{Review} Tiger's Curse by Colleen Houck

Book: Tiger's Curse
Author: Colleen Houck
Series: Tiger Saga #1
Pages: 403
Format: Finished Copy
Source: Purchased
Release Date: January 11, 2011
Publisher: Sterling
Rating: 1 out of 5 stars

Passion. Fate. Loyalty.

Would you risk it all to change your destiny?

The last thing Kelsey Hayes thought she'd be doing this summer was trying to break a 300-year-old Indian curse. With a mysterious white tiger named Ren. Halfway around the world. But that's exactly what happened. Face to face with dark forces, spellbinding magic, and mystical worlds where nothing is what it seems, Kelsey risks everything to piece together an ancient prophecy that could break the curse forever.

Tiger's Curse is the exciting first volume in an epic fantasy romance that will leave you breathless and yearning for more. 

MY REVIEW:


My first thought after reading this book: Kelsey must be viciously attacked by white tigers and killed.

I know what you thought after you read that: "Whoa there, violent much?" Well if you read the book you would see my point. Kelsey Hayes is one of the worst characters I have come across in the nearly 2 years that I have been reading YA fiction.

Kelsey's dialogue was insufferable. She talked like she was straight out of a Jane Austen novel. I'm sorry, but we're talking about a 21st century 18 year old right? The dots just don't connect. Every time I read a sentence where she talked like that I'd have to stifle a laugh because it sounded so wrong.

Clearly this girl has been socially deprived for the vast majority of her life. Case in point: She reads Shakespeare to a tiger (Um, yeah, that's totally normal). She takes off to a country she's never been to with an unfamiliar guy taking care of a tiger. This girl is not a normal teenager.

Along with sounding like she was from the eighteenth century she also sounded like she was 11. She was a sniveling baby for the entire book and treated others around her like crap, especially Ren.

This was Kelsey for most of the book:













This was my reaction to Kelsey:











There were only like 4 characters in the book: Kelsey, Ren, Mr. Kadam and Kishan. Ren was arguably as bad as Kelsey. I mean what's to like about him? All Kelsey says about him is that he's gorgeous and can turn into a tiger and looks like Brad Pitt. So that's supposed to make me like the guy? Um no. I'm not going to like a guy like that.

The only character I really liked was Kishan and he was barely in the book.

The pacing was atrocious. The beginning was so rushed. Within like 30 pages Kelsey was in India. Ok that's an exaggeration but it seemed so rushed even if it was over more like 100 pages.

Everything about the plot was terrible, too. I thought I would love the plot because it has to do with white tigers which are one of my favorite animals. Well I was wrong. I ended up skimming through most of the second half because I just didn't give an F about the stupid curse.

The romance was terrible too. All I could think when Kelsey and Ren were kissing was "Ugh, get a room." Usually romance gives some sort of good vibe but for this book it just didn't. It was terrible.

My reaction to the romance:

(Don't stare at that gif too long. Trust me.)

It also makes me so mad that in a lot of books the main girl character refuses to believe she's pretty. NOTE: When a guy tells you you're pretty, say, "Thank you." DO NOT scoff and say, "Me? Pretty?" That's exactly what Kelsey did. And Kelsey goes out of her way to tell the reader that she's plain and never wears makeup. So what? Are we supposed to like Kelsey better now? Just because she says she doesn't wear makeup or think she's pretty? Sorry but no.

The writing was ok at best and I think it would've been a lot better if Miss Kelsey Hayes hadn't been narrating. Some of the descriptions of things were cool, but they were quickly forgotten about once Kelsey went back to being her dim-witted unlikable self.

I'm surprised I finished this book and to be honest I was considering giving up several times but I always feel really guilty when I leave a book unfinished.

For some reason I thought I would love this book. Maybe it's because it's about white tigers and all that, but I was definitely proved wrong. I know I'm not going to read the sequels, no way. This is the first book I've rated 1 star in a long time and trust me, DO NOT READ THIS BOOK. Save yourself from it.

Best of the Bunch- March 2013

Best of the Bunch is a monthly meme hosted by Always Lost in Stories on the last day of every month. The aim of this meme is to share the best book that we have read or reviewed in that month and give it out Best of the Bunch award.

This month I read 8 books (click on the titles to see my review):

1. Burn For Burn (Burn For Burn #1) by Jenny Han & Siobhan Vivian

2. Beautiful Creatures (Caster Chronicles #1) by Kami Gracia & Margaret Stohl

3. This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen

4. Angelfire (Angelfire, #1) by Courtney Allison Moulton

5. (The) Perks of Being A Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky 

6. Unspoken (The Lynburn Legacy, #1) by Sarah Rees Brennan

7. Slated (Slated #1) by Terri Terry

8. Tiger's Curse (The Tiger Saga, #1) by Colleen Houck

Wow, I had some awesome reads this month (with the exception of Tiger's Curse). For me this month it's a draw--between Unspoken and The Perks of Being A Wallflower!

I hope you all had a fantastic March, looking forward to April! :)

SS #8: YA Heroines

Introducing the Saturday Scoop: 

The Saturday Scoop is a weekly posted here on Sweet Reads. Each week I pick a new topic to write about and just rant and rave about that particular topic. Enjoy. :)

This Week's Topic: YA Heroines

I'm so sorry I haven't posted a SS post in so long. Like seriously, what has it been... 3 months? Anyway, I'm really sorry, I completely forgot about it, and I'd been so busy with my other posts that I just kind of forgot about this one. BUT, on the bright side, I'm posting now! And, to top that, I have a cute new logo. If you like the idea of the Saturday Scoop, feel free to use it on your own blog, that would be awesome :)

Soooo! This week's topic: YA heroines.

