Review: The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

The Night Circus

Author: Erin Morgenstern

Publication Date: September 13th, 2011

Publisher: Doubleday

Genre: YA/Fantasy/Romance

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Synopsis:

The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Within the black-and-white striped canvas tents is an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements. It is called Le Cirque des Rêves, and it is only open at night. But behind the scenes, a fierce competition is underway—a duel between two young magicians, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood expressly for this purpose by their mercurial instructors. Unbeknownst to them, this is a game in which only one can be left standing, and the circus is but the stage for a remarkable battle of imagination and will. Despite themselves, however, Celia and Marco tumble headfirst into love—a deep, magical love that makes the lights flicker and the room grow warm whenever they so much as brush hands. True love or not, the game must play out, and the fates of everyone involved, from the cast of extraordinary circus per­formers to the patrons, hang in the balance, suspended as precariously as the daring acrobats overhead.

My Thoughts: Oh my goodness. I have literally just finished this book and I feel like I am in a state of shock. Finishing this book was one the hardest things to do ever. This is definitely the most spell binding, magical, enchanting book I have read in a long time. I will be recommending this book to everyone one I meet from this day forth, of that much I am positive.

This book plunges us into the mystery, beauty, and wonder of magic in a way that I have only encountered once before. That was in reading Harry Potter, not that these two stories are in any way alike aside from that. But they both completely encapsulate you in their world of awe inspiring magic and fantasy and gave me that same feeling of being hopelessly lost in a fantastical world that I so desperately wanted to be a part of.

I am at a loss for the words I need to give this book the credit it deserves. I feel speechless and awe struck. The romance weaved into this story was all consuming, desperate, and so real and contained so much depth. I literally felt warm and fuzzy whenever romance was involved. And that was more than you'd think. This story seems to carry a certain romance all throughout it. Something about each page is alluring and enchanting. Making you admire it and feel the need to have more. So even when there wasn't your literal romantic happenings, it was still there in the atmosphere, teasing you and constantly reeling you in.

This is definitely a book I could see myself re-reading. I could easily have closed the last page and started over again right then and there and probably would have loved it even more the second time around. This book is a masterpiece. And as much as it about magic, I feel like Morgenstern herself had to be a magician of sorts to write a story like this one. The way it made me feel was amazing and it's something readers constantly search for in books. And when they find it, they treasure it always. I know I will treasure this story and I will attempt to share it with whoever is willing to crack it open. I'm definitely placing this among my favorites. If Erin is to put out any other book, I know I will be snapping it up immediately. She obviously has incredible talent, and a writing style that literally does cast a spell on you.

Review: Pretties by Scott Westerfeld

Pretties

Author: Scott Westerfeld

Publication Date: May 3rd, 2011

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Genre: YA/Dystopia

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Synopsis:

Tally has finally become pretty. Now her looks are beyond perfect, her clothes are awesome, her boyfriend is totally hot, and she's completely popular. It's everything she's ever wanted. But beneath all the fun -- the nonstop parties, the high-tech luxury, the total freedom -- is a nagging sense that something's wrong. Something important. Then a message from Tally's ugly past arrives. Reading it, Tally remembers what's wrong with pretty life, and the fun stops cold. Now she has to choose between fighting to forget what she knows and fighting for her life -- because the authorities don't intend to let anyone with this information survive.

My Thoughts: I know I'm writing a review here for the second book in the series, without having written one for the first. I am honestly not even sure how that happened. But I forgot to write up a review for it so it didn't get put into my schedule and now it seems like too late to go back. I like the book to be pretty fresh in my mind when I write up my reviews. So anyway, I'm going to start here on book #2 in the Uglies Series.

I definitely enjoyed this book. I liked it even more than the one before it. And that is something that I love in a series, and doesn't come along too often. When each installment exceeds it's previous one. This is a very good thing! It is a little bit odd though, because this book didn't really have as much action, or the same fast pace. It wasn't as active or emotional either. But I did feel that we got to learn a lot more about Tally. And that is another thing I adore in a series or any book. Character growth and progression. I love to watch characters change, grow and adapt. And Tally is definitely doing a lot of all three of those things.

So Tally is right where she originally always wanted to be. All everything seems just ducky and perfect until a very surprising visit from an old friend. That's when memories start to return to Tally, and she is fighting her hardest to find out what she really wants. To fight against what she has been conditioned to want and how she's essentially been brainwashed to behave. And that is even harder than it sounds!

