Book Review: A Magic Dark and Bright

Title: A Magic Dark and Bright
Series: The Asylum Saga, #1
Author: Jenny Adams Perinovic
Publication Date: April 28th, 2015
Genres: Young Adult, Paranormal
Add to: Goodreads / Amazon

She meant to help a ghost...not unleash a curse.

Amelia Dupree hasn’t seen the Woman in White since the night her brother died.

The ghost seems to have disappeared from the woods surrounding Asylum, Pennsylvania—that is, until Charlie Blue moves into the creepy old MacAllister House next door. Amelia can’t help liking him, even though she spent her childhood thinking his grandmother was a witch. And she definitely can’t ignore the connection between his arrival and the Woman in White’s return.

Then Amelia learns that the Woman in White is a prisoner, trapped between the worlds of the living and the dead. Devastated by the idea that her brother could be suffering a similar fate, Amelia decides to do whatever it takes to help the Woman in White find peace--and Charlie agrees to help her.

But when Amelia’s classmates start to drown in the Susquehanna River, one right after another, rumors swirl as people begin to connect the timing of Charlie’s arrival with the unexplained deaths. As Charlie and Amelia uncover the dark history of Asylum, they realize they may have unleashed an unspeakable evil. One they have to stop before everything they love is destroyed.

MY THOUGHTS
I saw this on Goodreads and the summary sounded like the type of book I'd read so gave it a try. Now, this one didn't disappoint. I just started the book and I already got spooked. Really, Amelia looking out the window at three in the morning looking for some ghost is enough to creep me out.

A Magic Dark and Bright is engaging in a way that's enough for the reader to keep going because of the mysterious air it gives. I had no plans of putting this one down anyway because like I said, it's my kind of book and I love how this is actually connected to something historical and Jenny Adams Perinovic did a good job with it while adding some twists and turns. I wasn't familiar at all about the historical background so props to the author because I learned something and I might just do some research on it since I'm intrigued.

Despite the fun I had with this, I have a lot of questions that needed some answers. That ending made me want the next book as soon as possible because it just made me question stuff a whole lot more. Oh and the last few chapters were my favorite because things got exciting, scary and heartbreaking. Though at the same time, I was getting goosebumps at some scenes because they were somehow graphic--not very detailed but enough for the imagination to picture. I'm not easily bothered by blood which is by the way, a trigger warning for the readers who have this in their TBR or those who are curious about this but are uncomfortable with it. Nevertheless, I'm so glad I picked this up.

Really, I WANT THE NEXT BOOK ASAP. I hope my questions will be answered and I also hope Charlie and Emma sort their feelings out because... that hurts.

MY RATING

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Book Review: The Forever Song by Julie Kagawa (ARC)

Title: The Forever Song
Series: Blood of Eden, #3
Author: Julie Kagawa
Publication Date: April 15, 2014
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal
Add to: Goodreads / Amazon / Book Depository

VENGEANCE WILL BE HERS

Allison Sekemoto once struggled with the question: human or monster?

With the death of her love, Zeke, she has her answer.

MONSTER

Allie will embrace her cold vampire side to hunt down and end Sarren, the psychopathic vampire who murdered Zeke. But the trail is bloody and long, and Sarren has left many surprises for Allie and her companions—her creator, Kanin, and her blood brother, Jackal. The trail is leading straight to the one place they must protect at any cost—the last vampire-free zone on Earth, Eden. And Sarren has one final, brutal shock in store for Allie.

In a ruined world where no life is sacred and former allies can turn on you in one heartbeat, Allie will face her darkest days. And if she succeeds, triumph is short-lived in the face of surviving forever alone.

*I received this ARC for free from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

My Thoughts

The final installment of the Blood of Edent trilogy is packed with action that makes every page exciting to read. I was very excited to read this and when I finally did, Julie Kagawa didn't let my hopes and excitement down.

Plot

The start was really good and full of the trio (Allie, Kanin and Jackal) kicking butt and..drinking blood. The mysteries and thrilling parts were wonderfully executed that sometimes it made me surprised because I didn't see it coming. Until the end, the action didn't stop. Although there was a certain scene about the curing that had me a bit puzzled. Also the graphic images and bloodshed were kind of gruesome but ever since the first book, it had that already so I wasn't fazed a hundred percent. Even though this time around, it has lots of it compared to the first two books.

