Shiver (The Wolves of Mercy Falls #1) - Maggie Stiefavater

Review: Shiver
Series: The Wolves of Mercy Falls
Author: Maggie Stiefvater
Rating: 3/5
Genre: Paranormal

I really like Maggie Stiefvater and I heard fantastic things about this book. But after thoughtful consideration, I had to knock it down to a three. I liked it, but it wasn't amazing. 

For one, there was a lot missing that I needed. I liked how Grace and Sam have been watching over each other since they were young, I thought their relationship was extremely sweet. But it happened a little too quickly for my liking. The romance was always good, but it was odd how Sam practically lives in Grace's room and her parents never realize. The lack of adult involvement was rather odd, and I wanted a better explanation of why they behave so odd and distant. 

Furthermore, there was basically no secondary character development. Forget her nonexistent parents, what about her supposedly best friends? I didn't like either of them, and I didn't get attached to anyone else. Rachel and Olivia were minor and almost a distraction. Isabel is basically the only secondary character I began to like, and she's described as horrible for the first half of the book. It takes a while for the characters to build and become interesting. 

Finally, I was upset over the lack of explanation we got over the entire werewolf phenomenon. It was barely explained! It was just mentioned as a "disease" set off by the cold, and although we learn some more later, I think there are still some really big holes in the explanation. In the next few books, I expect to have my questions answered, and for some more character depth. 

However, that brings me to my conclusion. I did like the books. They were light, enjoyable, and romantic. Grace and Sam are very easy to love and to root for. You want them to triumph and be together. Stiefvater is an excellent writer, and although she is a slow world builder, her tales are always haunting and lovely. For that reason, I will be continuing the series and I do recommend it to people who are in the mood for an interesting, original werewolf tale. 

City of Bones (The Mortal Instruments #1) - Cassandra Clare

Review: City of Bones
Series: The Mortal Instruments
Author: Cassandra Clare
Rating: 4/5
Genre: Paranormal

I just reread this in perfect time for the movie and I couldn't be happier. What astounded me while reading this was the amount of planning that went into it. As I was reading, I realized how perfectly the other books meshed in with this one, and even the prequel Infernal Devices fits into the world just perfectly. That must have taken a lot of careful planning and forethought.

I just enjoyed it, a LOT. The characters are all incredibly amusing: Jace and Clary constantly bickering; Simon, plain adorableness; Izzy, who is perfection; Alec, who is so tough; and of course Magnus, who is a god. All of them are incredibly unique and totally hilarious in their own way. Some of the dialogue made me laugh out loud. 

It's also such a good action book, with mysterious runes, magical instruments of destruction, vampires, werewolves, faeries, intense people dressed in black who hunt demons....etc. It would be confusing but it's not because of the way that the mythology is all thought out. It's easy to understand and just plain fun.

Of course there is also a lot of romance and heartbreak and teenage angst, but that's one of the best parts about Clare's books! There is never NOT any heartbreak and angst, and unfortunately, you get very swept up in it haha, and sometimes your heart breaks too. (But there is no denying that Clary and Jace are perfect.)

All in all, I am really happy that I read this once more, it was enjoyable, and interesting to see the references to future and past events. It's funny, smart, action-packed and sucks you right in!

Promised (Birthmarked #3) - Caragh M. O'Brien

Review: Promised

Series: Birthmarked (#3)

Author: Caragh M. O'Brien

Rating: 4/5

Genre: dystopia

Oh, this is so unfortunate. You know a series has to be really good when the ending bother you this much. I'll make this short. 

I really, really enjoyed this series. The second book was my complete and utter favorite, and I thought book 3 would surpass them all. I loved how much Gaia was growing and expanding out of her midwife role to become a leader. The inhabitants of Sylum were starting new lives, and old characters and new characters met face-to-face for the first time. Of course, tension would be high, and the conflict would be exciting and fiery. It was fantastic, and I was reveling in it. 

The plot was great, I loved the story of how all the peoples had to learn to work together to save humanity. The genetic abnormalities occurring in both tribes were frightening and intense. The book had a lot of maturity, and it handled difficult topics really well. But I just can't get over my dislike of how it ended. I feel so hung up on it, and that reflects how deeply I was into this series. It was highly upsetting. 

One good thing was, the characters had incredible amounts of depth surfacing. Leon went from distant soldier, to broody hunk, to intense lover boy. I couldn't get enough of him. Gaia grew, and even though she made many idiotic mistakes, I still loved how much she cared for her people. The adorably annoying Chardos are back too, and the Protectorat was more insane than ever. 

