Read It. Note It.: january

Showing posts with label january. Show all posts

Monday, January 26, 2015

White Cat (Curse Workers, #1)

Author: Holly Black
Series: Curse Workers, #1
Pages: 310
Challenge: Goodreads Challenge 2014
Genre: Paranormal
Acquired: Bought
Rating: ★★★½

*****

Goodreads Summary:

Cassel comes from a shady, magical family of con artists and grifters. He doesn't fit in at home or at school, so he's used to feeling like an outsider. He's also used to feeling guilty; he killed his best friend, Lila, years ago.

But when Cassel begins to have strange dreams about a white cat, and people around him are losing their memories, he starts to wonder what really happened to Lila. In his search for answers, he discovers a wicked plot for power that seems certain to succeed. But Cassel has other ideas and a plan to con the conmen.

*****

My Thoughts:

Cassel Sharpe is the black sheep in his family of curse workers. His family can influence people's emotions, luck, dreams, and more just by the touch of a bare hand. To top it all off, Cassel killed his best friend, Lila. Now he must uncover the secrets behind her death as well as secrets within his own mysterious family.

Overall I liked Cassel's character well enough. I didn't really connect with any of the characters or their stories and backgrounds. I did like the mystery surrounding Lila's character and Cassel's brothers.

My favorite scenes were when I was able to learn more about curse work and its different types. I liked finding out why Cassel was the black sheep of his family as well as the secrets behind why he felt this way the most. I disliked the incorporation of Cassel's friends from school and their roles in the story. I felt that they weren't necessary enough to the plot to really be woven into the story like they were. I also disliked that some scenes in the book were over-explained/ or explained too thoroughly, and then some other scenes that required more detail were short and brushed over too quickly.

I really wanted to like this story more than I did because of how interesting I found the overall concept of this book.... but unfortunately we win some and we lose some. :( I did like the story, but I wasn't excited or blown away by the events in the book. I was an overall Meh read for me.

The ending was interesting, but I'm definitely not itching to get my hands on the next book right away.

Cover: 4/10. It does go with the story line, but its not amazing.
Rating: 3.5/5. It was an okay read.
I would recommend to those looking for a quick, mysterious paranormal novel with a little over 300 pages. So if you are looking for a shorter read to read in-between 2 big books this could work for you!

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

*****

Wednesday, January 21, 2015

"Waiting On" Wednesday (WoW, #26)

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine that highlights upcoming releases that we are eagerly awaiting!

This week's selection is:

Tear You Apart

Author(s): Sarah Cross

Series:none
Publisher: Egmont
Publication: January 27, 2015

Pre-Order Now!: Book Depository

Goodreads Blurb:

An edgy fairy tale retelling of "Snow White" set in the world of Kill Me Softly for fans of Once Upon a Time and Grimm.

Faced with a possible loophole to her "Snow White" curse, Viv goes underground, literally, to find the prince who's fated to rescue her. But is life safe in the Underworld worth the price of sacrficing the love that might kill her?

What books are you "Waiting On" this week?

Friday, January 16, 2015

Immortal Beloved (Immortal Beloved, #1)

Author: Cate Tiernan
Series: Immortal Beloved, #1
Pages: 407
Challenge: Goodreads Challenge 2014
Genre: Paranormal
Acquired: Bought
Rating: ★★★★

*****

Goodreads Summary:

Nastasya has spent the last century living as a spoiled, drugged-out party girl. She feels nothing and cares for no one. But when she witnesses her best friend, a Dark Immortal, torture a human, she realizes something's got to change. She seeks refuge at a rehab for wayward immortals, where she meets the gorgeous, undeniably sexy Reyn, who seems inexplicably linked to her past.

Nastasya finally begins to deal with life, and even feels safe--until the night she learns that someone wants her dead.

Cate Tiernan, author of the popular Sweep series, returns with an engaging story of a timeless struggle and inescapable romance, the first book in a stunning new fantasy trilogy.

*****

My Thoughts:

When you're immortal change is common and frequent, having to reinvent yourself, literally, is a must to keep suspicions at bay. When Nastasya is out partying with her friends one night, she sees something that knocks her back into reality. In seeking help, Nastasya remembers River's Edge and it soon becomes her safe haven. There, she meets the sexy, mysterious Reyn, who has secrets of his own and whose past partnered with Nastasya's could end in disaster. Can they both unlock the secrets of their pasts to move on with their future?

Nastasya is an interesting character with an interesting past. I liked her spunk and personality; she is definitely strong-willed, independent, clever, and funny at times. I liked that she wasn't all-knowing and perfect; she had big problems and issues that made her story more believable and exciting to read.

River, Incy, Reyn, and Nell were all very intriguing characters as well. They all either had interestingly disturbing pasts ( River, Nastasya, and Reyn) or had weird, mysterious quirks (Incy and Nell) that helped add to the story and make it even more complex. I also like how vague some of the stories of the characters were. It made you think, come to conclusions, and make up assumptions to find out later if you were right or wrong.

This was different from what I expected, I had put off reading it for a long while after I bought it because I didn't feel that the blurb was interesting enough. But.... I can say that after I picked it up I flew through it quickly because it was SO good! I liked the magical element most in the novel. I disliked how vague Incy and Boz and Nastasya's other friends from before River's Edge were. I really wanted to know their roles in the storyline, why she kept having flashbacks of them, and their significance. Hopefully all will be explained in the next books in the trilogy. My favorite scenes were the memories of Nastasya's past with her family! Really mysterious, brutal, and interesting.

Some of the twists in the storyline were annoying and delayed the inevitable. It took Nastasya and Reyn too long after the reader found out to realize what was going on. I thought the twist was obvious after hearing both their stories, but it took them almost 3/4 of the book to figure it out themselves. Other than that the story was executed well and I liked the writing. It was easy to follow and quick to read.

The ending ended "calmly"....meaning at the end you aren't left with a crazy cliffhanger making you die slowly from Book 2 withdrawal.... :) But a couple of questions were still left unanswered obviously with it being the first book, so this next book in the trilogy should be very interesting since I am betting a LOT of stuff is about to go down!

Cover: Old cover 3/10. New cover (the one above) 7/10 especially with the other covers now matching.
World Building: 6/10. It was okay, it's set in the real world so not so much to explain there, but the 8 original powerful family houses story could have been explained wayyyy better or could have been more detailed and elaborate to provide the reader with a better understanding of their significance.
Rating: 4/5. Really enjoyable read, mainly fast-paced throughout.

I would recommend this to urban fantasy lovers as well as paranormal book lovers ( I think it's paranormal.... I think.... I mean if you are immortal you're paranormal right?... I'm sticking with that for now. :) )

As always if you have read this book, let me know your thoughts below!!

*****