We are introduced to a brand new love interest for Tally. And I still find myself quite conflicted with this new development. I really loved David, and he seemed like such a fantastic match for Tally. He was the one who changed everything for her, who opened her eyes and mind to the world around her. But once she was taken away from The Smoke and made into a pretty, she lost her memories of David and she found Zane. She definitely has good reasons for liking Zane as well and they did go through a lot together. Not that anything seems set in stone, I will keep cheering for David ;).

And that's the way it is with this book. Nothing is for certain. Things are constantly changing. Environments, people, lifestyles, and most definitely thought processes. It makes for a pretty great read. It's fun to keep up with and keeps the reader very well engaged.  I would definitely recommend this series, and I am already looking forward to reading #3.  The ending left me in a very shocked and scared place so I definitely need to find out what comes next for Tally. The plot never stops surprising me.

Hopefully I will remember to write my review for #3,  and please forgive me for jumping ahead in the series haha ;).

Review: Wither by Lauren DeStefano

Wither
The Chemical Garden #1

Author: Lauren DeStefano

Publication Date: March 22, 2011

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

Genre: Dystopian

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Synopsis:

By age sixteen, Rhine Ellery has four years left to live. She can thank modern science for this genetic time bomb. A botched effort to create a perfect race has left all males with a lifespan of 25 years, and females with a lifespan of 20 years. Geneticists are seeking a miracle antidote to restore the human race, desperate orphans crowd the population, crime and poverty have skyrocketed, and young girls are being kidnapped and sold as polygamous brides to bear more children. When Rhine is kidnapped and sold as a bride, she vows to do all she can to escape. Her husband, Linden, is hopelessly in love with her, and Rhine can’t bring herself to hate him as much as she’d like to. He opens her to a magical world of wealth and illusion she never thought existed, and it almost makes it possible to ignore the clock ticking away her short life. But Rhine quickly learns that not everything in her new husband’s strange world is what it seems. Her father-in-law, an eccentric doctor bent on finding the antidote, is hoarding corpses in the basement. Her fellow sister wives are to be trusted one day and feared the next, and Rhine is desperate to communicate to her twin brother that she is safe and alive. Will Rhine be able to escape--before her time runs out? 

Together with one of Linden's servants, Gabriel, Rhine attempts to escape just before her seventeenth birthday. But in a world that continues to spiral into anarchy, is there any hope for freedom?

My Thoughts: This is one of those books that I wasn't sure about until I picked it up and opened up to the first page.  After that, I was hooked.  This is one I did not put down and stayed up into the wee hours of the morning reading and thinking: "Just one more chapter!".

The summary above does very well in summarizing, basically, the whole book.  Rhine is kidnapped off of the streets on her way home from work, shoved into the back of a dark van and driven across the country to be sold as one of three brides for Linden.  Despite Linden being horribly naive and not as bad as she would have thought, Rhine's sole thought is of escape and living the last four years of life she has left her own way.

It was weird to imagine a world full of only young people.  There are the much older first generation people who age normally, but other than that every man was under twenty-five and ever woman under twenty.  There are orphans running rampant around and most people who are working are really young.  There were so many things that I found abhorrent in this novel and gave me such a shock (for instance, a thirteen year old girl being married off and getting pregnant and not many thought twice about it).  When I sat down and absorbed the world it made sense that things like that would be routine in a world where the young died young.  It really made the world seem real and painted a picture of what it had become.  But it was nevertheless disturbing.

Rhine Ellery was sold into a polygamous marriage after being kidnapped.  It was one of the many things that could happen in the world she lives in but never one she considered.  So, at the ripe age of sixteen she was married with two sister wives - one older and one younger.  Not to mention the existing first wife, Rose, who at the age of twenty was succumbing to the disease they would all eventually fall prey to.  Rhine's other sister wives all seem to accept their fate one way or another. Rhine, on the other hand, does everything within her power to make sure that she escapes - even if that means pretending to be in love with her husband and calling him "sweetheart".

Gabriel is the man who serves the sister wives their food and tends to their needs.  He is the only servant other than the wives' own personal servant permitted on their floor (which has no stairs and an elevator that can only be accessed with a key card).  He and Rhine form a companionship that could certainly turn into something else - if they weren't constantly worried about someone walking in on them or finding them out.  Gabriel is a sweet guy who barely remembers life outside of the confines of the mansion in which he serves.

