Review: Witches of East End

Title Witches of East End (The Beauchamp Family #1)
By Melissa de la cruz
Genre Adult Paranormal/Supernatural
Format Audiobook
Rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Synopsis
The three Beauchamp women--Joanna and her daughters Freya and Ingrid--live in North Hampton, out on the tip of Long Island. For centuries, all three women have been forced to suppress their abilities. But then Freya, who is about to get married to the wealthy and mysterious Bran Gardiner, finds that her increasingly complicated romantic life makes it more difficult than ever to hide her secret. Soon Ingrid and Joanna confront similar dilemmas, and the Beauchamp women realize they can no longer conceal their true selves. (From Goodreads)

First Sentence

Freya Beauchamp swirled the champagne in her glass so that the bubbles at the top of the lip burst one by one until there were none left. 

This book has been sitting on my shelf forever! While looking for an audiobook to listen to while working, I decided to finally read it. 

It's so hard to review a book you give three stars to. Am I right? I feel like I'm saying I didn't like it and that's just not true. Three stars is a nice, solid, rating. No, I didn't LOVE the book and, no, it's not a new favorite but I liked it. It had a great story, fun, likable characters and was very readable. I enjoyed it and am eagerly looking forward to jump into the sequels. 

That said, I don't have much else to talk about. That's why I hate three star reviews. If you want me to point out why it's not four or five stars I can. Let's just go ahead and do that to take up a bit more space, shall we? 

It's not a five star because that's reserved for books I adore! Books that I'll definitely be reading again. It's not a four star read because there was nothing horribly memorable and I'm pretty sure it'll be one of those series I enjoy and then promptly forget about. I was also bothered a tiny bit by the writing. Notice that first sentence? It's just needlessly wordy. Right? 

And there you have it. my three star review of a fun new world and characters I want more of.   

Review: Daughter of the Sun

Title Daughter of the Sun (Cult of the Cat #1)
By Zoe Kalo
Genre YA Paranormal/Supernatural
Format ebook
Rating

Synopsis
Trinity has only known life at the convent. She was dropped there days after her birth. When a grandmother pops out of the woodwork she's whisked away from the only life she's ever known to a world of magic, wealth, boys and cats. But something sinister is going on in her grandmother's house and as Trinity comes into her powers she'll have to put a stop to it.

First Sentence
Goosebumps snaked up my spine. 


*I received a copy of Daughter of the Sun from the great people at Author Assistant.* 

I agreed to read this one because I'm holding out the hope that someone someday will write a fun Egyptian based story.

Daughter of the Sun, sadly, wasn't that book for me. I felt like the story took way too long to get going and was incredibly predictable from nearly the first pages. I knew every twist and turn that was coming and not once found myself surprised which was a huge let down.

The book was edited cleanly but I felt like the story was one I'd heard a million times with all the cliches you'd expect.

I feel bad because I really wanted to like this one but I only found it and OK read. Sadly, I won't be continuing on with the series.

Review: Pivot Point

Title Pivot Point (Pivot Point 1)
By Kasie West
Genre YA Supernatural Romance
Format Print
Rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Synopsis
As a Searcher, Addie can look into the future and see the outcome of her choices. But choosing whether to accept a date from the cute guy that asks you out or not is nothing compared to the choice she's facing now. Her parents are divorcing and she has to choose who she'll live with.

First Sentence
"Heads up," a loud voice called from my right.




I've been meaning to read this book since it's release five years ago. Whoops! I also wanted to read it because Kasie West now seems to be writing strictly YA contemporary romance. I read The Fill-In Boyfriend and liked it well enough but thought maybe since this one, and its sequel, have a supernatural element to them, I might like them better.

Sadly this one still focused a little too strongly on the romantic side of things. I could have happily accepted that considering I couldn't stop turning pages and had zero qualms about the writing style but the supernatural elements has some logistical problems that took away from my overall enjoyment.