Characters

I could never be more proud of Allison, on how she grew up as a character and how she handled the 'monster' in her. I'd give this girl a standing ovation over and over. Kanin is still the stoic Master vampire but the moment he showed his soft side in this book makes you want to melt and love him..and cry for him. The book's all dark and angst-filled but thanks to Jackal because he brings out the humor in the air. He became the voice of reason lately and his sarcastic side just makes you laugh. These three make one badass, vampire family. Let me also put the fact that their teamwork was so good. Hands down. Zeke makes you want to hug him at first, punch him the next (you'll know why) and hug him again and keep him forever. What happened to him was devastating but I'm also proud of him that he's fighting and he has hope, and thanks to Allie for helping him. I agree with his given nickname, thanks to Jackal, 'puppy'.

Conclusion

I'm sad that this is the last book but Julie Kagawa did a good closure for the trilogy's finale. If you loved The Immortal Rules and The Eternity Cure, you'll love this one as much as the two. Precaution, it will bring you tears.

My Rating:

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Book Review: Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea by April Genevieve Tucholke

Title: Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea
Series: Between, #01
Author: April Genevieve Tucholke
Publication Date: August 15, 2013
Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal, Horror
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Nothing much exciting rolls through Violet White’s sleepy, seaside town…until River West comes along. River rents the guest house behind Violet’s crumbling estate, and as eerie, grim things start to happen, Violet begins to wonder about the boy living in her backyard.

Is River just a crooked-smiling liar with pretty eyes and a mysterious past? Or could he be something more?
Violet’s grandmother always warned her about the Devil, but she never said he could be a dark-haired boy who takes naps in the sun, who likes coffee, who kisses you in a cemetery... who makes you want to kiss back.

Violet’s already so knee-deep in love, she can’t see straight. And that’s just how River likes it.

My Thoughts

The premise gives off an interesting love story told within a creepy and mysterious theme, giving the book a very promising expectation for a reader who's into reading paranormal stuff mixed with paranormal romance. Picked this up because of two things: the very wonderful cover and the premise. I haven't read any review about it but I've been seeing this in my Goodreads Homepage last year. The cover snagged my attention, then came the title that tells you it's going to be horrifying, and the premise that has you intrigued. It met my expectation but as the story progressed, it went plummeted.

Plot

It started really good and hair-raising talks that makes you want to continue. I read this book fast but I took everything in. Although it was a good start, the middle parts were getting annoying and you can't help but question a lot of things. It got confusing (talking about the family ties, backgrounds and how things got connected and why it happened) and it just went downhill the moment the villain appeared. It seemed rushed and the horror suddenly took a step back and let the cheesiness in. Very typical for the villain to tell his background, his intentions, detailed information of his powers and how he came across his victims. I forgot if the year they live in was mentioned because the characters could really use a cellphone or some electricity to turn on the lights. Or maybe a job because they need to pay for bills.

Characters

Violet, the narrator, and I have a very complicated relationship. One moment I like her because she's waking up from the things she did or didn't do, the next I find her really hard to connect because who on earth would just accept some guest and sleeps with them without knowing their background and their personality first? River annoyed me as well. He's that mysterious boy you want to feel bad for but in the end, you have no idea if he deserved it. Neely's probably the only character I liked in this book. He seemed to be the only sane one and does what's right. Luke, Vi's twin brother, as well. He may start off as a prick but as the story goes on, he cares deeply.

Conclusion

It was a bit creepy but it died down at the last few chapters because I felt it was rushed. There were conflicting and disturbing scenes and if you're uncomfortable reading a book that deals with demons and blood, I would not recommend this. I'd still read the next book. I'm just hoping it won't be as upsetting as this, and I'm not entirely getting my hopes up.

My Rating:

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Book Review: The Knife of Never Letting Go

Title: The Knife of Never Letting Go
Series: Chaos Walking, #1
Author: Patrick Ness
Publication Date: May 05, 2008
Genre: Young Adult, Dystopia, Paranormal
Add to: Goodreads / Amazon / Book Depository

Prentisstown isn't like other towns. Everyone can hear everyone else's thoughts in an overwhelming, never-ending stream of Noise. Just a month away from the birthday that will make him a man, Todd and his dog, Manchee -- whose thoughts Todd can hear too, whether he wants to or not -- stumble upon an area of complete silence. They find that in a town where privacy is impossible, something terrible has been hidden -- a secret so awful that Todd and Manchee must run for their lives.