If you're an avid reader of YA as I am, then you probably know that a recurring problem in YA books these days is the heroines that authors include in the books. Some of them are kick-ass assassins (take Celeana from Throne of Glass or Ismae from Grave Mercy) or Hunger Games tributes (Katniss, Clove, Glimmer, Rue, Johanna, etc.) or just intelligent, witty girls (Kami Glass from Unspoken). And yet some of them aren't. Some of them are weak, pathetic idiots who just give up everything and act stupid all because of a boy.

As a feminist, I strongly oppose these heroines. Sometimes if the book is good but the heroine is pathetic, then it will completely turn me off from the book because I can't stand it when main characters are like this. Take for example Isabella Swan, from *dun dun dun* the infamous Twilight series.  I've only read the first book in this series. (I know, I know. . . crazy, but don't get on me for that. The series just didn't interest me.) But from what I did read, Bella was a crazy, stupid lunatic who was unhealthily obsessed with some vampire guy who kept being like, "Don't love me! I'm dangerous!"

*gag*

Anyhow, as you can see, these types of heroines annoy me greatly. Not only are they annoying to read about, but they're also demeaning to women. People could read that and think, "Oh, this is what teenage girls are like nowadays." And it's offensive. Really really really offensive, because we're not. I mean some girls are shallow and all that, but the vast majority of us are good, awesome people who if we were faced with the situation that the girls in books have would choose the smart, intelligent thing to do.

In the book I'm reading right now, Tiger's Curse, the heroine is horrid. Not only is she juvenile, stupid, and sounds like she's straight out of a Jane Austen novel, she is also constently obsessing over her tiger boyfriend Ren and etc. It just annoys the heck out of me. (Oh, expect a lovely review.)

I'm not trying to say that authors should steer away from romance. I love romance books. I think that sometimes when authors are writing romance books, they get too bogged down on the main character's reaction to the romance, rather than who the girl actually is. For example, some of the girls have absolutely no identity, no personality. the only thing we know about them is that they're with this guy. And not all the guys are bad. Take Ellie from Angelfire. She was personality-less. And yeah, ok, she was "kick-ass" in the sense that she killed monster-type things. But I hated her. And in fact, I liked Will, the guy she was with.

Ooh! Ooh! A better example of a personality-less character would be Luce from Fallen! Ahh, perfect. I can't believe i didn't think of that sooner. She was stupid, obsessed, and just all-around annoying when it came to her love interest, in this case he was a horrible angel Daniel. Exactly what she saw in him I have no idea. But this book was an offensive portrayal of females and this character if she was real I would smack her so hard in the face that she'd never see the light of day again (whoah, violent much? sorry).

Ok, I'm done ranting now, but do you see my point?  I hope I'm not the only one who feels this way because that would really suck if I was.

Do you feel that YA heroines are portrayed in an unfair way? How so? Leave comments!!

{Review} Slated by Terri Terry

Book: Slated
Author: Terri Terry

Series: Slated #1
Pages: 448
Format: Finished Copy
Release Date: May 3, 2012
Publisher: Orchard Books
Rating: 4/5

Summery:

Debut author Teri Terry has written a brilliantly compelling, original and thought-provoking novel about an uncomfortably plausible future.

 Kyla has been Slated—her memory and personality erased as punishment for committing a crime she can’t remember. The government has taught her how to walk and talk again, given her a new identity and a new family, and told her to be grateful for this second chance that she doesn’t deserve. It’s also her last chance—because they’ll be watching to make sure she plays by their rules.

As Kyla adjusts to her new life, she’s plagued by fear. Who is she, really? And if only criminals   are slated, why are so many innocent people disappearing? Kyla is torn between the need to know more and her instinct for self-preservation. She knows a dangerous game is being played with her life, and she can’t let anyone see her make the wrong move . . . but who can she trust when everyone is a stranger?

 MY REVIEW:


It's been kind of awhile since I've read a dystopian book, and I'd forgotten how much I liked all the different ideas authors came up with for a post-apocalyptic setting. A long time ago, it used to be my favorite genre, and my friends and I would fangirl like crazy over dystopian books. I don't know what happened, but I started to pick up paranormal romance and contemporary, and I just kind of forgot about the genre. BUT, this book reignited my interest in dystopia, even though dystopian books (like this one) often have eerie and slightly frightening ideas surrounding them. And yes, in her debut novel Terri Terry (how I do pity her for having such a name) has taken the creepy route but also manages to make this book highly intriguing.

"If the past is unbearable, why choose to bear it?"
I shrug. Because it is mine.

This quote sums up the level of depth and intensity that the author put into this book. I really like the ideas she gave her reader to think about, and she definitely got the wheels in my brain cranking. Sometimes, when I was reading, I'd just pause and look out the window, lost in thought about what it would be like if our world turned into this, and what the side effects would be.

The book started out promisingly enough, what with the whole being brought to her new family and stuff, but it didn't amaze me or make me wow or anything like that. The writing seemed a little disconnected and it didn't flow very well, and sometimes I had to read sentences a few times. And then there was the protagonist, Kyla. I understood that she'd been Slated and was basically new to the world, but her naivety annoyed me. She kept having these recurring dreams and never really thought anything of them. At times I wanted to scream, "Wake up!" to her, not literally but when she was just not really thinking about her dreams.

But then, it started to get good. Really really really good. ♥

The pace picked up, and Terry provided some really exciting plot twists to make the reader more interested in the story. From then on, I was totally hooked and read at a rapid speed because I just needed to figure out what happened. And boy, was it amazing. I just couldn't stop reading. The writing got better too, and it went from not flowing very nicely to flowing extremely nicely. In fact, I loved reading the writing by the end of the book.

It did take a while for the action to start. The climax didn't happen until like 80% through the book, but the events that built up to it were key, so I think if the climax had been any sooner, the book would've been ruined. So I didn't really mind that the climax was so late in the book.