Overall, the book rose to new heights with the characters, the world-building, and the tense hostility. The characters had to work together and form new bonds to overcome their strife and survive. However, I just can't stem my disappointment over the way the series concluded. But, I would still recommend it to people who enjoy interesting dystopian fiction, bright characters, genetics, and bittersweet endings.

Every Day (Every Day #1) - David Levithan

Review: Every Day
Series: Every Day
Author: David Levithan
Rating: 3/5
Genre: fantasy, romance
Recommend To: fans of the Fault in Our Stars

I heard amazing things about this book. All heartfelt and emotional. But honestly, I was a little disappointed. There were major things that were absolutely wonderful, but a lot of the book was very flat and I wasn't able to become totally invested in the story.

A is a "soul" that wakes up in someone else's body every day. He has never been able to form family bonds, permanent friendships and find love. He simply floats through other lives attempting not to damage their lives as he lives them for one day. Until he wakes up in a body and falls in love with Rhiannon. It sounds very beautiful, full of impossible odds and love, but for me the romance fell through very flat. I liked A a lot, but I never connected with Rhiannon. She was whiny for me, took too long to understand and then there was Justin, her dumb boyfriend. Quite honestly, she was nice, but I couldn't see what A saw in her. A was wonderful and kind, he was understanding and tried to help the people he became for a day. He was pertty interesting. But then there was also the whole Nathan/Reverend Poole storyline, and that was almost pointless and confusing. I though A would learn more about what he was, but it never happened which was unsatisfactory. 

So although the plot and the romance wasn't really my style, the stories of the different people A inhabited were fascinating and inspirational. A gay couple, a depressed girl, a drug addict, these were all the different people we encounter. We see their struggle and understand their problems through A. It was really motivating and eye-opening. Waking up in different person's body, disoriented and having to understand their life...it was definitely the most interesting part of the book.

The ending was lamentable, it was too easy and boring, but still sad and tragic. I didn't feel heartbroken because I never really liked Rhiannon, but I thought it was sort of pointless and disheartening. Why go through all this trouble and just end like that? But overall, the messages the book teaches make it worthwhile and it is a very impassioned story.

Fire Country (Country Saga #1) - David Estes

Review: Fire Country
Series: The Country Saga
Author: David Estes
Rating: 5/5
Genre: Dystopia
Recommend To: fans of Birthmarked

I was given a copy of this book from Mr. Estes in exchange for an honest review.

OK WOW. I liked this even better than the Dwellers series. Quite honestly, it was really, really amazing. Fire Country takes place in a harsh world, ravaged by the sun. The same world the Dwellers live underground in, far from the troubles of the Heaters.

It follows the tale of Siena, a fifteen year old "pre-bearer." When she turns 16, she will be handed off to a random man, chosen for her, and forced to bear children every three years. It is the Law. What a horrifying prospect! Yet, Estes manages to convey the awful situation of the women, without being repulsive. In fact, it nearly made me want to jump in and start a revolution. Siena is a wonderful main character, full of uncertainty and doubt, yet filled with all the wonderful qualities that make her so interesting. Courageous, intelligent, fiery (hehe see what I did there?), loyal, and determined; her life shackled to the rules fills her with a desire to break free of her chains, and to help the others around her. 

The other characters were also fascinating. Siena I already talked about, but then there were Circ, Skye, her mother and father, Wilde, Brione, Crya, Feve, Hawk, etc. They were all so engaging, and intense. Siena and Circ were especially adorable, and I hope we get to see more of them! They had such a real relationship, their connection was almost tangible. Her mother was so strong and brave, and her relationship with her fierce sister was amazing. Roan, her father, was pretty terrifying. I hope we learn more about their pasts. 

It is definitely a very mature book, much more so than the Dwellers series, but I liked the increased intensity a lot more. It was very engrossing, and forced the reader to contemplate different gender roles in a society. It really was scorchin' wonderful! The one thing I felt confusing was the different groups that were suspected or involvement. The Glassies, the Killers, the Wild Ones, the Icers, the Marked? It was a little perplexing, but Siena eventually clears it up by drawing a mental map out. I am still confused by some of the motives (of both some of the groups and of certain people), and I hope we get to learn more about the different peoples living out on the surface.

The writing was wonderful, and descriptive; I liked the above world even more than the underground. The description of the heat was nearly making me sweat. The burning hot sun, the bloody crimson sky, the constant sand storms and the beat down tent village were so easy to visualize. The slang was so funny, but understandable. It was easy to read, and works perfectly as a unique aspect of their language. Overall, Fire Country is a grim, unforgiving place but it has new hope rising with Siena.

