Obsidian (Lux, #1)

 

 Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout
Series: Lux, #1
Pages: 335
Challenge: Goodreads Challenge 2014, 2014 Book Bingo Challenge
Genre: Paranormal
Acquired: Bought (Kindle Ebook)
Rating: ★★★★★

*****

Goodreads Summary:

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.

Daemon is infuriating. Arrogant. Stab-worthy. We do not get along. At all. But when a stranger attacks me and Daemon literally freezes time with a wave of his hand, well, something... unexpected happens.

The hot alien living next door marks me.

You heard me. Alien. Turns out Daemon and his sister have a galaxy of enemies wanting to steal their abilities, and Daemon's touch has me lit up like the Vegas Strip. The only way I'm getting out of this alive is by sticking close to Daemon until my alien mojo fades.

If I don't kill him first, that is.

  *****

 My Thoughts:

When Katy moves from her hometown in Florida to West Virginia, her life was turned upside down when her mom gets the urge to start over in a new town. As she settles into her new life she is moved across the street from the mysterious Black family. When suspicious events start to unfold, Katy finds out an unbelievable secret about the Blacks.

I felt that I immediately connected with Katy's character because she is a book blogger, although it was completely unnecessary to the story I still liked the little shout-out to the book blog community. I was also more interested since we both shared a common hobby. I liked Katy's spunk as well, she has a no-nonsense attitude that expels a sense of "Don't try to walk over me, because you won't succeed."

Among the other characters, the Black family and their friends were a crowd of very interestingly mysterious people. Daemon Black was the epitome of an arrogant, cocky, over-protective, guarded, and insanely good- looking Alien of sorts (the Alien bit is definitely not a spoiler since you can get that from the Front Cover and synopsis of the book but I wished it would have not been so obvious, would have liked the mystery of trying to figure out what he was). And then there's Dee (sister to Daemon), a very sweet and friendly girl that just wants to live as normal a life as possible with human friends like Katy.

This story is pretty far-fetched, but that's what I love about it. With this being my second alien book, I was definitely happily hooked. The first alien book I tried I had to put it down due to disinterest but with this book that was not a possibility since I read it in a matter of hours.

I liked Katy's character development into a stronger, braver, and more understanding girl with a good head on her shoulders. With Daemon, he developed into a less guarded, less blunt and harsh boy-alien with more compassion. Overall this book was definitely something that I wasn't expecting to love especially with one of the ugliest and cheesiest covers I've seen in a long time. My favorite scene was really anytime Daemon was described as being shirtless.....and also the Arum action scenes. I liked Daemon and Katy's complicated love-hate relationship most. What I liked least was the vagueness surrounding the D.O.D. and the goverment's significance. It was all confusing to me and I just wanted more clear information that I could understand. Maybe in later books this is fixed and questions surrounding them are answered.

On another note, the plot was very addicting and the characters were all likable (meaning I didn't find myself screaming on the inside at any annoying or ridiculous characters, so A+++). I felt that the storyline was executed well and I loved the entire book from start to finish. With the ending, I was satisfied with how Jennifer L. Armentrout left it and now I will have to buy the next books in the series to marathon the rest of the story ASAP.

I would give the cover a 2/10 (In this case it pays to not judge a book by its cover!) I give the story a big 5/5 stars!!! I would recommend to paranormal lovers who like books about Aliens. I think everyone should try it out, it was a quick read, very addicting, and at the least you will be entertained with a good story to possibly get you out of a reading slump. I at least was NOT left disappointed!!

If you have read this book, let me know your thoughts below!!

*****

The Girl of Fire and Thorns (Fire and Thorns, #1)

 

 Author: Rae Carson
Series: Fire and Thorns, #1
Pages: 423
Challenge: Goodreads Challenge 2014, 2014 Book Bingo Challenge
Genre: Fantasy
Acquired: Library
Rating: ★★★★

*****

Goodreads Summary:

Once a century, one person is chosen for greatness.
Elisa is the chosen one.

But she is also the younger of two princesses, the one who has never done anything remarkable. She can't see how she ever will.

