The Diviners

The Diviners (The Diviners #1)

by Libba Bray

3 stars

578 pages
Published Sept. 18, 2012 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
 
I enjoyed this book, mostly. Sometimes the flapper language was annoying and too persistent and the book was a little too long - plus there is a developing love triangle (ick!), but I overlooked all that in favor of a great, twisted, and delightfully dark plot. There is some - no, quite a lot of gruesome killing scenes, so beware. I skipped most of them. All I needed to know was who got dead.

I haven't read many books set in the flapper and prohibition era, so this was a good introduction to speakeasies, spiritualism and old-time New York. What a crazy time.
I may pick up #2 when it comes out. We'll see.

Pulse

Pulse (Pulse #1)

by Patrick Carman

3 stars

371 pages

Published Feb. 26, 2013 by Katherine Tegen Books

The first half of this book was very slow, but I was so intrigued with the premise and where the book could go, that I stuck it out. It finally picked up after slogging through the boring stuff - I'm glad I stuck with it. A promising new trilogy by one of my favorite authors, Patrick Carman.

Waterfall

Waterfall (River of Time #1)

by Lisa Tawn Bergren

3 stars

369 pages

Published Feb. 1, 2011 by David C. Cook

There was so much unbelievable stuff in this book, I hesitated to give it 3 stars. Like: Gabi being able to speak medieval Italian or sword fight with no problem. Plus the "romance" was a bit cheesy - I'm so tired of love triangles! But the premise was interesting, and I wanted to see how the author imagined life in the 1300s to be like. Also, the writing was decent, and the author knew how to move the plot along.

I doubt I'll read the next in the series, though. This book just didn't hold that much interest for me.

Prodigy

Prodigy (Legend #2)

by Marie Lu

3.5 stars

371 pages

Published Jan. 29, 2013 by Putnam Juvenile

An exciting sequel to Legend. It has everything I love - survival, anti-government rebellion, a good love story with "issues," so it's not too boring.

I also appreciate how the main characters don't know who to trust, but ultimately decide to trust each other. I will read the last in the trilogy to see how it all plays out.

Little to no swearing, and no sex. A bit of violence, but it's mostly glossed over. Nothing like the first book where it was glorified and reveled in and described in minute detail.

Inhuman

Inhuman (Fetch #1)

by Kat Falls

4.5 stars

384 pages

Expected publication: Sept. 24, 2013 by Scholastic 

 

Dystopia-lovers, REJOICE!

I finally get to share a book with you that ranks up there with the best sellers, because this one is definitely going to be on that list!

Recently, I had fallen into an "I'm bored" slump with many of my books, so it took me a week to pick up this novel and start reading. But when I did, somehow my fingers developed super glue! This book mutated me into a part human, part raccoon who can't let go of that shiny something.

A fantastic premise (Think an I Am Legend/The Island of Dr. Moreau hybrid),  excellent writing, quick pacing and insightful character development make this the next "TO READ" for any teen or adult. I enjoyed every gripping minute I was immersed in the wild, colorful, dystopian, violent world of "Inhuman," by Kat Falls.

The only reason I docked a half-star was the love triangle that is developed. I'm so tired of the widely overdone Bella/Edward/Jacob formula. I adored both male love interests, so I despised the choice that our heroine is faced with. But that's the only beef I have with the book. I'm not going to overly analyze it either, because I just want to enjoy.

I cannot wait until I can get my paws (sorry!) on the next book in the series. I can only hope it's as good as this initial offering. Kat Falls has a winner on her hands - much to the joy of the millions of dystopian fans that roam the earth.

Thank you NetGalley and Scholastic Inc. for the opportunity to review this wildly good new book!

Requiem

Requiem (Delirium #3)

by Lauren Oliver

2 stars

391 pages

Published Mar. 5, 2013 by HarperCollins Children's Books

I didn't think I could be so disappointed by such a bad ending after "Mockingjay," but I believe this one tops that horrific train wreck. My first word after realizing the book just ended was, "LAME!"