My Thoughts

After reading this, I finally understood why the title is, "The Knife of Never Letting Go". I have a like/dislike relationship with this book even though the story has progressed into something very interesting and ended with a thrilling cliffhanger that makes me want to read the next book as soon as I can. The beginning was absolutely slow and chapter 4 was the start of me getting confused as Todd about what's going on given that he was told with short and vague reason/explanation.

Prentisstown is full of crazies. Crazies that aren't actually crazies but their drive to rule the whole planet seems to scare me considering that some of them look like normal people (or men since the town has been a settlement for only men) with every day smiles and soft nature. The main characters, Todd and Viola, gave me mixed emotions towards them. I'm torn between feeling angry, frustrated, sad, awe and scared. Todd made me those things the most for him, especially in chapter 25 where I first cried. His constant, "I will be a man" or "I'm not yet a man" is like a mantra that has been irritating me during the mid-part of the book. But by the end, I ended up liking him a lot. Viola's the same. If Todd's mantra irritated me, her silence did the same. Then throughout the book she grew on me, like Todd, and when she opened up on how she got in that place and her life the landing, I finally understood her silence. It saddens me that she had to go through it. I feel numb for Manchee. It hurts me when animals, especially the ones we consider as pets, gets tortured/kicked just because they're trying to protect us from the bad ones. He's such a loyal dog and it hurts so much more that we have Todd's POV and he can hear the Noise so we know what Manchee is thinking. It's just too much sadness that at the end, the numbness made me rethink if I want to continue reading the book.

The idea of creating this Noise was very good. Hearing people and animals' thoughts and given at times that there are pictures (memories) when someone's Noise is like an open book and you're able to look at it. Although if you're a character in the book, I don't think 'very good' is the best choice of words to describe it.

There have been graphic images relating to violence, war and blood that is truly uncomfortable for me. But the thing that happened to Manchee, the dog, has been the most uncomfortable thing to read mixed with sadness that I don't think I could discuss further. And the women. The treatment of the women was just utterly unfair. Although not every man treats them like they only need to stay at home and not to speak, some settlements in this area (or place) just felt like the men are the superior ones which makes me fume with anger. The progress was really good and we see a bit of character development which was even better. Still, my like/dislike is present and my anticipation to read the next book is on its highest peak.

My Rating:

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Book Review: World After by Susan Ee

Title: World After
Series: Penryn & the End of Days, #2
Author: Susan Ee
Publication Date: November 19, 2013
Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal
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When a group of people capture Penryn's sister Paige, thinking she's a monster, the situation ends in a massacre. Paige disappears. Humans are terrified. Mom is heartbroken.

Penryn drives through the streets of San Francisco looking for Paige. Why are the streets so empty? Where is everybody? Her search leads her into the heart of the angels' secret plans where she catches a glimpse of their motivations, and learns the horrifying extent to which the angels are willing to go.

Meanwhile, Raffe hunts for his wings. Without them, he can't rejoin the angels, can't take his rightful place as one of their leaders. When faced with recapturing his wings or helping Penryn survive, which will he choose?

My Thoughts

Another great read! World After was packed with action and tension between angels and humans, and a certain bat-winged angel who's in the hunt to get his angel wings back.

The start was a bit slow but the dreams Penryn had were enough to keep me going because they interest me and they involved Raffe. Raffe didn't appear much later in the book which had me wondering why since I was hoping to hear from his story about his well-being ever since he got bat-like wings. And the last line blurb, was another addition to my reasons on hearing from Raffe's state. Although, the story was still pulled-off through and I'm not gonna rant about the absence of Raffe in the beginning of the book until half-way like the others because Penryn's story is also important. I love how Penryn is learning to fight, not that she was incapable of doing but in the first book she wasn't that experienced, with the sword that she now has a connection with. Paige, Penryn's little sister, made me want to wrap my arms around her and protect her. I cherish this character, aside from Penryn and Raffe, and I just can't take the picture of what they (angels) did to her away from my mind.

The only thing, and still, that bothered me a little bit was the very detailed mentions of some unusual creatures and the fight that results to bloody scenes. Like in Angelfall, some things are just gruesome which is why I don't recommend this, as much as I love this series, to the readers who are uncomfortable reading vivid details of bloody fights or just the mere mention of blood.