Linden, the husband of Rhine and her sister wives, is so sweet and naive.  He and Rhine do get along and under any other circumstances they could have been at least sincere friends, I believe.  Linden is horribly in the dark about how his new wives have been brought to him and even what happens in his own home.  Everything in Linden's home is overseen and ruled by his cold, calculating and uncaring father - Vaughn.  Vaughn is a scientist who is laboring for a cure to the disease that is killing off humanity by any means possible.

Overall, I really, really liked this book.  Some of the things that happened or were mentioned through me off guard and left me reeling and unbelieving but the fact that I had a reaction so intense really speaks for the writing and the author of this series.  I honestly can't wait to start the next one.

Review: The Mephisto Covenant: The Redemption of Ajax by Trinity Faegan

The Mephisto Covenant: The Redemption of Ajax
The Mephisto Covenant #1

Author: Trinity Faegan

Publication Date: September 27, 2011

Publisher: EgmontUSA

Genre: Fantasy/Paranormal

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Synopsis:

Sasha is desperate to find out who murdered her father.

When getting the answer means pledging her soul to Eryx, she unlocks a secret that puts her in grave danger--she is an Anabo, a daughter of Eve, and Eryx's biggest threat. 

A son of Hell, immortal, and bound to Earth forever, Jax looks for redemption in the Mephisto Covenant--God's promise he will find peace in the love of an Anabo. After a thousand years, he's finally found the girl he's been searching for: Sasha. 

With the threat of Eryx always looming, Jax knows he has to keep Sasha safe and win her over. But can he? Will Sasha love him and give up her mortal life?

My Thoughts: I really liked the ideas behind this novel, but to me it didn't pick up until a little over halfway through.  Before that, I could just set it down and not even think twice about it.  But, by the end I was flipping pages like mad.

Sasha is an Arabo - a descendant of the first child of Adam and Eve, Aurora.  Aurora was the only child born before sin and, as the book puts it, all of the descendants get a "free pass" to heaven.  They are not tempted by sin at all.  Jax is a son of Hell, so basically everything that Sasha is not.  But she is the key to his redemption.

There were things I liked about the book and things I didn't like.  I really liked the mythology and lore it involved and I loved Jax.  I didn't, however, like the pace it went at.  The very beginning was perfect but then in the middle it died down too much for me before the end when it picked back up.  I was also a little sad when I found out that this was a series in which the main characters change each book; but, at the same time I was happy that I had a solid ending to the Sasha and Jax story.

All-in-all, I did enjoy this book.  I will probably wait for awhile to pick up the next one (only because of character attachment) but I will pick up the next one.  I look forward to learning more about the world and the ultimate demise of the villain in it.

Review: Daughter of Smoke & Bone by Laini Taylor

Daughter of Smoke & Bone
Daughter of Smoke & Bone #1

Author: Laini Taylor

Publication Date: September 27, 2011

Publisher: Little, Brown and Company

Genre: Fantasy

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Synopsis:

Around the world, black hand prints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky. 

In a dark and dusty shop, a devil's supply of human teeth grows dangerously low. 

And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherwordly war. 

Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real; she's prone to disappearing on mysterious "errands"; she speaks many languages—not all of them human; and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she's about to find out. 

When one of the strangers—beautiful, haunted Akiva—fixes his fire-colored eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself?

My Thoughts:  A LOT of people love this book, most people it seems (including Jenn and Meghan check theirs out!).  So, I am not sure what happened with me.  Maybe going into the book my expectations were too high or I was expecting something entirely different.  In different places in the book, my reading stalled and I just couldn't get into it.  Something just jarred me out of the world and it took me awhile to get me back.

I really enjoyed the characters, all of them.  They had a lot of back story and were really developed.  I could feel for pretty much all of them.  It made me sad when anything bad happened to any of the characters in this book which really speaks for the author.  Her characters were well fleshed-out and pretty awesome.

The plot was a little too up in the air for this to be a book that I couldn't put down.  Most of the time (not all) I could just put it aside at the end of a chapter with no immediate need to find out what would happen next.  That doesn't mean this isn't a great book, just one that didn't create a sense of urgency about the plot and where it was going.

