Shadow Kiss: A Vampire Academy Novel by Richelle Mead

Synopsis:
Rose Hathaway knows it is forbidden to love another guardian. Her best friend, Lissa - the last Dragomir princess - must always come first. Unfortunately, when it comes to gorgeous Dimitri Belikov, some rules are meant to be broken ...
But since making her first Strigoi kills, Rose hasn´t been feeling right. Something dark has begun to grow in her mind, and ghostly shadows warn of a terrible evil drawing nearer to the Academy´s iron gates. And now that Lissa and Rose´s sworn enemy, Victor Dashkov, is on trial for his freedom, tensions in the Moroi world are higher than ever.
Lying to Lissa about Dimitri is one thing, but suddenly there´s way more than friendship at stake. The immortal undead are on the prowl, and they want vengeance for the lives that Rose has stolen. In a heartstopping battle to rival her worst nightmares, Rose will have to choose between life, love, and the two people who matter most ... but will her choice mean that only one can survive?

My Review:
Another great one! In this one Dimitri and Rose’s relationship is taken to a whole new level when they realize they cannot ignore the feelings they have for each other anymore. I think I have a love/hate relationship with this book which I am not going to explain because I do not want to spoil anything. We finally get to see Rose show everyone what she can do when all the guardians are having their final exams. We also get more detail about what exactly it means to be shadow-kissed and how that affects Rose and the bond between her and Lissa. This one still had lots of tension, great lines, and full of action! I have enjoyed them all so far but I am wondering how this is all going to play out considering what happened in this book. Going on to the next book to find out!

Frostbite: A Vampire Academy Novel by Richelle Mead

Synopsis:
Rose loves Dimitri, Dimitri might love Tasha, and Mason would die to be with Rose... It's winter break at St. Vladimir's, but Rose is feeling anything but festive. A massive Strigoi attack has put the school on high alert, and now the Academy's crawling with Guardians--including Rose's hard-hitting mother, Janine Hathaway. And if handto- hand combat with her mom wasn't bad enough, Rose's tutor Dimitri has his eye on someone else, and her friend Mason's got a huge crush on her. The Strigoi are closing in, and the Academy's not taking any risks....This year, St. Vlad's annual holiday ski trip is mandatory. But the glittering winter landscape and the posh Idaho resort only create the illusion of safety. When three friends run away in an offensive move against the deadly Strigoi, Rose must join forces with Christian to rescue them. But heroism rarely comes without a price...

My Review:
Loved this one too! We are taken to a different setting away from the Academy to a ski resort. I really hate the description of this book on Richelle Mead’s website because it makes the story, the characters, and their problems sound trite. I have to confess I have a serious crush on Dimitri and pretty much love every scene he is in (and yes I know he is not real, I don’t need that clarification). I love how Dimitri and Rose’s relationship continues to grow. While Rose tries to move on and give her friend Mason a chance we know who she has already given her heart to. We are introduced to Adrian who makes suggestive comments and smokes like its going out of style but you can’t help but like him. We also meet Rose’s mother Janie Hathaway which adds to the strain that Rose is under to be who she is without her mother’s disapproval. Man, my heart started racing when Rose’s friends went off to hunt Strigoi. I was not sure how that one was going to end but it kept me reading and I was highly entertained throughout this book!

Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

Synopsis:
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.

My Review:
I loved this book!!! I hate making comparisons because I believe every author and every series is unique but if I don’t make a comparison you would not understand how much I loved it. I am a big Twilight fan and not many books have captured me in that way. I dare say I loved it almost as much as Twilight which if you know me is saying something. I read this book in less than 24 hours and defiantly lost sleep over it because I wanted to keep reading. We are talking major page turner. I was reading three other books at the time, but all those stopped once I started reading this book.
I kept hearing it was a popular series and now I understand why. At first I was adamant not really thinking I was going to get into the story-I was so wrong.
I was intrigued by the story line, the vampire (Moroi) and guardian (Dhampir) and Strigoi world, and the characters. I love Rose because she relatable and I feel like I can find pieces of myself in her. She says things without thinking, makes big and small mistakes, and is fiercely protective of the people she loves. I love Richelle Mead’s writing style and even though I have never read her adult series I can say she has a knack for writing great YA books. She presents the readers of the YA genre with real world issues set in a fantasy setting. The core elements are all the same things humans have to deal with everyday: life changing decisions, strained relationships, love, hate, loss, friendship, ect. Cannot wait to go on to the next one!

Paranormalcy by Kiersten White

Synopsis:
Sixteen-year-old Evie's job is bagging and tagging paranormals. Possessing the strange ability to see through their glamours, she works for the International Paranormal Containment Agency. But when someone—or something—starts taking out the vamps, werewolves, and other odd beasties she's worked hard to help become productive members of society, she's got to figure it out before they all disappear and the world becomes utterly normal.