I'm still going to read the sequel and sooner rather than later but I'm hoping it improves on the supernatural side of things. As for the romance?..Kasie West seems to have that down to an art.

Review: Fiendish

Title Fiendish
By Brenna Yovanoff
Genre YA Supernatural/Paranormal
Rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Synopsis
When Clementine was a child her mother and aunt dabbled in dirt magic, making cures and small spells for the local folk, but when strange things started to happen the towns people panicked. Clementine's home was burned to the ground and her mother was killed. Clementine was kept safe by magic but was locked in the cellar; trapped by willow roots and silenced she stayed that way for ten years, until a boy sets her free. Now she must come into her power and find out what happened in the past so she can save the future.

First Sentence
When I was little, everything twinkled.

I've only read one other book by Yovanoff and had only luke-warm feelings about it so I went into this one with pretty low expectations. Maybe that's why I ended up loving it so much.

The twisted magic of this one lent to a great atmosphere to start off with. Everyone in this crazy little town had a dark side that disturbed me. I think that's why I loved Clementine so much! She was so sweet and kind and forgiving and not in that annoying, too-good-to-be-true way. She was genuine and I adored her.

The story had me intrigued from page one. I wanted to know what in the world was going on. Were the fiends really bad? How did Clementine end up trapped in that cellar? Would the young teens be able to come together with their collective powers and stop another Reckoning? I wanted to know. I actually cared. It was great to be so invested.

I loved the satisfying ending and I love that Yovanoff writes stand-a-lones.

 Should you read it
 If you're looking for a exciting and unique page turner give this one a go.

Review: Haunting Violet

Title Haunting Violet
By Alyxandra Harvey
Genre YA Supernatural/Paranormal
Rating ⭐️

Synopsis
Violet's mother has been masquerading as a medium Violet's whole life. They've worked their way up to being invited to a country estate for a spiritualist party. But when Violet starts actually seeing ghosts she wants nothing to do with them. The ghosts won't leave her alone, though and Violet finds herself dragged into the mystery of a murdered young girl.

First Sentence
A lady does not dance more than two dances with the same gentleman.



Oi! This one has been on my shelf for a long time. I finally decided to pick it up and proceeded to be incredibly disappointed.

I'm not sure if it was a mood thing or what but I had zero patience for the amateurish feel of the writing in this one. I actually thought it was a debut novel, it felt so unpolished, but, nope, the author has written lots of other books. Several of which were published before this one. Could have fooled me.

I also think I was expecting a more modern day setting but this takes place back in Victorian times. Maybe Edwardian times. I'm not sure. That little detail escaped my notice, like most of the details in this one. Yay! Maybe I won't remember how bad it was for long.

Filled with all the YA cliche's of its day I found this one trite and boring and had to give up half way through and skim to the end. Even the skimming was bad. I should have just set this one down 20 pages in when I could tell we weren't going to get along. Oh well.

Should you read it
I think my dislike of this one is personal. So go ahead and give it a shot if you think it's your cup of tea. Just don't expect me to show up to that tea party. 

Review: Hex Hall

Title Hex Hall
By Rachel Hawkins
Genre YA Supernatural/Paranormal
Rating ⭐⭐⭐

Synopsis
Sophie is a witch. A witch that just can't stay out of trouble. When she tries to help out a fellow student with a love spell and things go horribly wrong she ends up being sent to Hex Hall school for all the things that go bump in the night. Navigating her way through her new school Sophie is about to learn more about herself than she ever wanted.

First Sentence
"Well?"




This in one of those books that's been sitting on my shelf forever. I think I bought it when it first came out in 2010. I fell in love with the cover and thought it sounded like a fun read. But then of course I came home, placed it on my shelves, and proceeded to ignore it. I've been wanting to work on the books on my shelves particularly series so I finally picked it up.