Karou I liked especially.  She was flawed in ways that were obvious to the reader which was a welcomed reprieve from the goody-innocentness (a word?  I think not lol) of the MC that I have been reading a lot recently.

I loved when the main characters first met and the fight scene ensued.  I felt it had real chemistry and could go somewhere.  After that, I felt a little let down.  It was pretty much an instantaneous love and it confused me a lot.  So, I gave it the benefit of the doubt and continued on thinking that it had something to do with Karou's mysterious past.  When I found out the truth behind it, I have to admit I was just as disappointed.  These two seem to just fall in love out of the blue with each other and it kind of irked me a little.

I did enjoy reading about the past, but I think I would have liked it more if it were slowly leaked to me.  The dedicated chapters of past just tore me out of the present and I found it jarring.

I liked the world that Taylor created.  It was interesting to learn about and read about it.  The chimera in particular were wonderful and I loved creating their likenesses in my head. If I were any sort of artist I probably would have scratched a couple down - especially Brimstone.

In short, it took me a long time to make it to this book - it seemed like I just kept putting it off.  I am still glad I finally picked it up and will probably read the next one.

Review: The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer
(Mara Dyer #1)

Author: Michelle Hodkin

Publication Date: September 27th, 2011

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing

Genre: Paranormal

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Synopsis:

Mara Dyer doesn’t think life can get any stranger than waking up in a hospital with no memory of how she got there.

It can.

She believes there must be more to the accident she can’t remember that killed her friends and left her mysteriously unharmed.

There is.

She doesn’t believe that after everything she’s been through, she can fall in love.

She’s wrong.

My Thoughts: Alright, can somebody tell me why I didn't read this one sooner? Seriously, I'd like to know what I was thinking putting this one off. It was freaking AMAZING! I read this with Book Twirps for their October Read A Long, let me tell you, we always left off at the worst places each week. I would sit there and read the entire week's reading in about an hour, then I'd sit there anticipating the next week so I could read some more. I was very glad when we finally got to the last week because it meant no more waiting! I know, I could have just read ahead, but that's not how read a longs work!! So why did I love this one? It was super creepy! I'm still confused about some things and how they happen after finishing, I think I'm going to need to pick up the next book sooner rather than later. Another reason I like it? Hot British bad boy. Yup! I liked Noah pretty much right away, I always like the bad boy. I'm not really sure why, but come on, he was British!! The accents!

So Mara Dyer moves to Florida after her best friend and two other "friends" die from an old asylum caving in on them. Mara is the only one to live and she can't remember what happened. What she does know though, is that she's seeing her dead boyfriend, who was with them, and it's freaking her out! It she going insane? Most likely. She might end up in her own asylum if she's not careful. After everything, she starts a new school and meets Noah. The boy who is the school player, the one she can't stop thinking about no matter how badly she wants to, the one she can't stay away from. Then strange things start happening to her. She is imagining things that are actually coming true, horrible things.

Poor, poor Mara. She is having a really hard time, she has almost no friends in her new school, her best friend died, people are dying around her in horrible ways, oh yeah, and she's having hallucinations. Just showing her how crazy she is. She's afraid to tell anyone anything because there is always the chance it hasn't really happened and she'll be sent to a padded white room. All she wants is to be normal, but I can tell you, considering everything that happens to her, she seems to be doing pretty well. There is a minimum of breakdowns from her. She doesn't trust herself though, since so many weird things are happening, but aren't really happening. If you know what I mean. She definitely a different type of protagonist. You get to watch while her mind falls apart and it's somewhat creepy.


So should you read The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer? Yes, yes you should. Especially if you are a fan of creepy stories. This one has plenty of creepiness. It's also written in a way that you'll have a hard time putting it down. I know I did (even though I forced myself to for the read a long!). There were so many times that I found myself thinking about what I had read so far. Easily one of my favourite reads this year! Michelle Hodkin is amazing!!

Review: The Space Between by Brenna Yovanoff

The Space Between

Author: Brenna Yovanoff

Publication Date: November 14, 2011

Publisher: Razorbill

Genre: Fantasy/Paranormal

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Synopsis:

Everything is made of steel, even the flowers. How can you love anything in a place like this?

