply buried.

(Image and information courtesy of Goodreads; Summary lifted from actual book)

Review:

The only thing - soul, whatever - standing in Dante's way of getting his promotion is geeky Charlie Cooper who can't possibly tell the difference between Forever 21 and Fendi. Boss Man wants Charlie's soul, and to Dante's amazement, even the other side is invested in her. To him, she's a less-than regular chick who's hardly worth a second glance, but there's something about her that makes him different. Someone... good.

Dante Walker isn't quite Carlos Fuentes, the baddest bad boy from Simone Elkeles' Rules of Attraction, but he's okay. I think I'm taking Dante for granted because I keep comparing every dubbed bad boy there is to Carlos, so if you haven't started on Simone Elkeles' series, you might end up loving Dante to bits. I like how Scott has tapped into Dante and made him seem a very believable arrogant - but caring - prick. I will not glaze over the fact that you will want to torture Dante very slowly and resurrect him when he dies only to torture him some more because of how he maniacally destroys any semblance of Charlie's self-esteem. But I cannot disagree that when he grows a conscience, man does it really grow. While I do have some hang-ups about his rather quick change of character, I must admit that he has had me almost convinced. Almost.

I like the humor and candor Dante goes about with, and his interactions with Charlie more so. Charlie is immensely likable if only because she will throw every misconception about female protagonists you have ever had out the window and will dutifully stomp on it. Maybe it's because we're viewing Charlie from Dante's set of standards which is why some parts must be overly exaggerated (because if you haven't noticed, he is quite a dramatic guy) but she is definitely someone that you would not find yourself rooting for as soon as you've met her - something that Scott will gradually make you do over time.

While The Collector is very absorbing, there were some times that I looked up and went all, "Whaaaat?" because some things just didn't seem all right with me. Even the romance aspect of it didn't quite sell to me, but I figured that it was okay because The Collector is meant to be a fun read, and not a book where I must. Connect. All. The. Dots. For it to make sense. I did feel bad that Charlie felt that she had to change just to be considered beautiful by society standards, but hey, she's a teenager and she's wont to be insecure with herself every once in a while. And while I did like how both protagonists found their own versions of beauty (No, I am not trying to go all after-school special on you. Maybe.) I loved the idea that we all have to go through our own personal battles just to fully realize that yes, we are, in all actuality, enough.

Rating:

          

NICOLE'S REVIEW: Dark Star by Bethany Frenette

Title: Dark Star
Author: Bethany Frenette
Format Acquired: Hardcover

Publication Date: October 23 2012

Publishing House: Disney Hyperion

ISBN: 9781423146650
Source of Copy: Purchased from Fully Booked

Summary:

Audrey Whitticomb has nothing to fear. Her mother is the superhero Morning Star, the most deadly crime fighter in the Twin Cities, so it's hard for Audrey not to feel safe. That is, until she's lured into the night by something human and not human - something with talons and teeth, and a wide scarlet smile.

Now Audrey knows the truth: her mom doesn't fight crime. She fights Harrowers - livid, merciless beings who were trapped Beneath eons ago. Yet some have managed to escape, and they want Audrey dead just because of who she is: one of the Kin.

To survive, Audrey will need to sharpen the powers she as always had. When she gets close to someone, dark corners of the person;s memories become her own, and she sometimes glimpses the future. If Audrey could only get near Patrick Tigue. a powerful Harrower masquerading as a human, she could use her Knowing to discover the Harrower's next move. But Leon, her mother's bossy, infuriatingly attractive sidekick, has other ideas. Lately he won't let Audrey out of his sight.

When an unthinkable betrayal puts Minneapolis in terrible danger, Audrey discovers a wild, untamed power within herself. It may be the key to saving her family and her city. Or it may be the force that destroys everything - and everyone - she loves.

(Image and information courtesy of Goodreads; Summary lifted from actual book)

Review:

So the thing that finally persuaded me to read Dark Star was the mention of "superheroes". I'm a sucker for stuff like those - spandex and secret identities, I find them highly amusing - so I definitely could not resist.