Now, on her sixteenth birthday, she has become the secret wife of a handsome and worldly king—a king whose country is in turmoil. A king who needs the chosen one, not a failure of a princess.

And he's not the only one who seeks her. Savage enemies seething with dark magic are hunting her. A daring, determined revolutionary thinks she could be his people's savior. And he looks at her in a way that no man has ever looked at her before. Soon it is not just her life, but her very heart that is at stake.

Elisa could be everything to those who need her most. If the prophecy is fulfilled. If she finds the power deep within herself. If she doesn’t die young.

Most of the chosen do.

  *****

 My Thoughts:

Elisa's fate was chosen the moment they found out she was the chosen one. She is soon secretly wed to a king, whose country is heading towards great destruction. With Elisa being the chosen one, she is the only one who can save the people.

At first I found Elisa INCREDIBLY annoying! She constantly put herself down and thought less of herself and wished that she wasn't the chosen one. It was like a never ending whining party!.... I just wanted to forcefully shake her and tell her to have some self-respect and accept her situation. She fortunately gets off of her rain cloud...hallelujah!... and actually realizes her worth and impotance during the remainder of the book.

I absolutely loved the plot, for me it was new and different and I really needed that from the YA that I was reading. This novel explored so many elements and topics like deceit, relationships, self-worth and self-esteem, loyalty, suspense and more. I also found the supporting characters intriguing and necessary to the plot's twists and its progression.  

My favorite scene was the ending fight scene and its intensity. I loved just about any scene with Humberto in it, he was such an sweet character to read about. So as far as what I liked and disliked.... I liked Humberto as well as Elisa and her captors' journeys. Throughout the story their journeys made the plot that much more interesting and worth the read. It was definitely a major part of the story as well as the effect of Elisa being the chosen one.

Now as I have already mentioned... Elisa's problems with accepting herself ruffled me as well as the actual descriptions of Elisa's character in the novel. She was described as being overweight and loving to eat, and she didn't feel that she was as pretty as her older sister who was thinner. I didn't like that she seemed to dwell on the fact that she wasn't like her sister, who seemed to be their family's golden child. I feel that the author may have tried to incorporate real life issues into this fantasy plot to better connect with the readers, but honesty I felt that it was unnecessary within this plot. I felt Elisa used it as more of a handicap and excuse to some of the things that she did or went through. Maybe in a different novel or plot, this concept could have had a real meaningful impact but within this story I felt that it was just too much.

Okay lol.... done with my mini rant....

Now as far as other problems with the story I found the pacing to be a bit off. So hopefully this makes sense and you see what I mean....For some events that happened, they were brushed off and briefly mentioned or explained when at some times they could have been developed and further elaborated on to avoid ambiguity within the storyline. Vice versa, some events were explained to thoroughly and dragged out, when I felt that they could have been explained concisely and briefly since their relevance wasn't as significant as say some of the other plot events.

The ending was very interesting, it ended in a way that made me want to know what happened afterwards. I do really want to know how the story will progress in the other novels in the trilogy. Although there could have been better character development, I did really enjoy this book. It took me a minute to read this... like a week... but that could be in part due to the pacing issues I mentioned, if I got bored with an event or the chapter I was reading I would often put it down and come back about a day or so later. Overall I gave it 4/5 stars and I would recommend to those who like to read fantasy or those who are looking for a new and interesting plot.

If you have read this book, let me know your thoughts below!!

*****

The Testing

 

 Author: Joelle Charbonneau
Series: The Testing, #1
Pages: 336
Challenge: Goodreads Challenge 2014, 2014 Book Bingo Challenge
Genre: Dystopian
Acquired: Library
Rating: ★★★½

*****

Goodreads Summary:

Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. Isn’t that what they say? But how close is too close when they may be one in the same?

The Seven Stages War left much of the planet a charred wasteland. The future belongs to the next generation’s chosen few who must rebuild it. But to enter this elite group, candidates must first pass The Testing—their one chance at a college education and a rewarding career.

Cia Vale is honored to be chosen as a Testing candidate; eager to prove her worthiness as a University student and future leader of the United Commonwealth. But on the eve of her departure, her father’s advice hints at a darker side to her upcoming studies--trust no one.