My Review:
Loved it! Evie is a heroine with a kick-butt job of “bagging and tagging” paranormals all while being totally girlie wearing pink every chance she can get. I first read the excerpt at Harperteen.com (which I highly recommend-you get to read the first 60 pages for free) and knew I had to have it because I was hooked! I got this one on Kindle which I have to say I am sad about because I am in love with this book cover. It has beautiful colors and reminds me of a Romanic painting with the use of light and shadows. I might just have to have a hard copy.

Evie is so likable with her witty remarks, relatable because she has hopes and fears like everyone else, and she has a love of all things pink. I love that she gets so excited about little things like having a locker in high school and going to eat pizza with other teenagers. For her that is a huge deal because her life has never had a semblance of anything normal. She finally gets to have an experience like what she saw on her beloved show Easton Heights. (Spoiler)While she has to grapple with the fact that she has no family and feels empty inside she does not feel it is in her right to take from others to fill herself up which is such an admirable quality. She thinks about the impact of her actions on others and cares about others different from her even if she does not fully understand them.

Lend was completely adorable and I loved all the scenes with them together. He was so sweet and understanding of Evie even when she was afraid she was killing him. They became best friends and could tell each other anything and that trust made their relationship stronger. Anyways, I could go on for days, but the bottom line is I loved this book and I can’t wait for the continuation on the story! Bring on the next book!

Firelight by Sophie Jordan

Synopsis:
With her rare ability to breathe fire, Jacinda is special even among the draki—the descendants of dragons who can shift between human and dragon forms. But when Jacinda’s rebelliousness leads her family to flee into the human world, she struggles to adapt, even as her draki spirit fades. The one thing that revives it is Will, whose family hunts her kind. Jacinda can’t resist getting closer to him, even though she knows she’s risking not only her life but the draki’s most closely guarded secret.

My Review:
I totally enjoyed this book! I got so caught up in the story that I completely lost track of time. I have read books about dragons but nothing with draki so that was a twist to a mythological creature. It was interesting to learn about how drakis change and the fact that Jacinda is one of a kind it just increased the conflict in the story. But the author barely scratched the surface in that world which I don’t fully understand yet, but she said she would explain in much more detail in the next book. The author has a knack for increasing the intensity in subtle ways such as the touch of a hand, the look someone gives you, or the charged feeling in the atmosphere.

There were a few things I was not crazy about the book despite how entertaining it was. I thought Jacinda had a right to worry about her situation considering she was taken from her pride, everything she has ever known, and she was terrified of her draki dying. But I think she harped on it in the wrong way sometimes saying her mother did not care about her at all. This was clearly not true since she took Jacinda away from the pride to save her daughter. Maybe Jacinda deserved to be told the truth about how her mother felt about the pride from the beginning but Jacinda acted so self-centered most of the time she was not ready to hear the truth.

The character development of Will, the LI (love interest), also bothered me. I do not have a problem with a rapid connection between the MC (main character) and the LI but I do have a problem when their feelings are immediate and they do not even know each other. Where is the buildup? There is already conflict because Will is a draki hunter and Jacinda is a draki but Will has to live up to the persona assumed by everyone around him. He makes it too easy to get to know him. He is supposed to be this aloof guy that never paid any attention to any girls at the before which was for a reason. Sure he wants to be with Jacinda just as much as she wants to be with him but he made it too easy to be a part of his world. He should have been trying to keep her away because he does not want her to find out his family are hunters in order to protect them and so she will not think of them and Will as crazy and scary.

But despite this issues the pacing was on target, the writing was well done, and in general I really enjoyed it and I can’t wait for the next book!

Wake by Lisa MsMann

Synopsis:
Not all dreams are sweet. For seventeen-year-old Janie, getting sucked into other people's dreams is getting old. She can't tell anybody about what she does -- they'd never believe her, or worse, they'd think she's a freak. So Janie lives on the fringe, cursed with an ability she doesn't want and can't control. Then she falls into a gruesome nightmare, one that chills her to the bone. For the first time, Janie is more than a witness to someone else's twisted psyche. She is a participant....

My review
This book was just ok for me. I think it was the writing style that was my least favorite aspect. While it was engaging I think if I had not been interested in the characters I would have not liked the book because it was a very choppy 3rd person perspective. I was also thrown off by the direction the story took which I guess is what kept me interested because I had to know where this was going. The story did grow on me as I read so now I know I have to read the second book. Guess that book did what it came to do-get me interested so I would keep going. This is probably one of the shortest reviews I have written in a long time because I usually go on and on about books I hate or love which just proves this book did not have a huge effect on me.

