Review: Entice

Title: Entice
Author: Carrie Jones
Date Released: December 14th, 2010
Pages: 266
Rating: 4 out of 5

Description:

*May contain spoilers*

Zara and Nick are soul mates, meant to be together forever.

But that's not quite how things have worked out.

For starters, well, Nick is dead.

Supposedly, he's been taken to a mythic place for warriors known as Valhalla, so Zara and her friends might be able to get him back. But it's taking time, and meanwhile a group of evil pixies is devastating Bedford, with more teens going missing every day. An all-out war seems imminent, and the good guys need all the warriors they can find. But how to get to Valhalla?

And even if Zara and her friends discover the way, there's that other small problem: Zara's been pixie kissed. When she finds Nick, will he even want to go with her? Especially since she hasn't just turned... she's Astley's queen.

Review:
I was so excited when I got this book for Christmas because I love this series, and it left off on such a huge cliffhanger in Captivate (the second book) that I just had to get this one!  I really wanted to love this one like Need and Captivate, but there were just some little things that I didn't really like about this book.

However, let's start off with the absolutely awesome things though :D  I thought it was great how it started off because it picked off right where it left off in Captivate so there wasn't any lost time and you kind of knew what was going on (unless you completely forgot what happened in the previous book, like me for instance).  The characters were great.  I really liked how you got to see Zara adapt to her new life as a pixie and how it was really hard for her because her closest friends and family members aren't the biggest fans of pixies and being a pixie is A LOT different from being a normal human being.  And oh. my. goodness.  Astley just makes me want to cry!  I think that he's really changed since Captivate because when you first met him he was sort of hostile, mean, and really wanted Zara to be his queen, but now he wants different things and to make Zara happy that make him so much more loveable than when he first appeared.  Entice just made choosing between Nick and Astley a whole lot harder.

Another good point was that I liked how Carrie Jones added some humor to some of her characters like Issie and Cassidy to lighten up the mood a bit since some really sad events happened in both this book and Captivate.  They definitely made the book funny and were probably my favorite characters throughout the book! 

What I didn't like so much about this book were some of the events that took place... or how the speed of the plot went.  I'm not sure if they're intertwined or totally separate, but I think that some things that happened in this book happened way to fast.  It was almost like it never happened or it was no big deal.  It also didn't flow as nicely as I would have liked it, but the plot was still great with lots of twists and turns that really kept the book sooo intriguing. 

This was a pretty good follow up to the Need series.  I didn't like it as much as I liked the first two, but it definitely has some good scenes and information about the pixies that will most likely leave you with your mouth hanging open :D  The ending was fabulous, too!  It ended nicely, even though some of it might have been a bit predictable.  I definitely need the fourth book (which is still untitled I believe...).  It's the last book right?  I hope it isn't!  But as they say, all good things must come to an end...  So, if you haven't read Need yet, then you must get it!  And then get Captivate... Then get Entice! 

Cover Review:
It's really beautiful!  I LOVE how the pixie dust is coming out of her mouth and she's breathing it into the air.  The branches in the background kind of make the book look a little creepy, but it's not creepy at all!  Maybe just a little sad, but it has a great happy ending :)
Cleo :)

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

Cover Crazy (8)

Cover Crazy is a weekly meme that was created by Tawni over at The Book Worms to show which cover(s) you are absolutely going crazy over!


This week I'm absolutely loving the cover for The Anatomy of Wings by Karen Foxlee.

Here's why I love it:

• There's something so refreshing and calm about this cover, even though it revolves around a young girl's older sister's death.
• I think that that's so cool how they got a picture of someone in the air... Or made it that way since you can photoshop pictures now... But yeah!  It's definitely very cool and kind of makes me want to jump in the air.  Haha, I know, very random :D
• The scenery in the background is really pretty even though it's blurred.  It kind of reminds me of the countryside because you can see trees and what looks like a little town on the very bottom.