The entire book was a pretty good read (which is why I gave it 2 stars), full of action and angst and plot. I read and read. And then the book stopped. It just stopped. I turned the page expecting some more - some answers to questions, some loose ends tied up ... something ... and all I got was the Acknowledgments page. Abrupt.

It was as if Lauren Oliver didn't know how to resolve all the issues and problems facing Lena and Hana, so she didn't. She just dropped everything. No resolution, no denouement, no closure, no nothing. Because if this is the last book in the series, then Oliver needs to grow some imagination, or perhaps request an editor change.

I am beyond disappointed. I'm actually kind of angry.

Bad form, Oliver, bad form.

Pandemonium

Pandemonium (Delirium #2)

by Lauren Oliver

2 stars

375 pages

Published Feb. 28, 2012 by HarperTeen 

 

 

So I'm totally bugged by this book. And the more I think about it, the more I'm bugged!

Where should I start? Let's start with the writing. Writing was OK - but the "Then" and "Now" gimmick for each chapter was unnecessary and detracted from the flow of the story. Why not go with a traditional plot arrangement, where this happens first, then this, then that. Some stories are meant for plot jumping. This was NOT one of them.

Bug #2: Love triangle - you knew the whole book it was going to happen. I had even predicted (correctly) what the very last word in the book was going to be. There was no forethought, no twist, no creativity in this. The love triangle thing is overdone. Since Twilight, authors have been dividing their readers into "teams." Team Edward, Team Jacob, Team Alex, Team Julian. Get creative, authors! Do something different! Create tension some other way!

Bug #3: The finale of the book (they're in the hospital), was too easy, too convenient, too lacking. I'd give details away, but I won't. When you read it, you'll know. Scene development is important.
Anyway, despite all the bugginess, I did finish the book, which is why I gave it 2 stars (meaning "it was OK"). I'm not sure I'm going to read the next in the series. There are so many other books out there that are more worthy of my time.

Emblaze (The Violet Eden Chapters #3) by Jessica Shirvington

Emblaze (The Violet Eden Chapters #3)

by Jessica Shirvington

3 stars

415 pages

Published October 11th 2011 by Hachette

I liked this book, the third installment in the "Entice" series. But for some reason, I was thinking this was the last book and was all excited to finally see Violet get to be with who she is meant to be with. But nope, I was was sadly mistaken. Plus there's a bit of a cliffhanger at the end, not a horrid one, but one that will prevent me from ignoring the rest of the series.
I hope the next book will be the last. It's difficult to follow a series when each new book comes out a year or two later. That's why I've given up on some series such as L.A. Meyer's "Jacky Faber" books. Ten books and counting. Crazy.

Entice

Entice (The Violet Eden Chapters #2)

by Jessica Shirvington

3 stars

 
438 pages

Published Sept. 4, 2012 by Sourcebooks Fire (first published Mar. 29, 2011)

I suppose this was a good book. It had all the required elements for an exciting paranormal YA novel. Action, star-crossed lovers, strong(ish) female main character. But it wasn't fabulous. I can't put my finger on it. Maybe it was the fact that the "bad" boy got shafted in the love triangle (stupid love triangle!!). Maybe it was that the writing was a bit rough. Maybe it was that the plot wasn't fleshed out well enough for me. Definitely part of it was all the unnecessary swearing.
Despite these flaws, I read the book in two days. And I'll probably read the rest in the series.

A Sinner in Paradise

A Sinner in Paradise

by Deborah Hining 

4 stars

426 pages

Expected publication: Aug. 28, 2013 by Light Messages Publishing

When I picked up this ARC, I wasn't sure what to expect. Is it a romance? A smarmy cheesefest? A fictional memoir?

Instead, I found it to be an uplifting tale of a woman named Geneva who journeys from the throes of immaturity to a life filled with wisdom and humility by eschewing city life and returning to her roots in rural West Virginia. I was happily surprised with how much I liked it!