I was worried it was going to be too juvenile and cliche. You know, love at first sight, love triangle. The typical YA supernatural/paranormal book. And, well, it was pretty cliche but there wasn't love at first sight or a love triangle so that's something.

It was a fun, light, fluffy read. It wasn't anything new or the perfect story but I enjoyed it. The world was the best part. I liked learning about all the different supernatural creatures and how they interacted. I liked learning more about Sophie and her history. While I'm not sure I'll remember this one for long I do think the characters will stick with me. They were typical but just sort of stuck out in my mind.

Sadly, I don't have the other two books in the series but I'd like to get my hands on them pretty quick so I can read the whole series together and knock another one of the list.

All, in all a fun read. Nothing new or extraordinary but still fun.

Should you read it? 
If this is your type of read, I'd say go for it.

Review: The Replacement

Title The Replacement
By Brenna Yovanoff
Genre YA Supernatural/Paranormal
Rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Synopsis
When bad things happen in the town of Gentry you look the other way. Things are as they are and it's best not to ask questions. When you are one of the "bad things" you lay low and and don't make anyone suspicious. In this beautifully written novel we get a insiders look at the things that go bump in the night.

First Sentence
I don't remember any of the true, important parts, but there's this dream I have.




I've been meaning to read this book forever! People raved about it when it came out and have since given great praise to Yovanoff's writing. And, yeah, the woman can write! I loved the beautiful, melancholic prose. The story and the legends it came from were fun in a creepy way. Then there was the characters. While A lot of this story may be forgotten by me, I doubt I'll forget the characters. They are still standing out vividly in my mind. There was something real and painful in their action that just got to me.

As I mentioned before, I'm not sure the actual story of this one will stick in my mind. While the legends it was derived from have been playing around in my mind since reading it, the story line...not so much. While that's not necessarily a bad thing, I never consider it a good thing. I like when a story is memorable.

Still, I'll definitely be reading more by Yovanoff. If only so I can say her name again! Say it. It's fun, huh?

Should you read it
The writing and characters make this book. And as far as debuts go, it's great.

Review: The Coldest Girl in Coldtown

Title The Coldest Girl in Coldtown
By Holly Black
Genre YA Supernatural/Paranormal
Rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Synopsis
Tana lives in a world with vampires. Most are locked away in walled cities called Coldtowns. But when she wakes up the morning after a party surrounded by corpses and her on again off again boyfriend is infected, it's obvious there's vampires loose. But why do they have one of their own chained up and why does Tana decided it would be a good idea to help him?


First Sentence
Tana woke lying in a bathtub.


I adore Holly Black's Curse Workers series but have always been hesitant to try one of her other books after a bad attempt at reading Tithe. I'd heard good things about this one though so I gave it a try. I wasn't blown away or anything but as you can see, I gave it 4 stars. I enjoyed Black's take on vampires. As usual, Black creates a flawless world that seamlessly comes together with no confusion or over explaining.

I always love her characters too. They have a history and depth. They aren't just puppets to tell a story but these multidimensional people that you can't help but feel empathy for.

The romance in this one? So steamy! I had to fan myself a few times. It was that good.

My only real complaint about the book is that it's a standalone. I usually enjoy that but when I like a world and characters this much I want more. I don't want this to be the end. I'm all for open endings but in this case I would love to know what happens.

Should you read it? 
If you like vampires and kick ass heroines, yes!

Review: The Raven King

Title The Raven King (The Raven Cycle #4)
By Maggie Stiefvater
Genre YA Paranormal/Supernatural
Rating ⭐️⭐️

Synopsis
Blue and her Raven boys are finally ready to find Glendower. With a demon on the loose and relationships on the line the friends are going to have to stick together to save the day.


First Sentence
Depending on where you began the story, it was a story about the women of 300 Fox Way.