What covers are you guys going crazy over this week?  Any extra thoughts or comments on this cover?

Cleo :)

Just Wondering...

Would you guys rather prefer that I block out the descriptions for sequels or other books in a series?  I find that they sometimes have spoilers and I definitely don't want to spoil it for you at all if you haven't read it yet.  Just simply leave a comment saying yes or no.

Thanks guys!!!

Cleo :)

Review: Hush, Hush

Title: Hush, Hush
Author: Becca Fitzpatrick
Date Released: October 13th, 2009
Pages: 391
Rating: 4 out of 5

Description:
For Nora Grey, romance was not part of the plan. She's never been particularly attracted to the boys at her school, no matter how much her best friend, Vee, pushes them at her. Not until Patch came along. With his easy smile and eyes that seem to see inside her, Nora is drawn to him against her better judgment.

But after a series of terrifying encounters, Nora's not sure who to trust. Patch seems to be everywhere she is, and to know more about her than her closest friends. She can't decide whether she should fall into his arms or run and hide. And when she tries to seek some answers, she finds herself near a truth that is way more unsettling than anything Patch makes her feel.

For Nora is right in the middle of an ancient battle between the immortal and those that have fallen - and, when it comes to choosing sides, the wrong choice will cost her life.
 
Review:
Hush, Hush was pretty awesome!  I really liked the whole idea of angels in this book and thought it was some what different from other books on angels that I have read... or the only ones which are Fallen and Torment by Lauren Kate.  I saw some similarities like there's the fallen angel and the whole forbidden romance thing, but it has some differences in the- would you call it mythology?- of fallen angels, like the complexity of the human vessel, and the Jewish holiday Cheshvan (Thank you Baylee for letting me know as I completely forgot!)  But, basically, some things in Hush, Hush were pretty original from other books about fallen angels that I've read. 

Despite the fact that I thought that Hush, Hush, I gave it 4 stars because to me, the ending was sort of rushed and weird.  It just didn't really seem to satisfy me, if you know what I mean.  I also didn't like how there were like multiple people that they suspected to be the stalker.  Like one moment it would be this dude, then they'd change their mind and it'd be that person.  But then, no!  Wait!  It's this person now!  But I guess if you think on the bright side, it really kept you on your toes :)

I actually did not like Nora that much, but I did like Vee, until she started hanging out with Elliot and Jules a lot more.  Vee kind of seemed like the best friend that anyone could probably want because she was pretty funny, plus she and Nora seemed like that had tons of fun together.  Now back to Nora... There were something's that I just didn't really like about her.  I found her maybe a little annoying because she was suspicious of basically every single new person that she had an encounter with.  She's also pretty vulnerable, as Patch says ac couple times.  Other than that, I guess she was pretty courageous because she does have to live in a big house by herself in basically the middle of nowhere... If I were her, I'd personally just freak out.  Patch was pretty cool.  He came of  kind of scary at first and had this whole bad boy image going on, but then you come to eventually realize that he cares about Nora.

Another good thing about this book that really kept me glued to it were the many plot twists.  Even though there were all those suspects of who the stalkers were, there were other really interesting plot twists that really kept the book moving.  The beginning wasn't that bad either because you know how sometimes the beginning of a new series could be kind of boring and slow?  This one gets right into action with a really intriguing prologue and the appearance of the mysterious Patch in the very first chapter. 

It's a pretty good, suspenseful read with a different view of fallen angels that was pretty cool!  Hopefully, when I get to read the second book, Nora will be stronger and not as vulnerable.  I think that I'll have to get Crescendo now... And probably end up waiting for the third and last book of this series, Tempest, as well :D 

Cover Review:
Oh my goodness!!  This cover is very awesome!!!  I just LOVE how Patch is falling, because he is a fallen angel.  It's also really cool how it's in black and white but at the top, it's tinted red.  It's a very dark cover, and sort of fits the whole books setting.  It also screams "FALLEN ANGEL!!!"  So don't expect it to be about... mermaids... Hahahaha!