But surely she can trust Tomas, her handsome childhood friend who offers an alliance? Tomas, who seems to care more about her with the passing of every grueling (and deadly) day of the Testing. To survive, Cia must choose: love without truth or life without trust.

  *****

 My Thoughts:

The Testing follows Cia Vale and her life after being chosen as a testing candidate. I first got wind of this book due to its heavy comparison to The Hunger Games by Suzzane Collins. Both novels deal with candidates representing their districts, or colonies in this case, to compete in the Testing to earn one of the coveted spots to attend the University and become the world's future leaders. In that aspect the plot differs but the similarities are noticable.

Cia's character overall was a little too pristine and squeaky clean for me. She was a little too nice for me to even take her seriously. I really wanted a bad-ass, kick-butt character but instead I feel like I got a somewhat complacent and too perfect version of the character I wanted. Now with that being said, I did like her character not to confuse you; I just wanted more from her.

As far as the other characters go, Will and Tomas were very interesting characters that made the story more unpredictable. They kept the plot fast paced and exciting. Cia on the other hand slowed the plot a bit with her character being one dimensional and not complex at all. She was clever and smart in some scenes but overall her character was boring to say the least.

Action? I could have gone for more a little bit more in the action department. Although the book was a fast read (read it in a few hours) I wanted more suspense and chair- gripping moments. Maybe the plot gets better with the following books in this series. Now on to The Hunger Games comparison, this was definitely a softer version of The Hunger Games as far as "graphic" scenes or the element of thrill go. I would recommend this to anyone who wants a post- Hunger Games read due to the similarities I observed in this first book.

The way this novel ended was completely anti-climactic. I feel like it just slowly ended. No big cliffhanger. Just a slow rolling stop to the last page. I felt that it had a lot of potential to redeem itself and end on an amazing climactic cliffhanger leaving me desperately needing the next book..... but instead the story just sort of stopped.

I'm still on the fence on if I should continue with the next installment in this trilogy, I'm certainly in no rush but I am curious as to if it gets better as the trilogy progresses.

If you have read this book, let me know your thoughts below!!

*****

Frozen

 

 Author: Melissa de la Cruz
Series: The Heart of Dread, #1
Pages: 336
Challenge: Goodreads Challenge 2014, 2014 Book Bingo Challenge
Genre: Paranormal/ Fantasy
Acquired: Library
Rating: ★★★★

*****

Goodreads Summary:

From New York Times bestselling author Melissa de la Cruz and Michael Johnston comes this remarkable first book in a spellbinding new series about the dawn of a new kind of magic.

Welcome to New Vegas, a city once covered in bling, now blanketed in ice. Like much of the destroyed planet, the place knows only one temperature—freezing. But some things never change. The diamond in the ice desert is still a 24-hour hedonistic playground and nothing keeps the crowds away from the casino floors, never mind the rumors about sinister sorcery in its shadows.

At the heart of this city is Natasha Kestal, a young blackjack dealer looking for a way out. Like many, she's heard of a mythical land simply called “the Blue.” They say it’s a paradise, where the sun still shines and the waters are turquoise. More importantly, it’s a place where Nat won’t be persecuted, even if her darkest secret comes to light.

But passage to the Blue is treacherous, if not impossible, and her only shot is to bet on a ragtag crew of mercenaries led by a cocky runner named Ryan Wesson to take her there. Danger and deceit await on every corner, even as Nat and Wes find themselves inexorably drawn to each other. But can true love survive the lies? Fiery hearts collide in this fantastic tale of the evil men do and the awesome power within us all.

  *****

 My Thoughts:

Frozen follows Nat, a blackjack dealer, with a very interesting past and a couple of dangerous secrets. When she hears of the "the Blue", a place of freedom and safe haven where she won't be persecuted by her secrets when and if they come to light. She soon sets off on a journey with a boy named Wes and his band of misfits who promise to get her to "the Blue".

I really liked Nat's character and her secrets even more. She was easy to connect to with her strong demeanor and determined nature. I also thought the supporting characters were interesting and enjoyable as well. The problems the characters faced were believable for their specific storyline, and I loved the fantasy aspects throughout the novel and the mix of magical elements, pirates, "the Blue", and the other intriguing people and creatures we met along the way.