Well, I did it! I finished this strange, little series. I could blame my negative attitude on my own choice to read them all at once and that by so doing, I made it a bit of a chore. I could until I read this book, that is. I actually read most of this book in one day. I felt like it moved faster than the rest of the books. FINALLY! That being said, I was really disappointed in the end of this series. I know Stiefvater always makes things happy and wrapped up nicely in a little bow but I thought maybe this time she wouldn't. Wrong! Oh sure, there was sadness in the book but the ending I was hoping for, that I'd been promised didn't come to pass.

Furthermore, there was no explanation for a lot of things. I don't mind a few open questions but there was a lot of things that were just left open ended. I won't spoil it for anyone by saying what but there was a lot. And the whole Noah thing. That just pissed me off. No goodbye, no mention of him by the gang? Ugh!

I know it totally sounds like I hated this one and, by default, the whole series. Not true. The series as a whole moves rather slowly and can get a bit tiring, but I liked its uniqueness and the relationships. The ending, though, what a disappointment.

Should you read it? 
Well, if you've gotten to this fourth book then yes. You'll need what little closure it offers. If you're asking about the whole series then I'd say yes only if you like slower moving stories.

Review: Blue Lily, Lily Blue

Title Blue Lily, Lily Blue (Raven Cycle  #3)
By Maggie Stiefvater
Genre YA Supernatural/Paranormal
Rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Synopsis
Blue Sargent's life hasn't been the same since she got involved with the Raven Boys. Her mother is missing and to find her Blue and her friends are going to have to start digging deeper. But who knows what they'll awake.

First Sentence
"Do you think this is actually real?" Blue asked.






I have such mixed feelings about this series! I love it at some points and am yawning and trying to keep my eyes open at others.

This book, at least, was shorter. Still, I had a hard time making myself get truly invested. There's something about Stiefvater's writing style that is meandering; almost lackadaisical and while that fits quite lovely with the magical side of things, it loses the urgency one would think should be apparent with Blue's mother missing.

Still, Stiefvater usually draws me back into the story near the end, leaving me ready for the next book. Which is good since I'm still determined to read them all together so as not to forget everything. Sigh! On to the final book!

Should you read it?
Obviously if you've gotten to the third book in the cycle just go ahead and read it.

Review: The Dream Thieves

Title The Dream Thieves (Raven Boys #2)
By Maggie Stiefvater
Genre YA Supernatural/Paranormal
Rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Synopsis
Blue never thought she'd be hanging out with Ronan an Aglionby boy and his friends but the four boys known as the Raven Boys have become very close to her. Their quest has become hers and as they search for a the legend king Glendower they'll learn more about Ronan and his secrets and how he can help in their quest.

First Sentence
Theoretically, Blue Sargent was probably going to kill one of these boys.




I'm going to take a minute and tell you how a few years ago I read and enjoyed the first book in this series, The Raven Boys. When I picked up this book, the second book, I found I couldn't remember a thing from the first book and decided to put it down. Fast forward to today. All four books in the series are out now and I decided to reread the first book and then immediately read the rest of the series so I wouldn't forget anything.

This book focuses on Ronan and his ability to pull things from his dreams. Some of his secrets are finally revealed and it was heartbreaking but interesting to get to learn more about him. This book was a little slower and definitely expects you to have read the first book in the series. In fact, all of these books should probably be read together as I'm doing now.

The whole reason I mentioned trying to read this one a while back and putting it down was because, sadly, that aspect of this series bothers me. Not because the author does a bad job of recapping (she doesn't) and not because my memory is terrible (which it is) but because the story, while beautiful and unique, just doesn't stick with me. I reread the first one and immediately picked up this one and still started forgetting things!  The story is a bit forgettable.

This book was slower and then picks up at the end and while I'm OK with slower books, I just wished it would hurry up. Not much seemed to happen and yet, a lot actually happened. I know I sound all over the place but I just can't quite seem to find the words. Oh well. On to Blue Lily, Lily Blue, book three.

