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Category: Love & Romance

Review: Underworld by Meg Cabot

[ 1 ] May 21, 2012

Reviewed by Jennifer Jensen

Pierce Oliviera and John Hayden return in Underworld, the second book in Meg Cabot’s Abandon trilogy. As you’ll probably guess from the title, we finally get a glimpse of what life is like living in the Underworld, the place between Heaven and Hell. Like Persephone, Pierce eats food in the Underworld and as a result must live the remainder of her life there with no hope of returning to the surface.

Pierce insists on returning to Earth after she sees a video on her phone of her cousin Alex suffocating to his death in a coffin. John lets her know that there is a way for them to go back one last time so that they can prevent Alex’s death, but this will be the last time she will ever see her family again.

I remember thinking that Pierce was very strong-willed in Abandon, but was slightly disappointed to see that Pierce would choose to live with John forever, even though it means she’ll never get to be with her family and friends again. John actually lies to her and tricks her in the beginning chapters, yet Pierce easily lets this slide because she is so in love with him. I’ve been a fan of Meg Cabot’s for about 10 years now, and this is the first female character of hers that I know of who completely abandons all reason and only thinks with her heart.

Underworld answered many of the questions I had at the conclusion of Abandon: Who was John Hayden? How did he become the “ruler” of the Underworld? What is it like living in the Underworld? I also loved getting to glimpse the festivities that occur during Coffin Week; I’m still fascinated by the celebration and the lore surrounding it.

Though this isn’t my favorite of Meg Cabot’s series, I found it entertaining, creative, and an interesting take on the Persephone/Hades myth.

Rating: ★★★☆☆ 

Jennifer graduated from the University of Utah with a BA in English. She occasionally dabbles with her own fiction writing, particularly with the Young Adult and Paranormal genres. She currently resides in Utah with her husband and daughter.

Review copy was provided free of any obligation by Point. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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Review: Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers

[ 1 ] May 19, 2012

Reviewed by Megan Saldecki

Having been rescued by the convent of St. Mortain from an arranged marriage to a heartless man, Ismae is raised to be one of Death’s handmaidens – assassins blessed with powerful gifts that carry out the god Mortain’s work. Carrying out His work, though, means killing the people who have wronged him.

Thrown into this life, Ismae embarks on her most important assignment yet. But when the convent orders her to kill someone she’s grown to love, she realizes that there may be another way to serve Mortain.

Grave Mercy starts off at a fast pace, throwing you into this new life of Ismae’s along with her. I loved being able to read about her various assignments.

Ismae was a wonderful character. She’s the type of person that has her walls up all the time and doesn’t let anyone in very easily. She grew up thinking her mother was ashamed of her and she was constantly bullied by everyone in her town for being the “daughter” of Death or Mortain, as he is often referred to. Despite the constant abuse, Ismae really grew as a person throughout Grave Mercy and I enjoyed reading about her progress.

Grave Mercy had some slow parts, often due to the fact that it is a highly political novel, delving greatly into the decision process and problems of the duchess trying to find a suitable marriage, one that won’t cause a war with the French. In fact, much of the novel was about this selection process, which got to be a bit too much for me. Grave Mercy was written very well, though, keeping true to the era and the plot.

Overall, I highly enjoyed the story line and would recommend Grave Mercy to fans of historical fiction.

Rating: ★★★☆☆ 

Meghan is a 18-year-old book blogger. She likes to read and write in her spare time and would like to become a published author one day. She plans on going to college soon.

Review copy was provided free of any obligation by Houghton Mifflin Books for Children. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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Review: Sweet Evil by Wendy Higgins

[ 1 ] May 16, 2012

Reviewed by Grace Soledad

Anna has been seeing them all her life: colorful outlines reflecting a person’s emotions surrounding their bodies. Nobody knows about her special gift and she doesn’t plan to relinquish that secret anytime soon. Everything changes when she meets Kaidan Rowe.

Kaidan Rowe is the complete opposite of anybody that Anna ever thought that she would be attracted to, but Anna can’t help herself. His alluring nature and dark personality draw her in, but when she turns sixteen, she finds out the real reason behind her attraction, as well as the reasons behind her father’s absence and her special gift.

Demons and angels control the balance of the world. Anna is the daughter of a guardian angel and a fallen one, splitting her nature and forcing her to choose which side to embrace at any given time. Turning sixteen is hard enough, and having an impossible choice thrust in front of her makes it even worse. So when she falls for Kaidan – the son of the demon of Lust – will she end up in the darkness too?

Hiding her past and trying to unearth her nature turn out to be more difficult than she ever could have expected, especially when she and Kaidan embark on a road trip to find out exactly what secrets lay hidden within her.

Sweet Evil is my favorite book of the year. No other book that I have read has even come close to toppling it from its throne. The character development was one of the most intriguing parts of this book, especially when Wendy Higgins threw in the struggle between good and evil and different shades of grey within the two. Anna was an engaging character and one that I instantly fell in love.