One thing that made this book different from a lot of dystopians: The author mentioned the particular year in which all of this was happening, and in this case, it was in the late 21st century.  Which is (obviously) the future, but the near future. If you think about it, to have society turn out the way it was in this book would take years and years, possibly hundreds of years. Terry said that the whole government change happened in the 2020's, but that seems kind of unrealistic, and also, 2020 is only 7 years away, so in 7 years this book's time range will become strange since Terry will now be talking about the present. I don't feel like I'm making any sense right now. And again, this isn't the U.S. we're talking about, it's the U.K., since this book is British.

Oh, and I think the idea of the Levos is so cool and interesting, even though it was basically the curse of all the Slateds' existence. I think Terry got the idea of the Levos from people with diabetes, but I'm not sure. It was such an awesome and original idea.

Even though at the beginning I wasn't sure what I thought of Kyla, by the end I respected her as a character, but she wasn't my favorite character. It would be a lie to say that Ben wasn't my favorite character, because he WAS ♥. He was awesome and sweet and normal and nice, while a lot of guys in young adult books these days are overly sexy and mysterious, he was refreshingly normal and I just adored him to bits. The romance was slow-paced, but that was something I really liked about it. A lot of authors rush into romance way to fast, but Terri Terry eased into it, with Kyla and Ben being friends before they started to think of each other romantically. "Ben the rebel. As far as kisses go." That's one of my favorite quotes from the book :)

And boy, that ending! It really broke my heart, and what a cliff hanger!! I NEED the next book, ASAP.

All in all, Slated was such a creative, wonderful book and I definitely had a fun time reading it, even though it was intense and a little creepy. But I really loved it, and if you like dystopian books, then don't hesitate to read this one--It was a great dystopian read.

~Cover Talk~

This cover is soooooo scary! I almost didn't buy this book just because of its creepy cover. The girl's expression is truly scary, but the cover just screams intrigue. I'm not sure I'm a fan of it, though--a little too dark and mysterious for my taste, although it does really fit the tone of the book. One thing, though--is the girl supposed to be Kyla? Because in the book, it says that she has blond hair, but the girl on the cover has dark hair. . . hmm. 

P.S. I know my reviews have been kind of long and rambly lately, and I'm sorry. I feel like I'm not writing very good reviews :( I'll try to shorten them up and make them better soon! 

{Review} Unspoken by Sarah Rees Brennan

Book: Unspoken
Author: Sarah Rees Brennan
Series: The Lynburn Legacy #1
Release Date: September 11, 2012
Publisher: Random House Books
Pages: 370
Links: Goodreads /  Purchase 
Stars: 5/5

Kami Glass loves someone she’s never met . . . a boy she’s talked to in her head ever since she was born. She wasn’t silent about her imaginary friend during her childhood, and is thus a bit of an outsider in her sleepy English town of Sorry-in-the-Vale. Still, Kami hasn’t suffered too much from not fitting in. She has a best friend, runs the school newspaper, and is only occasionally caught talking to herself. Her life is in order, just the way she likes it, despite the voice in her head.

But all that changes when the Lynburns return.

The Lynburn family has owned the spectacular and sinister manor that overlooks Sorry-in-the-Vale for centuries. The mysterious twin sisters who abandoned their ancestral home a generation ago are back, along with their teenage sons, Jared and Ash, one of whom is eerily familiar to Kami. Kami is not one to shy away from the unknown—in fact, she’s determined to find answers for all the questions Sorry-in-the-Vale is suddenly posing. Who is responsible for the bloody deeds in the depths of the woods? What is her own mother hiding? And now that her imaginary friend has become a real boy, does she still love him? Does she hate him? Can she trust him?

I have lots to say about this book, firstly though:

A definite thumbs-up for our extremely talented writer, Sarah Rees Brennan!

It feels as if I have discovered my true love upon reading Unspoken. I know I say that quite often in my reviews but I truly mean it this time. I have fallen deeply in love with this book's writing, characters, plot, its everything! All of it was sweet, perfect, and utterly perfect (wait, I said perfect twice). I began this book with expectations that soared high above the sky. I will admit that I am easy to impress and quick to fall for books, but this book I was truly blowen away by it!

Before I began this book I did not know that it took place in England, and when I discovered this, I had some very fangirly moments because I love anything British or having to do with England. At time this book was so cute and so British that it made me want to squeal. Just looking at its deliciously pink cover was enough to get me to start fangirling. In short, I wish that this book was a cute boy so that I could flirt with it. (Just kidding...kind of.)

As a little girl, I never had an imaginary friend, but I always did find the prospect quite intriguing and thrilling. My imaginary friends were always my storybook characters, not legit imaginary friends. Several times I pretended to talk to an imaginary friend when I was little, but I'd always get bored with them and go back to my books. Well, this book displays the idea of an imaginary friend, but at the same time, the imaginary friend is not so imaginary after all! Even though I never had an imaginary friend, I just tried to imagine what it would be like if my imaginary friend was, in fact, real.  That was what got me interested in the story: its amazing synopsis. Well, that, and the several people who practically convinced me to buy it!

The beginning of this book was quite slow and dull but to be honest I didn't mind because I was just busy absorbing the beautiful writing. I don't mind slow-paced books as long as they have action eventually, and this book definitely started to get action-packed, which was my favorite part of the book. Sarah Rees Brennan did a splendid job of portraying the action. This book's plot was crystal-clear, and there was no confusion or messiness. The author eased the reader into the plot carefully, and then when things started to get more complicated, she swooped into things fearlessly and ended up with an amazing, amazing book.

The characters are really what make this book shine, although all aspects of it are perfect. Our heroine, Kami Glass, is indeed one of the best heroines of all time I might venture to say. She is witty and kick-butt (while at the same time manages not to be an assassin or Hunger Games tribute) and I simply adored her. Ah, and she is a writer! Any heroine who writes is a favorite heroine of mine. Kami is definitely the most colorful character in this book, but that doesn't mean that the other characters weren't great as well. They were almost as good as Kami. Sarah Rees Brennan did an excellent job foreshadowing events to come in the book, and it gave me an idea of which characters to trust and which not to trust, although I never would've guessed...never mind never mind! I am making this is review spoiler-free. But anyway, the characters were remarkable, and let's give Sarah Rees Brennan a hand, shall we?