Daphne is the half-demon, half-fallen angel daughter of Lucifer and Lilith. Life for her is an endless expanse of time, until her brother Obie is kidnapped - and Daphne realizes she may be partially responsible. Determined to find him, Daphne travels from her home in Pandemonium to the vast streets of Earth, where everything is colder and more terrifying. With the help of the human boy she believes was the last person to see her brother alive, Daphne glimpses into his dreams, discovering clues to Obie's whereabouts. As she delves deeper into her demonic powers, she must navigate the jealousies and alliances of the violent archangels who stand in her way. But she also discovers, unexpectedly, what it means to love and be human in a world where human is the hardest thing to be.

This second novel by rising star Brenna Yovanoff is a story of identity, discovery, and a troubled love between two people struggling to find their place both in our world and theirs.

My Thoughts: I really, really enjoyed this book.  It was kind of strange, but I liked it anyway - maybe because of it.  I also like it because it isn't a series.  Not that I don't love series', because I really do, just sometimes I don't want to wait years to know the end of my story.  Sometimes, just sometimes, I like to read a good story and have it be done.  There is something truly gratifying about it - even if you want more.

Daphne is the daughter of two of the most famous evil beings in the world - Lilith and Lucifer.  So, you would expect a big baddie.  Well, picture the opposite of that and you pretty much have Daphne.  She is super sweet and really fun to read about.  She really loves her brother Obie (maybe not so much her sister) and  likes to take care of people.

Truman is a self-destructive teen who has almost died multiple times.  Daphne tracks him down in connection to Obie and he then becomes and integral part of the story.

I even enjoyed the side-characters in all their glory.

This story makes you sympathetic to some of the demons that it portrays and gets you to second-guess some of the heavenly beings that appear.  The plot kept me interested and guessing and the characters managed to draw me in, which makes this novel an overall success in my book.  I would definitely recommend this book!

Review: Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

Daughter of Smoke and Bone

Author: Laini Taylor

Publication Date: September 27th, 2011

Publisher: Little, Brown & Company

Genre: Paranormal Fantasy

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Synopsis:

Around the world, black hand prints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky.

In a dark and dusty shop, a devil's supply of human teeth grows dangerously low.

And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherwordly war.

Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real; she's prone to disappearing on mysterious "errands"; she speaks many languages—not all of them human; and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she's about to find out.

When one of the strangers—beautiful, haunted Akiva—fixes his fire-colored eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself?

My Thoughts: Oh my god. I think I have finally found a book with angels that I actually like! Seriously, I was starting to get worried that I never would. I guess all it takes is badass angels with fiery wings bent on killing or enslaving the entire chimera race. Wait. No. I actually only like one angel, Akiva. The rest of them are pretty much emotionless "windup soldiers", who kill because they are bred, raised and told to. But hey, it's a start. I've had Daughter of Smoke and Bone sitting on my bookshelf for quite awhile, it's one of those books that I look at in horror after I've finished because I've had it for so long and always passed by it and it's hidden gem of a world. I started reading and it took a short while, but once I was into the story I basically carried it around with me everywhere. Laini Taylor definitely knows how to write a story that will keep the reader engaged. She created a world that was easy to envision because it wasn't really that different from Earth, just the denizens. Also, the cover is just too awesome, I love it!

Alright, so characters, well our main character/protagonist is Karou. She's been raised by a group of four chimera and has no idea who she really is. She's an amazing artist who can kick major ass and speaks a lot of different languages. I really enjoyed her character, she wasn't afraid to kick ass first and ask questions later. I kind of figured out who she was at a certain point, when it was revealed what the tattoos were. But still, was very happy about it! The other protagonist is Akiva, who is an angel bent on the destruction of the chimera for killing his love. He runs into Karou and feels a strange attraction to her and can't stay away from her, even  though she is allied with the enemy.

There are a lot of surprises in this wonderfully written story. I'm really hoping that there are some things that haven't happened for real, things that have been said happened. I really am hoping, but who knows. Maybe I'll be disappointed that they did, but still blown away by what happens next. I'm definitely looking forward to reading Days of Blood and Starlight and seeing what Taylor can come up with next. This is a book that makes you really care for the "bad" guys and despise the "good" guys, at least for me it was.

So if you haven't figured it out, I really loved this book and can't wait for more. If you are still passing by this one, read it. It's too good not to! A must for any fantasy of paranormal lovers!

