Torment by Lauren Kate

Synopsis:
How many lives do you need to live before you find someone worth dying for? In the aftermath of what happened at Sword & Cross, Luce has been hidden away by her cursed angelic boyfriend, Daniel, in a new school filled with Nephilim, the offspring of fallen angels and humans. Daniel promises she will be safe here, protected from those who would kill her. At the school Luce discovers what the Shadows that have followed her all her life mean - and how to manipulate them to see into her other lives. Yet the more Luce learns about herself, the more she realizes that the past is her only key to unlocking her future...and that Daniel hasn't told her everything. What if his version of the past isn't actually the way things happened...what if Luce was really meant to be with someone else?

My Review:

Loved it! Can we talk about how beautiful the cover is?! I just have to give credit to the cover artist because this one is amazing! The colors and the lighting are just breathe-taking!

This story takes place in California instead of Georgia with Luce attending a new school which is home to both Nephilim and humans and I like that we get a change of scenery. We are introduced to a cast of new characters along with old friends also making an appearance which I loved because I got attached to previous characters. Luce’s roommate Shelby cracked me up with her sarcasm and care-free attitude and I love that she was equally as strong as Luce and not afraid to say what she thinks. I am interested to find out what happened between Shelby and Daniel to make her so afraid of him. We also get an opportunity to see Luce develop her powers with the shadows which are called “The Announcers” which allow her to glimpse some of her past lives.

I will say the second book was not as good as the first one but I feel it was still entertaining and integral to the development of the plot and characters. Luce has strong connection with Daniel that she can’t explain so she also questions her relationship with Daniel because at this point it’s been a famous and epic romance that Luce thinks is right but has no memories to base it off of. I hated it when Daniel would not tell Luce anything about what’s going on with the war and loved her when Luce challenged him about it. I like that Luce is a strong female and does not wait for Daniel to finally decide to tell her what is going on but goes and finds the answers for herself. I think she can handle more than he gives her credit for but I also understand he is treading through waters he is not familiar with since Luce has never survived past age 17.

Either way I can’t wait for book 3 “Passion” to come out next to find out what happens with the war and of course Luce and Daniel! Read it!

The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak

Synopsis:
Set during World War II in Germany, Markus Zusak’s groundbreaking new novel is the story of Liesel Meminger, a foster girl living outside of Munich. Liesel scratches out a meager existence for herself by stealing something she can’t resist–books. With the help of her accordion-playing foster father, she learns to read and shares her stolen books with her neighbors during bombing raids as well as with the Jewish man hidden in her basement before he is marched to Dachau. This is an unforgettable story about the ability of books to feed the soul.

My Review:
What a book! This is one of those books that you cannot easily forget because of both the content and the way in which it was written. I have read several books that took place during the Holocaust but those were from a Jewish’s perspective but only one other from the view point of the German citizens. It puts a whole different spin on an event that we believe we know and understand. And yet there are a million different sides to that story and this book only verifies that.

This book, while about Germans and Jews during WWII, was told by the Angle of Death which I found very interesting. I listened to this book on CD (which I highly recommend) and I really enjoyed that format and I thought the narrator did a great job and portrayed the characters well.

This is by no means a fast read or one with a happy ending. But it is a touching and moving story that reflects the reality of what life could have been like during that time. I think this story has personal meaning for me since I have been to Germany and visited the concentration camp Dachau. It’s not to say I would have any idea of what it would have been like to been a Jew and live there but a place marked by death like that can’t not have an effect on you. I think I have a greater appreciation for all that the Holocaust victims suffered and how everyone else was affected by it.

Markus writes with texture and imagination and I loved the way he would phrase various scenes. He has an understanding of the heart of humanity and has such a unique way of describing it. I will definitely be recommending it to others so read it!

(There were several lines that I loved and I will leave them now at the end of this review):

• 
  “The only thing worse than a boy who hates you: a boy that loves you."
• 
  “She was the book thief without the words.
  Trust me, though, the words were on their way, and when they arrived, Liesel would hold them in her hands like the clouds, and she would wring them out like rain."
  "...one opportunity leads directly to another, just as risk leads to more risk, life to more life, and death to more death."
• 
  "People observe the colors of a day only at its beginnings and ends, but to me it's quite clear that a day merges through a multitude of shades and intonations with each passing moment. A single hour can consist of thousands of different colors. Waxy yellows, cloud-spot blues. Murky darkness. In my line of work, I make it a point to notice them."
• 
  “I wanted to explain that I am constantly overestimating and underestimating the human race - that rarely do I even simply estimate it. I wanted to ask her how the same thing could be so ugly and so glorious, and its words and stories so damning and brilliant...I AM HAUNTED BY HUMANS."
• 
  "The consequence of this is that I'm always finding humans at their best and worst. I see their ugly and their beauty, and I wonder how the same thing can be both.”
• 
  "A snowball in the face is surely the perfect beginning to a lasting friendship."
• 
  "How about a kiss, Saumensch?"
  He stood waist-deep in the water for a few moments longer before climbing out and handing her the book. His pants clung to him, and he did not stop walking. In truth, I think he was afraid. Rudy Steiner was scared of the book thief's kiss. He must have longed for it so much. He must have loved her so incredibly hard. So hard that he would never ask for her lips again and would go to his grave without them."