But wait! I'm not done with them.

Jared. He is a very flawed character and sometimes it was hard to see past those flaws, but as I often say, the flawed characters are the best. He was incredibly hard to figure out and was a man of mystery to me as we as the reader don't get to know Jared very well, despite the fact that he can communicate with Kami through his mind. I think I liked him but I am not entirely sure, as I didn't get to spend enough time with him. I hope his character will be further developed in this book's sequel (which by the way...I need. Like, NOW.)

And Ash. Ohhh Ash. I had trouble figuring out whether I hopelessly loved him or whether I wanted to do this to him:

(Hey, I used 2 Santana gifs. Points, anyone?)

And yet, at times, I felt:

(HA! I used 3 Glee gifs!! Now I should really get some points!)

Ash was not a very big part of the story but to be honest I wish we had more of him. That is my only complaint: Sarah Rees Brennan did not spend enough time with characters I would have liked to have spent more time with.

All in all this book was simply fabulous! I think it is my new true love and an amazing story. The ending was quite ambiguous and I honestly have no idea where this story will go in the book following it. One thing is for sure, though, I cannot wait to read it!!

I feel the need to share a few quotes that I think are key to this book:

“Sorry-in-the-Vale, Sorriest River, Crying Pools," said Jared. "Is the quarry called Really Depressed Quarry?”

You’re crazy,” said her best friend, Angela, as the bell rang to signal five minutes before the first class on the first day back at school.
“They said that about all the great visionaries.”.
“You know who else they said it about?” Angela demanded. “All the actual crazy people.” 
“She clenched her fist in his T-shirt, put her other arm around those too-broad, too-real shoulders. When he tried to pull away, she held on tight. Kami felt the surrender in his mind a moment before he laid his face in the curve of her neck. The whole world was so real it hurt. Kami whispered into Jared's hair, "I'm always on your side.” 

“I can try to wheedle information out of people," Holly offered. "For which I'll need a lower-cut top.” 

“I only date college guys.”
“You don’t know any college guys,” Kami pointed out.
Angela’s gaze went to Kami, and she smiled. “Which leaves me with more time for napping.” 

“You couldn't do it?" Rob Lynburn sneered.
"I know her," Ash said in a low voice. "I can't... hurt someone I know.” 

Well, that pretty much sums it up! This book was a pleasure to read and it was like discovering a whole new world. I hope if you decide to read this book that you'll enjoy it as much as I did. :)

Waiting on Wednesday #7

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine, where we spotlight upcoming releases that we're greatly anticipating.

This week's pick: 

Nantucket Blue
by Leila Howland
Pages: 304
Expected Publication: May 7, 2013
by Disney Hyperion

For Cricket Thompson, a summer like this one will change everything. A summer spent on Nantucket with her best friend, Jules Clayton, and the indomitable Clayton family. A summer when she'll make the almost unattainable Jay Logan hers. A summer to surpass all dreams.
Some of this turns out to be true. Some of it doesn't.
When Jules and her family suffer a devastating tragedy that forcees the girls apart, Jules becomes a stranger whom Cricket wonders whether she ever really knew. And instead of lying on the beach working on her caramel colored tan, Cricket is making beds and cleaning bathrooms to support herself in paradise for the summer.
But it's the things that Cricket hadn't counted on--most of all, falling hard for someone who should be completely off limits--that turn her dreams into an exhilarating, bittersweet reality.  A beautiful future is within her grasp, and Cricket must find the grace to embrace it. If she does, her life could be the perfect shade of Nantucket blue.

What are you guys waiting on this week?
Link me up!!! :)

Cover vs. Cover (1)

Cover vs. Cover is a weekly meme hosted here at Sweet Reads, where we choose a book with multiple editions of a cover, and vote on which edition we like best. I'll keep track of the score, and it will be a running competition!

(This is a bit like US vs UK, but it does not limit the cover choices to be US and UK covers.)

Cover #1

VS

Cover #2

VS

Cover #3

My Pick: Without a doubt, I would choose the first cover! It is simply gorgeous and the color scheme is beautiful. The other ones are interesting, but I don't find them to be as pretty as the first one. If I had to order them from my favorite to my least favorite, it would go: Cover #1, Cover #3, Cover #2. I find Cover #2 to be cliche and it looks like a lot of other covers I have seen. The other two are more unique.

What do you guys think?

{Review} The Perks Of Being A Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

The Perks of Being A Wallflower
by Stephen Chbosky
Pages: 213
Release Date: February 1, 1999
by MTV Books and Pocket Books

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Charlie is a freshman. And while he's not the biggest geek in school, he is by no means popular. Shy, introspective, intelligent beyond his years yet socially awkward, he is a wallflower, caught between trying to live his life and trying to run from it. Charle is attempting to navigate his way through uncharted territory: the world of first dates and mix tapes, family dramas and new friends; the world of sex, drugs, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show, when all one requires is that perfect song on that perfect drive to feel infinite. But he can't stay on the sideline forever. Standing on the fringes of life offers a unique perspective. But there comes a time to see what it looks like from the dance floor.

“I just want you to know that you’re very special… and the only reason I’m telling you is that I don’t know if anyone else ever has.”

Among a lot of books these days, The Perks of Being A Wallflower truly shines like a star. It will forever illuminate my bookshelf just like it illuminated me. As I've said, I'll never ever ever forget what a tremendous impact this book made on me. I would classify this book as mature YA or New Adult (finally figured out what that is!) but I don't think it belongs in any one genre. Anyone who reads it can enjoy it, whether they are a naive thirteen year old like me or an elderly adult. I believe that anyone could benefit from reading this book at any time in their life.

