Review: Wither

Title: Wither
Author: Lauren DeStefano
Date Released: March 22nd, 2011
Pages: 356
Rating: 4 out of 5

Description:
What if you knew exactly when you would die?

Thanks to modern science, every human being has become a ticking genetic time bomb—males only live to age twenty-five, and females only live to age twenty. In this bleak landscape, young girls are kidnapped and forced into polygamous marriages to keep the population from dying out.

When sixteen-year-old Rhine Ellery is taken by the Gatherers to become a bride, she enters a world of wealth and privilege. Despite her husband Linden's genuine love for her, and a tenuous trust among her sister wives, Rhine has one purpose: to escape—to find her twin brother and go home.

But Rhine has more to contend with than losing her freedom. Linden's eccentric father is bent on finding an antidote to the genetic virus that is getting closer to taking his son, even if it means collecting corpses in order to test his experiments. With the help of Gabriel, a servant Rhine is growing dangerously attracted to, Rhine attempts to break free, in the limted time she has left.
 
Review:
Wither was a really intriguing, and a somewhat sad debut from debut author Lauren DeStefano. Like most dystopians, you can hardly imagine our world turning into a world like theirs. In this case, people die at very young ages, 25 for males, and 21 for females. Their world is a lot harsher, with orphans starving in the street and a fear for the people’s own safety, especially the girls because these people called the Gatherers come and kidnap them and take them to meet their future husbands. In this case, the victim is Rhine, who has been kidnapped along with two other girls by the Gatherers and all three of them are forced to marry Linden.

I really liked the idea of Wither and it was definitely really interesting reading about such a scary future. Wither earns tons of stars for originality because the whole idea of people being basically a “ticking genetic time bomb” is just very unique and different.

Wither basically revolves around one problem; Rhine is trying to escape this luxurious but limiting mansion for freedom. It’s no easy task because of the advanced technology and surveillance that Rhine and her sister wives are under. DeStefano keeps everything captivating by adding in little bits and pieces of how Rhine could get out of there, but at times, it could get a little slow.

DeStefano’s writing was beautiful, too, almost like that of Ally Condie’s writing when she wrote Matched. It had a melancholy feeling that matched Rhine’s voice and set the whole atmosphere of the book.

I really liked all the characters, too. Rhine was very strong protagonist that I really loved and admired her strength. Her sister wives, Cecily and Jenna, were also very strong as well to be able to go through what they had gone through all together. I really liked Gabriel, Rhine’s love interest, but it sort of felt like he was just there, but I hope that in the next book he appears more often. I really had no sympathy for Linden’s father Vaughn because he was a horrible man. Even though I didn’t like Linden that much, I still felt bad for him because … well all I’ll say is that his father is evil.

Wither was a really great debut that was really captivating with a really original and interesting idea. Some parts of the book got a little boring, but the rest was great. I think that anyone would really like it if they like the whole dystopian genre.  I'll definitely be looking forward to the next one!

Cover Review:
This is a gorgeous cover!  It sets the mood for the book, especially with the model looking very somber and sad. 

Cleo :)

*Description from Goodreads.com
**Review copy purchased.

I'm Reading A Book! :D

Lol, I was just going through my news feed when I saw this post on the blog of the fabulous author of Paranormalcy, Kiersten White :D  And then I saw this video:



Isn't this funny??  Hahaha I was laughing all to myself... and luckily my family wasn't home because then they'd think that I'm crazy... like they always do anyways, but that's besides the point :D Julian Smith is just plain funny anways... if you haven't seen his other videos, then you should.

I just wanted to share it with you guys just in case you haven't seen it yet or don't follow Kiersten White's blog. 

Hope you enjoyed the video!!

Cleo :)

Follow Friday!

Question of the Week:

What is on your current playlist right now?

1. Adele (But only Rolling in the Deep... Great song!)
2. Civil Twilight
3. Snow Patrol
4. Paramore
5. Parachute

This is basically all I really listen to actually LOL

The last few weeks have been a little unproductive :/  I apologize, but it's been really crazy!  Especially with AP tests coming up, and it's my first one so I really don't know how hard it's going to be...  I'm seriously freaking out.  I'm hoping that afterwards I"ll be able to concentrate more on blogging :D 

BUT! Never fear for the exams won't stop me from reading :)  I'm working on some reviews and I'm going to try and get at least 2 done this weekend because it is a four day weekend!

