Review: Halfway Bitten by Terry Maggert

Halfway Bitten
((Halfway Witchy Series #2)

Author: Terry Maggert

Publication Date: February 9, 2016

Genre: Young Adult/Fantasy

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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Synopsis:

Take a bite out of evil.

The circus came to Halfway, and they brought the weird.

When clowns, vampires, and corpses start piling up in town, Carlie has to break away from her boyfriend, Wulfric, to bring her witchy skills to the table- or grill, as the case may be.

When the body of a young woman washes up in the lake, it unleashes a spiral of mystery that will bring Carlie, Gran, and Wulfric into a storm of magical warfare.

Spells will fly. Curses will rain. Amidst it all, Carlie will make waffles, protect her town, and find out if a man from the distant past can join her in happy ever after.

With love and honor at stake, Carlie has no peer.

My Thoughts: This series of books, Halfway Witchy, was definitely an interesting find that I may not have necessarily picked up myself if I hadn't had a request for a review.  The series, to me, is very reminiscent of the Sookie Stackhouse Series by Charlaine Harris with the exception that there is less gore and this series seems targeted for a more PG audience.

In this book, the circus is in town and it is up to Carlie, her grandmother and her half-vamp/half-human boyfriend Wulfric (a Viking of old) to figure out why people are ending up dead. Since it is Carlie's family who protects the area in which they live, it is up to her to solve the supernatural murders and bring peace back to her town.

Carlie is a pretty kick-butt waffle chef who also happens to be a witch.  I really like her and I like that she wasn't some girl in need of saving - Carlie does the saving.  She is short, powerful and in charge.
I also LOVED Carlie's Gram.  She oozes power, intelligence and just all around badass witchery.  It seems the women in this family line are just amazing.

I have to admit, I had a hard time reading this story.  It wasn't because I didn't love the characters or the plot, but the writing style kept throwing me off.  I'm not saying that the writing is terrible, because it isn't.  Just all writing styles aren't for everyone and this one definitely is one of the kind that I have difficulty with.  There were a lot of paragraphs and a lot of the dialogue was within the paragraphs instead of on it's own separate line, which is something that throws me off when reading.

All in all though, I really enjoyed the story and the characters within.  It did take me a little longer than usual to read because I had to adjust myself to the writing style, but it was worth it to take the extra time.  I would definitely recommend this book series to anyone who enjoyed the Sookie Stackhouse series or to anyone who likes seeing short witches kick some major behind.

Review: Lightpoints by Peter Kassan

Lightpoints

Author: Peter Kassan

Publication Date: March 25th, 2013

Publisher: Melange Books

Genre: YA/Paranormal/Romance

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Synopsis:

When Amanda Lindner Nichols, a 24-year-old graphic artist living with her husband in Queens, New York, is revived from a near-death experience, she discovers she perceives everyone around her as points of light—but not with her eyes. She soon learns she can not only perceive the life energy of others, but she can give and take it. With the help of others like her, she brings her husband Chris to the brink of death and back to bestow on him the same remarkable faculty, and they’re the happiest they’ve been. But not for long. All over the world, people who’ve been revived from their own near-death experience at just the right moment discover themselves with these same unusual powers. They find ways to use them—some for good and some for evil. When Amanda and Chris encounter a ruthless group of gangsters with the same faculty, tragedy follows—and Amanda faces the greatest challenge of her life

My Thoughts:  Lightpoints was an interesting read for sure! I definitely enjoyed it, especially since it was so unique. I  liked the idea behind the story, this ability that I want to call super natural but it isn't really, I guess. But I don't think it's an ability  I would ever want to have myself, it sounds overwhelming and like it would take over your life.

Amanda faces death and lives to tell the tale, but she definitely does not come back the same woman. She comes back with the ability to sense all other people as these points of light in her head. Although it gets a little confusing there and it's kind of hard to imagine what the author is describing. They are always referred to as points of light but we are also told they aren't literally points of light and they don't actually see anything. I can understand it, but I can't really envision what it would be like and I wish that had of been a little clearer. But I definitely liked the idea behind it, it was something totally new and it kept me interested  and it made for a good read watching her adapt to her new life, how her new ability grew and changed and what she did to cope with her new life.