This book is so special. The characters are just astounding. The character of Sam was just too good to be true. I kept wishing that there was someone in my life like Sam, but sadly, there isn't. The things she said to Charlie, the inspiration she gave him, was just so amazing and mind-blowing. Every time she said something, I'd hang on to each word, and I'd get something new, important, and different with each new sentence. Charlie as a character was fabulous. His voice stands out and is not like any other narration I've read before.  Charlie's character made me realize that even though we didn't know where Charlie lived, or whom he was writing to, we knew him so much--better than any of the characters in the book. The little things really counted in getting to know him. And I guess it is like that with any other person as well.  I can relate so much to Charlie and now I can think of myself as a 'wallflower'. I just blend in with the rest of the people and sometimes people do not even notice that I am there. One time, a girl in my English class was talking to me and she said, "Wait, you're in my English class? I didn't know that." While being a 'wallflower' doesn't really bother me at all, it is something I can relate to.  As a character, Patrick was amazing. There was something depressing about him, though, and when he cried, I wanted to cry too.

The character development in this book is extremely well done. Each character was in full bloom by the end of the book (well...with the exception of Charlie, I guess, but he had learned so much). To be specific, Sam changed so much from the beginning of the book to the end. At the beginning, she was self-conscious and insecure, and then it was like she became a full flower. I know that's a strange metaphor, but I really did think of that when I thought of Sam at the end of the book.

Although the writing isn't full quality, I can't exactly complain about it because these are the letters of a 16 year old boy. They were quite rambling, but it is to be expected from a 16 year old boy writing a letter. And besides, the voice that Chbosky gave him was so unique that I can definitely overlook the repetitive sentences and the childlike tone that Charlie took. I am only taking off .25 of a star for that. The other .75 star comes from the use of sex and drugs in this book. Even though I consider myself to be mature enough to handle those things, I have never experienced either as a thirteen year old and the book made some references that I couldn't exactly understand, especially with the drugs. I know a bit about drugs but not a lot, so the drug parts confused me a little. The sex scenes were a bit uncomfortable but they were fine for me, I guess, since I have read worse. O_O

All in all this book was astounding! The combination of these unforgettable characters, unique writing, and strong character development just made for an incredible book that I will never forget.

PS. I am off to see the movie! (Emma Watson and Logan Lerman?? Um, SCORE!!!)

March 24, 2013

Dear friend,
You, as enigmatic and puzzling as you are, and Charlie, have made such a strong and unforgettable impact on me for a mere 213 pages. You have made me laugh out loud, nod in sympathy, sigh with empathy, and cry uncontrollably. In my heart I have now made a place for you, and though many other books have found that place, I do believe that you are one of the most unforgettable. So thank you, for helping me to discover life, death, love, pain, sorrow, happiness, and joy. You have truly changed the way I think about those things.
Love always,
Annie

{Review}: Angelfire by Courtney Allison Moulton

Angelfire
by Courtney Allison Moulton
Series: Angelfire #1
Release Date: February 15 2011
by HarperCollins / Katherine Tegen Books

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First there are nightmares. Then come the memories. Now she must hunt.
Ellie can't shake the terrifying dreams about monstrous creatures that are hunting her, killing her. Then she meets Will and feels on the verge of remembering something just beyond her grasp. His attention is intense and romantic, and Ellie feels like her soul has known him for centuries. When they meet on a dark street at midnight, Will awakens Ellie's power, and she knows that she can fight the creatures that stalk her in the grim darkness. Will holds the key to Ellie's memories, whole lifetimes of them, and she can no longer pretend anything was just a dream.  Her role is to hunt and kill the reapers that prey on human souls. In order to survive, she must also hunt for the secrets of her past lives, the dangerous and ancient battle of the angels and the Fallen, and the truths that are too frightening to remember. Angelfire is achingly romantic, terrifying, and filled with blistering action.

I started Angelfire not really knowing what to expect. I'd heard great things about it and terrible things about it. I guess my opinion falls somewhere in the middle, because while I didn't love the book, I also didn't hate it. To me, this book is the definition of a 3-star book. Not perfect, but not terrible. I'm not really sure how to make this into a formal review, so I'm going to break this review up into 4 elements: the writing, the plot, the characters, and the romance.

• The writing I didn't have any real problems with the writing, but it wasn't my favorite. I like it when the writing flows smoothly without any bumps, but this writing had some flaws. For example, sometimes the sentences were kind of choppy and didn't fit together perfectly. I guess this might be the result of this having been Moulton's debut novel. Ellie as a narrator was...interesting. I wasn't a fan of her character (more about that later) but I also didn't like her narration. Sometimes she'd say things and I would literally roll my eyes. I'm sorry but I'm just telling the truth. The thing I did like about the writing was that Moulton did an insanely awesome job describing the fight scenes. She described them in such detail and that's a skill that many authors lack. 

• The plot The plot was definitely my favorite part--but that doesn't follow that I adored it. I have only read a couple books about angels (Hush, Hush and Fallen). I loved Hush, Hush and wasn't a fan of Fallen, so I wasn't sure if I was keen on the angel thing coming into this book. I like the idea of a girl being kick-ass enough to save the freaking world, but the idea wasn't carried out well enough. I heard on and on about how Ellie was so powerful and courageous and Moulton displayed examples of this, but all in all, I didn't CARE how powerful Ellie was at the end. I've already heard this ten gazillion times!!!!! What I did like about the plot really comes down to the angels. The Fallen, the Grigori, the reapers, etc. I loved hearing about all of them and their powers and what they could do. It was like discovering a new genre of books that I'd never heard about before. So I loved that. 