Cleo :)

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

Updates!

Well, it's the end of the week and we've been kind of MIA lately and not posting as much as we would like to (this week there was a Cover Crazy post on Monday, Baylee did her Best Books of 2010, and there was a post on the cover for Passion), but we are working on tons of reviews (I have 4, and Baylee has 3). 

I'm not sure if I'll be posting much in the next week or so because I have exams soon and I'm supposed to be studying my head off, but I can't bring myself to sit at my desk and study which could be a problem... I just have so many books to read that sound really good!!  I have Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly and Extraordinary by Nancy Werlin in my pile right now as well as other books that sound fantastic and I can't wait to get through them!  I'm also trying hard to finish some reviews that I've put off for a little while, so look forward to that.

ALSO!!! Remember when I asked you guys to help me choose which series I should read this year?  Well guess which one totally won??

HARRY POTTER!

Yes!  I've never read Harry Potter before in my life (except for maybe part of the 1st one...).  And I have the first 4 books.  There must be something wrong with me since those of you who chose it seem to absolutely love it.  I think what I'm going to do is read all the books and give my opinion about it when I'm done with the whole series :D  If you guys don't remember what I'm talking about... just click HERE and it'll take you to the post.

We're also in the process of creating a giveaway for you guys.  Since it's our first giveaway, we're trying to make it extra special.  It's just that some of us (I'm thinking of you Margaret...) never seem to have the time to talk and discuss it.  Baylee and I basically have our part all planned out but our dear little MarMar seems to be totally MIA...

Now, I'm going to go to try and concentrate on studying but knowing me, my mind will eventually drift off to reading and finishing up those reviews...

So there's your little update on what's been going on here in Booklopedia :D

Cleo :)

The Cover for Passion is Revealed!

YES!  The cover for Passion by Lauren Kate has finally been released!!!

I love the cover and I think that the cover artist did a beautiful job!  I definitely cannot wait for the book to come out now!  

I like how they sort of switched it up this time by adding some color like the red on the rose and the pink of the sky.  It's definitely has a really pretty cover like the first two books in the series.

Cleo :)

My List for Best Books of 2010 (:

The Best of 2010 in Books!

Today marks the last day of a great year :(  2010 marks the birth of Booklopedia (that sounded really cheesy hahaha), the first time I've ever actually stuck to writing down all the books I've read, and a lot of other wonderful book-related and not book-related things.  So, to basically sum up this year, in books of course, I have decided to be a part of a survey created byThe Perpetual Page Turner!!! 

1. Best book of 2010? 
Hmmmm.....Okay I'm going to have to say The Hunger Games or Last Sacrifice because these books were just amazing. The Hunger Games series fell flat a bit for me but the actual first book, The Hunger Games, was written extremely well and Last Sacrifice was the ending to one of my favorite series and it was just the perfect ending.

2. Worst book of 2010? 
Well, I don't think there are bad books, just different styles and opinions. But one book that I found to be a bit disappointing was Firelight. From the cover and the description I was hoping for a bit more...substance? I think it was an enjoyable love story but that's really what it focused on so I'm hoping the sequel will be better.


3. Most Disappointing Book of 2010? 
See question 2. Another book though that disappointed me juuuuuuuust a little bit was I am Number Four. It was a GREAT book, I wanted to read it after I finished The Hunger Games series, but for some reason the book just didn't live up to the description. I would definitely still recommend this book but I think the second book might be better. (And the movie does not look that appealing either, it does not follow the book's story line AT ALL)


4. Most surprising (in a good way!) book of 2010?
The Hunger Games!!!! I did not want to read this book. At all. I had no interest in it, I didn't care for the concept, I just was indifferent to it. But Cleo told me to read it, so I did. It was one of my favorite books of all time. But, keep in mind that doesn't mean I liked the entire series, just the first book.