Everything about Sweet Evil – characters, writing, plot – was spot on and it has been one of the most put-together and balanced books that I’ve ever read. It’s hard to even find the words to describe the affection and addiction that I have for this book. The battling forces of dark and light and the sizzling chemistry between seemingly wicked Kaidan and tenderhearted Anna kept my eyes glued to the page.

Rating: ★★★★★ 

Grace Soledad is a teenage bibliophile who runs the blog Words Like Silver. She is described as “antisocial” because she constantly has her nose buried in a book or a notebook. When not reading, she can be found dancing, writing, or at the beach.

Review copy was provided free of any obligation by HarperTeen. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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Review: The Summer My Life Began by Sharon Greenland

[ 1 ] May 9, 2012

Reviewed by Sara Padilla

What a delightful read! Sharon Greenland’s The Summer My Life Began tells the story of seventeen-year-old Em, a bright, motivated and curious young woman with big plans. After high school graduation, she is expected to intern at a prestigious law firm before heading on to a highly regarded university where she will study for four years before law school. Following law school, Em is certain to secure a place in a conservative world that models the one in which she grew up: strict and serious. Fortunately, a hand-written note from a mysterious aunt arrives just in time for Em to spend a month away from her authoritarian parents at the seaside, living and exploring a whole new world.

This engaging tale explores themes common to adolescence. These include family secrets, romance, friendships and self-reliance. When Em discovers something kept hidden from her for many years, she must ask herself tough questions about the direction in which she wants her life to go. The brief freedom she experiences while living with her peculiar and loving aunt allows her to think about life very differently, and suddenly those parental expectations don’t seem to make much sense.

The author keeps us guessing as Em navigates new friendships and a budding romance as well as speaks to serious issues such as parental abandonment and uncertain destiny. It’s a story that moves quickly and would be a perfect read for readers in their teens as well as well as those adults who appreciate a summer time adventure.

Rating: ★★★★☆ 

Follow along on The Summer My Life Began Blog Tour!

Ms. Sara Padilla is a freelance writer and maintains a personal blog on family, health and wellness. She resides in the Pacific Northwest.

Review copy was provided free of any obligation by JKS Communications. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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Review: Until I Die by Amy Plum

[ 2 ] May 8, 2012

Reviewed by Jennifer Jensen

Die for Me by Amy Plum was easily one of my favorite YA paranormal reads in 2011. It featured a heroine that I related to, a love interest to die for, a foreign setting, and absolutely no vampires or werewolves. I couldn’t wait to get my hands on Until I Die, the second book in Plum’s trilogy.

Kate lives in Paris, and she’s in love. But Vincent is not like other males her age. Vincent is immortal, a revenant. He has the ability to age, but only if he can resist the urge to sacrifice his life for that of a human. Because he loves Kate, Vincent has agreed to let his kindred give up their lives instead. By doing so, he will be able to age with Kate, and once her life is over, he can resume his duties as a revenant.

Until I Die continues to develop the relationship between Kate and Vincent, as they discuss their future together. In some old texts, Kate discovers that there may be a way to ease the suffering that Vincent feels because he is no longer giving up his life. Vincent is also doing some research of his own, which may prove to have some serious consequences.

Some new characters are introduced to take Charles’ and Charlotte’s places in the mansion, and Kate forms a friendship with Violette, sharing her love of the arts and film with her. Soon the revenants learn that one of their own is sharing information with their enemies, the numas.

Until I Die is every bit as good as its predecessor, and further immerses readers into the history and mythology of revenants. There is also a prophecy, which might pertain to Vincent, and would make him a target for the numas.

I devoured more than half of this book in one sitting, and was frantically turning the last few pages during a very intense scene. I wasn’t able to predict anything that happened in this book, least of all the heartbreaking ending. I will impatiently count down the days until the third and final book in the series is released!

Rating: ★★★★☆ 

Jennifer graduated from the University of Utah with a BA in English. She occasionally dabbles with her own fiction writing, particularly with the Young Adult and Paranormal genres. She currently resides in Utah with her husband and daughter.

Review copy was provided free of any obligation by HarperTeen. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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Review: Enchanted by Alethea Kontis

[ 3 ] May 7, 2012

Reviewed by April Kirkland

Enchanted by Alethea Kontis is the story of Sunday Woodcutter, the seventh daughter of a seventh daughter, her family, their past, and how all the things in it lead to their new unexpected future.

One day Sunday comes across a frog in the wood while writing in her journal. She can tell by the way he speaks and acts that he is not just any frog, he is an enchanted frog who was once human. He asks her to read him some of her stories. At first she is hesitant – is she really going to bare her soul to a frog? But at last she obliges and starts telling him of her family’s crazy tales and how she herself can only write things of the past because they have a tendacy to come true and not always in the best of ways.

After their first encounter, Sunday returns to the woods nearly every day and amazes her new friend, Grumble, with her tales. Their friendship blooms and then deepens into something more. One night, Sunday kisses Grumble goodbye and hurries home, not realizing that their new found love has transformed him into the man he once was. The only problem is that Grumble is now Rumbold, the man he was before his transformation. He is also a prince that Sunday’s family detests. Can Rumbold prove to Sunday that he is no longer the boy he once was but a new reformed man? And that in that man is the same friend that she fell in love with?