Review: Betrayal by Mayandree Michel

Betrayal
The Descendants #1

Author: Mayandree Michel

Publication Date: March 28, 2011

Genre: Fantasy/Paranormal/Mythology

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Synopsis:

Where there is love and power, there is always... betrayal.
At seventeen, Cordelia is an ordinary teen with an extraordinary and frightening secret. A secret that induces vivid dreams which she not only experiences true love, but crippling fear while barely escaping with her life each night.

After a life altering event, Cordelia has an unexpected encounter with Evan, the mysterious boy from her dreams, who reveals who and what she is, a descendant of the Greek gods. At that moment everything she knows of her world is a lie, and she must leave the present and go into the past to assume the role she was put on this earth for, safeguarding her ancient empire amidst evil forces that toil hastily to destroy it.

In a race against time, Cordelia must decide if she is truly a part of this dangerous world, or risk defying the gods, and ultimately lose the boy who has put a claim on her heart.

My Thoughts: Wow, this book was definitely a strange ride through. It is the first book that I recall reading that had the following fantasy themes: Gods, demi-gods, werewolves, vampires and time travel. It was a strange mixture that just didn’t seem right at first; in fact, some of it still doesn’t feel right. When I was first introduced to all of these themes I admit I thought: “Wow, why can’t the author just pick one or two and stick to it?”. It did feel a little like she wanted to have a bit of everything in there for good measure and it came out really strange.

We start off here, in the twenty first century with your average everyday girl – who just happened to accidently shoot lightning out of her fingertips, eyeballs and other areas when she felt threatened by stupid shadows. Then, one day, she died. That is when the story really starts – well sort of. I really felt the story didn’t really start until the end.

The characters are all unique and I really loved them. I think that one of the things that kept me going on this one is how much I cared about Cordelia (the main character). Even side characters I found that I really enjoyed seeing. I really liked Cordelia most, again, at the end of the book. Before that, she is a little whiney at times and is kind of a huge eavesdropper (though I totally get it in her situation).

They have a botched love-triangle around the middle that I didn’t really get and felt completely strange and unrealistic. Luckily, the author ties that up near the end and a whole new, exciting and interesting triangle emerges; thus, I feel (and hope) that the next book revolves around that and is better.

The story starts off slow, remains pretty slow to me but then picks up near the end. The ending of this book was its only redeeming part and it was enough to make me curious about the next one enough to check it out.

Review: Catching Jordan by Miranda Kenneally

Catching Jordan
(Catching Jordan #1)

Author: Miranda Kenneally

Publication Date: December 1st, 2011

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

Genre: Contemporary / Realistic Fiction

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Synopsis:

ONE OF THE BOYS. What girl doesn't want to be surrounded by gorgeous jocks day in and day out? Jordan Woods isn't just surrounded by hot guys, though-she leads them as the captain and quarterback of her high school football team. They all see her as one of the guys and that's just fine. As long as she gets her athletic scholarship to a powerhouse university.

But everything she's ever worked for is threatened when Ty Greeen moves to her school. Not only is he an amazing QB, but he's also amazingly hot. And for the first time, Jordan's feeling vulnerable. Can she keep her head in the game while her heart's on the line?

My Thoughts: For not liking football, I really enjoyed Catching Jordan. I know, saying I don't like football is crazy but hey, I'm a Canadian. I actually don't really like hockey either.. BUT I do like soccer (or actual football ;) )! So I'm not completely anti-sports. Maybe it was the surplus of testosterone, or maybe the brilliant writing. Once I started reading, I couldn't stop. Miranda Kenneally is now one of my favourite contemporary authors.

I really liked Jordan, she wasn't afraid to go after what she wanted, even if nobody believed she could do it. Her father didn't believe in her or at least didn't want to see her get hurt. But she did have a few devoted supporters. Her mom, brother and best friend Sam Henry all believed in her. She really seemed to push herself more than it seemed she needed, but she was a girl on the football team and I guess she felt she needed to prove her worth. Which she did, considering she was the captain and the quarterback and the star player of the team. This may seem completely ignorant of me, but are there generally not girl football teams in high school? We didn't have football at my high school, but we did have a girls rugby team (which might be even rougher!). Regardless, Jordan fits in quite well with her team and is one of the guys, until Ty shows up. Not only is she instantly attracted to him (not love, lust! So no insta fall in love here) but he's after her position. Being in her final year, she needs to be able to concentrate on the game, there are recruiters coming to watch after all.