I hope you guys have a great weekend!  And have a great Easter!

Cleo :)

Review: Five Flavors of Dumb

Title: Five Flavors of Dumb
Author: Antony John
Date Released: November 11th, 2010
Pages: 352
Rating: 5 out of 5


Description:
The Challenge: Piper has one month to get the rock band Dumb a paying gig.


The Deal: If she does it, Piper will become the band's manager and get her share of the profits.


The Catch: How can Piper possibly manage one egomaniacal pretty boy, one talentless piece of eye candy, one crush, one silent rocker, and one angry girl? And how can she do it when she's deaf?


Piper can't hear Dumb's music, but with growing self-confidence, a budding romance, and a new understanding of the decision her family made to buy a cochlear implant for her deaf baby sister, she discovers her own inner rock star and what it truly means to be a flavor of Dumb.


Review:
Two words can basically sum up how I felt about this book: LOVED IT! This book was seriously amazing, and Antony John really weaved all these different elements that you wouldn’t expect into an awesome book. Sorry for the repetitiveness!


One thing I really loved was the main character, Piper. She was a really funny and strong character with a great sense of humor, and even though she’s deaf, she didn’t let it get in her way of trying to manage the band, Dumb. You also saw her change, A LOT, into a different, more self-confident person, who eventually found herself by the end of the book. Not only did you get to see Piper develop into the person that she was meant to be, but you also got to see her relationship with her parents develop more, as well as the band. The band was really this gigantic mess in the beginning, but with Piper, and a lot of changes, she was able to make those “five flavors” blend :D
What made Five Flavors of Dumb unique was the fact that a deaf girl was the main protagonist (you don’t get that very often), and she had to manage a band (you really don’t get that very often either). I loved all the different personalities in the band. Even though they all clashed in the beginning, of course it would eventually have to work out.


Another thing I loved about Five Flavors of Dumb was the message it gave out in the end. It was basically saying that you should be unique, and I’m all for unique. The ending was really inspirational and inspiring and definitely really happy :)


Overall, this book was really good. It had great characters with really diverse personalities, and the concept was really original (because really… who’s ever heard of a deaf girl managing a band???). Antony John created a really cool and super intriguing book that I would recommend to anyone. Like seriously, anyone. I bet that you’ll like it!


Cover Review:
This cover is really cool!  I really like it's edgy vibe because it really fits the rock band aspect of the book.  Although, the girl in the front who I assume is Piper, is supposed to have blonde hair I'm pretty sure, but whatever, the model fits the edginess of the cover.


Cleo :)

*Description from Goodreads.com
**Review copy purchased.

Reviews: The House of Night

Okay so since I have quite a few books to review from The House of Night Series I'll be combining them all into one post. So here are the reviews for Betrayed, Chosen, Untamed, and Hunted! Enjoy!

Title: Betrayed
Author: P.C. and Kristin Cast
Date Released: October 2, 2007
Pages: 310
Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Review: In this book, Zoey's potential powers, as well as her vampyre abilities become stronger. However, she also becomes attracted to both her ex-boyfriend Heath and her current vampyre boyfriend Erik. I liked how Zoey, as the main character, wasn't perfect and had some major flaws - i.e. her indecisive boy trouble. I also liked how the authors incorporated Aphrodite's background and gradually changed her from an antagonist in the first novel to almost an ally in the second. The changing role of the antagonist was rather surprising too, considering drastic change compared to how she was portrayed in the first novel (I won't give anything away - you'll have to read the book to find out :) However some things just happened too...perfectly, so it took away from some of the mystery of the novel. There was also some unnecessary...umm....sexual? stuff that happened that was really weird and took away from the book. I also wished the author's had gone more in depth with Neferet's background that's mentioned in the beginning of the novel and isn't referenced at all for the rest of the series so far. Overall though, it was still quite addicting and offered suspense and drama and I still enjoyed it.