• The characters I have a lot of mixed feelings about the characters. On the one hand, Ellie is pretty kick-ass for a YA female character, but on the other hand, I hated her and was *this close* to wishing that she would die already. As a character, I found her to obnoxious. And also. I am SOOOO, SOOOO sick of heroines in young adult books blatantly lying to their parents and not even feeling very bad about it! Ellie did have some regrets when she lied to her parents, but when she said, "I have more important things to think about than curfew and house rules" (direct quote missing), I literally wanted to throw the book across the room and scream.  Anyway, that was my opinion of Ellie--not very good. I liked Will too. He definitely wasn't my favorite YA love interest, but he was lovable and crush-worthy. There wasn't anything particularly interesting about him (well, other than the fact that he's a...guardian angel) but he seemed sweet and caring (even if Ellie didn't deserve his love at all), so I liked him. 

• The romance I probably have the most to say about the romance. For one thing, I liked the buildup to the romance and how it really didn't get started until like 75% of the way through the book. I also liked the forbidden love element, since I always am a sucker for reading about forbidden love. But also, it seemed like once it did get started, it escalated too quickly. Such as, just days after their first kiss, Ellie was thinking that she wanted to touch him, feel him, and even though she never said directly that she wanted to have sex with him, it was strongly implied--so strongly implied that it took me a moment to realize that she didn't actually say it. Anyway, though, the romance had an interesting ending. Cliff hanger!! Another thing about the romance: It wasn't insta-love, but it seemed like it because just moments after Ellie met him she was "captured by his gaze" or "thinking that he was sooo hot". I get that Ellie and Will had known each other from previous lives but it didn't prevent those things from being annoying. As you might now, I'm not very picky and can usually go with the flow with things like this, but it bothered me a little. 

So all in all, Angelfire didn't blow my mind, but it also didn't make me want to hurl (always a good thing). It seems like your typical YA fantasy romance, and it is. A little cliche, but I haven't read too many angel books, so maybe the reason why it seemed new and different was that. I suggest you read it if you like angels, and you don't mind if your female protagonist is a complete idiot. Happy reading. :)

3/5 stars

Springtime Updates! + Some Chitchatting.

Spring is finally here!

In my opinion, the true start of spring is when spring break begins. And as of yesterday, I am on spring break! *sigh of relief, happiness, and pleasure* Even though it is freezing outside (which is not exactly typical of where I live) and it was snowing the other day (guess what...the snow melted), I feel as if spring has begun truly. I'm just waiting for the lilac tree to come, and then it'll really be spring.

As much as I love to talk about spring, though, this isn't really the point of my post. The point of this post is to yes, talk a little about the pleasures and wonders of springtime (which I will get to later) but also to talk about my blog as the spring months unfold. How often will I post, etc., etc. 

I'll cover the boring stuff first, so that I can save the fun stuff for last. As you might have noticed, I have been extremely busy this month and so far have only been able to fit in 9 posts counting this one. Now I am not proud of this but schoolwork always comes first and after that, sports, and after that my friends. Then books. Then my blog. So you could say that my blog is not exactly my top priority right now, but I still obviously care about it and I am doing the best that I can to keep up with everything. I wouldn't want to abandon my blog, EVER, so I'm not about to make some announcement to say that I'm going on a blogging break. No just NO. 

But I do want to say that my post policy still remains undecided and ambiguous, as I am not really sure what my plans are going to be for the rest of the spring. During the next week, I will probably be doing more posting seeing as it is my spring break, but for the rest of the spring, I am not so sure. What with two-hour tennis practices after school until five o'clock, forty-five minutes to get home from school, eating dinner and showering taking another forty five minutes, and then an hour or two of homework, my week schedule is very very hectic. Weekends are more free but the weekends are short and only 2 days long, and besides I do not like to post multiple times in one day as it seems redundant and people don't really get the chance to read both of your posts. (I know that I will be posting a review of Angelfire later today but this isn't really an official post.) 

Okay, enough of the boring stuff! Now for the FUN stuff. 

What does spring mean to me? Well, if I closed my eyes right now and envisioned the word SPRING, it means flip flops again and tennis courts and lilac trees! I know those 3 things are extremely random but they are all a big part of my life! Who could live without flip flops?!? I certainly could not ;) Tennis is a big part of my life obviously since I have been playing since I was really little, and I spend almost every day on the tennis court. And there is a big lilac tree in my backyard that just has the prettiest petals that I have ever seen. 

Hopefully, my dog (who just turned 1) will be able to be set loose without a leash so that he can run around in the warm weather (which has yet to come). My other dog, who is 11, is happy to just bask in the sun :)

Anyhow, I hope you have a lovely spring and I hope I can keep up with my blog through the crazy crazy days. :)

{Review} This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen

This Lullaby
by Sarah Dessen
Pages: 345
Release Date: May 27, 2002
by Speak

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When it comes to relationships, Remy doesn't mess around. After all, she's learned all there is to know from her mother, who's currently working on husband number five. But there's something about Dexter that seems to defy all of Remy's rules. He certainly doesn't seem like Mr. Right. For some reason, however, Remy just can't seem to shake him. Could it be that Remy's starting to understand what all those love songs are all about?

*This review contains a spoiler, but I have marked it off with brackets like [[[this]]].

Sarah Dessen just kind of... speaks to me. All of her books follow the same pattern, and you know what to expect when you're about to read one of her books, but they never get old and her characters are never weak. They're just pure and raw and emotional and amazing.

All of the Sarah Dessen books that I've read have followed the same storyline. Girl with unusual name meets boy with unusual name. Girl with unusual name is struggling with something or other with her life. Boy with unusual name falls in love with girl with unusual name, and after a little bit (the time varies), girl with unusual name falls in love with him, too.  This might bore some people, but I've found that Sarah Dessen's books are of such beauty and quality that I honestly don't care.