The other thing that I really liked about this book, was the little side stories. Amanda isn't the only person who finds themselves burdened with this new faculty. Every other chapter or so we get to read about these other people and what they are doing with their abilities. It was incredibly interesting and the diversity it added to the story was fantastic. We got to see how the exact same abilities could be used for good and bad, and how the exact same thing happening to lots of people can bring about so many different results. I think those little side stories made the book, I really do. I often found myself enjoying them more than Amanda's chapters. It got even better when the stories started to intertwine and Amanda finds herself dealing with someone who feels the need to make the most of their ability in a really bad way.

I would recommend this book, it was an light easy read that was very interesting and unique. I did find it a little repetitive at times and maybe sometimes it was a little slow getting to the point, but overall it was a very decent read and I think you should give it a go.

Review: Specials by Scott Westerfeld

Specials

Author: Scott Westerfeld

Publication Date: May 3rd, 2011

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Genre: YA/Dystopia

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Synopsis:

"Special Circumstances": The words have sent chills down Tally's spine since her days as a repellent, rebellious ugly. Back then Specials were a sinister rumor -- frighteningly beautiful, dangerously strong, breathtakingly fast. Ordinary pretties might live their whole lives without meeting a Special. But Tally's never been ordinary. And now she's been turned into one of them: a superamped fighting machine, engineered to keep the uglies down and the pretties stupid. The strength, the speed, and the clarity and focus of her thinking feel better than anything Tally can remember. Most of the time. One tiny corner of her heart still remembers something more. Still, it's easy to tune that out -- until Tally's offered a chance to stamp out the rebels of the New Smoke permanently. It all comes down to one last choice: listen to that tiny, faint heartbeat, or carry out the mission she's programmed to complete. Either way, Tally's world will never be the same.

My Thoughts: The ending to the previous book, Pretties, left us with a mega cliff hanger. You can find my review for it here. Luckily, Specials picks up very shortly after where Pretties left off!

As per usual, Tally's world is in a spin of madness and constant change. She presently finds herself exactly where she has never wanted to be. She is now a member of the Specials. Which are like the rest of the pretties, only cruel and hard, and made to be used as weapons. Her and her, now friend again, Shay are members of a special division and are made as a pet project by the ever evil and maniacal Dr. Cable.

So once again, Tally is brainwashed into believing that this is exactly where she wants to be. But she is fortunate enough to have people who are willing to fight to get the real Tally back. Although this time it definitely proves to be the biggest and hardest fight yet. There was a lot of loss and sadness and violence in this book compared to the others. I found it to be darker and more matured and even more harsh than the previous two.

Not much time is spent in Tally's city this time. We spend most of in outside and far away from the borders. Everything is changing, and rapidly thanks to a city that chooses not to uphold the same laws of division and beauty as Tally's. As a member of the specials it is Tally's duty to take out this new threat. And she sets out to do just that, but everything changes once you are out in the wild. Tally encounters many people and events that change her outlook and have her questioning her orders and her choices. But even with these developments it is increasingly hard to get by what she has been programmed to believe.

Things seem to be heading in the direction I was ultimately cheering for, but I am sad about what had to happen for it to go that way. I was surprised by so many things throughout the course of the story. And I have to say that that is one thing I do really love about this series. Is you can never ever predict what is going to happen next. There are so many twists and turns and surprise developments, it keeps you on your toes and keeps the pages turning.

I would recommend this series for sure. Especially to any Dystopia fans, I think you would definitely enjoy it!

Review: Will Sparrow's Road

Will Sparrow's Road

Author: Karen Cushman

Publication Date: November 1, 2012

Publisher: Clarion Books

Genre: Historical Fiction / Middle Grade

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Synopsis:

In his thirteenth year, Will Sparrow, liar and thief, becomes a runaway. On the road, he encounters a series of con artists—a pickpocket, a tooth puller, a pig trainer, a conjurer—and learns that others are more adept than he at lying and thieving. Then he reluctantly joins a traveling troupe of "oddities," including a dwarf and a cat-faced girl, holding himself apart from the "monsters" and resolving to be on guard against further deceptions. At last Will is forced to understand that appearances are misleading and that he has been his own worst deceiver. The rowdy world of market fairs in Elizabethan England is the colorful backdrop for Newbery medalist Cushman's new comic masterpiece.