Divine by Karen Kingsbury

Synopsis:
Best-selling author Karen Kingsbury weaves another dramatic story of tragedy and redemption! Mary Madison was a child of unspeakable horrors, a young woman society wanted to forget. Now a divine power has set Mary free to bring life-changing hope and love to battered and abused women living in the shadow of the nation's capital. Mary is educated and redeemed, a powerful voice in Washington, D.C.--both to the politically elite and to other women like her. But she also has a past that shamed polite society. Her experiences created in her paralyzing fear, faithlessness, addiction, and promiscuity. At the crossroads of her life, only one power set Mary free and gave her a lifetime of love and hope. A power that could only be divine.

My Review:
Another great book from Karen Kingsbury! This story is about a modern-day Mary Magdalene who suffers with seven afflictions instead of seven demons. I own this book but I needed something to listen to while commuting so I listened to the audio CD and really enjoyed it in that format. If I thought my life was hard, nothing compares to the life of the main character Mary Madison. It was very moving if not hard to listen to at times because she went through unspeakable horrors. I also could not listen at times when it discussed the abuse she went through and I was glad the books stated that parts of the book would be hard to hear during the introductions so I could be prepared. It was hard to hear not because I am unaware of the existence these kinds of horrors, but it’s that it just proves how evil really does exist and to pretend it’s not a part of this world is a mistake.

Her faith blows me away because despite everything she went through she still came to believe in God and believed in the salvation of the world through the death of His son. It buts things into perspective and makes me look at my life and consider how God is using me for his purpose and reminds me that He is not a part of my story but rather I am a part of His. Through the love of God and his mercy He shows for us each and every day, Mary finds the will to live and a divine plan in the telling of her story to save other women like her and to ultimately find their way to the love of Christ. Really great! Read it!

The Secret Year by Jennifer R. Hubbard

Synopsis:
Take Romeo and Juliet . Add The Outsiders . Mix thoroughly. Colt and Julia were secretly together for an entire year, and no one—not even Julia’s boyfriend— knew. They had nothing in common, with Julia in her country club world on Black Mountain and Colt from down on the flats, but it never mattered. Until Julia dies in a car accident, and Colt learns the price of secrecy. He can’t mourn Julia openly, and he’s tormented that he might have played a part in her death. When Julia’s journal ends up in his hands, Colt relives their year together at the same time that he’s desperately trying to forget her. But how do you get over someone who was never yours in the first place?

My Review:
You know, I expected this book to be more depressing than it was considering the subject matter. It is after all about a guy named Colt, who had a relationship with a girl named Julia for a year and he had never told a soul until she was killed in a car accident. It was a shorter book than what I am used to reading but the author did so much with less than 200 pages. I never felt like there were cheesy moments or clichés weaved into the dialogue which drives me crazy. It touched on issues such as class and how big of a role that plays in our lives and the decisions we make.

I liked this story because everything about it felt real to me-the places, the people, how they spoke to each other, and their reactions to certain situations. Colt was human first and foremost and said stupid things that he regretted later and made mistakes and that’s what I liked about him-that despite the tragic situation he had to deal with, he did the best he could. The way in which it was told was fitting as well since it was told in such a way that the story did not try to be more than what it was which was an occurrence in someone’s life. Yes it was both tragic and significant to Colt and affected the people around him but it was not overly dramatized. I think if this author puts out any other books I would be interested to read them.

Ruined by Paula Morris

Synopsis:
Rebecca couldn't feel more out of place in New Orleans, where she comes to spend the year while her dad is traveling. She's staying in a creepy old house with her aunt. And at the snooty prep school, the filthy-rich girls treat Rebecca like she's invisible. Only gorgeous, unavailable Anton Grey seems to give Rebecca the time of day, but she wonders if he's got a hidden agenda. Then one night, in Lafayette Cemetery, Rebecca makes a friend. Sweet, mysterious Lisette is eager to talk to Rebecca, and to show her the nooks and crannies of the city. There's just one catch: Lisette is a ghost. A ghost with a deep, dark secret, and a serious score to settle. As Rebecca learns more from her ghost friend - and as she slowly learns to trust Anton Grey-she also uncovers startling truths about her own history. Will Rebecca be able to right the wrongs of the past, or has everything been ruined beyond repair?

My Review:
This story is set in New Orleans post Hurricane Katrina but not immediately after the tragedy. Part of me felt like it was lacking something to make me love it and I think that has to do with the characters. While I liked the characters I did not feel any connection to them and so it really did not matter to me what happened to them. Perhaps the author only wanted to tell a ghost story but it would have been an even better story if she had made the characters relatable and developed. Whenever I read a book I like to learn something new and so I found it fascinating when Aurelia was telling Rebecca all about the class system in New Orleans which was linked to the ancient Roman class system. I also did not know about all the traditions that went into all the celebrations surrounding Mardi Gras. The ending was somewhat predictable and I could not understand some of the choices the characters made. But overall I liked the book because it was a quick read, had good pacing and entertaining.