Title: Chosen
Authors: P.C. and Kristin Cast
Date Released: March 4, 2008
Pages: 307
Rating: 3.75 out of 5
Review: Compared to the two previous books, this one was much more dramatic. Everything was brought to new levels, along with an actual considerably suspenseful plotline. There were shockers and twists in the plotline that you wouldn't expect which I give credit to the authors for - I love the unexpected in a book. However, I started really disliking Zoey in this book in the middle - seriously? Flirting with three guys at once? Get a grip girl! She was becoming rather selfish and it annoyed me. Though by the end of the novel, there was a good cliffhanger and Zoey had somewhat redeemed herself in her reflection of her actions, along with her dedication to her best friend. Some of the dialogue was getting really cheesy and the authors seriously need a better editor - there were loads of mistakes name and grammar wise, but it still contained good suspense and not too much repetitiveness, and along with the suspenseful plotline, it ended up being a considerably good novel.


Title: Untamed
Author: P.C. and Kristin Cast
Date Released: September 23, 2008
Pages: 338
Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Review: From the start, I liked how the novel was different from the previous two, because for the first time in a LONG while, Zoey didn't have any guys in her life! :O It was actually a relief, as it allowed more time for her to reflect on herself and on more important matters (i.e. saving the world, of course) rather than whining and worrying about boys boys boys all the time. Not that boys are bad, but they take up too much of the series for my taste. However, by this novel, I felt that Zoey's friends weren't really developed characters and were really shallow - they forgave her way too quickly and they talk in this really cliche (cleeshay? clishee?) way. It gets rather annoying after a while. And then a new character Stark is introduced and its ANOTHER guy in Zoey's life who's magically instantly attracted to her. Sheesh. HOWEVER on a more positive note, I liked how this book encompassed a wider range of events - that it wasn't just the House of Night being affected, but possibly the whole world. There's a more adventurous and mystery theme that I enjoyed, along with another thrilling cliffhanger. All in all, I still liked this book, with its pros and its cons.


Title: Hunted
Authors: P.C. and Kristin Cast
Date Released: March 3, 2009
Pages: 323
Rating: 2.5 out of 5

Review: Honestly, I didn't really enjoy this book. It picked up where it left off and by this point things were getting really repetitive: Zoey flirting with quite a few boys AGAIN, along with quite a lot of other mushy stuff, and her group being in trouble, but NOTHING HAPPENING. This novel basically is only two days, and a lot of nothing-but-rambling-and-nonsense happens in the first half. There is sooooo much potential these books could have! Especially this one, with Kalona and the Raven Mockers from the legends appearing, but the authors don't take these ideas far enough. I want to know more about the religion of Nyx, the adult vampyre world, of the peril the world is in and how Zoey will save it! Not her boy trouble chapter in and chapter out. I also realized this book is missing a critical element to great books - comic relief. I think the author's kind of try, but it ends up just being shallow. By the end of the book though, things were picking up so I enjoyed it more towards that point. There were some great actions sequences along with intense plots that were great. The ending did seem rather typical again though. (I'm sorry I'm basically whining about this book....) Anyway I'm just getting tired of this series....it's getting a bit old. Definitely points for the cover though - I thought it was really cool. Like poster in my bedroom worthy :)

keep on reading fellow book geeks!

MarMar<3

MarMar's Mini-Review: The Summer I Turned Pretty

I remember seeing Cleo's review for this book a long time ago (which you can check out by clicking here) and then I saw it at my school's library and decided to pick it up. It was kind of weird, cus usually I read that kind of dark, brooding, adventurous type of novel and this one look really...well...girly. But OMG. IT WAS AMAZING. I finished it in about one day (just now actually) because it simply sucked my in. It was one of those novels you read and read and looked up and realized hours had passed without you noticing.

I loved how down to heart and realistic Belly's perspective was. She wasn't a girly girl like I kind of suspected from the cover - she was, well, more of the dork we all are :) Which made her quite awesome. As awesome as her nickname, which I loved. Belly. Teehee ^^ And no matter what happened, the story never got boring. Usually you think it would, because all Belly really does is live in the beach house and you wouldn't think much could happen, but this was jam-packed. I really liked how the author incorporated Belly's past summers in flashbacks, as this served to explain things without Belly herself actually launching into too-long, boring lectures about her life. I also liked how even though the guys were a huge part of Belly's life, it wasn't like she obsessed over them a lot - she had her own thoughts and other concerns like any other person. Personally, I loved Jeremiah the most as the funny, friendly, always-catch-you-when-you-fall guy and really wished Belly realized how he could be both potentially her best friend AND more. Conrad was more of the typical dark, brooding, mysterious man, and Belly ending up with him seemed so typical. And Cam was cute - I liked his "straight-edge" ness. Anyhoo, loved it, 5 stars for sure! Reading it made me crave summer and the beach....:) And I definitely can't wait to pick up the sequel. For those who haven't checked this book out yet, definitely do so. :D

keep on reading fellow book geeks!

