Saturday, May 29, 2010

I Kissed A Zombie and I Liked It - Adam Selzer


Ally Rhodes and her friends- Marie, Sadie, and Trinity- are known as the "Vicious Circle" at her school, Cornersville Trace High. They run the paper there which is actually not a paper, but a blog. Ally is personally known as the Ice Queen of the Vicious Circle cause she is always mean and has bad comments to say about everyone. So Ally and her friends are invited to the Cage to review a local band called the Sorry Marios. The Sorry Marios aren't very good but with their new member on drums, Will, a vampire, she goes to do the review. Ally is not impressed with the band until a new singer appears on stage and sings two songs. As soon as she hears the songs that he is singing, which happened to be her favorites from the 30's artists, she automatically starts crushing on this mysterious newcomer, Doug. They start going out and she overcomes his terrible smell, the only outfit he owns, and his mysterious liquid that he must drink every four hours. She assumes he has a disease and feels bad for him and just wants to kiss him over and over and take all his pain away. She soon starts falling for Doug and is not the Ice Queen she once was, but a sympathetic and caring human being. Doug on the other hand isn't human after all. He is what humans call post human, and when Ally finds out, it blows her mind until she starts piecing together all the clues. So Will tries to convince her to convert to a vampire to be with him and Doug wants her to convert to a Zombie to be with him. So now Ally has to decide if she wants to change or remain human.
This was a fast read for me. I couldn't quite relate to any of the characters though. It all just seemed a bit to far fetched for my taste. However, I did enjoy the book and the idea of a girl having to make tough decisions based on her love life. The ending was unexpected and a big letdown for me, but I might try another of Adam Selzer's books if I happen to come across one- But I won't go searching anytime soon.

Jekel Loves Hyde - Beth Fantaskey


Jill Jekel's life changes after her father is mysteriously murdered in a parking lot near his work. They have a funeral in January a day after her 17th birthday and her dad's friends and coworkers show up to support Jill and her mother. Jill is feeling completely alone until she sees Tristen. She wasn't even friends with Tristen Hyde so she wasn't sure why he showed up at her dad's funeral for when no one else showed up for her. He comforts her and holds her and tells her that it's going to be okay. Jill comes to learn that her father wasn't the man she thought he was. He stole her college fund before he died, so when the opportunity for a scholarship in chemistry arises, Jill decides to go for it. Jill enlists in the help of Tristen. Jill and Tristen decide to partner together and help each other. Tristen confides in Jill and tells her of the "Beast" inside of him that is getting stronger and wants to take over and start killing. So they enter her dad's office and break open a "forbidden box" that contains papers with documents and formulas to try to cure Tristen. So Jekel and Hyde start experimenting and he decides to take the vial and drink it after they are done. Will the vial cure the "Beast" in Tristen Hyde or kill him and leave Jill alone yet again?
I was hooked from the first page. The mystery involved in this story along with the growing romance between Jill and Tristen is what peeked my interest in the book. Tristen's afraid that the "Beast" is gonna overcome him so he tries not to act on his feelings for Jill, while whe can't imagine someone like Tristen ever falling for her when he can have any girl that he desires. Beth Fantaskey has delivered another story that has captivated me and I can't wait to see what kind of story she develops next.

Thursday, May 27, 2010

Love Bites (Vampire Kisses, #7) - Ellen Schreiber


Imagine sitting with your hot vampire boyfriend making out in his Mansion, when all of a sudden there are three loud knocks on the door. Well, that is exactly what happened to Raven- the local goth girl, while in Alexander's Mansion. It's Sebastian, Alexander's best friend from Romania, and he has come for a visit. Well Raven thought what a great way to get more insight on her boyfriend's past than to talk to his best friend and learn everything that she can. Well, Sebastian ends up falling for Becky, which is Raven's mortal BFF who also has a boyfriend. So when it goes as far as Sebastian tasting Becky's blood after she falls and skins her knee, Raven and Alexander are now set out to find a soul mate for him to get him away from Becky. Will Becky be able to resist Sebastian and will Sebastian be able to move on with a girl of his own kind?
I absolutely love this series!! Raven and Alexander have the best relationship. She wants to be a vampire like him so they can be together for eternity and he tries no to give in to the temptation to go ahead and change her. This series makes me want to go out and look for my own vampire boyfriend, but then I remember that I am married. The characters really draw you in and I can't wait to see what happens next in Dullsville!!