My Thoughts: So this was an okay read, normally I'm pretty happy with any middle grade books that I read but this one is one that's most likely not going to stick with me. I'm not really sure. The writing was good, the story was good but something was missing for me to give it that push that would make me remember it forever. The story seemed a bit predictable maybe? I can't really put my finger on it.

Like I said though, I did enjoy the story. Will was an amusing kid who managed to survive alone on the road for quite a while in a time where everyone would either chase him away of try to catch him and sell him. Even his own father sold him.

So while this was well written and the story was interesting enough for me to read it, it was still missing something to make it stand out. It wasn't as unique as it could be. I'm sure it would be enjoyed much more by a younger audience, like it's intended for. It is still a good read that I liked though.

Review: A Shade of Blood by Bella Forrest

A Shade of Blood
A Shade of Vampire #2

Author: Bella Forrest

Publication Date: April 8, 2013

Thank you to Bella Forrest for the ARC

Genre: Fantasy

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Synopsis:

Having been delighted by the Christmas best-selling debut, A Shade Of Vampire, readers are begging for more. 

In A Shade Of Blood, Bella Forrest transports you deeper into a unique, enthralling and beautifully sensitive story. Prepare to be lost in its pages… 

When Sofia Claremont was kidnapped to a sunless island, uncharted by any map and ruled by the most powerful vampire coven on the planet, she believed she’d forever be a captive of its dark ruler, Derek Novak. 

Now, after months of surviving an endless night, the morning sun may soon rise again for Sofia. Something has possessed Derek’s heart and he offers her a gift no human slave has ever been given in the history of his cursed island: escape. 

High school, prom and a chance to move on with her life now await her. 

But will she be able to forget the horrors that steal her sleep away at night? … and the feelings that haunt her for that tormented prince of darkness?

My Thoughts: A Shade of Blood picks up EXACTLY where the last book left off - with Sofia and Ben escaping the Shade with the help of Derek. It is like you didn't even miss a step, the moment I picked up A Shade of Blood I was immersed into the world of the Shade once more.

In this novel, Sofia and Ben finally escape the clutches of the vampires who were holding them captive on the island kingdom known as the Shade. However, when they return to their old life they find that they are changed. They are not the same carefree people they had once been and because of that they seem to drift apart for a while. Ben is hell-bent on getting revenge and destroying the people who ruined his life. Sofia can't stop thinking about the prince of the island, Derek.

The relationship between Sofia and Ben in this novel develops a lot and, at one point, became extremely awkward to read. I believe that was the intention behind it and it leaves the reader kind of with the same sense as Sofia. It was mostly just uncomfortable for me.

However, as the novel progresses I did start to get into it a bit more. Sofia has certainly seemed to grow more of a backbone now that she is no longer a slave to the Shade - or as much of a backbone as one can expect from Sofia Claremont in such a short amount of time. I am glad that she decides to make her own decisions and set out her limits clearly. Though, there are times that I seriously question her decisions or judgments  there are also times that I cheer her on completely.

I thought that this novel would be a lot more action-packed than it was, especially considering what happened in the last book. This one just seemed a lot like filler to make it to the third novel (which I still have complete intentions to read). I believe that a lot of the back story that was touched on in this novel will come into play during the next book, but the story just seemed to lull. There was some character development, of course, which was pretty excellent but I just wanted to see MORE. I think perhaps that one of the issues was that I loved the first book and just didn't want this one to end without some major happenstance? Either way, I loved getting in touch with the characters again and can’t wait to pick up the third one.