I enjoyed reading the book and seeing Nat's transformation and evolution from a scared yet determined girl with a huge secret into a key figure with extreme importance to the storyline as the book progressed. Was the book different from what I expect? Yes actually! I was pleasantly surprised with the plot and its originality. I haven't read a book like it and it was refreshing. Really liked the fantasy and magical elements and how they balanced each other out in the novel.

My favorite scene was the ending scene as well as the pirate showdown. I liked learning more about the characters and finding out more about their stories. I least liked the romance between Nat and Wes. I felt that it seemed a little forced and wasn't needed or necessary to the story. I feel that more and more recently authors are including romances in their stories possibly because they feel that there should be one.... they are not always necessary and as a reader I don't mind reading a novel without a romance especially if it isn't needed.

I found the plot to be new and interesting and different from what I've read recently and I think that's why I liked it and really enjoyed reading it. For the most I was kept guessing but some events I could easily pinpoint what was coming before it happened, but otherwise the story didn't bother me much. The ending was pretty good and was a nice wrap to this installment and I will check out the next book when it comes out.

I rate the cover 7/10 and give the story a 4/5 stars. I would recommend this to those looking for a action-packed and different story in the fantasy genre.

*****

Clockwork Angel (The Infernal Devices, #1)

 

 Author: Cassandra Clare
Series: The Infernal Devices, #1
Pages: 479
Challenge: Goodreads Challenge 2014, 2014 Book Bingo Challenge
Genre: Paranormal
Acquired: Library
Rating: ★★★★½

*****

Goodreads Summary:

In a time when Shadowhunters are barely winning the fight against the forces of darkness, one battle will change the course of history forever. Welcome to the Infernal Devices trilogy, a stunning and dangerous prequel to the New York Times bestselling Mortal Instruments series.

The year is 1878. Tessa Gray descends into London’s dark supernatural underworld in search of her missing brother. She soon discovers that her only allies are the demon-slaying Shadowhunters—including Will and Jem, the mysterious boys she is attracted to. Soon they find themselves up against the Pandemonium Club, a secret organization of vampires, demons, warlocks, and humans. Equipped with a magical army of unstoppable clockwork creatures, the Club is out to rule the British Empire, and only Tessa and her allies can stop them....

  *****

 My Thoughts:

Clockwork Angel follows young Tessa Gray, who after the death of her aunt, goes to London in search of her brother. But upon her arrival, Tessa is met with surprises, uncertainty, and secrets. Clockwork Angel  follows Tessa on her interesting journey to discovering herself and also uncovering secrets about her past and family that she could have never imagined to be true.

I really liked Tessa's character. She was interesting and different, especially after the discovery of her ability. I related to her the most and her determination to find her brother as well as the sacrifices she made in the process. With him being the only family she had left, I thought it was awesome that she made finding him a top priority above all that she went through. It was always the goal and she never deterred from the goal no matter what happened.

Other interesting characters? Ummm yes, Mr. William Herondale! I now see what all the fuss is about. Will is full of mystery and intrigue as well as stubbornness and sarcasm. In addition to Will, I also found Camille the vampire and Tessa's brother Nathaniel to be interesting characters as well.

With the story being in 3rd person, you were able to see how all the characters interacted, but also not knowing their inner thoughts kept the story interesting and mysterious. The problems faced in the book fit this particular storyline nicely and how the characters tried to solve those problems were realistic and clever.

Tessa changes and grows from the first page to the last as she learns life changing things that make her an even better character to read about. I can say that this book was definitely different from what I expected. I loved it 10x better than the first and only other Cassandra Clare book I've read so far which was City of Bones.

My favorite scenes in the book were the vampire party scene and the scene that starts with Tessa and Jem on the bridge and basically everything that happens afterward. What I liked most about the book was definitely Will and also the mystery of the Magister. What I liked least would have to be Nathaniel (those who have read the book can probably relate).