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Spirit Bound (Vampire Academy 5) - Richelle Mead


5 STARS!! First of all, I will try to not spoil any of the story so it might sound a bit cryptic reading this, but here it goes. Rose is on a mission with her friends to set Victor free and learn how to change Dimitri from a Strigoi back to a damphir. She is warned by Dimitri that as soon as she leaves the wards of the Academy that he will find her, but she continues her mission anyway to set Victor free and learn the way to "save" a strigoi. Once Rose's trials are finished, she and her friends head off and try to get Victor out of Jail. Once that is completed, they head to Las Vegas to meet up with Victor's brother, Robert. Robert tells them of how he saved a strigoi and then later they are all attacked by strigoi in the hotel. The leader of the strigoi attacking them just happens to be Dimitri. He kept his promise and finds Rose, who is not ready for anyone to kill Dimitri until she has a chance to try to change him back. She did not just do all that she did to have it be for nothing. But saving Dimitri comes at a cost and many lives will be lost. Will she be able to save him? If she does, will he be the same ever again?

This story had me from page one. I can only immagine what Rose would do to save Dimitri. He is the love of her life and since he was changed she has been lost. Of course trying to have a relationship with Adrian isn't the same as being with Dimitri. He was everything to her and she will go to great lengths to save him. I loved the fact that Richelle Mead didn't wait till the end of the book to bring Dimitri into the story. Not only did she not wait, but the middle is where everything in the story changes and the plot leaves readers wanting more all the way to the end. Rose not only has Dimitri and Adrian to deal with, but also new laws beings passed and royals that seem to want to threaten her and her future. She may have graduated the Academy, but here at the Court, she still doesn't know her assignment and what lies ahead for her future or what's going to become of her. I can't wait to read the next installment of Richelle's Vampire Academy because this series is never disappointing! I recommend this book to everyone!

Sunday, May 23, 2010

Linger - Maggie Stiefvater


In this second book of the Wolves of Mercy Falls Series, Sam and Grace finally get to be together. But for how long is the question. With Winter chills still haunting Sam of his previous life as a wolf, he remembers what it was like and what he has gained from becoming human. He takes on the responsibility of Beck's pack, including 2 new wolves, and tries to help them with their new shifting abilities. Sam and Grace are able to spend night after night together sleeping in each other's arms all the while that Grace feels something welling inside of her. She comes down with fevers, headaches, and nose bleeds and she can only fear of the thing that is inside her is the wolf that has never gotten the chance to come out after all these years. Grace has to lie to Sam about what she really feels is wrong with her. Will Sam and the others figure it out in time to save Grace and did Sam become a human only to find out that he is gonna lose the love of his life?
The story contains the point of view of Sam and Grace, as well as Isabel and Cole, who is one of the new wolves. I didn't as much care to hear their POV as much as Sam and Grace. They are the main characters of the story and thought that having all 4 of the POV's was a bit much. I really enjoyed the story introducing the new characters, just got a little confused trying to keep in thought whose POV I was reading from. I would be reading Cole's and the entire time be thinking it was actually Sam's and then come to something that didn't make sense to me and then finally remember whose POV I was actually reading. 2 is ok, but 4 is a bit much in my opinion.
After all is said and done, I really did enjoy the story. I absolutely loved Shiver so I knew that I would not be disappointed with Linger. I loved Sam and Grace being able to spend their time together and the introduction of Cole who becomes a major character in the story along with his budding romance with Isabel. I can't wait for the next installment of the series to see what happens.

Still Sucks to be Me: More All-True Confessions of Mina Hamilton Smith, Teen Vampire - Kimberly Pauley


Now that Mina is a vampire, she has to relocate with her family to the south while her vampire boyfriend George visits his newly found vampire parents in Brazil. She also has to leave her BFF Serena behind in CA but soon finds out that being a vampire may have perks like great looks and strength, but there are still cons like her having to start in a new school and not knowing anyone. But with George not answering emails, texts or phone calls, Mina starts to think he has lost interest and her eyes fall to another sexy vampire, Cameron Carter, who teaches her what it can be like to be a vampire by showing her around and telling her how to use mind control. But there may be something not right about Cameron and Mina ,along with her family and friends, may be in danger if they don't figure out what's going on and who can be trusted and who can't.

In reading the first of the series, I automatically knew that this was gonna be great book but it was over my expectations. I love the humor that Kimberly Pauley adds to the story. I ,seriously, will be reading this and then out of the blue start laughing at something she writes. This one introduced new characters and also remained with the older characters and that brought more life to the book. I enjoyed the book very much and would recommend it to any person who loves to read about vampires. It has romance, suspense, humor, and drama so what more could a girl ask for?