Review: I'm With Stupid by Geoff Herbach

I'm With Stupid

Author: Geoff Herbach

Publication Date: May 21, 2013

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

Genre: Realistic Fiction

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Synopsis:

Felton Reinstein, dork-turned-athlete, must make peace with his father's death and accept his own ability to be brutal like his dad once was. Final chapter in the Stupid Fast series.

My Thoughts: I wasn't really sure what to expect from this book. I didn't realise at first that it was the last book in a series, so I was worried that I wouldn't understand everything that was going on. There was no need for me to worry though. Geoff Herbach does a great job of making sure that you get the information you need from Felton's background so that I didn't feel like I was completely missing out on anything. I still understood the story, which was great.

The story is focused around Felton, who is a star football player who all the colleges want. He is completely being harassed (at least I felt that way) by them all, trying to talk him into attending their school. And to make it worse? He agreed to give his college choice on live TV (which doesn't go as well as it should). So needless to say, Felton is feeling the stress. The poor guy is on the verge of a nervous breakdown for the majority of the book. I was completely prepared for his break at any moment. I expected it.

What really bothered me though? NOBODY really seemed to notice. His life was spiralling, I was worried he would kill himself (suicide is a big theme in the book since his father killed himself when Felton was 5 and another student kills himself). The only people who seemed to notice what was happening were too far away to really do anything but call and Felton could just ignore their calls. His mom had the phone unplugged as well because of all of the people calling the landline leaving nasty messages. His mom was basically completely self absorbed, so I didn't really like her at all.

I guess I basically wished the whole time that someone would notice before things got as bad as they did. He was showing all of these signs and everyone ignored them. Only a teacher kind of noticed, but it was a bit late at that point. I'd like to think that if my kids are ever having a rough time like Felton was, that I'd notice. He was a bomb just waiting to go off and he wanted someone to notice and help him.

Overall the story is quite good. I just got stuck on that one hangup that made me want to strangle all of the other characters and point at Felton and scream at them to help him before something bad happens. It is a quick read as well, the chapters are fairly short, which is something I like depending on the book. This was one of them. I would recommend this book to teens, so they could see that it isn't weak to get help when you need it. That it's a good thing. There is definitely a heavy theme of suicide and teen drinking though, but it shows how you don't need them.

Thank you to the publisher for providing a copy for review.

Review: The Last Vampire by Christopher Pike

The Last Vampire

Author: Christopher Pike

Publication Date: October 16th, 2003

Publisher: Hodder Childrens

Genre: YA/Fantasy/Paranormal/Horror

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Synopsis:

Sita is five thousand years old and believes she is the last vampire. When someone begins hunting her, she thinks it is the client of a detective she killed. She enrolls in high school and befriends the detective’s son, and later falls in love with him. Meanwhile, Sita’s creator Yaksha has been following her, believing he must kill her to atone for his sins. Sita thought she had killed him years before.

My Thoughts: This book was really short so there isn't a whole lot I can say about it. But even though it was so short I really enjoyed it and I am definitely looking forward to reading more of the series!

I definitely liked Pike's take on Vampires! He makes them real, scary, terrifying, unbelievably powerful, and beautiful. Pretty much all the things a vampire should be. Not that there are plenty of them to go around in this story because Sita is supposedly the last one left! She has been around from the very beginning and now believes she is the only one of her kind that still survives. She's managed to live under the radar for many centuries, but suddenly someone is on to her, getting into her business and asking the wrong questions. Sita does not react well to this type of thing.

Her lust for violence and efficiency in slaughter was a beautiful thing. She's ruthless and calculating and definitely knows how to take care of herself. It's no wonder she has survived as long as she has. I was a little annoyed at times by her conceitedness, but it's not too bad and I guess if I was as stunning and powerful as her I might be a little full of myself too hah.

Another thing I really liked about this book was the inventive back story it gave us about the creation of all vampires and Sita's role during the event. I thought that was a really fantastic touch to the story. It really helps the reader immerse themselves in the world and make everything feel more realistic when we get the whole story. It was also really unique and not like any I'd heard before so points for that too.  It was short but Pike managed to pack a lot in there without it being to overwhelming and just enough to make you want to read more.