World After had me feeling laughing, sad and angry aside from feeling rather unpalatable due to some of its disturbing scenes. Penryn and Raffe's exchange apt of humor is one of things that had me grinning and laughing. The relationship between Penryn and Paige was enough to break my heart, especially when Paige is sad every time but seeing them together in their last scene in the book seemed to be like the light that's enough to make me cry. And I'm still very angry at what the angels did to Paige and to other kids and people. Let's just say that this book gave me mixed emotions but I loved it and it's not heavy on the romance like other YA books which is also refreshing.

My Rating:

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Book Review: The Catastrophic History of You and Me

Title: The Catastrophic History of You and Me
Author: Jess Rothenberg
Publication Date: February 21, 2012
Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal
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Dying of a broken heart is just the beginning.... Welcome to forever.
BRIE'S LIFE ENDS AT SIXTEEN: Her boyfriend tells her he doesn't love her, and the news breaks her heart—literally.

But now that she's D&G (dead and gone), Brie is about to discover that love is way more complicated than she ever imagined. Back in Half Moon Bay, her family has begun to unravel. Her best friend has been keeping a secret about Jacob, the boy she loved and lost—and the truth behind his shattering betrayal. And then there's Patrick, Brie's mysterious new guide and resident Lost Soul . . . who just might hold the key to her forever after.

With Patrick's help, Brie will have to pass through the five stages of grief before she's ready to move on. But how do you begin again, when your heart is still in pieces?

My Thoughts:

A wonderful story that depicts life with love, sadness, betrayal, tragedy and hope. This one makes you value life and the people around you. It makes you think that holding out a grudge and driving yourself will not only cause people misery, but to you as well. Some parts of the book might be a bit hard to grasp or quite unbelievable when you're dealing with a broken heart and death but when you think about it, some of them can be possible. Brie's journey had me in a way where I had to treasure every moment in my life because we never know when we'll stop breathing and before we stop, we might left things that will ruin the future of those people around us. The romance was also a lovely addition to the story and I'm glad that it was filled with humor because hey, we could use something to ease all the agony while flipping the pages. 

Catastrophic History made me laugh and cry and even though I'm not a huge fan of reading something tragic, I did not regret picking this one up and I'm glad that I finally decided to read it today. I love how every chapter's title is a song title and how it actually fits every chapter. Miss Rothenberg got some good taste in music and I am definitely looking forward to read more of her books in the future. This debut work of hers already had my heartstrings plucked.

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Book Review: Angelfall by Susan Ee

Title: Angelfall
Series: Penryn & the End of Days, #1
Author: Susan Ee
Publication Date: May 21, 2011
Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal
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It's been six weeks since angels of the apocalypse descended to demolish the modern world. Street gangs rule the day while fear and superstition rule the night. When warrior angels fly away with a helpless little girl, her seventeen-year-old sister Penryn will do anything to get her back.

Anything, including making a deal with an enemy angel. Raffe is a warrior who lies broken and wingless on the street. After eons of fighting his own battles, he finds himself being rescued from a desperate situation by a half-starved teenage girl.
Traveling through a dark and twisted Northern California, they have only each other to rely on for survival. Together, they journey toward the angels' stronghold in San Francisco where she'll risk everything to rescue her sister and he'll put himself at the mercy of his greatest enemies for the chance to be made whole again.

My Thoughts:

Read this one back in June this year but I was unable to post my review for this here. I've read lots of posts from Tumblr about Angelfall and the fact that they actually enjoyed it made me want to read it. But it took me a while to pick up the book and finally, I managed and finished it yesterday. It took me less than 10 hours since chapter 1 had me hooked.

Penryn, the book's narrator and protagonist, lives (or hides and tries to survive) with her mother and her disabled little sister, Paige, who is supported by a wheelchair. While they were out during the night, Penryn witnessed the angel Raffe being attacked by other angels and had his wings cut off. But before she could run away from the scene, one of the angels that attacked Raffe took away Paige. A frantic Penryn tries to chase the angel that had Paige but failed and their mother was out of sight. Devastated, Penryn was left with Paige's wheelchair, her mother's cart and the injured angel. She brought the angel to some place where she could tend his wounds even though she hardly cares for him and she tried to ask him as to where and why Paige was taken. Thus start Penryn and Raffe's journey (or quest).