The 5th Wave (The 5th Wave #1) - Rick Yancey

Review: The 5th Wave
Series: The 5th Wave
Author: Rick Yancey
Rating: 5/5
Genre: Dystopia
Recommend To: fans of Under the Never Sky, the Darkest Minds

I really liked this book. I got into it really easily, and then it gripped me into making speculations and flipping the pages. It was very intense, and I started to see why this book has made such a splash. 

Cassie is in hiding from the Others; she is one of the few that survived the first 4 waves, that ended in the destruction of 7 billion people. She is on a mission to save her brother, and to simply survive whatever else the alien invaders are planning to throw at her. It is the dawn of the 5th Wave. Cassie's a really tough girl, and surprisingly, doesn't hesitate to kill. She knows it's either kill or be killed ("it's an either/or world"). She also has serious trust issues, but when she meets Evan Walker, she begins to trust again. On the other side of the coin, there is Zombie or Ben. He evolves from a regular teenage guy, to a loyal soldier willing to fight or humanity, and also becomes tangled up in Cassie's story when he begins to protect her younger brother.

It's very interesting, although at times, Cassie's chapters bored me. My favorite chapter's were definitely Zombie's, he was a hundred times more interesting. I also didn't like Evan all that much, and his whole relationship with Cassie was twisted and weird. He was too erratic, going from "innocent farm-boy" to "shark" and honestly, it was just creepy how quickly they fell into a relationship. Cassie keeps saying that she has trust problems, but it seems to me she trusted him quickly enough. 

I liked Ben's side of the story way more; how he had to rebuild himself, overcome his depression, and leave the past behind so he could again succeed and pull himself up. HIs relationship with his team was bittersweet and I really liked seeing him become protective of the kids he was charged with. However, Ringer felt really inconsequential at times, maybe she'll have a bigger part in the next book, but I didn't really connect with her either. I guess overall I didn't connect with Evan or Ringer. Just Ben, Cassie, and Sammy, who is the cutest 5 year old on the face of the planet. I mean really, he is so adorable.

Now my favorite part of the book was definitely learning what the Waves were and speculating about the 5th Wave. I'm not going to say what they are, (just go read the book), but it was frightening to see how easily the Others crippled us with the first wave and just kept knocking us down with debilitating wave after wave. Killing 7 billion people...is really terrifying. It'll be incredible to see where humanity goes after this, whether Cassie and Ben can pull everyone back up. 

The Others seemed very distant for the majority of the book, but the villains are there, ever lurking, and it was impossible not to be awed by them. I can't wait to see where the story goes from here. How will humanity survive if they're turned against each other? Will they cause their own destruction?

Dead Silence (Body Finder #4) - Kimberly Derting

Review: Dead Silence
Author: Kimberly Derting
Rating: 4/5
Genre: Paranormal-romance
Recommend To: fans of the Unbecoming of Mara Dyer

I've read this series for a while and I have started to detect a certain pattern....here's a brief overview. Violet senses a dead body. Jay tells her to trust others to handle it. Violet is dumb and goes to handle it herself, putting herself in grave danger. She survives. Jay and her kiss. They kiss some more. The killer targets more people, and is usually gravely psychotic. Something drastic happens. Violet goes to save they day. Something else happens. The killer is caught, Violet is fine. Jay and Violet kiss again.

I just summed up the whole series..but then again...it's still good. While the books follow the same path and have become very predictable, it's hard to pull yourself away. For one, Violet and Jay are too dang shmexy to resist. Really one of my favorite fictional couples (Jay is too cute). Also, The killers are CrEePy. No joke, every time you hear from their point of view, you get chills. They are very sick and twisted. And deranged. And then you almost, ALMOST, start to feel sorry for them. It's very gross and confusing and addicting. Each killer gets more and more weird and scary. Each book becomes more and more intense. The overarching plot is thickening, and we're finally getting the answers we so crave. 

It's moving from just being about Violet finding dead bodies, and it's progressing to what she wants to do with that ability, the limitations she has, and how the past affects the future. There are a lot of interesting revelations and discoveries Violet makes, and it adds to the mysterious aura of impending doom. I think the series will soon turn into a much more interesting direction, rather than just random killers. 

However, for now, Violet needs to stop being dumb and actually listen to the people around her for once. Honestly, she doesn't have the best decision making skills. She's constantly running into dangerous situations head first even after 4 books of being abducted and tortured, and putting her loved ones in danger. (Poor Jay is at his wits end). The books also need to become less predictable, although the intensity and horror factor are still fantastic.