Should you read it?
Not before reading book one and probably read them all together like I'm doing. Otherwise, beauty and uniqueness aside, you'll forget everything.

Review: Last Sacrifice

Title Last Sacrifice (Vampire Academy 6)
By Richelle Mead
Genre YA Supernatural/Paranormal
Rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Synopsis
The exciting conclusion to the Vampire Academy series. Rose is in her toughest situation yet, but with the help of her friends she'll do her best to find a murder and set her future in motion.

First Sentence
I don't like cages.







I'm so glad I finally finished this series. It was one fun ride! This being the last book in the series had me expecting non stop action and while it was pretty crazy, I did think it dragged here and there. Still, it was a nice strong ending to a great series. I thought things turned out just like they should and even though it was a bit predictable I loved it.

I had no intention of reading the continuing spin off series, Bloodlines, but, well, yeah. I'll be reading it.

Um, wow, sorry for the short review but I really have nothing else to say. It was a solid ending. I liked it!

Should you read it?
Obviously.

Review: Spirit Bound

Title Spirit Bound (Vampire Academy 5)
By Richelle Mead
Genre YA paranormal/supernatural
Rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Synopsis
Back from her failed attempt at taking Dimitri's life in Russia, Rose is graduating Vampire Academy as a Guardian. That is if she can stay out of trouble. Breaking a cunning criminal out of prison while being hunted by Dimitri who is determined to kill her isn't the best move she can make as a new Guardian but love has no boundaries and Rose will do anything if it means saving Dimitri.

First Sentence
There's a big difference between death threats and love letters-even if the person writing death threats still claims to actually love you.


I love this series! I'm a sucker for flawless world building and Mead knows how to build a world. I'm glad I finally decided to finish this series already! The fourth book left a sour taste in my mouth. I liked it well enough but it was slow and didn't leave me itching for the next book.

This book, people, this book! It was all over the place. And not in a bad way. For a second to last book in the series it sure opened up a ton more issues that need resolved! I was blown away by the cliffhanger ending! I had intended to pick up the last book right away but after that ending I had no choice! Wow! I can't wait to see how it all wraps up.

What more can I say? The world in these books is top notch! The plot is one hell of a ride and the characters are all so great!

Should you read it? 
I'm pretty sure a lot of you already have read this series. If not, yes! I'd highly recommend it. It's so much fun!

Review: The Haunting of Sunshine Girl

Title The Haunting of Sunshine Girl (The Haunting of Sunshine Girl #1)
By Paige Mckenzie and Alyssa B. Sheinmel
Genre YA Paranormal/Horror
Pages 296
Rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Synopsis
Sunshine is trying to be supportive of her mom's new job that's pulling her away from sunny Austin, Texas to rainy Ridgemont Washington but the new house they move into is just plain creepy. And it's not just the sickeningly sweet pink of her new room. Sunshine's been hearing giggling and footsteps and someone or something keeps moving things in her room. With her mother becoming strangely distant and the creepy giggling becoming screams of terror, Sunshine will turn to her new friend Nolan for help. Together they'll embark on a journey to figure out what's going on and how to stop it before it's too late.


First Sentence
"Mom, the house is creepy."

• I can't remember if I bought this book on a whim because of the fun cover or if I got this is a stack of books I won from Alexia's Books and Such but either way this is the book I randomly picked up off my shelf during cleaning and began to read.
• And I couldn't put it down. It wasn't well written and there was a lot of cheesiness and eye rolling moments but for some reason it just sucked me in. 
• If you look closely at the cover you'll see the small YouTube logo. This book is based of the YouTube series of the same name. I was so into this book that I watched the first "season" on YouTube as well. The YouTube series was a bit of a joke. It's so obviously fake and mostly just some teenage girl trying to get her 15 minutes of fame but it too was strangely addicting. Not so much that I intend to watch anymore but, yeah,
• Anyway, back to the book. It was a strong start to a interesting premise that has me itching for book two. I think its suspenseful, easy to read, don't have to think too hard, story was just what I needed at this stressful time in my life. 
• Right book at the right moment.