5. Book you recommended to people most in 2010? 
Hmmm...for 2010 I would definitely recommend Last Sacrifice but it order to read that you'd have to read the other books first. But I also liked Nightshade because I feel like it's got a really good storyline that will definitely get even better as the story continues.


6. Best series you discovered in 2010? 
The Immortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare is awesome! 

7. Favorite new authors you discovered in 2010? 
Suzzane Collines, Pittacus Lore (pseudonym for James Frey and Jobie Hughes), Sherrilyn Kenyon, and Andrea Cremer. (:


8. Most hilarious read of 2010?
Hmm...most hilarious.... I actually really liked the Percy Jackson series. It always makes me laugh and I've read the series over and over and over. Also Infinity By Sherrilyn Kenyon.

9. Most thrilling, unputdownable book in 2010? 
Basically all the books that I put under #5 and #6..and #8 :D

10. Book you most anticipated in 2010? 
Definitely the Last Sacrifice, you should have seen me, I kept reminding my mom everyday that I needed to have Last Sacrifice the day it came out so she pre-oredered it on Amazon for me! haha

11. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2010? 
Favorite cover would be a tie between Nightshade, because it's purple, beautiful, deadly, and mysterious all at once, and Torment. It was so dark and gloomy but incredibly beautiful at the same time.

      

12. Most memorable character in 2010? Calla in Nightshade or Luce in Torment. Calla was a strong character from the start who knew what she wanted and she'd do whatever it took to get it, but Luce started out kinda as a weak character who couldn't do anything on her own and she really developed in the second book.

13. Most beautifully written book in 2010?

Hmm...I liked Anna Goddberson's Bright Young Things because her books always have that really glamourous feel. She's writing about beautiful, young, glamourous people living in New York getting caught up in webs of drama and lies, and that feeling of being the hottest young thing out there really transfers through her writing and I'm able to feel like I'm a part of all the high fashion. 

14. Book that had the greatest impact on you in 2010?

Probably Anna Goddberson's Bright Young Things again because it shows just how high you can climb just to lose it all in a second. These girls in the book know how to work their to the top, by lying, flirting and picking all the right friends, but their bad girl nature is really offset when you see the fragile girl underneath when she loses everything in the blink of an eye. The amazing thing though is that they don't settle for anything less than what they deserve and it shows their strength.

15. Book you can't believe you waited UNTIL 2010 to finally read?

Last Sacrifice by Richelle Mead. I've been waiting for this book for about two years and it didn't disappoint.

I know it was a bit repetitive like Cleo's but these are the books that really stood out to me and I loved them a lot so I hope, if you have not had the joy of reading them yet, that they give you a great start for 2011. If you have read them, hopefully you agree with just how awesome they were and maybe, for the fun of it, you just might read them again!

Happy (belated) New Year! :D 

Cover Crazy (7)

Cover Crazy is a weekly meme that was created by Tawni over at The Book Worms to show which cover(s) you are absolutely going crazy over!

This week I'm loving Amy & Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson!

Here's why I love it:

• I love the setting of the picture!  The road and canyon (is it a canyon?) in the background is totally cool and totally screams road trip.
• It's really cute how the girl and the boy are holding hands :D
• I love the font for the title!  Especially the curls on the "E"

Which covers are you going crazy over??

Cleo :)

Review: Matched

Title: Matched
Author: Ally Condie
Date Released: November 30th, 2010
Pages: 336
Rating: 5 out of 5

Description:
Cassia has always trusted the Society to make the right choices for her: what to read, what to watch, what to believe. So when Xander's face appears on-screen at her Matching ceremony, Cassia knows with complete certainty that he is her ideal mate . . . until she sees Ky Markham's face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black.

The Society tells her it's a glitch, a rare malfunction, and that she should focus on the happy life she's destined to lead with Xander. But Cassia can't stop thinking about Ky, and as they slowly fall in love, Cassia begins to doubt the Society's infallibility and is faced with an impossible choice: between Xander and Ky, between the only life she's known and a path that no one else has dared to follow.