This book had me crept out, thrilled, bothered, got me interested, had me fangirling and squealing and had my heart broken. Some scenes with blood had me disturbed. But not really the blood, just the thought of cannibals who caused it. Paige, my heart was not okay after what happened to her. Her relationship with Penryn is precious and just makes me emotional. As for their mom, sometimes she creeps me out then the next she's okay.

Raffe, I got two feelings for you: sad and happy. It's either 'awww :)' or 'awww :('Penryn, you're now one of my favorite heroines. Kickass and smart and brave. You're not perfect but you still made me like you.

I recommend this book if you're fond of urban fantasy with angels flying around though keep in mind that there are some  (quite) disturbing scenes. If you're not fond of blood, then never mind. The last book that I enjoyed with angels in it was Laini Taylor's Daughter of Smoke and Bone and now this. Now I'm anticipating for the next book and I hope to read more about the war between humans and angels in it because it seemed like in this book, it wasn't explained further. Still, I really enjoyed this :)

My Rating:

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Book Review: The Immortal Rules

Title: The Immortal Rules
Series: Blood of Eden, #1
Author: Julie Kagawa
Publication Date: April 24, 2012
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
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In the decades since the Red Lung virus decimated the human population, cities have crumbled and a new order has risen to take over the world. Vampires. The immortals weren’t untouched by the epidemic. Now, decadent vampire princes rule fallen cities with velvet fists, jealously protecting their food supply—their blood cattle. The humans are Registered, tattooed and scheduled for regular bloodletting—the price of their food and shelter.

This is Allison Sekemoto’s reality. The vampires have taken Allie’s family and dreams—but they’ll never take her blood. Alone and defiantly Unregistered, she scavenges the Fringe to survive. She longs to escape the decomposing city, but no one can survive long outside the Wall. There are worse nightmares outside than within. But in the face of agonizing death, Allie chooses to become what she hates.

She’s Turned by the enigmatic vampire outlaw, Kanin, and taught some impressive and surprising new lessons: how to feed, how to fight, how to fine-tune her new senses. She’s a monster now. But deciding what kind of monster she becomes is up to her. The ultimate test comes when Allie meets a ragged group of humans searching for a legendary place called Eden. It’s their kind-hearted, blue-eyed second-in-command who undoes her. Brave, noble, foolish Zeke believes Allie is a good person. Person. How long can she hide her true self? It may all come down to which hunger is strongest…

My Thoughts

Allison 'Allie' Sekemoto, human protagonist, is one of the Unregistered people in a vampire city where she and the rest of the Unregistered ones struggle for survival even if it means scavenging or stealing food and other necessities. One night as she and her friends ran for safety after looking for food outside the Wall, they faced danger and death. And as for Allie, it was either die and be gone forever or immortality with the help of a vampire that didn't even bother killing her yet instead, tried to help and train her. 

Every day she's been reminded that she's a monster. A blood-sucking monster. But Allie kept telling herself that there's still some humanity left in her.

I should've picked up this book the moment I finished Julie Kagawa's The Iron Fey Series because this book was such a great read. There wasn't a dull moment and this has got to be my favorite vampire book because it's just so good and detailed. Like how humans turn to vampires, how the blood works, how they fed, the consequences of choosing immortality over death, and so much more. I loved it.

Allie is now added to my list of favorite badass characters. She might have this cold attitude at times but I get why she's being like that. It's clearly not easy when people treat you like you're a lethal threat and evil even though you helped and saved them. I even think that it was only Zeke who showed real gratitude towards her. 

I feel like ranting over some character deaths. There are some that I was glad that they're gone and other deaths, I felt truly devastated. This book was action-packed and the drama and tragedy isn't like any other vampire book I've read. I enjoyed this so much and I could still restrain myself from reading The Eternity Cure because I want the physical book in my hands. This is too good to be read via-ebook.



My Rating:

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Book Review: Invisibility by David Levithan & Andrea Cremer

Title: Invisibility
Authors: Andrea Cremer & David Levithan
Publication Date: May 07, 2013
Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal

Stephen has been invisible for practically his whole life — because of a curse his grandfather, a powerful cursecaster, bestowed on Stephen’s mother before Stephen was born. So when Elizabeth moves to Stephen’s NYC apartment building from Minnesota, no one is more surprised than he is that she can see him. A budding romance ensues, and when Stephen confides in Elizabeth about his predicament, the two of them decide to dive headfirst into the secret world of cursecasters and spellseekers to figure out a way to break the curse. But things don’t go as planned, especially when Stephen’s grandfather arrives in town, taking his anger out on everyone he sees. In the end, Elizabeth and Stephen must decide how big of a sacrifice they’re willing to make for Stephen to become visible — because the answer could mean the difference between life and death. At least for Elizabeth.