Audrey Whitticomb's mother is a superhero, or a Guardian as she'd rather be called. No joke. She thought her mother was just like those heroes in comic books, fighting crime and saving the world from bad guys. What Audrey doesn't really know is that yes, while her mother does fight bad guys, they're just not the ones she had in mind. One fateful night she encounters the things that her mother battles - Harrowers they're called, or demons I suppose - and her world is turned upside down because who knew that things like those actually existed, right?

I liked Audrey, she's an engaging and entertaining character, I couldn't help but love her interaction with Leon, her mother's sidekick. She's smart and witty and she's not afraid of her emotions seeing as how she readily admits that she's scared of those demons and doesn't go the whole I'm-not-scared-of-anything route but she puts on her brave face and big girl pants and faces her fears. Audrey is also curious and that curiosity usually puts her in danger and in the line of fire. Now Audrey isn't like her mother, she isn't a superhero - no super strength, no teleporting abilities - or anything but she does have some sort of psychic powers. She can read people when she gets close enough to them and she can also see glimpses into the future. Little does Audrey know though that she's got a bigger role in the scheme of all things and it's about time she stepped into it.

Now Dark Star's pacing was fine, it was a bit slow at first but then it picked up and kept steady. But what irked me a bit was how at the end I was expecting something epic to happen some big reveal or tell-all or at least fireworks and lots of explosions and action because you know, there was a battle and stuff. It was all kind of anti-climatic really, like everything just fell into place and happened so fast that it was kind of disappointing. Although it was pretty obvious Leon had a thing for Audrey, they're totally adorable together.

If you're in the mood for something fun with decent helpings of adorable romance, entertaining dialogue and superheroes, don't miss out on Dark Star. It's also got murder, mystery and a whole other dimension - literally - built in for added fun and enjoyment.

Rating:

     

                     

MICHELLE'S REVIEW: Lullaby by Amanda Hocking

Title: Lullaby
Author: Amanda Hocking
Format Acquired: Hardcover

Publication Date: November 27, 2012

Publishing House: St. Martin's Griffith

ISBN: 9781250005656
Source of Copy: Purchased from National Bookstore

Summary:


Now that Gemma Fisher has inherited Penn, Lexi, and Thea's curse - and all the strange powers that come along with it - she has no choice but to run away with them. Devastated that she has to leave everyone she loves behind, she's still determined not to give in to the unspeakable hungers that plague her. Unfortunately, they're growing stronger every day, and she's not sure how much longer she can resist.

Harper won't give up on finding her sister Gemma, vowing to get her back no matter what the cost. The search draws her closer to too-gorgeous-for-his-own Daniel, and tests her fiercely guarded independence like never before. She's always been the strong one who everyone else depends on... Can she let herself depend on Daniel?

As Gemma and Harper plunger deeper into a magical wold they barely understand, it becomes painfully clear that Gemma's old life may be lost forever. But can she still hold on to her humanity?

(Image and information courtesy of Goodreads; Summary lifted from actual book)

Review:

Having read Amanda Hocking's other books, I can testify to the fact that she only gets better and better. My Blood Approves, the first of the Amanda Hocking books I've read, was a bit cheesy, but hard to put down. (I dropped the series come the fourth book, though.) I have a copy of Hollowland stored in my Kindle app which I have yet to read, and I've already finished the more recent Trylle trilogy, which was pretty good. I think she definitely came a long way from back her My Blood Approves days.

Lullaby is the sequel to Wake (which my co-blogger surprisingly didn't enjoy; check out her review here). Forced to go with the Sirens, Gemma had to leave the people she loved most behind to keep them from being harmed. But her sister Harper and boyfriend Alex are nevertheless, determined to find her. Helping them to recover Gemma is darling Daniel, who might just somehow manage to convince Harper to let down her guard. And when something involving Gemma goes awry, it's up to Harper and the boys to save Gemma from a fate that can only end in death.