Should you read it?

Highly recommended to YA suspense lovers. 

Review: Shine

Title Shine (Shade #3)
By Jeri Smith-Ready
Genre YA supernatural/paranormal
Pages 399
Rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️



Synopsis
Aura and Zachary try to figure out how to end the Shift once and for all while trying to stay out of the clutches of the evil DMP.

First Sentence
My phone glowed bright in the dusk-drenched cemetery.

• First off can I just say how much I hate when publishers change the covers of books mid series! I loathe these new covers. Sorry, cover model, but Aura doesn't look a thing like you and you're ruining it for everyone.
• I read the first two books in this series a long, long time ago. OK, not that long ago but long enough. I could hardly remember a thing. That being said, the author does a good job of refreshing your memory. So in the end I remembered what was necessary to enjoy the story.
• I adore how intricate the details of the world in The Shade series is. Everything is very well thought out and detailed and makes sense. Unlike some other books. *cough cough* Wither *cough cough* 
• Sadly, I waited too long to finish this series. I wasn't as enthralled with it. Maybe age and circumstances effected me, or maybe it was just my mood but this series lost a bit of its allure for me.
• Still, I flew through it pretty fast wanting to know what was going to happen and how it was all going to end and I have to say, it was a pretty satisfying ending. 
• This series has great characters a wonderful plot and a hot Scottish guy. What more could you want?

Should You Read It?
Um, yes! Duh! But I do have to warn you that this book particularly read more like a NA than a YA. Be warned.

Review: The Radleys

Title The Radleys
By Matt Halg
Genre Adult paranormal/supernatural
Pages 385
Rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Synopsis
The Radleys appear like your typical suburban family. Peter is the doctor at the local clinic. His wife, Helen attends a neighborhood book club. Their son Rowan is quiet, into poetry and pining after the new girl at school and their daughter Clara has recently become a vegan. They even have the embarrassing black sheep of the family uncle they wish would stay away. But things aren't always as they seem. The Radleys have a secret. They are vampires. Not even their children know. They've been abstaining from blood for 17 years...that is until Clara is attacked by a boy and she accidentally drinks all his blood and kills him. Now with the police questioning them, and their uncle in town causing mischief, the Radleys secret might not be so secret anymore.

First Sentence
It is a quiet place, especially at night.

My Thoughts

• This book was not at all what I thought it would be, The way Goodreads described it, I thought it was going to be from Clara's point of view. And it has been so long since I added this one to my TBR list that I'd forgotten what it was about...mostly.  

• It's not from Clara's perspective. It's in third person and had a bazillion narrators. Mostly the family but others too. 

• I almost completely gave up on this one when about 150 pages in I wasn't connecting to any of the characters except maybe Rowan and was so disgusted with Will (the uncle) I wanted to just stop. 

• I'm SOOOOOO glad I kept reading. Speaking of Will, he's one of those characters you love to hate. Possibly the author wanted you to empathize with him but I loathed him. I thought malicious thoughts about him. I wanted him DEAD! 

• The last 150 pages were so gripping I was snapping at my husband when he tried to interrupt and stayed up way past my bed time because I just. Had, To. Finish! 

• There was a lot of symbolism in this one that was fun to see. I especially liked the quotes from The Abstainers Handbook. They amused me when looked at in a symbolic way. 

Should you read it?

To be honest, I think most of my blogging buddies might not like this one. It had too slow of a start and the dual narratives and content might bother a lot of people. However, if you like tongue in cheek humor and thrilling endings you might want to give it a read.  

Review: Ignite Me

Title Ignite Me (Shatter Me 3)
By Tahereh Mafi
Genre YA Supernatural/paranormal
Pages 421

Synopsis
Juliette is back from the dead, and apparently back with a new attitude. She's ready to take over the Reestablishment and lead the world back to peace and prosperity. But first she has to make up her mind about her new feelings for Warner. Learn to control her power and deal with Adam's hostility.