The writing was fluid and easy to read. I usually hate it when accents are phonetically spelled out, but the author Deborah Hining does it well. It’s actually easy to read. I could hear the accent in my mind.

The ebook had some punctuation problems, but that is easily overlooked in favor of the prose.

Hining has a knack for descriptive writing. Her descriptions of the mountain country where Geneva lives were beautiful, and they transported me to the times I have been in the mountains and experienced that natural splendor.

One theme of the book: every person in your life can be a source of knowledge. Every person on earth is equal, and they all have the ability to enrich your life. Geneva starts out looking down her nose at the “hillbillies” she meets and morphs into a woman who appreciates and loves them. She learns from every person that she meets.

There are religious elements to the story, but it only gets overly preachy two or three times, and those are towards the end of the book when the main character is discovering and trying to fix her flaws.

My favorite characters in the book are Lilly and Sally Beth. Whenever those two show up together in the prose, you know you are going to get some hilarious bickering. I loved it. I delighted in discovering that there was more to Sally Beth than a bickering cousin. She made me want to look at people differently.

One reason I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 is that the ending was a bit abrupt. All the concerns that Geneva brings up about her situation are not resolved satisfactorily.  The ending also leaves the other three men in Geneva’s life hanging – they were all in love with her. It seems unfair to leave them unhappy – they were all good men. There is also a smattering of mild swearing and premarital sex.

I can recommend this book to those in the mood for an uplifting, Christian book.

Thank you NetGalley and Light Messages Publishing for the opportunity to review this book.

Firelight

Firelight (Firelight #1)

by Sophie Jordan

4 stars

323 pages

Published Sept. 7, 2010 by HarperTeen

I wasn't so sure about this book - I mean, a girl who is really a dragon? Weird. But what's more weird is how it actually worked for me. I liked the struggle between mom and daughter. And the fight to find her place in the world. It's a bit of a coming of age story mixed with a healthy dose of the paranormal (or is it fantasy? Which are dragons?)
But be warned, there is a love triangle. Of course there is. It wouldn't be a YA with a love triangle, would it?
But I'll be reading the second book in the series. Gotta know what happens!

Embrace

Embrace (The Violet Eden Chapters #1)

by Jessica Shirvington

3 stars

382 pages
Published October 1st 2010 by Hachette Australia

I'm really leaning toward 2.5 stars, but I'll probably read the next in the series because I'm curious, so I'll bump it up.

Why 3 stars? Well, the writing is decent. The plot is pretty good. 

But I'm tired of love triangles. And teenage sex. At least there were no gross details. Ick. And the lack of parental involvement would constitute neglect in any court in the nation. Be a dad, man.
And there was some language. Totally unnecessary.

Spellcaster

Spellcaster (Spellbound #2)

by Cara Lynn Shultz

3.5 stars

371 pages

Published Mar. 27, 2012 by Harlequin Teen

A solid sequel to the book Spellbound.
The evil just keeps on coming for Emma and Brendan. This time in the form of a jealous, unbalanced teenage witch. If you thought regular teenage girls are catty, they've got nothing on this crazy witch. She's so evil, it's funny.
But Emma finally grows a spine and decides she's going to deal with the crazy, and not hide behind Brendan and his hero complex.
Pacing is quick. Writing is engaging. One thing that bugged me, though, was that in the first book, there was little, if any, animosity between Brendan and Angelique. In this book, there suddenly appears this disgust with one another. Where did that come from?
It's not a huge inconsistency, just annoying.
I'll probably read the next in the series.

Wicked Lovely (Wicked Lovely #1)

Wicked Lovely (Wicked Lovely #1)

by Melissa Marr

3 stars

328 pages

If I had been the editor of this book, I'd have cut about half of the book - and the story would not have suffered.
A good quarter of the dialogue was, "I don't want to be queen."; "Leave me alone."; "Keenan is gorgeous."; "I love Seth." or some variation thereof.
But if you overlook the obvious padding, this was a solid beginning to the series.
I do hope there is a bit more action (and not so much teen angst) in the next book.