Remy is one of my favorite Sarah Dessen protagonists that I've read about yet. At first I disliked her attitude towards boys. You see a lot of books and real-life stories about boys treating girls like shit, but in this case, Remy treated the guys she dated like shit. As she said in the book, she was in it for the sex, and I hated that. But she stands out among the other protagonists Sarah Dessen has portrayed--Annabell, Ruby, Macy, Colie, etc. She's none of them.
Don't get me wrong, though. Remy does have certain qualities of a Sarah Dessen heroine. She's blond, pretty, and is going through a tough situation with her life. Her personality is so different though. Case in point: she's tough as nails, indestructible, NOT soft at all. BUT BUT BUT, this is only her outside appearance. Inside of her lies someone who hasn't decided to show herself yet. And as you go through this book, you really get to see how Remy evolves into this completely new girl. It was mind-blowing, truth be told.

And Dexter-- Oh my gosh DON'T EVEN GET ME STARTED!!! AHH! I love him soooooooooooooo much. <3 <3 <3 I could write paragraph after paragraph about him and still not get tired about writing him. In a few words, Dexter was clumsy, lovable, and charmingly imperfect. I have this thing for musicians, and guys who totally aren't perfect, and Dexter fit those two things. Seeing his relationship with Remy evolve, then fizzle out, then evolve again was amazing. Not to mention nerve-racking. **SPOILER[[[I hated when they were broken up, It totally killed me]]]
I loved all his bandmates, too. They never really failed to make me smile.
Remy's friends somewhat annoyed me, especially Chloe. She was selfish, arrogant, bitchy, and for lack of a better word, a slut. Remy compared herself to Chloe, saying that they were similar, but they were so much different. Lissa annoyed me with her constant Debbie-downer attitude and how she couldn't get over the fact that her boyfriend broke up with her. I just kind of felt like slapping her when she said something like, "I planned my whole future around him!!" Well, don't plan your future around a guy, because chances are it's not gonna work out--especially at the age of 18.
Don and Patty--ughhh. Just ughh. I hated them.

The ending was left up to your interpretation, I guess, which isn't typical of a Sarah Dessen novel. I was expecting things to be less open-ended. I was a little disappointed in this, but at least it made me think.

Anyway, This Lullaby was amazing as always for Sarah Dessen and she hasn't failed to make me amazed yet. One of her best, I must say, and her cast of characters is genius. Wow just wow... I'm still in shock, and I finished it last night.

This lullaby is only a few words
A simple run of chords
Quiet here in that spare room
But you can hear it, hear it
Wherever you may go
I will let you down
But this lullaby plays on..

(Gosh, Sarah, why don't you take up songwriting instead? Those lyrics are gorgeous)

COVER TALK: I like this cover a lot! It really speaks to the story and totally stays true to it. I like it better than the other edition of the cover (it has a paper heart on it), and I love how it's purple ;P

The Crazy, Random, Rambling Post #1

Hi everyone! Sooo, thus begins the Crazy, Random, Rambling Post #1. Lol, not really... but kinda!.So in the past few weeks, I have gone from loving books to being OBSESSED with them. I sleep, eat, and breathe books. Now that I've found some bookish friends at school, I can share the love ;) Soo anyway. To the point of this post. I used to post a lot of random things--like things about school, my life, etc. I've decided to start that up again, because I forgot how much I enjoyed doing them. The posts can be kind of rambling and hard to follow, but I enjoy writing them, and blogging is all about enjoyment, so that's the way I'm going to roll from here on out!

So, updates in my life. I MADE THE TENNIS TEAM! *happy dance* and I'm sosososo excited for my first match which is in a few weeks. I have been really busy the past couple weeks with tennis, school (Gosh, do they give a lot of homework!) and just focusing on reading and blogging and trying to have a good social life (I do). Sometimes all of this is stressful, but I am enjoying life right now. Oh, and I've also discovered a true addiction that I have--Tumblr. I have become soooo addicted to this website, like I cannot even tell you O_O. I've only been on it for like a week and a half, but I'm constantly reblogging posts and being my obsessive self. Here is the link to my Tumblr!!! If you have a Tumblr, I hope you'll check it out/ follow me? *hint hint hint hint*

Anyway... I got my report card the other day and I did pretty well, considering the fact that I am in a new school this year and there have been a lot of changes for me. And I'm doing 3 seasons of sports, so  yeah. During PE class, I play volleyball with my friends, and I must say, I enjoy it! Even though I don't formally play volleyball or anything. Same goes for soccer--I played soccer in 4th grade, and I kind of sucked, so I quit and took up field hockey. And while I'm still not very good at soccer, I like playing it, even if my friends kick my ass at it. ;P
So as you might now if you know me, my siblings are all older than me and my sister has been across the world for this year. Well she has just announced that she is moving back to the US next year!! I am SO happy, because having her across the world was a bit of a stretch (even though we saw her at Christmas, and stuff). Also, my brother got into college (well...that happened a while ago, but still)... I'm happy for him. But sometimes I feel like I'm left behind, because I'm still in freaking middle school!! :P

Okay, So. List of things that I want to accomplish before the school year ends. (I know, I know, I've got plenty of time, but stil!!!)

• This trimester I want to get ALL A's. Not just 2 or 3, but 5. 
• I want to be at least 4th court on the tennis team. 
• I want to try to be nicer to people and stop making random snarky comments which I have gotten into the unpleasant habit of doing
• I want to quit cracking my knuckles, biting/picking my nails
• I want to pay attention to my blogs (PLURAL!!! 'Cause now I have a tumblr!! hehehee)
• I want to get to know more people at school. Even though I already talk alot even to people I hardly know.
• Speaking of which, I need to stop talking so much. At the beginning of the year, I was so quiet that I barely said anything. Now I'm the class chatterbox. Noone can get me to shut up. 
• I want to stop being so boy-obsessed. O_O That is a real big one, and I've heard it gets worse as you progress through your teen years. And I'm only 13 and completely and utterly obsessed. Not just with fictional boys, but with real ones too. 
• I want to try and be a better friend.
• I want to go outside more often. Enjoy Earth :3

Some of those things might be kind of unrealistic (namely, the boy-crazy part and the quitting of bad habits, and the not talking so much) but hey, a girl can try, right?!?