First Sentence
I am an Hourglass.




                                                             
                                                             Warning: Spoilers Ahead! 

What it has going for it
Yay! I did it! I finished this series! And I must say. I don't regret reading it. That isn't to say I loved it or anything but I was satisfied with the ending. I loved in this one that there were no more crossed out sentences and that Juliette finally was strong and in control and ready to take on the world. I loved that she was smart enough to see how wrong Adam was for her. I wasn't in love with Warner but he was definitely the better man and a better fit for Juliette. I liked that the over the top poetic writing was not so overwhelming anymore. It was kind of scary how much this book changes from the others. It's like Tahereh knew her wimpy MC and poetic writing was driving me nuts and changed it all just for me. I know the change wasn't for me, though. I saw how the writing progressed as Juliette progressed and I must say, I was impressed with the change. Shout out to Kenji for being so awesome. I loved this character and I loved him most in this installment. (besides the small lie he told Adam) And yes, those steamy scenes!!! Sigh! They were perfectly titillating without being too detailed and they trailed off in the right places. This is supposed to be a YA series, after all.

What's lacking
As much as I liked the changes for the better I would have liked to see a bit of a more smooth transition. It was a bit rough. This series has way too much drama and talking and "not a lot going on-ness" if you ask me. Which, you didn't but, hey. I like more plot. This one had about 20 pages of plot at the end and a whole lot of drama for the other 400 pages. It didn't bother me too much though and that's saying something.

Yea or Nay?
I would actually recommend this series. If you can drag yourself through the overly flowerly writing and wimpy Juliette in the first two books there's a tolerable series buried here.

Review: Unravel Me

Title Unravel Me (Shatter Me #2)
By Tahereh Mafi
Genre YA Paranormal/Supernatural
Pages 461

Synopsis
Juliette has escaped to Omega Point. It is a place for people like her—people with gifts—and it is also the headquarters of the rebel resistance.
She's finally free from The Reestablishment, free from their plan to use her as a weapon, and free to love Adam. But Juliette will never be free from her lethal touch. (From Goodreads)

First Sentence 

The world might be sunny-side up today.



What it has going for it
Oh, boy! These books truly drive me crazy!!!! I don't even know why I'm finishing this series. The writing. OK, I know most people think it's the most beautiful, poetic writing they've ever heard, and, yeah, there's a sentence or two worth admiring but, guys, these books could be like 200 pages smaller if it would just tell the freaking story and stop with all the fluffy, endless stream of words that make me want to strangle myself!! What? I'm supposed to be talking about the good stuff this book has going on? Oh yeah, um...there's this one scene, a certain romantic scene near the end that was absolutely beautiful. I was breathless. I also keep reading, I suppose, because I would like to see where the story goes. That's about all there is to say about that.


What's lacking
Well, I already mentioned the writing so I won't say anymore about it. I will, however begin now to complain about the characters. Juliette is the most over-dramatic, whiny, self deprecating, annoying character I've ever read about! Oh my freak! I want to reach into the pages, slap her face and say: "Hey, you are a woman! You are powerful! You have two men madly in love with you and guess, what? You don't need them! Girl, you have got to figure out how wonderful and amazing you are all by yourself! You don't need these men or Omega Point or anything else to make you mean something. You're that all on your own! Now quit whining and get out there and kick some ass!!!" Or something to that effect. Ugh, at least she sort of snaps out of it from time to time in this one, but the minute a man walks into her life (Adam, Warner, Castle, Kenji, Anderson) she falls apart. Grr! These books are incredibly sexist!


Yea or Nay?
Uh, I seem to be the only one, (once again) who has a problem with this series. So, go ahead and read it. Just look forward to men belittling women, way, way, way too much flowery writing and weak pathetic woman. Enjoy!

