Review: Descended by Blood by Angeline Kace

Book: Descended by Blood by Angeline Kace
Series:  Vampire Born #1
Genre: Paranormal Romance / Young Adult
Buy A Copy: Amazon / Barnes & Noble
Available Formats: Ebook / Paperback
Publication Date: August 26th, 2011
Publisher: Accendo Press
How Did I Get This Book: From Author, For Review.
Description: Brooke Keller is a high school junior who has never spent much time living in one place. She is finally in a town long enough to almost snag the boy of her dreams, until her life is threatened after killing a fanged man in his attempt to kidnap her. Brooke begins a dangerous journey in an effort to find out who is after her and how to stop them. In a world with powerful and prejudiced vampires, Brooke must tap into the side of her that she never knew existed at the risk of losing her life in order to save it.

Descended By Blood by Angeline Kace is a solid debut. While I did have some issues with the storyline, the excitement of the plot kept me happily reading. 

First of all, my main compliant lies with the main character, Brooke. Let’s just say that she is incredibly melodramatic. I felt like she was crying every two seconds. She was definitely an emotional character. This was only worsened by the fact that Brooke’s relationships formed at a breakneck speed. Brooke falls in love with two separate boys in an incredibly short span. First she dates Jaren for a few days then has a massive breakdown when she finds out that he may reconnect with his ex. Then, skip ahead a few weeks and they are head over heels in love. Then, Mirko is introduced, things get rocky with Jaren and suddenly she loves them both. I understand that it is possible to have feelings for more than one person at a time and I can even buy into the fact that “love” is easy to come by as a teenager. But I just cannot get behind the fact that Brooke falls for two guys so quickly and so completely. She doesn’t really know either one, never mind the fact that she is constantly fighting for survival. Does she really have time to be worrying about her love life?

That being sad, I still do like Brooke and Mirko together.  As a reader, I can go for the good boy or the bad boy. It really just depends on the specific relationship between the characters. And I really did not like the relationship between Brooke and Jaren. I did not really feel their chemistry and to be honest, he just really annoyed me. Jaren is the first to be introduced and as I read, I found myself waiting to see what was behind door number two. I knew there was a love triangle in the book and I could not wait to meet Mirko. While I said before, I feel the relationship between him and Brooke moved too quickly, I still feel they would be good together. Hopefully in the next book we will see more of the little things between them; see them slowly learn each other.

The story itself was fast-paced and full of excitement. Even though I did not exactly love Brooke, I still found the storyline intriguing. Kace introduces a complex vampire world that is incredibly fun to piece together and work out. I hope she expands on all the vampire politics in the upcoming sequel, because I found them utterly fascinating.

All things considered, I enjoyed Descended By Blood.  While I found flaws with the story and characters, I still found it be entertaining. And when it comes down to it, isn’t that what we want as readers? Sometimes your brain needs a vacation and you just want to escape into an excitement, thrilling world.

Favorite Quotes:

Big cities try to produce their own stars with skyscrapers and street lamps, but it doesn’t create the same splendor.

I threw the door shut behind me in case anyone had any doubt of what kind of mood I was in.

Just make sure that whatever you decide, it’s what all of you wants, not just the torn part of you that speaks louder.

What about if we both took her on? At the same time. I come in with my invisible stuff and grab her, while you come in with your cracked-out Bruce Lee?

Review: The Near Witch by Victoria Schwab

Book: The Near Witch by Victoria Schwab
Genre: Fantasy / Young Adult
Buy A Copy: Amazon / Book Depository
Available Formats: Hardcover / Ebook
Publication Date: August 2nd, 2011

How Did I Get This Book: ARC from publisher, For Review
First Sentence:  "It starts with a crack, a sputter, and a spark."

Description: The Near Witch is only an old story told to frighten children.

If the wind calls at night, you must not listen. The wind is lonely, and always looking for company.

And there are no strangers in the town of Near.These are the truths that Lexi has heard all her life.

But when an actual stranger—a boy who seems to fade like smoke—appears outside her home on the moor at night, she knows that at least one of these sayings is no longer true.
The next night, the children of Near start disappearing from their beds, and the mysterious boy falls under suspicion. Still, he insists on helping Lexi search for them. Something tells her she can trust him.

As the hunt for the children intensifies, so does Lexi’s need to know—about the witch that just might be more than a bedtime story, about the wind that seems to speak through the walls at night, and about the history of this nameless boy.

Part fairy tale, part love story, Victoria Schwab’s debut novel is entirely original yet achingly familiar: a song you heard long ago, a whisper carried by the wind, and a dream you won’t soon forget. 

 

With The Near Witch, Victoria Schwab hits one out of the park her first time up to bat. This outstanding young adult debut is full of mystery, magic and charm.

The main character, Lexi is incredibly easy to like. I instantly felt a sort of camaraderie with her; she pushes at the boundaries placed on her and will not take no for an answer. She is feisty in a quiet way, she does not always speak up, but she doesn’t obey blindly either.  I just really appreciated the fact that she makes her own decisions about how she lives her life, who she trusts and how she behaves. 