As far as the ending goes, I really liked it! It was interesting and action packed through and through and it definitely made me want to get my hands on the sequel as soon as I can! Would I recommend this book? Absolutely! I really enjoyed this read and look forward to reading more from Cassandra Clare. The plot was very different from what I've read in Young Adult books so far and it gave me a nice break from dystopian and post-apocalyptic worlds. Also the world building and setting were both amazing. I can also say that I was kept quessing throughout the novel especially with the mystery of the Magister and how the outcome panned out in the end.

With the cover, I would rate it 6/10. I really like it and think it fits the tone of the book nicely. Also with the actual rating of the book, I gave it 4.5/5 stars. A really enjoyable read!

*****

Angelfall (Penryn & the End of Days, #1)

 

 Author: Susan Ee
Series: Penryn & the End of Days
Pages: 283
Challenge: Goodreads Challenge 2014, 2014 Book Bingo Challenge
Genre: Dystopian, Paranormal
Acquired: Library
Rating: ★★★★

*****

Goodreads Summary:

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:

Angelfall is a novel that follows seventeen-year-old Penryn in her search to find her sister and rescue her from the angels that took her. Penryn is a brave and determined young girl with one mission in mind... to rescue her sister and get her family to safety which includes herself, her sister, and her deranged mother. When her sister is taken by warrior angels, she goes after them with the help of a broken and battered angel named Raffe who has his own agenda and secrets.

I really liked Penryn and her dedication and unwavering resolve to get her sister back and to protect her family in the midst of the apocalypse. I related to her most and admired her maturity for her age and how she dealt with having to grow up fast to support and look after her family especially when her mother goes through her deranged, crazy spells.

I also loved Raffe and how interesting he was as a character. He is an angel, who in the midst of a fight with a crew of warrior angels, get his wings brutally and forcefully ripped off. When Penyrn saves him and nurses him back to health after this incident, she convinces him to help her find the location of the angels who took her sister and in return will help him try to get his wings repaired and sewn back onto his body. Another interesting character was definitely Penryn's sister at the end of the novel..... one word.... freaky.

The problems faced in the story suited this particular story nicely. The characters dealt with a kill or be killed mentality as well as the survival of the fittest aspect whilst on their journal to the angels location. Penryn learned early on that she would have to build an alliance with Raffe if she ever wanted to survive and also find her sister.

Penryn also got stronger and more cunning throughout the novel in preparation to try to kick angel ass and rescue her sister. I loved this part in reading the book! I can say that this book definitely took me by surprise a little bit and I loved that! Susan Ee's take on angels and the apocalypse as well as the interesting turn of events near the end of the novel made me shake with excitement. It was soooo good!

My favorite scenes were the camp scene and the club scene at the end. Both were a bit scary and suspenseful but added to the storyline nicely. I also liked the relationship between Penryn and Raffe. As far as ratings go, I give the cover a 7/10 I thought it was very pretty as well as symbolic to the story. I would recommend this to someone who is looking for a different take on an angel story with lots of action and adventure along the way! I gave the overall book a 4/5 and will definitely pick up the next book.

Also the ending was crazy! The cliffhanger at the end.... Ugh.... it ended a little abruptly especially with the Raffe aspect but otherwise it was done really well! Check this one out for sure.

*****

Shatter Me (Shatter Me, #1)

 

Author: Tahereh Mafi
Series: Shatter Me
Pages: 338
Challenge: Goodreads Challenge 2014, 2014 Book Bingo Challenge
Genre: Dystopian, Sci-Fi, Post-Apocalyptic
Acquired: Own
Rating: ★★★★★

*****

Goodreads Summary:

I have a curse
I have a gift

I am a monster
I'm more than human

My touch is lethal
My touch is power

I am their weapon
I will fight back

Juliette hasn’t touched anyone in exactly 264 days.

The last time she did, it was an accident, but The Reestablishment locked her up for murder. No one knows why Juliette’s touch is fatal. As long as she doesn’t hurt anyone else, no one really cares. The world is too busy crumbling to pieces to pay attention to a 17-year-old girl. Diseases are destroying the population, food is hard to find, birds don’t fly anymore, and the clouds are the wrong color.