MarMar<3

Cover Reveal!

I don't know if it has been officially released since I haven't seen it on the author's blog... But it is on goodreads so it must mean something, right?  Well here it is, the cover for... *drum roll please*

Reckoning by Lili St. Crow!

Aaahh!  I love it!  I love the cover and the color is really nice. Hahaha I love her face, too. You don't wanna mess with Dru!  That face in the corner though is a little creepy.

I can't wait until Defiance (April 19th) comes out so I can read that, then get on to Reckoning!  If you haven't read Strange Angels yet, you should definitely give it a try :D

Cleo :)

Review: Bad Girls Don't Die

Title: Bad Girls Don't Die
Author: Katie Alender
Date Released: April 21st, 2009
Pages: 352
Rating: 4 out of 5

Description:
When Alexis's little sister Kasey becomes obsessed with an antique doll, Alexis thinks nothing of it. Kasey is a weird kid. Period. Alexis is considered weird, too, by the kids in her high school, by her parents, even by her own Goth friends. Things get weirder, though, when the old house they live in starts changing. Doors open and close by themselves; water boils on the unlit stove; and an unplugged air conditioner turns the house cold enough to see their breath in. Kasey is changing, too. Her blue eyes go green and she speaks in old-fashioned language, then forgets chunks of time.

Most disturbing of all is the dangerous new chip on Kasey's shoulder. The formerly gentle, doll-loving child is gone, and the new Kasey is angry. Alexis is the only one who can stop her sister -- but what if that green-eyed girl isn't even Kasey anymore?

Review:
When I picked this book up, I really didn’t know what to expect. But when the Katie Alender mentions the creepy house that Alexis lives in, and that her little sister, Kasey, likes collecting dolls, I knew it was going to get creepy. Note: Creepy dolls + creepy house = creepy book.  However, Bad Girls Don’t Die was really good, and seriously addicting. Yeah, you can ignore my little equation ;)

The beginning was a little slow, and I wasn’t sure if I would get into it, but then, BAM! I could not leave this book alone. Bad Girls Don’t Die was so full of mystery and suspense that I wanted to find out more and see what would happen in the end.

My favorite character would have to be Alexis because of her pink hair and antisocial and “anti-cheerleader” personality, and she was sort of like the rebel in the family. As the story progressed, you also notice that she changes into a much different person. All the characters were pretty cool and I liked them, except I thought that Megan’s role in the book was a little random... I think it’s cool that she sort of had a sixth sense, but it was random because she was a cheerleader and all popular and stuff.

Another thing that I really liked about Bad Girls Don’t Die were the descriptions. They were really descriptive (duh!) and you could just imagine the house and the doll in your head.

If you’re looking for a lot of suspense, some mystery and maybe a little bit of creepiness, then you should definitely go check this out. I’m not normally the type to read ghost stories (ghosts terrify me!) but I really liked this one! Katie Alender also has another book coming about in June called From Bad to Cursed which is another story about Alexis. So, yeah! Go check this book out now if you’re in the mood for a scary book :D

Cover Review:
From looking at the cover, you wouldn't really be able to tell that this is supposed to be a ghost story because of the light colors- or at least that's how I felt when I saw it.  It's a really pretty cover though!
 
Cleo :)
 
*Description from Goodreads.com
**Review copy borrowed from Baylee :)

Review: A Touch Mortal

Title: A Touch Mortal
Author: Leah Clifford
Date Released: February 22nd, 2011
Pages: 432
Rating: 4 out of 5

Description:
Eden didn't expect Az.

Not his saunter down the beach toward her. Not his unbelievable pick-up line. Not the instant, undeniable connection. And not his wings.

Yeah.