Extraordinary by Nancy Werlin

Synopsis:
What does it mean to be extraordinary? Phoebe finds herself drawn to Mallory, the strange and secretive new kid in school. Soon the two girls are as close as sisters . . . until Mallory’s magnetic older brother, Ryland, appears. Ryland has an immediate, exciting hold on Phoebe—but a dangerous hold, for she begins to question her feelings about her best friend and, worse, about herself.

Soon she’ll discover the shocking, fantastical truth about Ryland and Mallory, and about an age-old debt they expect Phoebe to pay. Will she be strong enough to resist? Will she be special enough to save herself?

In the vein of Nancy Werlin’s previous novel Impossible, Extraordinary is a tale of friendship, romance, and the faerie realm.


My Review:
I give this one a 3.5/5 stars. I have only read one other book by Nancy Werlin and that was “Impossible” which is one of my all time favorite books. So when you get a book like “Extraordinary” you not only have high expectations because of the name but also because of the person who wrote the book. And I have to say I was slightly disappointed. While I enjoyed the book and thought the storyline was interesting and fairly well developed there was just something that was off for me. Maybe it was the pacing of the book or maybe it was the story itself and the fact that the main character was being manipulated and lied to the entire time and we as readers knew this. I suppose it was integral to the story that we know Phoebe the main character is being mislead and the reason behind that but it kills any mystery. It also killed my thoughts about Phoebe because she seemed so needy and clingy to a guy we knew cared nothing about her. I think the only character that I truly liked was the Phoebe’s good friend Benjamin who seemed wise beyond his 17 years and seemed like the only guy that anything positive to say about Phoebe.

One thing I will give the book is its beautiful cover which looks like Phoebe is walking through a dream with mystical qualities and beautiful colors. I think those that have read Werlin’s other works and even those who have not will find this story fairly entertaining although I can’t say I will recommend it to others.

Fade by Lisa McMann

Synopsis:
SOME NIGHTMARES NEVER END. For Janie and Cabel, real life is getting tougher than the dreams. They're just trying to carve out a little (secret) time together, but no such luck. Disturbing things are happening at Fieldridge High, yet nobody's talking. When Janie taps into a classmate's violent nightmares, the case finally breaks open -- but nothing goes as planned. Not even close. Janie's in way over her head, and Cabe's shocking behavior has grave consequences for them both. Worse yet, Janie learns the truth about herself and her ability -- and it's bleak. Seriously, brutally bleak. Not only is her fate as a dream catcher sealed, but what's to come is way darker than she'd feared....

My Review:
Enjoyable! It was hard to get used to the style of writing in the first book “Wake” but once I did I was so much more open to Janie’s story. I liked the second book a lot more since Janie understands more about her unique ability and her relationship with Cable develops into one of understanding and support. These are two people that are broken and come from less than desirable home lives and yet they have each other. This makes their relationship strong but at the same time it is on the edge of a sword since so many things threaten to tear them apart. Even though the story was not packed with action and on –the-edge-of-your-seat kind of scenarios I still felt it was a fast read and could easily be done in one sitting. I will be interested to see how things turn out for Janie since she learns in “Fade” the hard truth about what it means to fall into people’s dreams.

Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce

Synopsis:
The story of Scarlett and Rosie March, two highly-skilled sisters who have been hunting Fenris (werewolves) -- who prey on teen girls -- since Scarlett lost her eye years ago while defending Rosie in an attack. Scarlett lives to destroy the Fenris, and she and Rosie lure them in with red cloaks (a colour the wolves can't resist), though Rosie hunts more out of debt to her sister than drive. But things seem to be changing. The wolves are getting stronger and harder to fight, and there has been a rash of news reports about countless teenage girls being brutally murdered in the city. Scarlett and Rosie soon discover the truth: wolves are banding together in search of a Potential Fenris -- a man tainted by the pack but not yet fully changed. Desperate to find the Potential to use him as bait for a massive werewolf extermination, the sisters move to the city with Silas, a young woodsman and long time family friend who is deadly with an axe. Meanwhile, Rosie finds herself drawn to Silas and the bond they share not only drives the sisters apart, but could destroy all they've worked for.