Review:
Have you ever read a book that just keeps you thinking about it after you read it?  Well, Matched is one of those books, and I just can't seem to get it out of my head.  Just imagine: a world controlled by manipulative Officials, where everything is perfect... Or is it?  The Officials keep you healthy and strong, but you have to follow rules and regulations, like the portion size of your food, how long you can exercise, and even who you can marry.  For Cassia, everything was perfect.  She was matched with her best friend, Xander, on her birthday.  She has a loving family.  She's very good at her work, which is sorting.  She lives a comfortable life.  Everything's perfect, until the Officials slip up and she sees another face in her microcard that gives her information about her match.  And that person is Ky.  And when she starts falling for him, everything turns upside down.

I thought that this was a wonderful book.  I enjoyed every bit of it and absolutely devoured it.  Basically, I loved it :)  That's probably what every other person has said about Matched, but I understand because it's different from other books that I've read.  The way that Condie writes also fits the way that the story is told, if you know what I mean.  You can't really imagine this book being told in any other way.  Everything in the plot sort of builds up too and makes sense when the revelations unfold. 

Cassia, to me, was a great protagonist.  She was a strong character who was brave enough to stand up for herself and do the unthinkable, probably something that is rarely done in such a perfect society.  Xander and Ky were both really great characters as well, but there's something about Ky that makes me like him more.  Maybe it's because Cassia and him fall in love, so there's something about him that has a more likeable quality?  I'm not totally sure yet...  I think that my favorite character has got to be Cassia's grandfather.  He's kind of the reason why Cassia goes through all of this and is like the inspiration behind why she sort of rebels against the Officials. 

I loved the whole setting and everything!  Condie creates this world that seems so beautiful, but for some reason, it's just ugly at the same time because the Society just shows how everything is organized and strict.  Everyone is classified.  The whole idea of not being able to choose who you want to marry and everything, and I mean EVERYTHING, is set for you, really makes you think, if you want a perfect society, does it have to be this way?  It seems like the perfect way because then you never get sick, you get to live a long life, and be the healthiest person you could ever be... But is it all really worth it?  Maybe 80 years seems like a long time, but why can't you just live longer if you had to go through all of this to just die at the age of 80?

This was a great read and I'm so glad that I was able to get it!  It was fantastic and I'm pretty sure that anyone else would like to read it and enjoy it.  Sorry if I put a lot of questions in here, but it just shows that this book really makes you think about it, even after you've been done with it for about a day.  Anyways, I can't believe that now, I have to wait a whole year for the next book, Crossed.  I really want it now!!!

Cover Review:
This cover is beautiful!  I love its simplicity and the girl in the bubble explains sooo much about this book.  I also read in an interview with Ally Condie that the color green was supposed to mean something, I think it was rebirth?  I'm not 100% sure, but it was something like that. 

Cleo :)

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

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!  Who knows why that needed to be mentioned three times... BUT IT'S 2011!  I'm so excited for this new year, and I'm pretty sure that it's going to breeze by fast like 2010 did.  Hopefully this year will be awesome, book-wise and we'll get a whole bunch more reviews and exciting things up on Booklopedia :D  A giveaway is in the works for you awesome followers (and non-followers) and we hope to have that organized soon :)
 
I hope you guys have a great day... And year!

Cleo :)

The Best of 2010 in Books!

Today marks the last day of a great year :(  2010 marks the birth of Booklopedia (that sounded really cheesy hahaha), the first time I've ever actually stuck to writing down all the books I've read, and a lot of other wonderful book-related and not book-related things.  So, to basically sum up this year, in books of course, I have decided to be a part of a survey created by The Perpetual Page Turner!!!

1. Best book of 2010?
Do I really have to choose?  I think that the best book is... The Iron King by Julia Kagawa... It's definitely one of my favorite books this year! 