I also have to talk about Lexi’s love interest, Cole. Oh, Cole, I love you so. He’s mysterious and captivating and just so, magnetic. You want to know all you can about him; you are right there with Lexi as she tries to unravel the mystery of him. I don’t want to get into too much detail surrounding this character, because it would spoil things, but believe me; you are going to love him. He and Lexi together are pure magic. 

Now, I don’t want to short change the storyline, because believe me, it was fabulous, but the real magic lies within the writing itself. Honestly, nothing I say will come close to explaining how much I enjoyed it. It was captivating, lyrical, eloquent, sweeping and just vivid. I think I would like practically anything Schwab writes, it could be a story about a garbage can and I would be utterly entertained.  She has such a unique way of depicting things that enables the reader to envision the complete story;  from head to toe. Schwab gives the reader many different layers of description, not just the surface. She doesn’t simply rely on what you would expect – she comes up with ways of putting things that creates an image that is absolutely unique to her story. Her character and settings simply could not be found in different stories – everything down to the candles Lexi holds throughout the story become exclusive to The Near Witch.  I am not sure if I am explaining this properly or not, basically what I am trying to get at is Schwab has an uncanny ability to put her distinctive stamp on everything. 

I am going to be completely straight with you, The Near With was awesome. With its vivid and rolling descriptions, heart pumping storyline and delightful, enchanting characters, readers of all ages are sure to enjoy it. I am going to be on the lookout for other works by Shwab, because I have an inkling that she is one to watch.

Favorite Quotes 

"She was very old and very young, depending on which way she turned her head, for no one knows the age of witches."

"I feel like there should be a mark in the air where he was wiped away."

"If the moor wind ever sings, you mustn't listen,not with all of your ears. Use only the edges. Listen the way you'd look out the corners of your eyes. The wind is lonely, love, and always looking for company."

"I just want to talk," I add, my voice softer, lower, the kind of voice for sharing secrets."

"And I do not like the way my chest tightens when my eyes snag on him, as it does for wild things."

"With his pale face, dark eyes, and sad mouth, he seems made of black and white, just like the world at night."

"I don't want just any story; I want his."

"Stories are always born from something."

"Gravity pulls me back to him, pulls my feet over a path they know, have always known, with a new urgency."

"He cast one last glance up at the night. His eyes slip down again, and by the time they reach mine,  there's a kind of abandon in them."

"Dead things are bound to their beds until dark."

"Funny how when we start to tell a secret, we can't stop. Something falls open in us, and the sheer momentum of letting go pushes us on."

"Maybe one day the words will pour out like so many others, easy and smooth and on their own. Right now they take pieces of me with them."

"If by 'fine' you mean 'bleeding', then yes, you are."

"Despite his injuries, he seems to feel what I feel: We are both anxious that the other will blow away. And he shares the same desperate need to remind his skin of my own, to prove that he is still here and I am still here."

Review: Divergent by Veronica Roth

 

Book: Divergent  by Veronica Roth
Series: Divergent #1
Pages: 487
Genre: Young Adult / Dystopian
Buy A Copy: Barnes & Noble | Amazon
Available Formats: Ebook / Hardcover
Publication Date: May 3rd, 2011
How Did I Get This Book: From Publisher for Review
Preview Book: Preview on Google Books
Description: In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue—Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is—she can't have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.

During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles to determine who her friends really are—and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes infuriating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers a growing conflict that threatens to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves . . . or it might destroy her.

Debut author Veronica Roth bursts onto the literary scene with the first book in the Divergent series—dystopian thrillers filled with electrifying decisions, heartbreaking betrayals, stunning consequences, and unexpected romance.

There have been so many wonderful young-adult-dystopians lately, and Divergent is easily one of the best.  Honestly, I have no idea how I am going to review this one, because it is simply off the charts in pure awesomeness. The story has everything you could ever want in a book; adventure, mystery, conspiracy, romance, excitement and drama.  The characters are all interesting and incredibly dynamic; especially Beatrice. 

The book is seen through Beatrice’s perspective and let me just say, she is an incredible narrator. She is a girl who is trying to desperately trying to define herself; but much to her dismay she seems to live in the grey area. She feels she is both brave and cowardly; strong and weak; accepted and targeted.  She tries to be strong, but her strength sometimes translates into brutality, which frightens her.  Long story short, she doesn’t know exactly what she is, or what she wants to be.

The storyline is in a word – incredible. I was so drawn into Roth’s insane, frightening and rather disturbing world, that I read through the entire book in one sitting. Divergent is one of those amazing books that refuses to be read slowly, it demands to be devoured. I am going to have to read it again, because I flew through it so quickly, that I know I missed things. It just could not be helped. It is that good; I simply could not sit and soak it all in, I just had to see what happened next.