Mockingjay by Suzanna Collins

Synopsis:
Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has survived the Hunger Games twice. But now that she’s made it out of the bloody arena alive, she’s still not safe. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge. Who do they think should pay for the unrest? Katniss. And what’s worse, President Snow has made it clear that no one else is safe either. Not Katniss' family, not her friends, not the people of District 12. Powerful and haunting, this thrilling final installment of Suzanne Collins' groundbreaking Hunger Games trilogy promises to be one of the most talked about books of the year.

My Review:
(SPOILER ALERT!!! DO NOT READ UNLESS YOU WANT TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS)

So this was not my favorite book in the series but still really good. But I don’t want just a really good “Hunger Games” book, I want a great one!

I have been going around and around in my head as to why I feel so dissatisfied and this is the conclusion I have come to. The book ended without really ending. I have read other peoples’ reviews of this book both good and bad and some have voiced the same concerns I had once I finished. By no means did I want this to have a sappy, cheesy ending which I think would have disgraced the series and done no favors to the characters. This is not meant to be a happy series because there was too much loss of life for that to happen and death can take a toll on anyone. But I want some things answered:

-Why Katniss never confronted Gale or Peeta about what they said about which one of them she would pick in the end and why?
-What happened to Gale and did they just merely tolerate each other or did she ever see him again?
- How did Peeta finally get to a place where he did not think of killing Katniss every time a bad memory triggered?
-What did Katniss finally decide about being the Mockingjay and why did she never acknowledge the fact that she was also a piece in game between the Capital and the districts?

And the questions jeep coming but these are more like what I would like to have happen.

Why did Prim have to die? She could have ust being hurt to spur Katniss to kill Snow so Katniss could finish what she started by trying to protect Prim from the Capitol and the Hunger Games when she took her place during the reaping. I also wanted there to be a lot more dialogue between Peeta and Katniss in terms of the “Real or Not Real” scenario. I felt like Katniss gave up on Peeta when he never gave up on her. She made maybe three attempts to help him out of his hijacking phase but that was it. I expected more of her because I believe she was the only one that could bring bits and pieces of the real Peeta back.

I could go on but here is my point: It did not have to end this way and yet it did. I am seriously thinking of looking up some Fanfic or writing my own version of the ending just to satisfy my hunger at the end of this book (yea I know, cheesy pun intended). But the series had an impact on me unlike any other and changed the way I view the young adult genre and that in and of itself is satisfying and worth reading this series to me.

Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare

Synopsis:
Magic is dangerous—but love is more dangerous still.

When sixteen-year-old Tessa Gray crosses the ocean to find her brother, her destination is England, the time is the reign of Queen Victoria, and something terrifying is waiting for her in London's Downworld, where vampires, warlocks and other supernatural folk stalk the gaslit streets. Only the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the world of demons, keep order amidst the chaos.

Kidnapped by the mysterious Dark Sisters, members of a secret organization called The Pandemonium Club, Tessa soon learns that she herself is a Downworlder with a rare ability: the power to transform, at will, into another person. What's more, the Magister, the shadowy figure who runs the Club, will stop at nothing to claim Tessa's power for his own.

Friendless and hunted, Tessa takes refuge with the Shadowhunters of the London Institute, who swear to find her brother if she will use her power to help them. She soon finds herself fascinated by—and torn between—two best friends: James, whose fragile beauty hides a deadly secret, and blue-eyed Will, whose caustic wit and volatile moods keep everyone in his life at arm's length . . . everyone, that is, but Tessa. As their search draws them deep into the heart of an arcane plot that threatens to destroy the Shadowhunters, Tessa realizes that she may need to choose between saving her brother and helping her new friends save the world. . . . and that love may be the most dangerous magic of all.

My Review:
I first discovered Cassandra Clare’s “Mortal Instruments” series last year and have considered her one of my favorite authors ever since. “Clockwork Angel” was such a page turner and I loved reading every moment of it which proves why Clare is such an amazing writer in my eyes. Whenever I opened the book I felt like I was really in Victorian London walking the rain-puddle streets with a gray sky overhead and the smell of the river in the air. This book was much darker than her previous books but that’s ok because it made it that much scarier and thrilling. While we are introduced to a new cast of characters I like that many of the names can also be found in the “Mortal Instruments” books if you pay attention.

Tessa was a really great character who was always asking questions and never gave up until she had the answers. She was also so much braver than I could ever hope to be despite everything facing her. Will, while completely rude, inappropriate, and unforgiving, had me taken from the beginning. I am interested to learn more about his past since many times Tessa was warned about his nature and the fact that he cares for nothing and no one. Jem is such a calming presence and really complemented Will in that he did not take offense to the things Will did where anyone else would. I love Mangus Bane and I am so glad he made an appearance in this series as well. I am so excited for the next book “Clockwork Prince” that I can hardly wait!