2. Worst book of 2010?
I wouldn't say that it's the worst book that I read, but I just didn't like it that much.  That book would have to be Prophecy of the Sisters by Michelle Zink.  I actually read a lot of reviews that said it was really good, but for some reason, I just didn't like it... I think I'll have to try and re-read it.

3. Most Disappointing Book of 2010?
I was really looking forward to reading Misguided Angel, the 5th book in the Blue Bloods series, and it was okay, but it was just SOO short!  When I compared it to my copy of The Van Alen Legacy, it's like half the size!  And it focused so much and 3 of the characters, that the rest, like Bliss, just sort of seemed to have disappeared. 

4. Most surprising (in a good way!) book of 2010?
This isn't exactly a YA book, but it was A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!  It's called The Help by Kathryn Stockett, and it's really good!  I thought it was going to be boring because I don't normally like reading historical fiction books, but it was a fantastic book!

5. Book you recommended to people most in 2010?
Hmm...  Well, I definitely told some of my friends to read If I Stay by Gayle Forman and The Iron King by Julia Kagawa...  Oh!  There's also The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han which I found to be a really good book, and so did the other people who I recommended it to!

6. Best series you discovered in 2010?
This is a tie between the Gone series by Michael Grant, The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins, and The Iron Fey by Julia Kagawa... All great series!

7. Favorite new authors you discovered in 2010?
Definitely Julia Kagawa, Lauren Oliver, Michael Grant, Jenny Han, Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl, and probably lots more :)

8. Most hilarious read of 2010?
I don't read a lot of hilarious, laugh-out-loud books, but I did have the chance to read Priscilla the Great by Sybil Nelson and I've got to say that Priscilla is one funny character who made her story a really funny read!

9. Most thrilling, unputdownable book in 2010?
Basically all the books that I put under #6!

10. Book you most anticipated in 2010?
I think it was Linger by Maggie Stiefvater... You should've seen me!  I pre-ordered it on Amazon, but then the release date was changed and Amazon didn't know, so I got mine a couple days later... I kept pressing the "track order" button like every hour to see when it would be shipped out hahaha.  I was being pretty ridiculous :D  After Linger, it was just about every other book that was on my list of books I needed.  They were mostly the next book in a series. 

11. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2010?
There are SOOO many!  You can see some of them in my Cover Crazy posts which have included all of the books in the Vampire Kisses series by Ellen Schreiber, Beastly by Alex Flinn, Impossible by Nancy Werlin, Fallen & Torment by Lauren Kate, and all the books in the Need series by Carrie Jones.  Other ones that haven't been spotlighted in Cover Crazy would have to be Linger by Maggie Stiefvater, Beautiful Darkness by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl Matched by Ally Condie and Nightshade by Andrea Cremer! 

         

12. Most memorable character in 2010? My mind keeps going back and forth between Cassia in Matched and Calla in Nightshade.  They're both really strong characters who both try and change the order of things in their world and I admire them for their strength.  Who wouldn't remember a kick-butt heroine like Calla or a smart character like Cassia?

13. Most beautifully written book in 2010?

It's a tie between Matched and If I Stay.

14. Book that had the greatest impact on you in 2010?

If I Stay by Gayle Forman and Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver.  They're both basically about the same concept, life and death, but they both really make you think about how precious life is :)

15. Book you can't believe you waited UNTIL 2010 to finally read?

I'd have to say The Hunger Games... I really have no idea why, but I never picked it up when I saw it in the bookstore, even after all the hype about it.  I finally managed to when I was at my school's library, and let's just say that I fell in love :D

Sorry if there were lots of repeats like The Iron King... but those books just really stood out to me this year.  Of course there are other books that haven't been mentioned here that were also really great. 

I hope you guys have a wonderful 2011!

Cleo :) 

Cover Crazy 6!

Okay so I know that Cleo already posted one tonight but I haven't done one yet so I thought... what the heck?