Miranda Kenneally does a great job writing an emotional story that pulls you in and doesn't let go. There were times when I laughed out loud, Jordan and the guys antics are great! There were other times when my heart broke for Jordan, I don't have the best relationship with my dad, so not having him there for the most important events for her was really relatable. I will say that I never really like Ty, I'm not really sure why, it seemed like he was using her for awhile, plus he's just so bossy and controlling. I was rooting for Henry the whole time! I love when the best friends realize that they love each other!

If you're looking for a great contemporary that is written well, has some first love and drama, you should check this one out. Even if you don't like football or any sports, you might still like it, I know I did! I'm looking forward to jumping into Stealing Parker, the companion book to Catching Jordan!

Review: Abandon by Meg Cabot

Abandon

Author: Meg Cabot

Publication Date: April 26, 2011

Publisher: Point

Genre: Fantasy/Mythology

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Synopsis:

Though she tries returning to the life she knew before the accident, Pierce can't help but feel at once a part of this world, and apart from it. Yet she's never alone . . . because someone is always watching her. Escape from the realm of the dead is impossible when someone there wants you back.

But now she's moved to a new town. Maybe at her new school, she can start fresh. Maybe she can stop feeling so afraid.

Only she can't. Because even here, he finds her. That's how desperately he wants her back. She knows he's no guardian angel, and his dark world isn't exactly heaven, yet she can't stay away . . . especially since he always appears when she least expects it, but exactly when she needs him most.

But if she lets herself fall any further, she may just find herself back in the one place she most fears: the Underworld.

My Thoughts: This book wasn’t exactly what I had expected when I first opened it, but that wasn’t a bad thing in this case. I was expecting another re-telling of the classic Hades and Persephone relationship or some other form of it (which it kind of was) but it wasn’t exactly how I had imagined it going.

Pierce Oliviera died when she was fifteen. Then, she did what all people do when they die – wait in line. Until she sees a man that she recognises from childhood on a horse and he appears to be in charge. She catches his attention and her afterlife was never the same. Until she woke up – alive in her mother’s arms.

This romance kind of confused me a bit. I mean, I am used to the quick-love thing that seems to be present in most YA novels, but this one was a bit much for me. These two met for about 10-20 minutes about4 times in a year and a half span. Each resulted in arguments, near-death for other people and once with hot tea in the face. Then suddenly, professions of love.

But, I have to admit, I was a guilty pleasure of mine to enjoy it.

Pierce is kind and caring in a pretty legit way. She actually sincerely cares about everything. She risks her life to save animals and easily forgives people (maybe with the exception of John).

John’s mood swings are fast and pretty intense. One minute he is insanely angry and the next completely calm. The relationship between the two certainly has an interesting dynamic.

The book ended kind of abruptly (although, despite being a pet-peeve of mine I didn’t seem to mind in this case). The relationship came on fast and strong. The book doesn’t exactly begin at the start of the story either. Regardless of all that, I still enjoyed the book a lot – which says a lot about the characters and the writers. I would definitely recommend this to people who love the Underworld as much as I do!

Review: Undermountain by Eric Kent Edstrom

Undermountain

Author: Eric Kent Edstrom

Publication Date: December 22nd, 2011

Publisher: Undermountain Books LLC

Genre: Fantasy

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Synopsis:

Two teens from from different worlds . . . Danny Michaelson, sixteen, just wants a little time away from his troubled home in Nashville. So when he joins a group of teens in the Canadian Rocky Mountains for a ten day hiking excursion, he's primed for adventure.

Breyona Lewis, sixteen, is a beautiful rich girl from Chicago. Outwardly cheerful, she conceals a dark secret. One she denies even to herself.

. . . the encounter of a lifetime . . . Danny and Breyona come face to face with a creature of legend--an eight foot tall beast they tag as "bigfoot." But it's no missing link, no mere animal. And it does not want humans knowing its secrets. Because there are thousands of them here on Earth, living in a hidden city deep beneath the mountains, waiting for the day humans are "ready."

. . . friendship, love, and loyalty . . . Separated from each other and told they may never return home, Danny, Breyona, and the others race to escape. To survive.

One is made more than human, one is made less.

One must fight, one must surrender.

Both must face the truth of who they are.