Anyways, Have a great day!!! :)

{DNF Review}: Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

Beautiful Creatures

by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

Series: Caster Chronicles #1

Release Date: December 1, 2009

by Little Brown Books for Young Readers

Pages: 592

Links: Goodreads

Lena Duchannes is unlike anyone the small Southern town of Gatlin has ever seen, and she's struggling to conceal her power, and a curse that has haunted her family for generations. But even within the overgrown gardens, murky swamps and crumbling graveyards of the forgotten South, a secret cannot stay hidden forever.

Ethan Wate, who has been counting the months until he can escape from Gatlin, is haunted by dreams of a beautiful girl he has never met. When Lena moves into the town's oldest and most infamous plantation, Ethan is inexplicably drawn to her and determined to uncover the connection between them. In a town with no surprises, one secret could change everything. 

For some reason, I wasn't a fan of this book. It started out totally awesome. I was thinking, "Yes!! This is going to be an awesome paranormal romance" but my excitement faded when I got about halfway through the book, and as I found myself getting busier with school and whatnot, I just kind of forgot about it, and every time I tried to pick it back up, I'd put it down again and it became like a chore to read it. Which I hate when I'm reading books. 

I rarely never finish books, and I thought that if I didn't finish a book I'd definitely give it 1 star, but it gets 1.5 stars because it started out so awesome. I can't really write a review on this book since I didn't finish it (it seems dishonest, almost, because I don't know how it ended), but I would recommend giving it a try if you like the sound of it. I guess it just wasn't my book.

I think the writing should get some points, because that's the thing that kept me going for the 300 or so pages that I did read. You see a lot of paranormal romance books that are written atrociously, and I hate that. But the writing in this one was really good. It flowed nicely, and was very fluid and descriptive. 

I didn't like Ethan as a character. He seemed kind of unrealistic, if you know what I mean. I don't talk to 16-year-old boys very often, so I don't really know what they're like, but the way he described things, the things that he noticed, didn't seem relevant to the thoughts of a 16 year old boy. I might be totally wrong here, but it's just a wild guess. 

I also wasn't a huge fan of Lena. In a book like this, the main girl character has to have other qualities besides beautiful, powerful, and alluring. I found Lena (in the part that I read) to be kind of wimpy and weak, and I absolutely loathe that in girl main characters.

I did like Ridley though. She was such a bad-ass bitch. I totally loved her and felt like cheering every time she said something.

When I rated this book I kept going back and forth between 1 and 2 stars--literally. I floated my mouse over the one star rating, and it looked too harsh, so I shifted it back to 2 stars, but then I thought 2 stars was too generous. But, I like to be more generous than harsh in reviews, so I'm giving it 2 stars. 

I'm going to see the movie, because I really do want to know how it ends. And I might try to read it again sometime. 

So even though Beautiful Creatures wasn't exactly my favorite book, it totally might be yours so check it out if you'd like! I hate writing reviews for books that I didn't finish, but I thought I'd say some things about the part that I did read.

1.5/5 stars

{Review}: Burn for Burn by Jenny Han & Siobhan Vivian

Burn for Burn
by Jenny Han & Siobhan Vivian
Series: Burn for Burn #1
Release Date: September 18, 2012
by Simon & Schuster

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Lillia has never had any problems dealing with boys who like her. Not until this summer, when one went too far. No way will she let the same thing happen to her little sister.Kat is tired of the rumours, the insults, the cruel jokes. It all goes back to one person– her ex-best friend– and she's ready to make her pay.Four years ago, Mary left Jar Island because of a boy. But she's not the same girl anymore. And she's ready to prove it to him.Three very different girls who want the same thing: sweet, sweet revenge. And they won't stop until they each had a taste.

I loved this book so much! <3

I loved it to pieces. If someone tore this book apart (O_o) I would continue to love every last smithereen of it.  In fact, I wasn't expecting to like this book at all. It looked super cheesy, but it turned out to be an awesome read. One of my favorites of 2013, I have to admit.

I liked Jenny Han's Summer trilogy well enough, but it wasn't one of my favorites. I don't think I would have given this book a second glance were it not for some reviews I read, the gorgeous cover, and most of all, the amazing premise that the summery conveyed. In fact, when I read this summery, I was like, "HELL YES!!"

First of all, I just love these characters. Kat was definitely my favorite of the three girls--I loved her self-confident, bad-bitch side. Usually her types of characters annoy me, but for Kat, her character totally worked.  Mary seemed genuinely sweet and I almost teared up when I heard what happened to her.  Lillia, I wasn't so sure about until the end of the book. I disliked the things she said and did, and preferred Kat and Mary so much better. By the end of the book, though, I loved the character. These girls went through so much, but at the same time, they were almost as bad as the people who had been terrible to them, so it was a weird mix of bad and good with these girls. Which I LOVED. The whole revenge storyline was freaking awesome, and it made me think of Taylor Swift's song "Better Than Revenge".
I have to say, I am completely hooked on contemporary fiction these days, and this one definitely sealed the deal-- I'm just in love with the genre. I usually classify myself as a fantasy girl, but I've definitely read some contemporaries that I've liked, and this one was definitely one of them. One thing I wasn't sure about though--in Mary's point of view, there seemed to be a fantasy element that confused me a little, what with it being such a contemporary-style book. It threw me off, but I'm so glad this is a series so I can find out what will happen to Lillia, Kat, and Mary in the next book!

This book positively blew me away. With characters like these, and a premise like this, Han and Vivian just couldn't go wrong.  What a totally, awesome, kickass idea for a book!! :)

COVER TALK: I am in LOOOVE with this cover. OMG. The 3 girls look exactly like I imagined them, especially Mary. I also love the color scheme! Not only was this an amaaaazing book, it has an amaaaazing cover to match! <33

4.5/5 Stars