Cover Crazy 6

Cover Crazy is a weekly meme that was created by Tawni over at The Book Worms to show which cover(s) you are absolutely going crazy over!

This week I'm going crazy over the cover for...The Luxe by Anna Godbersen!

This is a full view of the wrap around cover and my gosh what a view it is I mean JUST LOOK AT THIS DRESS! This is a very elegant and classy cover that features a beautiful woman in a to die for dress...but it also captures the darkness of this story by using the dark brown damask wall paper, the dark black vanity in the corner, and the areas that are hidden by shadows. Not to mention the look on the woman's face, which automatically starts the duh duh duh duhhhhhh music playing in my head with the thunder and lightning effects. This cover is a beautiful example of the well known contrast between dark and light, and I love it! The book isn't half-bad either! (;

2-in-1 Review! Vampire Academy

Basic Information
Title: Vampire Academy Series
Author: Richelle Mead
Publisher/Publish Date: The Penguin Group (razOr bill)/ August 2007 (date of first novel)
Pages: Books 1-3 about 400, books 4-6 about 500-550
Sales Rank(B=Book + the book number): B1-123/B2-244/B3-462/B4-467/B5-284/B6-33
Rating for the series: 5/5
Rating for Last Sacrifice: 4 and 1/2 out of 5


Synopsis
Vampire Academy (Book 1)

St. Vladimir’s Academy isn’t just any boarding school—it’s a hidden place where vampires are educated in the ways of magic and half-human teens train to protect them. Rose Hathaway is a Dhampir, a bodyguard for her best friend Lissa, a Moroi Vampire Princess. They’ve been on the run, but now they’re being dragged back to St. Vladimir’s—the very place where they’re most in danger. . . . Rose and Lissa become enmeshed in forbidden romance, the Academy’s ruthless social scene, and unspeakable nighttime rituals. But they must be careful lest the Strigoi—the world’s fiercest and most dangerous vampires—make Lissa one of them forever.

Last Sacrifice (Book 6)

The astonishing final novel in Richelle Mead's epic series!

Murder. Love. Jealousy. And the ultimate sacrifice. Now, with Rose on trial for her life and Lissa first in line for the Royal Throne, nothing will ever be the same between them.

Review

Okay so this is a 2-in-1 review because I'm going to review the Vampire Academy series as a whole, but I'm also going to do a mini review on the book Last Sacrifice which is the last book in the series. I'm focusing a bit more on that one because it is the ending to my favorite book series of all time, and because it's the most recent of the books (so I'll be careful of spoilers!).

 So first off, this series as a whole is just, amazing. Series like the Hunger Games and Harry Potter were amazing as well, but for me those books had up and down moments. While I know this won't be the case for everyone, I was always constantly happy with the outcome of the book, as well as the writing of Richelle Mead. I feel strongly that this series will leave a deep impression on you in a positive way whether it be the plot, the characters, or the romance. The storyline is very original and for the first time in a while, I found myself analyzing the actual writing of the author instead of just the plot. The reason why I was able to pay so much attention to her writing is because Richelle Mead made it that way. Her writing not only drew me into the plot, but it made me stop and realize how much thought she was putting into these novels. When you are able to gather from an author's writing how much time and effort she put into this novel, you will be able to:

• Know that the book will be amazing just because of the amount of work and dedication she is putting into it.
• You'll know that when she was writing this, she had her fans in mind and wrote this amazing book because she truly cares about them.

and lastly

• The author's writing becomes more realistic and that creates an opportunity for readers to really connect to the characters and their situations.

That's how I felt when reading this book. For a book about supernatural beings, Mead really made their situations relatable by keeping the journey of Rose and Lissa the dominant part of the story. I mean, Rose kicks Strigoi butt and trains 24-7 at a school specifically made for half vampires like her, but she still deals with guy trouble and the fact that she's running out of her favorite lipgloss. These little tidbits really make the characters real, because when I think of Lissa, I don't think of her as vampire royalty. I think of her as Rose's best friend who is elegant, smart, independent, and the one who will always be there for Rose, even if Rose is the one who is supposed to be protecting her. When I think of Rose, I think of this beautiful yet fierce girl who is in love with someone she shouldn't be, and even though she is amazingly strong she needs someone to save her every once in a while too. The strong characters make this series an exciting read, and the love triangles make it all the more interesting. 