My Thoughts: Undermountain is completely different from anything that I've ever read before, in a good way! I really enjoyed reading it! Eric Edstrom has created a very awesome and interesting world beneath the Canadain Rockies (beneath all of the Earth's major mountain ranges actually). The thought that there could be an entire civilization of Bigfoots (Bigfeet?) down there is really great. I had started reading this one before bed one night and before I knew it I was 100 pages in and it was 1 am. Even though I had just meant to read a few pages. This book kept me up the second night as well, trying to get it finished but I just couldn't because it got too late, so I finished it the next morning before doing anything else. So very hard to put down. I just had to know what would happen next.

I liked most of the characters (all but Bronson and Shaggy, but I don't think you are really supposed to like them). They all really grew up and matured after their experience of being captives. Danny became more of a leader, Em less selfish, Wa more serious (but still a joker), Breyona more calm and Shiv turned out to be more than expected from him since he liked being in Undermountain. I like Grizz the bigfoot, how he tried to help the humans even though he had been ordered not to.

All in all, it's a great story, one with a lot of imagination put behind it. It's unique and a huge page turner. It's a great YA book and would be ok for even younger teens. There are a few twists, but I really wasn't ever sure what to expect, which is really good. Very enjoyable and I would definitely recommend this one to fantasy/sci fi lovers! You should check it out!

*Thank you to Eric Edstrom for the review copy!*

Review: Dearly, Departed by Lia Habel

Dearly, Departed
(Gone With the Respiration #1)

Author: Lia Habel

Publication Date: September 29th, 2011

Publisher: Del Rey

Genre: Science Fiction / Steampunk / Zombies

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Synopsis:

Love can never die.

Love conquers all, so they say. But can Cupid’s arrow pierce the hearts of the living and the dead—or rather, the undead? Can a proper young Victorian lady find true love in the arms of a dashing zombie?

The year is 2195. The place is New Victoria—a high-tech nation modeled on the manners, mores, and fashions of an antique era. A teenager in high society, Nora Dearly is far more interested in military history and her country’s political unrest than in tea parties and debutante balls. But after her beloved parents die, Nora is left at the mercy of her domineering aunt, a social-climbing spendthrift who has squandered the family fortune and now plans to marry her niece off for money. For Nora, no fate could be more horrible—until she’s nearly kidnapped by an army of walking corpses.

But fate is just getting started with Nora. Catapulted from her world of drawing-room civility, she’s suddenly gunning down ravenous zombies alongside mysterious black-clad commandos and confronting “The Laz,” a fatal virus that raises the dead—and hell along with them. Hardly ideal circumstances. Then Nora meets Bram Griswold, a young soldier who is brave, handsome, noble . . . and dead. But as is the case with the rest of his special undead unit, luck and modern science have enabled Bram to hold on to his mind, his manners, and his body parts. And when his bond of trust with Nora turns to tenderness, there’s no turning back. Eventually, they know, the disease will win, separating the star-crossed lovers forever. But until then, beating or not, their hearts will have what they desire.

My Thoughts: I actually really liked this  book. I had a friend who asked me what genre is was and I described it as a "futuristic sci-fi, based in a Victorian era with zombies and romance". I really like sci-fi and the Victorian era. The only thing I had no experience with was zombies, but they turned out to be pretty ok. I really like the world that Lia Habel created. It's like nothing I've read before. She actually did really good mashing the different elements together to form a great story.  The only thing I wasn't a fan of was the romance. I guess I was just a little grossed out by the fact that Nora was kissing someone who was dead? I mean, I understand that Bram is a nice guy and all, but he's dead. There is just no way to get around that for me. Every time there was anything intimate I was slightly disgusted.

The setting for the book is in New Victoria and the government has been hiding the fact that there are walking dead out there. Nora is kidnapped from her home and then suddenly there is an outbreak in New London, the capitol and things just get crazy from there.

Dearly, Departed is told from a few different PoVs. There is Nora, Bram, Pamela, Wolfe and Victor (I think that's all of them). My favorite character by far was Pamela. She is the scholarship girl, who is also Nora's best friend, and she turns out to be pretty kick ass in the end. She's pretty tough and takes things as they come to her. She knows she can't really take anything for granted.

Other than the queasiness from the romance, I really enjoyed reading this  book and am looking forward to reading the next (which I actually already started) and finding out what happens next. It should be pretty interesting to see how New London copes with the knowledge that there are walking dead. It was a great intro into zombie books because it's not too scary, and the zombies aren't too disgusting (well the civilized ones anyways). I would definitely recommend this one!