The Reestablishment said their way was the only way to fix things, so they threw Juliette in a cell. Now so many people are dead that the survivors are whispering war – and The Reestablishment has changed its mind. Maybe Juliette is more than a tortured soul stuffed into a poisonous body. Maybe she’s exactly what they need right now.

Juliette has to make a choice: Be a weapon. Or be a warrior.

  *****

 My Thoughts:

Shatter Me follows a girl named Julliette whose world completely fell apart when she found out that her touch kills whoever she comes in contact with. Soon the government finds out about her and plans to use her lethal powers to put down the resistance and intimidate anyone who tries to interfere with their plans. But things go awry when Julliette doesn't plan to cooperate.

I really like Julliette's character and her spunk and will to not comply with the plans of Warner, a young male who is charge of a brutal army of soldiers. I liked that she remained true to herself and grew into herself as a character throughout the novel. Written in Julliette's POV, the novel takes you through her struggle with accepting herself and her abilities as well as her struggle with trying to escape from those that want to use her for power and destruction.

The characters and their problems were definitely believable in the regard that they dealt with real life issues including war and how it affects families and dealing with family issues because of war. All the while, the story stayed action packed and full of interesting plot twists through it all.

I was pleasantly surprised by this book as well as T. Mafi's writing especially the mark outs, they were new and interesting. I can definitely say that this book lived up to all the hype it rightfully deserved. My favorite scene was definitely Julliette's escape and her realization of that moment afterwards. What I liked most was Julliette's determination to escape and leave her prison and also even though it was disturbing and twisted, Warner's persistence. I think he made the story scary in the sense of what he was willing to do and did do, it made the story even more interesting.

What I liked least was one of the last scenes at Adam's house. The ending was very action packed and full of  chair-gripping suspense...that is all I will say so that I do not spoil anything for anyone, but I loved it! Now on to my ratings. Cover appeal for the copy that I have, which is the original cover gets a 5/10. I prefer the "eye" covers SO much more since most importantly they all MATCH! But I got my copy for only $4 so I'm not complaining but will more than likely buy it again with the new covers so that when I buy the rest of the trilogy they will all match beautifully. New covers definitely get 8/10 from me. Also my actual rating of the book was a 5/5 of course! I loved it and really hope to continue the series very soon when I purchase the others.

*****

Dead Until Dark (Sookie Stackhouse , #1)

 
Author: Charlaine Harris
Series: Sookie Stackhouse Series
Pages: 291
Challenge: Goodreads Challenge 2014, 2014 Book Bingo Challenge
Genre: Paranormal
Acquired: Library
Rating: ★★★★

*****

Goodreads Summary:

Sookie Stackhouse is a small-time cocktail waitress in small-town Louisiana. She's quiet, keeps to herself, and doesn't get out much. Not because she's not pretty. She is. It's just that, well, Sookie has this sort of "disability." She can read minds. And that doesn't make her too dateable. And then along comes Bill. He's tall, dark, handsome--and Sookie can't hear a word he's thinking. He's exactly the type of guy she's been waiting for all her life....

But Bill has a disability of his own: He's a vampire with a bad reputation. He hangs with a seriously creepy crowd, all suspected of--big surprise--murder. And when one of Sookie's coworkers is killed, she fears she's next...

  *****

 My Thoughts:

First off...why did I not pick up this series sooner! I really enjoyed it from start to finish!
Dead Until Dark follows the young Sookie Stackhouse and her quirky talent of having the ability to read minds as well as her interesting life with the mysterious Bill the vampire now in it.

At first I saw Sookie as a very weak female with many insecurities and an interesting "gift", but as the story went on she grew into herself and became a stronger individual that was more confident and not handicapped by her ability to read minds. I slowly warmed up to her character and connected more with her as the story continued. I really liked that the issues she faced were more "realistic" in a sense and not as otherworldly or huge as in the event of having to save the world and all of humanity by herself. Her issues were believable and suited the story nicely which made me like her character and personality even more.