My Thoughts

I honestly was excited to start this book and at the very first few chapters, it managed to catch my interest. But later on, it was already kind of dragging. I haven't read any work from Andrea Cremer so this is my first from her but I've read and liked Every Day by David Levithan and also Will Grayson, Will Grayson in collaboration with John Green so I was looking forward to reading this. 

I like the invisibility concept (not to mention the cover of the book as well) and this is one of the few books I've read where I have this need to feel so bad for the male character. This need to hug him and comfort him. Being invisible is never cool and Stephen probably knows that since he's lived sixteen years being invisible. 

The things that put me off was, first: the relationship between Elizabeth and Stephen. It was cute in the beginning but the moment she knew his curse, his big secret, it became distant. Somewhat distant but they're working on it and glad that they're fighting for it. But it was...bland. I don't know, I feel like she shuts him out every time he wants to help. Of course, he's in the picture too so I think he's in the need to do something.

Then the revelations part. I'm satisfied with Elizabeth screaming when she found out that Stephen's invisible. That would create a normal reaction knowing you're the only one who can see your boyfriend. But the moment she found out about her abilities, no reaction much? Okay so maybe that's because she can feel something about her is...something. Still, I was hoping for a reaction. And until the last part of the book, her ability to see Stephen leaves a question mark. Like there's no hint? Or did I just miss it?

This was okay. Okay-Read. I like the relationship of Elizabeth and her brother, also their mom. Stephen's father is a question mark too, I would have loved his mom. Why is his grandfather strong in a fight if he's really...old. I don't quite understand Millie. 

There are tons of things I've been meaning for the book to explain further. Most of the book took up on Elizabeth's POV where she's learning magic and Stephen's POV where he's trying to figure out about his curse. To me, it lacks the grip of excitement in action scenes. And it lacks conversation. CONVERSATIONS. I'm not thoroughly fond of the "more narration, less conversation" stuff. That's all. 


My Rating:

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Book Review: Let the Sky Fall

Title: Let the Sky Fall
Series: Sky Fall, #1
Author: Shannon Messenger
Publication Date: March 05, 2013
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
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Seventeen-year-old Vane Weston has no idea how he survived the category five tornado that killed his parents. And he has no idea if the beautiful, dark-haired girl who’s swept through his dreams every night since the storm is real. But he hopes she is.

Seventeen-year-old Audra is a sylph, an air elemental. She walks on the wind, can translate its alluring songs, and can even coax it into a weapon with a simple string of commands. She’s also a guardian—Vane’s guardian—and has sworn an oath to protect Vane at all costs. Even if it means sacrificing her own life.

When a hasty mistake reveals their location to the enemy who murdered both of their families, Audra’s forced to help Vane remember who he is. He has a power to claim—the secret language of the West Wind, which only he can understand. But unlocking his heritage will also unlock the memory Audra needs him to forget. And their greatest danger is not the warriors coming to destroy them—but the forbidden romance that’s grown between them.

My Thoughts

First off, I’m in love with the cover. It fits so much with the story’s wonderful concept. I had no idea what this book was about when my friend gave this to me but I trusted her thoughts and we usually have similar taste in books. The reviews were kind of mixed but I’ve read a ton of positive things about it and now I’ve finished it, I have to go with the positive flow. 

The story starts with Vane, a boy also known as “The Miracle Child", having this dream of the time he lost his family in a tornado and leaving him as the only survivor. Then he sees this dark-haired girl in the dream’s scenario, crying. He stars to have her in his dreams a lot so while he was out on a date, he saw her and he thought he was just having an illusion. So when his date followed his gaze since he was staring at his “dream girl", she also saw her and that’s when he realized that she’s not just a part of his dream, she’s actually real. “Dream Girl" has a name: Audra. And that’s when he starts to question and started finding out secrets from his past.

It was actually an engaging read for my part. The wind element kind of concept is new to me and it’s pretty notable with all these Windwalkers thing. Like other books, even if I enjoyed reading them, I got minor issues with this one but I wouldn’t elaborate because they’re spoilery. But just minor ones and they didn’t take away my interest for the book. 

The ending wasn’t a cliffhanger but just a shocking twist. I love shocking twists. I already knew from the start that I wouldn’t like that character but I didn’t expect said character to be the one responsible for certain events. The romance was cute, not rushed but even if it’s forbidden, you can feel that they’re willing to fight for it.

4 stars and I can’t wait to read the next book. This didn’t leave me hanging but it doesn’t mean that I don’t want to read the next because I feel like there’s so much more explanation that needs to be done and I want to know how these two characters fight for themselves and for their “bond" (forbidden bond) and grow more. Character growth. So there it is..


My Rating:

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Book Review: Pivot Point

Title: Pivot Point
Series: Pivot Point, #1
Author: Kasie West
Publication Date: February 12, 2013
Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal
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Addison Coleman’s life is one big “What if?" As a Searcher, whenever Addie is faced with a choice, she can look into the future and see both outcomes. It’s the ultimate insurance plan against disaster. Or so she thought. When Addie’s parents ambush her with the news of their divorce, she has to pick who she wants to live with–her father, who is leaving the paranormal compound to live among the “Norms," or her mother, who is staying in the life Addie has always known. Addie loves her life just as it is, so her answer should be easy. One Search six weeks into the future proves it’s not.

In one potential future, Addie is adjusting to life outside the Compound as the new girl in a Norm high school where she meets Trevor, a cute, sensitive artist who understands her. In the other path, Addie is being pursued by the hottest guy in school–but she never wanted to be a quarterback’s girlfriend. When Addie’s father is asked to consult on a murder in the compound, she’s unwittingly drawn into a drawn into a dangerous game that threatens everything she holds dear. With love and loss in both lives, it all comes down to which reality she’s willing to live through…and who she can’t live without.

My Thoughts

I was excited to start this book. The blurb seemed promising when I read it and this was also a recommendation from a friend in Goodreads. 

This book is told by Addison Coleman’s, the main protagonist and probably the girl on the cover, point of view and she’s a Searcher. Someone with a special ability that can see the future and people with special abilities live in some paranormal compound. There’s also a place for the normal people, like mundane ones. They’re often referred as “Norms". She’s also torn between a choice of staying either with her mother or her father after they decided on getting a divorce.

I have never read something like this before and it’s quite confusing at the start because of the Search she’s making. It’s two paths so every chapter is a different scenario. It’s like, this chapter is the path where she chose to be with her mom and the next chapter, her dad. Then back to her mom. 

Addie’s a smart girl and from reading the book, you could see the different sides of her in between the paths and how she grows as a character. I like her dad and I have missed feelings for her mom but somehow she’s still a mother and she cares for her daughter. I had to get a better grip on her best friend’s, personality though. In one of the two paths, she’s kind of pushy or someone trying too hard to prove a point to a person who doesn’t really feel comfortable with the situation. It bothered me when all she kept telling Addie of how hot Duke was. Not saying she’s a bad friend but she should really consider that Addie’s parents just got divorced, her best friend doesn’t like the guy, she needs a break. But I also want to roll my eyes at Addie, she doesn’t like him but she keeps thinking about him. Typical. But I like Trevor. He’s a sweetheart and I like him.

The turn of events weren’t surprising for me but a certain tragedy kind of did. The idea for this story is cool. I gotta say cool because it really is to me. I enjoyed the story and the change of scene in every chapter and even though I had those minor issues, I still got the hang of it.


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Book Review: Onyx by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Title: Onyx

Series: Lux Series, #2

Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout

Publication Date: August 14, 2012

Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal
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Being connected to Daemon Black sucks…

Thanks to his alien mojo, Daemon’s determined to prove what he feels for me is more than a product of our bizarro connection. So I’ve sworn him off, even though he’s running more hot than cold these days. But we’ve got bigger problems.

Something worse than the Arum has come to town…

The Department of Defense are here. If they ever find out what Daemon can do and that we’re linked, I’m a goner. So is he. And there’s this new boy in school who’s got a secret of his own. He knows what’s happened to me and he can help, but to do so, I have to lie to Daemon and stay away from him. Like that’s possible. Against all common sense, I’m falling for Daemon. Hard.

My Thoughts

Okay, as much as I love this book and series, I had to give this three stars because of my rant on Katy. I like her but in this book, I absolutely want to strangle her. Like for real.

Heroines (and even heroes) and trust issues. From the moment Daemon said that Blake couldn’t be trusted, I believed him because that usually happens to stories. And Katy still refused to believe and trust Daemon so she ended up hurting herself and having someone killed. <spoiler inserted here> And Daemon had the right to be furious. Oh gosh, I got really frustrated towards Katy because of that. Why trust someone you just met who happens to got you almost killed with the so-called “training"? I wanna smack her so bad and I feel so bad and sad for Dee.

I get the part that she doesn’t want to drag Daemon and the rest into her situation but hey, that’s also their business because she’s now “connected" to him and whatever bad things that might happen to her, it’ll only be worse for Daemon.

Then there’s the self-denial. Oh. My. God. After everything that happened, she was still stubborn to admit her feelings for him and I feel Daemon’s pain already. It’s so obvious that he likes her (heck, he loves her) but Katy keeps pushing her feelings away. And what they feel i terribly mutual. I understand that she doesn’t want them both to end up like Beth and Dawson but hey, why not take a risk? If they both believe that they’re strong enough to fight for the worse, then it might be possible right?

I so want to pull my hair out because of what happened. But here are some lovely bonus points I found in this book:

1. Daemon being all sweet and a gentleman. 
2. The Thanksgiving scene between Katy and Daemon. 
3. "I’ve seen dolphins give hotter kisses than that." - BEST. I laughed so hard. 
4. Katy/Daemon arguments. I love with when they argue/fight. So much tension in it that make you think of the hot make-out session after. Ha. 
5. Dawson. I mean, he’s a good thing that happened, right?

I still like Katy. It’s just that in this book, she gives me utter frustration. I can still hold it for Opal. I might read the book sometime this August so that it would be less painful to wait for Origin. I heard Opal’s ending is shocking and it hurts, so I’ll wait.


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Book Review: Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Title: Obsidian

Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout

Series: Lux Series, #1

Publication Date: May 08, 2012

Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal
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Starting over sucks.

When we moved to West Virginia right before my senior year, I’d pretty much resigned myself to thick accents, dodgy internet access, and a whole lot of boring…. until I spotted my hot neighbor, with his looming height and eerie green eyes. Things were looking up.

And then he opened his mouth...

Oh wow, I had fun reading this book and I’m in a bad shape of wanting to read the next one though I need to restrain myself from reading this series fast so that it would be less painful waiting for Origin coming out this August.

Katy and her mom recently moved to West Virginia three years after her dad’s death. She’s the kind of person who loves to read and blogs and just stay in her room trying to avoid the sunlight during summer.

So when her mom told her about their neighbors who are siblings and happened to be the same age as hers, she’s quite in for an unexpected events, a bucket of questions and the neighbors slash siblings who happen to carry a big secret..

Throw in some trust issues here, secrets over there, some witty-wits and bantering here, fighting here, love-hate relationship there and another round of trust issues which can’t ever be ignored. Add in a sprinkle of friendship and family relationship and put an obsidian on top like a cherry…or a star on the Christmas tree. That seemed kind of relevant for this story.

Katy, she’s likable for me. I feel like I’m her: runs a blog, reads and loves books, rather stay in my room and face my laptop rather than go mingling with friends or strangers to make friends, boring but not really.

Dee, I like her. She’s sweet and friendly and..nice. And as for Daemon, hot and gorgeous guy with an irritating smirk and moody personality that sometimes make him a sweet boy-next-door, he was absolutely a douchebag and a jerk and somewhat overprotective over Dee and at times, I feel bad for Katy because of him. I get the part that he’s trying to protect Dee because “she’s all he has left" but I don’t think that hurting Katy is a good thing. But as I progressed into the story, he’s warming up to me and I find him interesting and funny. Well his and Katy’s bantering is fun.

AND KATY’S MOM~ I like her mom.

"How about I show up in my undies?"

“That would definitely make an impression.”

“Mom! You’re supposed to yell at me and tell me that’s not a good idea!”

and this one

"Honey, are you sure you’re feeling okay? Do you need anything? Some chicken soup? Hugs? Kisses?"

Aww haha. I wish my mom still ask me those kind of questions but nah. Anyway, like I said, I had fun reading this and I definitely look forward to reading the next book. I sure wish I bought the first two books together but I was determined to buy only one book that time. It was so tempting but I held back. Heck, even the bookstore’s cashier told me this was great. He was right ;)

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