For those of you have read Last Sacrifice....


OHMYGOD.


How many of you agree with me that it was just AHMAYZING? My gosh Richelle Mead never disappoints. Each book came with twists and moments that just made my mouth drop. Like this ------> :O I think Richelle did a pretty good job at keeping the ending with the love triangle kind of hush hush, I mean it's hard to keep it a secret but still I think she did a good job of giving page time to both Adrian and Dimitri. But what I really like is that the book didn't stray from its original purpose and focus on the romance. This book showed plenty Rose/Strigoi action and had A LOT of character development. Lissa finally sticks up for herself and Rose starts to accept her vulnerability. The reason why i gave this a 4 1/2 was because it was a little open ended. I know that there are a lot of....constraints when it comes to writing, including the amount of pages and such, and I was actually very pleased with the ending. But I still felt that a few important characters didn't get their last chance to shine in the end and it was a "everything will work itself out even if you don't read about it" type of ending you know? But otherwise I loved loved loved the ending and for those of you who still haven't started the series, I suggest you do, even if its only to read this last book!

                                                               

Cover Crazy (5)

Cover Crazy is a weekly meme that was created by Tawni over at The Book Worms to show which cover(s) you are absolutely going crazy over!

This week I'm going crazy over the cover for... Need, Captivate, and Entice, all by Carrie Jones!

Here's why I looove them:

• The gold glitter!!!  It's really cool!  And it's also what the pixies leave behind in this book, so it makes sense as to why it's on the cover.
• They all have a similar theme of: some part of the head, a black background, and gold glitter.  You can totally tell that they're part of a (very awesome) series.
• If I had to choose a favorite, I think that I really like Entice because I love how the model is blowing glitter into the air.  I think that orginally, she was blowing glitter into a guy, but they changed it. 

Cleo :)

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

We hope you guys have a wonderful day full of fun, yummy food, and of course, good books :)  Hope you all you have a wonderful day!!!

Follow Friday (19)

YES! FRIDAY! CHRISTMAS EVE! ONE MORE DAY TILL CHRISTMAS!

This week's question:

What are your plans for this fabulous day?

Christmas day... hmmm... my siblings will probably wake me up at like 5 or 6 in the morning and then we'll have to wait until my parents wake up then we'll open up the presents.  That's basically been the routine since I was younger haha.  Then my sister will makes a pretty awesome breakfast.  I think I have to go to a Christmas party, too.  Yep, that's pretty much what's going on Christmas day :)

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Cleo :)

The Dark Days of Supernatural Digital Essentials... Oh Yeah!

I was just going through my daily routine of looking at all the posts of the blogs that I follow on the dashboard and I clicked on one post that led me to... HERE!  And then my jaw sort of dropped because there were so many cool things and widgets and I was like :OOO <--- That could literally be my expression. 

Basically, I was looking for all those countdown widgets to put on the sidebar of Booklopedia because I like countdown widgets and they look really cool.  That's probably the lamest reason ever, but hey!  At least you'll know how many days you have to wait until the book will come out :D

The Dark Days of Supernatural Tour from HarperTeen sounds really cool, too!  I've been seeing it here and there and on this tour, the tour consists of basically all the books that I'm looking forward to, which are Once in a Full Moon by Ellen Schreiber, Unearthly by Cynthia Hand, Angelfire by Courtney Allison Moulton, Afterlife by Claudia Gray, and Desires of the Dead by Kimberley Derting (but I have to read the first book first).

Here's a pretty cool trailer that they made:


Now, I am off to add some of the widgets to the sidebar ;) 

Cleo :)