My Review:
A modern twist on an old fairytale! I have to admit I was not sure if I was going to like this one at first. But once the March sisters, Scarlett and Rosie, started to tell their story, I knew I was in for a unique and action-packed adventure. If you think this is a story about two innocent girls that fall prey to a hungry wolf, you’re wrong. It’s the wolf that should be afraid since the March sisters have taken it upon themselves to hunt wolves. Let’s just say I would not want to meet up with one of them in a dark alley with Scarlett welding an axe and Rosie with her knife throwing ability. Thrown in with the action is a love interest in the form of a guy named Silas, the March sisters family friend. He is not only a woodsman but a talented wolf hunter himself and joins Scarlett and Rosie on their most daring hunting adventure yet. This might seem stupid and sexist but for some reason I thought Jackson Pearce was a man and then when I figured out Pearce was a woman it changed the story for me and I liked it better. Believe me, I do not have a problem with male authors and I know it’s weird, but it gave me a different perspective of the book. But overall I enjoyed reading it and definitely woke up early numerous mornings to find out what happens next. I hope to read more stories like this that change the way we think about traditional stories.

Spirit Bound: A Vampire Academy Novel by Richelle Mead

Synopsis:
Dimitri gave Rose the ultimate choice. But she chose wrong… After a long and heartbreaking journey to Dimitri’s birthplace in Siberia, Rose Hathaway has finally returned to St. Vladimir’s—and to her best friend, Lissa. It is nearly graduation, and the girls can’t wait for their real lives beyond the Academy’s iron gates to begin. But Rose’s heart still aches for Dimitri, and she knows he’s out there, somewhere. She failed to kill him when she had the chance. And now her worst fears are about to come true— Dimitri has tasted her blood, and now he is hunting her. Only this time, he won’t rest until Rose joins him…forever.

My Review:
Yet another entertaining read by Richelle Mead from the Vampire Academy series. I thought this story could not get any crazier. Yet again I was wrong. Wow, I mean where is this story even going to go after this? And we are left with a cliff hanger no less! Thank goodness I did not start reading this series until now because the wait would be so painful. Luckily the final installment “Blood Promise” is only a few months away as opposed to a year. This series has entertained and captivated me from the beginning and I have looked forward to staring every book.

Man, lets talk about Dimitri and what happened. I think I could make a serious case for Dimitri having PTSD after that whole Strigoi episode (hey, I am a social worker so I am going to pay attention to these things).I mean who could go through something like that, killing innocent people, and not end up in a darker place. I mean deep down I wanted him to miraculously be ok and cool with everything but let’s get real, things like that do not just happen. He just needs some therapy and it will all be good. It hurt my heart to read about all of the things that went down between Dimitri and Rose. I wanted to cry hearing him say he did not love her. I mean, what the crap! I can’t imagine a world where Dimitri does not love Rose which is why I know he is lying. He can’t forgive himself for what he did to her and that overrides everything, even his feelings for her.

Blood Promise: A Vampire Academy Novel by Richelle Mead

Synopsis:
The recent attack on St. Vladimir's Academy devastated the entire Moroi world. Many are dead. And, for the few victims carried off by Strigoi, their fates are even worse. A rare tattoo now adorns Rose's neck, a mark that says she's killed far too many Strigoi to count. But only one victim matters-Dimitri Belikov. Rose must now choose one of two very different paths: honoring her life's vow to protect Lissa or, dropping out of the Academy to strike out on her own and hunt down the man she loves.

My Review:
I loved it but it was almost painful for me to read for reasons you would understand if you have read the other books. We are introduced to new characters and Rose’s world grows because she realizes what kind of role the Moroi and Dhampirs play among humans and then we throw Alchemist into the mix. We also get to meet Rose’s father which I found really interesting and that just added a whole other element of surprise. I enjoyed getting a chance to read about Rose in another part of the world away from the Academy but with that comes a price. She has to interact with Adrian and Lissa through her mind instead of in person and that was frustrating at times because she could not talk back to Lissa. Rose grows through the series but does so especially in this book and reflects on her actions and how that affects her relationship with other people. She also always analyzes what is happening to her and how she is changing and says what she needs to say without beating a dead horse with a stick, so to speak. Rose learns something towards the end that will forever change her world and spurs her on her next quest in order to save the man she loves. Can’t wait to see where the next one is going!