So long, happily-ever-after.

Now trapped between life and death, cursed to spread chaos with her every touch, Eden could be the key in the eternal struggle between heaven and hell. All because she gave her heart to one of the Fallen, an angel cast out of heaven.

She may lose everything she ever had. She may be betrayed by those she loves most. But Eden will not be a pawn in anyone else's game. Her heart is her own.

And that's only the beginning of the end.

Review:
A Touch Mortal was really good and very different from any other book on angels that I have ever read (in a good way of course :) ).

Leah Clifford really created something different by adding “Siders” who I understood to be people who don’t have a path because they have committed suicide for some reason. She still had the same concept of angels and fallen angels, but there were also the angels that had not fallen yet, like Az.

The characters were all pretty cool. They all seemed to have this kick-butt sort of vibe, like Eden, Kristen, and Jarrod, and various other Siders. Sometimes Az and Gabe as well. It kind of made them seem emo, but I can see why they’re like that since the Siders are people who have committed suicide, so they were obviously really depressed at the time. I loooved Az though because he seemed like a really sweet guy, and with Eden, he seemed like a complete person. It broke my heart when Eden tried getting over him, because he was really struggling without her :(

The plot was pretty good, too, because it really kept the book going. Sometimes it would be a little slow, but towards the climax, it started to pick up.

One thing that brought the rating down was that some of it was a bit confusing and a lot of new information to just take in all at once, especially when it came to the Siders because they are a pretty original idea. I hope that the next book (it is supposed to be a trilogy) has some more information, or clarifies it a bit at least.

Overall, really great book, but some of it was a little confusing.  It's definitely really different when it comes to the mythology of angels and introduction to Siders.  If you like books on angels, then you should pick it up! 

Cover Review:
I think that this is a really cool cover, especially with all of the pink and dark hair.  I love her blue eyes, too.  The font is really awesome as well! :D
 
Cleo :)
 
*Description form Goodreads.com
**Review copy won from giveaway.

Review: Marked

Title: Marked
Author: P.C. Cast + Kristin Cast
Date Released: May 1, 2007
Pages: 306
Rating: 4 out of 5

Description: ENTER THE DARK, MAGICAL WORLD OF THE HOUSE OF NIGHT. a world very much like our own, except there vampyres have always existed. Sixteen-year-old Zoey Redbird has just been Marked as a fledgling vampyre. That is, if she makes it through the Change - and not all of those who are Marked do. It sucks to begin a new life, especially away from her friends, and on top of that, Zoey is no ordinary fledgling. She has been chosen as special by the vampyre Goddess Nyx. Zoey discovers she has amazing powers, but along with her powers come bloodlust and un unfortunate ability to Imprint her human ex-boyfriend. To add to her stress, she is not the only fledgling at the House of Night with special powers: When she discovers the leader of the Dark Daughters, the school's most elite group, is misusing her Goddess-given gifts, Zoey must look deep within herself for the courage to embrace her destiny - with a little help from her new vampyre friends.

Review:
...Confused after that description? Yeah I was too. I always saw this book on the shelves of bookstores and Walmart and well everywhere, and I assumed (like I do very frequently) that is was another supernatural, stupid, thin and meaningless book that barely masked the girlyness of it. And guess what? I was pretty wrong. Again.

What I loved most about this book was the balance between normal teenage drama and the supernatural. Zoey has her own teenage problems like any other normal adolescent, such as boys (of course) and family drama, and they don't magically go away when she's marked as a vampyre. Unlike other books where the main character suddenly grows up, Zoey keeps her wittiness and her spunky teenager-ness throughout the novel.

I was also really impressed by how the narration was very true to us teens. Seriously it was like Zoey could think exactly like me! It added to the believe-ablilty (is that a word?) of the novel and the true typical feel of Zoey's character. She had to deal with going to a new school and the following feelings and reactions to the events seemed natural to me, as I've been the new kid before and know what it feels like. I felt like I could really relate to Zoey, which definitely added to my interest in Marked.

I also thought Zoey's heritage as a Cherokee was really cool. It added some background and ethnicity to her character. Her grandma is also definitely an awesome character and I wish there was more of her in this novel. Because awesome old ladies are pretty entertaining xD

Another thing I really like was the feel of how real the book was. It made me totally think vampyres were normal - I believed in the world of the House of Night, it felt like MY world whenever I was lost in the novel. It's really one of the main things I look for in a novel - its ability to make the book's reality YOUR reality and not just some wispy floaty story you can't relate to.