I like Hocking's characters. With her other books, I felt like they were just people who undoubtedly had to exist. But with this cast of characters, I could totally imagine them as actual people, especially Harper. She and Gemma may not be the closest sisters, but when push comes to shove, Harper would gladly step in front of a speeding bullet train for her sister. Harper is so used to taking care of the people around her that she ends up getting rankled when people are trying to take care of her. Daniel was obviously a cutie pie who embodies everything that Harper is not. It was really fun watching her getting flustered over Daniel, and there were a lot of times I just wanted to bonk their heads together and get on with it. I have clearly moved on from the Gemma and Alex relationship, because while it was cute in the first book, I didn't mind them so much in the second. 

Plot-wise, however, it was a bit muddy towards the end of the book. I obviously could not say much without spoiling something, but it did make me keep re-reading the section because I didn't get it. I was expecting something bigger to happen, and clearly, it was mounting to that, but then it fizzled just as quickly as it had come. With that being said, I am looking forward to reading Tidal, not only because I want to figure out how Hocking will handle the little 'twist', but because I want more Harper and Daniel scenes.

Rating:

        

NICOLE'S REVIEW: Wake by Amanda Hocking

Title: Wake
Author: Amanda Hocking
Format Acquired: Paperback

Publication Date: August 7 2012

Publishing House: Tor

ISBN: 9781447205722
Source of Copy: Purchased from Fully Booked 

Summary:

Strangers in town for the summer, Penn, The and Lexi have caught everyone's attention, including the eye of practical Harper. But it's her sister, Gemma, they've chosen. Sixteen-year-old Gemma seems to have it all - carefree, pretty and falling in love with the boy next door. But her greatest passion is the water. She craves solitary late-night swims under the stars, were she can belong to the sea. But lately she's had company.

Penn, Thea and Lexi spend their nights dancing and partying on the cove, and one night Gemma joins them. She wakes, groggy on the beach the next morning and knows something has changed. Suddenly Gemma is stronger, faster and more beautiful than ever. And as she discovers her new mythical powers, Gemma is forced to choose between staying with those she loves- or entering a dark world brimming with unimaginable secrets.

(Image and information courtesy of Goodreads; Summary lifted from actual book)

Review:

Seeing as how I liked the Trylle series, I thought I would give Amanda Hocking's Wake a try although I think I was mostly persuaded by the fact that it had sirens in it.

There are three new girls in town, unnaturally beautiful and persuasive and they have their eyes set on Gemma. When Gemma joins them one night on the beach, she finds herself alone and confused the next morning, stranded on the beach. Soon she finds herself more than she once was and is forced to make a choice, one that will take her away from everyone she loves.

I know Gemma is the main protagonist but I couldn't form any connections with her at all. She kind of lacked personality for me and what managed to vex me was how Gemma managed to figure some things out so quick because to me, she was a bit slow and spoiled, incapable of doing nothing but swimming and worrying her poor sister  Her relationship with Alex was unreal and I didn't like how it progressed although they were meant for each other - they were both bland and boring.

Surprisingly, I did like her sister Harper. I would constantly skim through the parts in Gemma's point of view in search for Harper. She's like a mother hen, constantly worried about her sister and her father, not taking any time out for herself and then here comes Daniel, a pretty boy who does odd jobs and lives on a boat, who takes an interest in her. It was adorable reading Harper dance around Daniel's obvious advances. Now Harper's the smart one, the responsible one. the interesting one. And this was a problem for me because Gemma was supposed to be the protagonist. Why is she not interesting?

What's even worse for me are the Sirens, they were supposed to be beautiful, seductive, ethereal. Sure they're powerful, but they came off as hundred-plus-year-old spoiled brats. They were like...Mean Girls except they had powers and ate people for fun.

As for the story itself it wasn't exactly anything special - a girl turning into something supernatural and now has to figure out what to do with herself. There wasn't exactly much to keep me interested, aside from Harper and Daniel's moments. The mythology was decent enough but with the number of books out there incorporating Greek mythology into their storylines, it's just hard to find one that actually stands out. Wake sadly, did not because while Sirens are interesting and all there wasn't any new take on their myth aside from them having to stick together or they die and finding new victims to turn into sirens and living forever. Not to mention I didn't like the Sirens.

If you're a fan of easy, paranormal reads that won't tax your brain much then maybe give Wake a try. Sirens, Greek Mythology and life changing decisions abound in Amanda Hocking's Watersong series. 

Rating: