I'm Back!

     Hey blog readers! I know I've been awol lately, but I fried my brain from reading too much, which I never would have thought was possible. Sadly though it is, so I stopped with reviews for a while to re-coop and, since I am a procrastinator by nature, I ended up being gone longer than I would have liked. Anyway, I'm about to start some new reviews and finish some others I told the authors/ book suppliers I would but haven't. One of those reviews is Vengeance by Michelle Madow. She sent me a copy and the review is... really late.

     In other news, Interlochen Arts Academy High School is having a scholarship competition for creative writing. I hope to get the scholarship, but there are many other hopefuls who have much more of a chance than me, because they may have been working on their stories for months where as I am just beginning to write my short story. I think the fact that I have "good writing style", according to a teacher, may help me out though.

     Who else has Journalism 1 as a class? It's definitely not a difficult class in my opinion as long as everything is turned in on time, and you know proper grammar, punctuation, etc. but maybe that's just me. Anyway, I'm looking for tips on how to write a good review. Ironic, in know, but I have to write a review for a movie which is something I've never done. So can anyone answer my SOS here?

     If you read this whole thing, thanks! If not, I don't blame you, it's basically a giant rant on my part.

~Brittany B.

Review: Jailbirds by Samantha Steele

Format: ebook (.pdf)
Pages: 180
A few months ago, Zac committed his second murder to save a girl he thinks he loves. His mother refuses to bail him out, so he spends the months before his trial locked in a prison cell. At first, the guards feel sorry for him, but after a fight with his cellmate, Zac is put in solitary confinement. 

Enter Blaise, the Soul Searcher. Introduce The War, the Ghost Boy, the Signs, and most notably the Corrupted.

And Zac finds his calling.

Samantha will die.

If only the human justice system would get out of his way.
Summary from Goodreads


   This is what I'm talking about!
   Continuing the story from Teenagers this book takes us through Zac's life well incarcerated. Although the characters may be the same the take on them from Zac's point of view changes how they seem a little bit. It makes their personalities seem slightly different and make's Zac himself seem a little more... deep? I guess that'd be the word for him. You're able to see why he's a little shy. He himself is a well written character though the other's are a little less so leaving you to wonder a bit about them (though there is a whole section of the story where it's from all of his friends points of view).
   Though I like this book, to be honest, the trials seemed to drag a little bit and switching between perspectives so much gave me mental whiplash. There is a point in almost every book/ series that just has that kind of boring moment in it where it's dominantly description. Avoiding that in a book that mainly takes place in prison, well, that's practically impossible. I like how this Jailbirds seemed to show the other half of the story that your wondering about in Teenagers. This one definitely had more supernatural in it but if you don't pay attention to a few of the little details some things might not make very much sense. Personally, I love everything the paranormal or supernatural in it and this book has a slight mention of how all of the gods from different beliefs and religions live together as the "Divine" with those who appose them as the "Corrupted", or evil. I liked the story itself quite a bit (though I highly doubt that Jesus [Christian] and Pagans would be on the same side do to the conflicting beliefs). The story was great for the most part with just a few little things that seemed to take ways from it.
    Not only was this well written (for the most part) but it was a great story itself. With the occasional hiccup here and there in the book (Zac's overly fast change in personality and the equally abrupt ending), this is a story I would recommend to someone who like's paranormal YA books and who doesn't mind a little swearing here and there.

Review: Teenagers by Samantha Steele

All her life, Samantha has felt a little awkward, like she belonged somewhere else - certainly not the cold blue mountains of Alaska. Her feelings are confirmed when a Ghost tells her a little story about her past and who she really is: a Sign.

But the Palace is in danger, and its leader must know the story that Samantha has forgotten. The story about Zac and the high school Samantha attended. This is that story; this is the beginning.


Review from Goodreads

The Characters:
The protagonist of the book, Samantha "Sam", wasn't fairly well written in the sense that you could tell her what emotions were and, most the time, why she felt the way she did... most the time. Her personality on the other hand made her seem shallow though not conceited and there were some parts in the story that had me confused about her personality. Jacob, the main protagonist of the story, had a very visible personality, he was either bipolar or a psychopath, and I go for the latter option. Though his point of view occurred only a handful of times they provided great insight into his mind making it easier to understand his actions. The love interest Zac was okay but not that great. Same goes for all the friends with the exception of the secondary love interest Mitchell, who I absolutely adored and was by far the best written character. Overall the characters were okay but not amazing.

The Setting:
I kept forgetting it was Alaska. What does that say? If it wasn't for the title and a brief mention here and there I would have totally spaced it out because it wasn't really described, or if it was I missed it because it was probably in the middle of a lag in the book. The setting wasn't really that great in description but was okay for the story.

The Story:
Now I get to both the best and worst part. Yes, the story was really nice. No, I couldn't keep track of where it was at times. By that I mean that at the start it seemed like a paranormal fantasy, by the middle it was a romance, and toward the end it was a mesh of murder, mystery, drama, and a little bit paranormal fantasy making me wonder which is it supposed to be. I liked the story line though even if it was a little hard to follow. The book is written primarily as a flashback through... someone's mind via paranormal/ Harry Potter like ways, but veers from that a little since "flashback" stories are usually written from one point of view.


Overall, this book was "nice" and "okay" because the story, characters, and setting fit together nicely although they weren't that great themselves. It doesn't make it to my top favorite's list but isn't the worst book I've ever read.

Review: Sacred by Farrah Naseem

Sacred by Farrah Naseem
Pages: n/a
Format: ebook

When Sasha Stryker meets Ariston Kavanagh, she is entranced by his good looks but mystified by his odd behavior. After all, he keeps asking her how she sees him while standing right in front of her. Yet, she can't deny the strange and powerful attraction she feels for him.

Then she discovers a terrifying, heartbreaking truth about him when she is attacked by a lioness one night! To her utter bewilderment, her savior is a white tiger that morphs into the last person she wants to be indebted to. This encounter shatters her notion of the world as she knows it and her love affair comes to a crashing halt when all the facts come to light.

Just as she is trying to cope with her new reality, nocturnal creatures called Friaries try to kidnap her for their own nefarious purpose.

Summary from Amazon

Sacred. What more is there to say when the title says it all?

The characters.
Sasha was a very well written character who I could easily connect with and understand. Actually, she's a lot like me with being a "Potterhead" and over all geek. Since the whole book is from her point of view it's very good that she relatable. Ariston, the love interest was almost as well written save a few small things, like how it's practically instant love for him which doesn't fit with the fact that he is very obviously a complex/ complicated character. Other than that though (and maybe something else but it was so small I forget it now) he was by far my favorite character, cause, what hot, sensible, kind character can't be though. Although most of them were very well written I felt that Connor just... wasn't. He was a little hard to connect to because you don't necessarily understand why he feels the way he does for Sasha. He was likable and heroic but wasn't necessarily that amazing because it seems as though he does what he does only for Sasha's sake and, though romantic, it makes him seem a little self concerned. You also don't find out who the true antagonist is until practically the end of the book and I don't plan on spoiling who.
Overall the characters are nice, fairly well described, and relatable.

The Story.
I was very lost at the beginning of Sacred because it started with a flashback, a very long-before-the-story-began type flashback. Which isn't bad at all because it raised questions I wanted, needed, answered which was a big boost to keep me reading. The synopsis only covered the very beginning of the book (the first chapter) and the very end with a big blank in the middle, which annoyed me slightly but did not effect the book in any way whatsoever. The story line was very easy to follow even though it wasn't immediately evident. The story itself was intriguing, exciting, and had the perfect blend of romance, action, and suspense, the three things I mainly look for in a Young Adult book. They must be put together correctly like ingredients in a cookie and like the cookie, if mixed/ combined wrong, it could possibly ruin the whole thing.
Overall, the story was magnificent

The Writing.
Though descriptive, a few parts of the story tended to jump around a bit. For example, in chapter one it jumps from how Sasha looks to why she is such a "geek". As I said to start with the writing is very descriptive which makes up for the the jumpiness of the writing a little and enhances how much you yourself can imagine/ visualize of the story in your mind. Typo's and misspellings were few and far apart as were grammatical errors, both of which are the two things that irk me the most in books, and sentences were fluidly written.
There were a few things in how it was written that knocked points off the story but overall it was written nicely and in style.

All three combined makes for a great story that had fewer problems than quite a few of the books I'v read recently.

Rock the Drop!

-------------------------------------------------------------------

I started by leaving Privilege by Kate Brian on the local bus, "Ride Glenwood". When I returned to the same bus later... somebody had taken it. I'm so happy.

and I left Kissed by an Angel by Elizabeth Chandlet at the local Subway.

Review: ARC Wings of the Wicked by Courtney Allison Moulton

Wings of the Wicked by: Courtney Allison Moulton
Pages: 384
Format: ARC Paperback
Life as the Preliator is harder than Ellie ever imagined. Balancing real life with the responsibility of being Heaven's warrior is a challenge for Ellie. Her relationship with Will has become all business, though they both long for each other. And now that the secret of who she really is has come out, so have Hell's strongest reapers. Grown bold and more vicious, the demonic threaten her in the light of day and stalk her in the night. She's been warned. Cadan, a demonic reaper, comes to her with information of Bastian's new plan to destroy Ellie's soul and use an ancient relic to wake all the souls of the damned and unleash them upon humanity. As she fights to stay ahead of them, the revelations of those closest to her awaken a dark power within Ellie that threatens to destroy everything - including herself. She'll be betrayed. Treachery comes even from those whom she loves, and Ellie is broken by the deaths of those who stood beside her in this Heavenly war. Still, she must find a way to save the world, herself, and her love for Will. If she fails, there will be Hell to pay.
Summary from Amazon

*WARNING SLIGHT SPOILERS BELOW*

   When I finished the Wings of the Wicked ARC about a month and a half ago and it was my favorite book of all time and it still is now. Having read over 15 books since then, that is a great thing to accomplish... especially since I usually have no specific favorite book. WoW had everything- romance, laughter, and moments where you are bawling your eyes out and want tear the book in half for doing "that" to you but you can't cause then you wouldn't know the end.
   WoW starts off with a battle between Ellie and Will and some Demonic Reapers setting the perfect scene to introduce two of the new characters, Ava, who at first seems just to be a *ahem* bitch at first, and Marcus, who is easy to love and a comic relief throughout the book. I really liked Marcus's character but Ava just didn't appeal to me that much, even though she was very well written (I guess it's really a matter of opinion and what you find appealing in a character). The story-line of WoW is easy to see with major twists and turns every so often just to keep it interesting, but never enough to really confuse you which is great.
   The ending is really something to shock someone and leaves a definite cliff hanger, which is a great lead in for the next book. I am waiting on the edge of my seat (bed) for the next book to come out. Over all WoW was a magnificent read and very well written. Perfect for anyone who loves a Young Adult novel that has lots of action and romance weaved beautifully/ artfully throughout it.

NOTE: I started writing this a while ago (ie the end of Janruary) but some family troubles came up. I apologize for not having had had it up in time.

Different Interests and Future Reviews

SCROLL DOWN FOR NEWS ON REVIEWS


   Yup. I am gaining a new hobby/ going through a new faze. It's called Manga, Anime especially. It started when I was reminiscing on watching Naruto in 3rd grade with my best friend and decided to look up on Youtube the first season... it ended with episode 13. So now watching full/ drawing (more like attempting to) anime/ manga mainly Final Fantasy (ie the  movie and characters) and even reading so of the... what are they called- manga books, I'll say.


   Anyway the point of this post is to say that if I post a random manga character or anime video it's not because I've gone insane but because of new, probably very temporary, interests.


NOW FOR NEWS ON REVIEWS:
   I am currently finishing writing my review for Wings of the Wicked by Courtney Allison Moulton. I finished the book about a month ago and then sent it on to the next person (since it's for a blog tour) and am so happy that I have photographic memory and can even quote from the book, which I'm not going to do but you get the point. I will post my teaser review tomorrow after school and post the actual review on Monday. 
   As for some of my promised reviews those will have to wait since I see grounding and computer abandonment in my near future (don't ask why, but it would be my first grounding) and since I am such a procrastinator that I haven't even written them. If this is my first post you've read those reviews would be of:

• Halo by Alexandra Adornetto

• Matched by Ally Condie

• Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

As for reviews I hope to do...

• Reviews on sequels to the books I have already reviewed

• Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan (no YA, but good)

• City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

• Unearthly by Cynthia Hand

and more!

Review: Remembrance by Michelle Madow

Remembrance by Michelle Madow
Pages: 314
Format: eBook
Inspired by Taylor Swift's "Love Story" music video ...

New Hampshire high school junior Lizzie Davenport has been reincarnated from Regency Era, England ... but she doesn't know it yet.

Then Drew Carmichael transfers into Lizzie's school at the beginning of the year, and she feels a connection to him, almost like she knows him. She can't stop thinking about him, but whenever she tries talking with him about the mysteries behind her feelings, he makes it clear that he wants nothing to do with her. Reaching him is even more difficult because she has a boyfriend, Jeremy, who has started to become full of himself after being elected co-captain of the varsity soccer team, and her flirtatious best friend Chelsea starts dating Drew soon after his arrival. So why can't she seem to get him out of her mind?

Even though Lizzie knows she should let go of her fascination with Drew, the pair of them soon find that fighting fate isn't going to be easy.

Summary from Amazon

NOTE: Before you continue, if you have returned to my blog hoping to see a review of Matched, Halo, COB or VA... this isn't it and I apologize for not yet having those up yet. ALSO THERE MIGHT BE SPOILERS (depending on your view)!

   Now, I've been hearing of this for a couple months and just bought it yesterday to read for fun... but where is the fun in not reviewing it. I mean honestly, when there's a good book like this it must be reviewed. I thought this wouldn't actually be all that great but I loved being proved wrong. 

   One thing that is always important to have in a great book is an amazing hook. From the first sentence in the Preface I was hooked to this book. "It was at the Halloween dance that I got my first glimpse of my past life." That sentence alone says so much about Remembrance. If the first page of a book sucks it's likely the reader will not be happy or in the feel of the book, if you understand what I'm saying. There were some parts in this book that I just wanted to close it, or really just leave my computer, but right after those parts there was something to keep me reading. I don't normally like ANYTHING that is even linked to history, even in the smallest bit, but this shows some of the upside... even though there isn't any actual history in it, the brief glimpses of the past have their appeal.
   Lizzie at times appears to be a strong character but sometimes I wondered if there was anything to her really. I can tell she is not a very shy character but she's not exactly... I don't know, open. But I do look forward to reading Vengeance when I'm able to, to see if any characters have developed more.

Brittany B.