However, I did give the book a 4 out of 5 because some things weren't explained to well to back up the novel. Such as how is someone chosen to be Marked? Why was Zoey chosen? Why was Erik so suddenly interested in Zoey? And in my opinion Erik could've been a deeper character he's almost too ... perfect. Too typical. But hot hot hot indeedly so its okay ^-^

So overall, I really did enjoy Marked: it was a great break from all the classical stuff I had to read for school, which made my brain really hurt. Its mystery and humor definitely left me looking forward to the sequel and to continue pursuing Zoey's journey in the House of Night.

Cover Review: Eh...personally I'm not a huge fan of the cover. The pattern's really cool, but I think if more of Zoey was pictured, it'd capture my attention more. The review quota thing also takes away from the pizazz - y - ness of the cover. I do like the font of the title along with the crescent - very eye catching!

keep on reading fellow book geeks!
MarMar<3

Review: Unearthly

Title: Unearthly
Author: Cynthia Hand
Date Released: January 4th, 2011
Pages: 435
Rating: 5 out of 5

Description:
In the beginning, there's a boy standing in the trees . . . .

Clara Gardner has recently learned that she's part angel. Having angel blood run through her veins not only makes her smarter, stronger, and faster than humans (a word, she realizes, that no longer applies to her), but it means she has a purpose, something she was put on this earth to do. Figuring out what that is, though, isn't easy.

Her visions of a raging forest fire and an alluring stranger lead her to a new school in a new town. When she meets Christian, who turns out to be the boy of her dreams (literally), everything seems to fall into place—and out of place at the same time. Because there's another guy, Tucker, who appeals to Clara's less angelic side.

As Clara tries to find her way in a world she no longer understands, she encounters unseen dangers and choices she never thought she'd have to make—between honesty and deceit, love and duty, good and evil. When the fire from her vision finally ignites, will Clara be ready to face her destiny?

Unearthly is a moving tale of love and fate, and the struggle between following the rules and following your heart.

Review:
I absolutely loved every single bit of Unearthly! It was extremely captivating and I was like glued to the book when I had it in my hands, so basically my weekend was spent reading Unearthly :)

I think the thing that I really loved about this book was the idea of angels. When you think about it, there aren’t like tons of angel books for young adults out there (compared to vampire books), and Cynthia Hand created a really cool set of angels, where each one has a “purpose” that they have to fulfill, and they have different names depending on the type of angel they are . For example, if you’re only a quarter angel, then you’re a Quartarius like Clara!

Clara was a very likeable character and so were the others, Tucker, Christian, Jeremy, Wendy, and Angela. Clara was very down to earth, and pretty much like every other girl out there, except for the fact that she has to try and hide what she really is. I loved Tucker and Christian both, but if I had to choose, I’m Team Tucker all the way. Even though in the beginning he comes off as a jerk, he eventually becomes a lot more nice and kind towards Clara. At first, I thought I was for sure going to be a Christian fan because he was nice, too, but he didn’t seem as real as Tucker did when Tucker’s real personality started to show.

The ending was great, but a little confusing and seemed a little rushed. You can definitely see that there’s going to be a next book because it leaves sort of on a cliffhanger. There’s also a big surprise, too, that I did not see coming at all.

Overall, Cynthia Hand wrote a really good debut :) I absolutely loved it and would recommend it to anyone who loves a lot of romance, some action, and angels/any supernatural being! I’m so excited that there’s going to be a sequel, called Hallowed, which is most likely to come out next year (2012) :D

Cover Review:
This is a gorgeous cover!  I DEFINITELY love the purple, and the trees in the background make it look creepy and mysterious.  The model makes the cover absolutely stunning as well.  I'm totally in love with the font as well.  It actually kind of looks like the font for Beautiful Creatures, but it has it's own unique touch to it.  If you actually have a copy of the book, you'll also notice that the font is silver, not white, which really adds a lot to the cover.

Cleo :)

*Description from Goodreads.com
**Review copy borrowed from my local library.