Review: Eleanor

Title Eleanor (The Unseen #1)
By Johnny Worthen
Genre YA, Paranormal/Supernatural
Pages 355

Synopsis
In a small town, staying off the radar isn't easy but  Eleanor does a pretty good job of it. That is, until David comes back to town. David with his kind smiles and attention. He begins to draw Eleanor out but when you have a secret like Eleanor's you need to say hidden. With her mother dying of cancer and the whole town starting to notice her Eleanor' secret may soon be out.



First Sentence The coyote circled the campsite in ever tightening spirals.

What it has going for it
I wrote my own synopsis for this one but if you'd like, you can check out the one on Goodreads. It and mine (I hope) are pretty vague and that's what drew me to this story. I wanted to know what Eleanor's secret was. And as it started to slowly be hinted at and revealed, I was intrigued even more. Not to say you won't catch on to her secret pretty early in the story; you will. But by then you're invested enough to want to know how it's all going to pan out. That desire to know what's going to happen and the very unique idea behind this one, kept me reading. They were definitely the strong points to this story. Oh, and the cover. Isn't that a beautiful cover?!

What's lacking
Oh, but for the poor execution. I was never quite sure if the writing in this one was bad or if it was just a style I'm not fond of. It felt so choppy and immature. The whole book needed a very heavy handed editor. Check out this sentence for example.

The following Thursday was parent-teacher conference, a meeting between educators and student guardians held three times a year to discuss performance. 

Um, yeah, I know what parent-teacher conference is and so does every kid in this book's audience. It's a simple case of over-writing that should have been edited out.  By the end the writing felt all over the place and the story became a bit unbelievable. At times I felt like the characters were perfectly young. You know, not twenty somethings acting like teens. And sometimes I felt like they sounded like ten-year-olds. Especially David. Like I said, choppy writing.

Yea or Nay?
I'd love to recommend this one for the uniqueness of the story concept but without a good editing job, I wouldn't feel comfortable doing so.

Review: Transparent

Title Transparent (Transparent 1)
By Natalie Whipple
Genre YA Supernatural
Pages 350

Synopsis
Even in a world full of people with abilities, Fiona's is unique. She's invisible.  As a leader of a crime syndicate with the power to sway woman to do as he pleases, Fiona's father has been forcing her to do his dirty work for years. But when he tells Fiona she's going to have to kill for him it's too much. Fiona and her mother go on the run. Trying to hide in a small town, Fiona begins making friends for the first time in her life. But even being invisible isn't enough to hide forever.

First Sentence It's a good thing summers in Vegas are so hot, considering how often I walk the streets naked.

What it has going for it
I'm a huge fan of X-Men so any book with characters with super powers appeals to me right away. That doesn't mean I'll automatically like the book, though. Transparent, thankfully, I ended up loving. In fact, after I finished it, I woke up the next morning and was heartbroken that I couldn't keep reading the story. I missed it. The book starts out showing us just how dangerous Fiona's life is and while, after her escape things calm down and become more character driven, that danger still lurks throughout the story. I'm not usually a character girl. I'm all about plot, but the characters in this one were great. Each with their own fleshed out personalities, with the exception of Graham, but more about that later. The slow build romance just tugged at my inner swoony girl. I loved it! I think it was probably the best part of the story. Which says something, because I'm not the biggest fan of romance. All in all, this story just makes you care. I'll miss the characters. Thank goodness there's a sequel.

What's lacking
The writing...it's not perfect. This is obviously Whipple's first book. There's a LOT of telling not showing and that underlying "yeah right" feeling going on sometimes. And Graham just drove me crazy. Not because he was the "villain" but because he was just so cliche. Saturday morning cartoon cliche. All that was so easily overlooked, though. Something about this book just works and makes you love it.

Yea or Nay?
Yes. Exciting, fun and romantic I'd highly recommend it.