Enchanted is a beautiful story that weaves together a brand new, unique and surprisingly complex story with aspects from timeless favorite fairy tales such as Cinderella, Jack and the Beanstalk, and The Princess and The Frog, just to name a few. From the beautiful cover to the way in which Kontis expertly and cleverly interwines small details from other fairy tales, this book had me hooked from start to finish. The story is simply magical and so much more than a typical romantic fairy tale.

Enchanted is fun and entertaining. If you love fairy tales sprinkled with a bit of paranormal, then this book is for you!

Rating: ★★★★★ 

April is a stay at home mom and wife. She lives in a small county in Alabama famous for its peaches. She loves to write poetry, read, and paint, and is also an aspiring author.

Review copy was provided free of any obligation by Harcourt Children’s Books. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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Review: Hemlock by Kathleen Peacock

[ 4 ] May 3, 2012

Reviewed by Elizabeth Talbott

Werewolves are part of the new reality and are humans infected by a disease known as lupine syndrome. The second a person is infected, they lose all rights and privileges as people and are sent to camps to keep them away from humans. Many werewolves hide undetected among humans, but transformations are sometimes unavoidable due to emotions and bloodlust.

A murderous white werewolf is on the loose in Hemlock. It killed Mackenzie’s best friend Amy and a few other girls along the way. The Trackers, an extremist anti-werewolf organization, come to Hemlock in an effort to catch the werewolf, but they also cause a lot of trouble for the citizens. They view themselves as above the law and pretty much do whatever they want without consequences. Mac decides to investigate the murder herself since the Trackers are absorbed with harassing people and the police does nothing. She gets more than she bargained for when she uncovers secret after secret about Amy’s boyfriend Jason, her best friend Kyle, and Amy herself.

I didn’t really know what to expect when I started reading Hemlock. I’m usually not a fan of werewolf books because good characters are inevitably changed into insufferable jerks. This actually wasn’t the case with Hemlock and the world created by Kathleen Peacock is different than the usual fare. The public is aware that werewolves exist and they immediately lose all rights as people when their existence becomes known. The driving force behind the werewolf camps seems to be primarily fear. Fear and the need for protection also allow the Trackers to take over and do whatever they want. The Trackers’ actions become more and more violent and reprehensible as the book goes on.

The characters were also more than I expected. The back of the book described a typical YA love triangle, but it was far from a girl mooning over two guys and waiting three books to choose one. I really liked Mac and sympathized with her. Unlike many YA heroines, she was strong, fiercely loyal, and full of heart. The two young men in her love triangle were both admirable and annoying in their own opposite ways. So many surprising revelations came out about these characters and all the twists and turns made the book that much more exciting.

Hemlock was surprisingly a very good read and I can’t wait for the next installment!

Rating: ★★★★½ 

Elizabeth is a student at Cal State Long Beach. She laughs a lot, loves cats, and lives for music and books. You can read her blog here: http://titania86-fishmuffins.blogspot.com/.

Review copy was provided free of any obligation by Katherine Tegen Books. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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Review: Destined by Aprilynne Pike

[ 2 ] May 2, 2012

Reviewed by Jennifer Jensen

After struggling through the first three books in Aprilynne Pike’s Wings series, I did not have very high expectations for the final book, Destined. Much to my surprise, I was actually quite moved by the ending and had finally become invested in one of the characters I have always loved to pick on, David.

The love triangle between Laurel, David, and Tamani continues in Destined. Although David is truly a wonderful guy, I always felt that Laurel truly loved Tamani even if she could never bring herself to say so out loud. In Destined, Laurel finally makes her decision between David and Tamani.

Destined picks up where Illusions left off, with Laurel and her friends trying to discover the identity of the individual who is trying to create havoc in the faerie realm of Avalon. Throughout the entire series, mentions of King Arthur and the faeries’ involvement with his reign have always surfaced. I loved those references, and it was fun getting to see David in the role as a modern day hero, wielding the legendary sword Excalibur.

Out of the entire series, Destined was my favorite and I felt it wrapped everything up quite nicely. Not everyone got a happy ending (skip the section called The Last Word if you don’t want some bittersweet thrown into the mix) and I could tell that Aprilynne Pike had planned this since since the beginning.

Fans of the Wings series will undoubtedly love the conclusion to the series. While I wasn’t in love with this series, I hope that the movie rumors are true and that we will be seeing it onscreen in the near future. I just hope that the movie fleshes out the characters of David and Chelsea, and makes David just a little less perfect.

Rating: ★★★☆☆ 

Jennifer graduated from the University of Utah with a BA in English. She occasionally dabbles with her own fiction writing, particularly with the Young Adult and Paranormal genres. She currently resides in Utah with her husband and daughter.

Review copy was provided free of any obligation by HarperTeen. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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