Although it was a tad predictive and Sita has a somewhat confusing personality, I still thought this book was pretty good and I will definitely continue into the series to see what becomes of her and her kind. And yes I would recommend this book to others. Especially those of the vampire loving kind, I think you'll enjoy Pike's creative creation story.

Review: The Grave Artist by Paula Lynn Johnson

The Grave Artist

Author: Paula Lynn Johnson

Publication Date: March 12th, 2012

Publisher: Self-Published

Genre: YA/Paranormal/Horror

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Synopsis:

16-year-old Clare can't stop drawing the bizarre, winged skulls she calls "Sammies". Her psychiatrist assumes the compulsive drawings are just expressions of Clare's grief over her father abandoning her. But then Clare discovers that her Sammies are exact matches for the Death's Head on the grave of Samantha Forsythe, a teen who reportedly fell to her death over two centuries ago. Before long, Clare's drawings morph into cryptic writings that urge her to uncover the truth behind Samantha's death. Together with Neil -- the friend she might be falling for -- Clare scours the local history for clues. She finds that, although Samantha was engaged to a wealthy landowner, there were whispered rumors of her involvement with a younger, biracial man. Soon, Clare is haunted by disturbing dream images -- a mysterious eye, a broken chain -- that point to someone Samantha called her "Dearest". But who is Dearest? And why does Samantha need Clare to find him so badly? Isolated and carrying hidden scars of her own, Clare fears her obsession with Samantha will threaten her sanity and safety. But it seems she has no choice in the matter . . .

My Thoughts: I picked this e-book for free a little while ago, and I've been reading it on my phone whenever I had down time, like waiting rooms or such. It was really a pretty great read and I'm quite surprised that it was free!

It's also a fairly quick, light, and easy read.  There really isn't too many characters to follow, the plot flows quite nicely with fantastic helpings of mystery and healthy splashes of the dark and unknown. I would agree that it could be placed in the horror genre,  but it's not a scare the pants off you kind of read. It treads the line between eerie and terrifying quite nicely without keeping us awake at night.

Clare's life has just made some drastic changes. She used to be a spoiled, wealthy girl, getting whatever she wanted and without a care in the world. But when Daddy, the bread winner, finds someone younger and newer than her mother all of that goes away pretty quickly. It would be an understatement to say that Clare didn't handle the changes well. On top of her trying to cope with her new less privileged life, things start getting pretty creepy when she starts drawing these skeleton heads compulsively. She literally has no control over it. When she tries to explore what is going on with her, she finds that the rabbit hole is much deeper than she anticipated. She soon finds herself within a love torn murder mystery with no way out.

I was quite surprised with the ending, it took a twist I did not for see in the slightest and I just love it when a book is capable of shocking me like that. It was overall quite intriguing, but not to the point where I would think about it even when I  wasn't reading it and couldn't wait to pick it back up. But at the same time, I was enjoying myself, and the story while I was reading it.  I was a little hot and cold with Clare. Her reactions and behavior towards what was happening in her real life and her family were at times childish and blown out of proportions. As well, I found she could be really spiteful and mean towards her mom and sister who were going through the exact same things she was. But outside of the family issues I really liked her. I liked the her that came out when she was searching for answers and facing her fears. In those moments she had a determination and compassion that was admirable.

Overall, it was quite a decent read. Quick and easy, and I would most likely recommend it. Especially to those who like a little history with dashes of mystery and ghosts.

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 Peculiar by Stefan Bachmann

The Peculiar

Author: Stefan Bachmann

Publication Date: September 1st 2012

Publisher: Greenwillow Books

Genre: Fantasy

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Synopsis:

Don't get yourself noticed and you won't get yourself hanged.

In the faery slums of Bath, Bartholomew Kettle and his sister Hettie live by these words. Bartholomew and Hettie are changelings--Peculiars--and neither faeries nor humans want anything to do with them.

One day a mysterious lady in a plum-colored dress comes gliding down Old Crow Alley. Bartholomew watches her through his window. Who is she? What does she want? And when Bartholomew witnesses the lady whisking away, in a whirling ring of feathers, the boy who lives across the alley--Bartholomew forgets the rules and gets himself noticed.