Twilight: The Graphic Novel, Volume 1 - Stephenie Meyer, Young Kim (Illustrator)



Bought this the other day. I couldn't resist cause I had to see what Cartoon Edward looked and acted like:) I read this all in one day. Great story. Same as Twilight obviously, but it was nice seeing the graphics while reading the story. The story ends after the meadow scene so I had no idea that the story would be continued in a 2nd vol. I can't wait till that comes out so I can finish the story!! The only downfall of the book is they should tell you before you buy it that the whole Twilight is not included and that it is only half of it. OH well- Still an awesome read for my first Graphic Novel:P

Chasing Brooklyn - Lisa Schroeder



Written in verse, this story takes you thru the minds of Brooklyn and Nico. Lucca is Nico's brother and Brooklyn's girlfriend who died in an accident and Gabe is their friend that survived the accident that killed Lucca. Lucca starts leaving clues for Nico saying that Brooklyn needs help and Gabe who has recently commited suicide, starts haunting Brooklyn in her dreams. Brooklyn and Nico start connecting with each other thru the help of Lucca. Gabe continues to occur in Brooklyn's dreams but he may have a different agenda than what she thinks. Lucca continues to push his brother towards Brooklyn but when she starts having feelings for Nico, she pushes herself away. Nico tries to get Brooklyn to open up but she won't tell him about Gabe haunting her dreams and he won't tell her about Lucca leaving messages about helping her. It is a story that contains love, sadness, and family issues. I personally cried while reading this story so I was moved by the characters and what they were all feeling and going through.

Sea Change - Aimee Friedman



Miranda Merchant is a 16 year old girl who goes with er mother to Selkie Island to help go through the house that her late grandmother left her mom. She meets some new and snobby friends on Selkie Island that tend to challenge her morals. She runs into a handsome boy on the beach one night named Leo. Leo is unlike any boy that she has ever met and he will take her places that her new friends wouldn't dare go. The romance blossoms from the moment Miranda meets Leo at the Marine Research center and then she learns some theories about him that start to push her away. Miranda will learn things about herself and her family that will change her life and her point of view on everything.

This story was slow for the first 40 pages to me, but I was hooked soon after and didn't want to put it down. Sea Change is full of romance and mystery that will take you to a whole new world. Miranda is in for a summer that she will never forget.

The only downfall I have of the book is it leaves you suspended wanting to know more. I think that Aimee could have written an ending to the story that was more closure for the reader. I see no sign of a 2nd book on her site and I think that a lot of readers are gonna be disappointed in that fact. Overall, this was a great story!!

Hex Hall - Rachel Hawkins



Not a lot of romance in the story so I wouldn't call it paranormal romance. Just crushing and minor flirting but overall a good storyline. Sophie gets sent to Hecate Hall which is basically a reform school for supernatural beings or monsters and learns about her history as a witch and what she can do with the powers that she has inherited. There she meets faeries, vampires, shifters and more witches. A little slow for me at times, but picks up and also has humor in it so that was a plus. It was an enjoyable story and I would recommend it to read. Can't wait to read Rachel's next book in the Hex Hall series!!

Nightshade by Andrea Cremer



Calla, an alpha female, thinks she knows how her future is gonna go. She is gonna go through the union and be mated with Ren who is a strong, popular, and sexy looking alpha male and lead her life doing as a guardian should. She will look after the Keepers and ward off the Searchers. But everything changes when she is on patrol and comes across a boy her age being attacked by a bear in the mountains. She knows it is against everything she was taught and she shouldn't even want to help this human boy, but she can't just sit there and watch this boy be killed. There is just something about him, so she goes against the rules and saves this young man. That is when Calla's life changes and everything that Calla has ever thought of her future will be questioned. She will question her future and where her loyalties really lie when she starts learning the truth of the history of the Keepers. But what she learns may just be a trick to see who her true loyalty really belongs to. Overall, I really enjoyed this story. The lusting among the characters and the suspense in storyline kept my attention. And among all that, drama and action were thrown in there as well to entertain the reader leaving this story an amazing read that I would highly recommend

Sucks to Be Me: The All-True Confessions of Mina Hamilton, Teen Vampire By Kimberly Pauley




I found this quite funny at times:) Mina has to decide if she wants to turn and become a vampire like her parents or stay a human. She takes Vampire lessons and meets quite a few interesting characters along the way including George, Aubrey and Raven but she only has one reason to stay human and that is her BFF, Serena. So she has to decide on what is the right choice for her: turn and live forever or stay human.

The Poison Diaries by Maryrose Wood





The story is set in an isolated cottage near Alnwick Castle. Jessamine Luxton lives with her father, Thomas, who grows gardens and is a feared and respected apothecary. To avoid people trying to trick his daughter into telling his secrets, Thomas keeps his daughter secluded in the cottage with only the gardens and house to tend to and no one to talk to. When a visitor brings an orphaned boy, Weed, to the cottage claiming that he has special gifts, Thomas takes him in. Weed and Jessamine quickly grow fond of each other. They hang together in the gardens and take long walks while talking about everything in their lives. Jessamine tells him about her gardens and the forbidden garden of her fathers that contains the dangerous and poisonous plants. Jessamin and Weed soon fall in love and he is able to finally confess to her what his "special gift" is. She then finds out how dangerous the plants can be and Weed will have to accomplish certain tasks to try to save her.
Amazingly good book from start to finish. This was a quick read that left me wanting more. The conclusion of the story definitely ended with room for a sequel to be made so I can't wait for that one to come out. This story had the romance that I crave and the mystery and suspense to keep me guessing the whole way through.