I also really liked Bill the vampire and his paranomal- vampire-like- nature... meaning that I really liked that he was unlike the newer versions of vampires. He didn't sparkle in the sunlight, nor could he walk in the day time, and he also was not the "all powerful vampire" that had zero weaknesses or vulnerabilities. I liked that he had weaknesses and I felt that made him interesting and all the more mysterious. Another interesting character was a more minor character named Sam, Sookie's boss from work. I have a feeling that he will become more important to the storyline in the later books especially due to the special circumstances that happened later in the book with his own secrets.

The story was told in Sookie's point of view and I think that it suited the book not being aware of every character's exact emotions and feelings. And to the problems faced in the book, again, I liked that they were believable and specific to Sookie and her small town.

Sookie grew into herself throught the book and that helped me connect with her character more as she grew more of a backbone. Also with this being only the first book in the series I look forward to more growth and transformation from her in the rest of the books in the series.

With Dead Until Dark, was the storyline and events different that what I expected? Yes.. and no.. I say yes because the author didn't allow Bill the vampire to be the one calling all the shots and running the story with his capabilities and powerfullness. The story was still about Sookie and not her falling head over hills for a "beautiful" vampire. He gave Bill limitations and made him vulnerable in some aspects. She didn't give him some sort of crazy paranormal ability so that he could control all the minds of humans and that I really liked. And I also say no.. because I was not expecting Sookie to go from weak human to defiant and a more confident individual especially in this book. It was a pleasant surprise that made me like her character even more. She had self control and was in control of her life.

One of my favorite scenes was a scene with Eric, the old vampire, when they were trying to figure out who stole from him. I feel like the events that happened in that scene are important in a way and will make a slight difference in her at least for a little while. But I could also just be reading too much into it. One of the things I liked most was the ending scene with Sam, one that I liked least was the scene with Sookie's Grams.

All in all the ending was pretty good. I think it set up the storyline for the next books pretty well and I am definitely excited to continue with the series. I would rate the cover a ★★½ it is not as eye-catching and beautiful as other books but it describes the setting of the book to me in a way. I would recommend this book to vampire and also just paranormal lovers in general. I really liked it! ★★★★

*****

Allegiant (Divergent #3)

 

 Author: Veronica Roth
Series: Divergent Trilogy
Pages: 526
Challenge: Goodreads Challenge 2014, 2014 Book Bingo Challenge
Genre: Sci-Fi, Dystopian
Acquired: Borrowed from friend
Rating: ★★★½

*****

Goodreads Summary:

The faction-based society that Tris Prior once believed in is shattered—fractured by violence and power struggles and scarred by loss and betrayal. So when offered a chance to explore the world past the limits she’s known, Tris is ready. Perhaps beyond the fence, she and Tobias will find a simple new life together, free from complicated lies, tangled loyalties, and painful memories.

But Tris’s new reality is even more alarming than the one she left behind. Old discoveries are quickly rendered meaningless. Explosive new truths change the hearts of those she loves. And once again, Tris must battle to comprehend the complexities of human nature—and of herself—while facing impossible choices about courage, allegiance, sacrifice, and love.

Told from a riveting dual perspective, Allegiant, by #1 New York Times best-selling author Veronica Roth, brings the Divergent series to a powerful conclusion while revealing the secrets of the dystopian world that has captivated millions of readers in Divergent and Insurgent.

  *****

 My Thoughts:

Allegiant continues the stories of Tris and Four and their journey to understanding and uncovering more about the world that they live in. As they travel outside the fence and observe the differences from the world they came from they meet people that soon shatter everything that they have known about themselves and where they live. Throughout the book, Tris and Four make alliances, enemies, and friendships as they uncover the truths about their world and slowly try to put the pieces together of their own existence.

In the ending of the trilogy, Allegiant is told from both the point of views of Tris and Four. Although this took some time to get used to, I liked seeing into Four's thoughts and having a better understanding of him as a person aside from what Tris saw on the outside. Though I appreciated the different POVs I did at times get confused and have to continually look back to the beginning of the chapter heading to see who's POV I was actually reading. So the POVs were both loved and hated.

Problems with the book? Well the POVs as I said, as well as Four's character. I really needed him to man up and be the tough badass Four that I remembered. In this book I felt that he was incredibly less intimidating, less tough, and altogether a bit soft. Although seeing into his true nature, personality, and personal thoughts was a nice touch at times, I need the Four from Book 1 to be there and he sadly wasn't there for most of the time.