First he's noticed by the lady in plum herself, then by something darkly magical and mysterious, by Jack Box and the Raggedy Man, by the powerful Mr. Lickerish . . . and by Arthur Jelliby, a young man trying to slip through the world unnoticed, too, and who, against all odds, offers Bartholomew friendship and a way to belong.

My Thoughts: The Peculiar was one of the books that I was really looking forward to reading ever since I saw the cover and read the synopsis. I love the cover of this book! Unfortunately, it took me a long time to even get into this book. It's a fast read, but I just wasn't loving it as much as I had hoped I would until about the last 100 pages. So it did pick up and redeem itself for me, but still very hard for me to get into. I don't even know why. The writing was good so I think it might have just had a hard time connecting with the main characters. There were some points where it might have been a bit too descriptive, but I've read much more descriptive books and not had trouble with them. So it was a bit of a disappointment, but like I said, it picked up in the end.

There are two protagonists in this one. Bartholomew Kettle, who is a peculiar (changeling, half fay, half human). Then there is Arthur Jelliby, a high ranking young man in London who for some reason feels compelled to help Bartholomew find his sister who was kidnapped. I didn't really connect with either character, but will say that I liked Arthur more of the two. You kind of always know who the bad guy is, so it doesn't even keep you guessing with that.

Once the story picked up, it finished off as a good read. I do want to know what happened next though. So I will be reading the next book, The Whatnot, to see what happens. So this is a good read, but not as good as I had hoped, for me that is. Still a good middle grade read and I would probably recommend it still!

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: The Rise of Nine by Pittacus Lore

The Rise of Nine

Lorien Legacies #3

Author: Pittacus Lore

Publication Date: August 21, 2012

Publisher: HarperCollins

Genre: Science Fiction

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Synopsis:

Until the day I met John Smith, Number Four, I'd been on the run alone, hiding and fighting to stay alive.

Together, we are much more powerful. But it could only last so long before we had to separate to find the others...

I went to Spain to find Seven, and I found even more, including a tenth member of the Garde who escaped from Lorien alive. Ella is younger than the rest of us, but just as brave. Now we're looking for the others--including John.

But so are they.

They caught Number One in Malaysia.

Number Two in England.

And Number Three in Kenya.

They caught me in New York--but I escaped.

I am Number Six.

They want to finish what they started.

But they'll have to fight us first.

My Thoughts: I just want to start off by saying that I enjoy this series quite a bit. It is one of two series that my husband and I actually read together (the other one is Percy Jackson and the Olympians).  So, it is safe to say that I went into this book with fairly high expectations and anticipation.

The beginning was really slow, but that is a common theme throughout the whole series.  The first book (I am Number Four) was so slow I was wondering if I was going to make it through it - but I did.  Because, eventually, it picks up and it gets super good.  This book picked up, got a good pace, and then continued to be a little better than mediocre.  I don't know if it was my expectations or this particular novel just fell short in comparison to the previous two.

The book has three points of view (POV) - John Smith (Number Four), Six, and Marina (Number Seven).  If you follow my reviews, you'll know that I am not a huge fan of POV jumping.  Normally, I can get through it.  However, this book changes POV at the end of almost every chapter.  This makes the book super hard to get into mainly because once you are into it you are thrown into another situation - since half of the characters start in Europe and two of them are in the United States.  So, at the end of every chapter I kind of wanted to throw it.

The romance in this novel, as opposed to the previous, are pretty cut-and-dry.  It seems as though Pittacus Lore (LOVE the pen-name, by the way) shoved as much action as he could into the book and then everything else (plot, romance, etc...) fell a little to the wayside.  That and one of the characters that I love to hate returns.  I could just scream over that one.

However, this is a book in one of my beloved series and I enjoyed seeing all of the characters again (and meeting some new ones).  The plot progresses slowly, but it does progress the series at least a little bit.  Plus, the action -scenes are pretty amazing.  I liked it enough to continue.