I also a more favorite scene or part to mention would be the whole trying to get into the weapons room scene. It was the most interesting and exciting part of the book and I liked it well enough despite the outcome which I felt could have been avoided but still made for an interesting scene.

Overall the plot was good, although at times I came to find the book a bit boring . I found myself wishing things would hurry on along and get to the point or the next action scene especially during the first half of the book.

The ending of the book didn't surprise me being that I was spoiled from a completely random Youtube video but overall the book as a whole was okay. Despite some of my issues the book was good ending to the series and I plan to read more of Veronica Roth's work as she publishes them. I give it ★★★½ stars and would recommend this series to anyone looking for a sci-fi/dystopian series with a strong female character and a different and exciting plot line that will keep you guessing throughout the entire series.

*****

Embrace

 

 Author: Jessica Shirvington
Series: The Violet Eden Chapters
Pages: 369
Challenge: Goodreads Challenge 2014, 2014 Book Bingo Challenge
Genre: Paranormal
Acquired: Library
Rating: ★★★★

*****

Goodreads Summary:

It starts with a whisper: "It's time for you to know who you are..."

On her 17th birthday, everything will change for Violet Eden. The boy she loves will betray her. Her enemy will save her. She will have to decide just how much she's willing to sacrifice.
Dangerously exciting and darkly romantic, EMBRACE is a compelling novel of good and evil, seductive desires and impossible choices. A centuries old war between fallen angels and the protectors of humanity chooses a new fighter. It's a battle Violet doesn't want, but she lives her life by two rules: don't run and don't quit. If angels seek vengeance and humans are the warriors, you could do a lot worse than betting on Violet Eden.
LINCOLN: He's been Violet's one anchor, her running partner and kickboxing trainer. Only he never told her he's Grigori--part human, part angel--and that he was training her for an ancient battle between Angels and Exiles.
PHOENIX: No one knows where his loyalties lie, yet he's the only one there to pick up the pieces and protect her after Lincoln's lies. In a world of dark and light, he is all shades of gray.
Two sides: Angel or Exile.
Two guys: Lincoln or Phoenix.
The wrong choice could cost not only her life, but her eternity...

  *****

 My Thoughts:

Embrace follows the story of a seemingly normal girl named Violet Eden who is trying to deal with the reality that she is actually half-angel and half-human. The same goes for the guy that she thought she would fall in love with. The book follows Violet's journey of deciding to accept or not accept who she is becoming. Along the way she copes with learning the reality that the world is not all that she thought it was, with it being filled with good and evil paranormal beings and creatures. When big problems start to arise will Violet be able to make a life-changing decision that will affect her for the rest of her existence or will she opt out of all of it and choose to try to go back to living a normal life like before.

I found the main character, Violet, to be a confused and defiant individual from the start of the novel. I really wanted her to come to terms with who she was to make things easier for herself. I also wanted her to make more decisions for herself and with herself in mind. She also held many grudges for too long in my opinion (but these reasons where explained and cleared up later in the novel as the story progressed).

So any other interesting characters? Umm YES Please! Phoenix! I absolutely loved his character and how he cared for Violet even though it was against his nature and existence. He was definitely one of my favorite characters!

I also liked that the story was told though the view point of Violet; I felt that it suited the story well. I would also be interested to see the story through Lincoln's POV. I think that it would be interesting to see his side on everything also.

Although Violet changed throughout the novel, I constantly debated on if I really liked her character. To like her character or not to like her character. I think I chalk it up to it being the first book in a series so her character was meant to be confused and naive since she hasn't really started to grow as a character yet. I also came to find the book a bit predictable. I found myself guessing on what would happen next and came to be right about 80% of the time.

The ending of the book didn't end with a crazy cliffhanger but it did elude to bigger and badder events to come in the next books or the series. Despite everything you have read about my problems with the predictability and conflicts with Violet's character. I actually enjoyed this book and plan to continue on with the series eventually. I give it ★★★★ and would recommend this to anyone looking for an ok/standard start to a paranormal series involving angels.

*****