Honestly, I am going to stop here, because no matter what I say, I cannot do this book justice. I actually did not want to review it, because what  do you say about a book like this?  Hopefully you get something out of this incoherent rambling; hopefully you run out to your local bookstore and buy Divergent as soon as possible. I promise you, you will not be disappointed. If you enjoy reading in the slightest, you will enjoy Divergent. It’s romantic, exciting, provoking, edgy and simply brilliant. All I know is that I cannot wait to get my hands on the sequel. 

Favorite Quotes

"What do I believe? I do not know; I do not know; I do not know."

"His absence will haunt their hallways, and he will be a space they can't fill. And then time will pass, and the hole will be gone, like when an organ is removed and the body's fluids flow into the space it leaves. Humans can't tolerate emptiness for long."

"It must require bravery to be honest all the time."

"There is power in controlling something that can do so much damage - in controlling something, period."

"Then I realize what it is. It's him. Something about him makes me feel like I am about to fall. Or turn to liquid. Or burst into flames."

"I believe in ordinary acts of bravery; in the courage that drives one person to stand up for another."

"I hear my heartbeat. I have been looking at him too long, but then, he has been looking back, and I feel like we are both trying to say something the other can't hear, though I could be imagining it. Too long - and now even longer, my heart even louder, his tranquil eyes swallowing me whole."

"I stare at him. I feel my heartbeat everywhere, even in my toes. I feel like doing something bold, but I could just as easily walk away. I am not sure which option is smarter, or better. I am not sure that I care."

"He pulls me over the railing and against his chest, gathering me into his arms, easing an arm under my knees. I press my face into his shoulder, and there is a sudden, hollow silence."

"He gives me a conflicted look and touches his lips to my forehead, right between my eyebrows. I close my eyes. I don't understand this, whatever it is. But I don't want to ruin it, so I say nothing. He  doesn't move; he just stays there with his mouth pressed to my skin, and I stay there with my hands on his waist, for a long time."

"We kiss again and this time, it feels familiar. I know exactly how we fit together, his arm around my waist, my hands on his chest, the pressure of his lips on mine. We have each other memorized."

"People tend to overestimate my character," I say quietly. "They think that because I'm small, or a girl, or a Stiff, I can't possibly be cruel. But they're wrong."

Review: Clarity by Kim Harrington

Book: Clarity (Clarity #1) - Kim Harrington
Pages:  242

Genre: Young Adult  
Buy A Copy: Amazon | Book Depository

Available Formats: Ebook & Hardcover
Publication Date: March 1st, 2011

How Did I Get This Book: From the Library

Preview Book: Preview on Google Books

Description: When you can see things others can't, where do you look for the truth? This paranormal murder mystery will have teens reading on the edge of their seats.
Clarity "Clare" Fern sees things. Things no one else can see. Things like stolen kisses and long-buried secrets. All she has to do is touch a certain object, and the visions come to her. It's a gift.
And a curse.
When a teenage girl is found murdered, Clare's ex-boyfriend wants her to help solve the case--but Clare is still furious at the cheating jerk. Then Clare's brother--who has supernatural gifts of his own--becomes the prime suspect, and Clare can no longer look away. Teaming up with Gabriel, the smoldering son of the new detective, Clare must venture into the depths of fear, revenge, and lust in order to track the killer. But will her sight fail her just when she needs it most?

 

Clarity by Kim Harrington is a lot of fun. Fans of Veronica Mars are sure to love Clare, she has the same spunky, directness that we all find so utterly charming. The story itself is a great mystery with lots of twists and turns. In all honesty, I found absolutely nothing wrong with this book. I enjoyed every pages – every word. Clare is a fun character, who never fails to entertain.

The overall story is well-development and entertaining. It actually builds up like a mystery is supposed to, which makes it easy to try and piece together the clues and hints you get along the way. I am not saying that the story is predictable, I am simply saying that you are free and able to make educated guesses about what is going to happen next.

The rest of the kooky cast of characters are just as enjoyable as Clarity herself. Her mother and brother are also shall we say, “gifted” – Starla is a telepath and Perry is a medium. This adds an interesting element to the story, especially Starla being able to read minds. In short, what this means is the majority of the town dislikes the Ferns, thinking them crazy. Because of this, the three are exceptionally close, which creates an interesting family dynamic. They are open, honest and blunt, because they know each other so well. I really enjoyed watching the three of them interact, especially Clare and Starla. They have an interesting relationship, more as friends then as a mother-daughter pairing. 

The prevalent love triangle is back in full swing, but this time, I actually like both of the options. Clare is still coping with her recent breakup with Justin, her first love. He got drunk one night and cheated on her – I think it is safe to  say Clare’s pissed. She jabs at him every opportunity she gets, but it is clear to see that she is honestly hurt. Justin, for his part, is obviously still in love with her and desperate to get her back.  Now, what’s behind door number two you ask? Gabriel Toscano, my friends. Gabriel is a recent import to town and the son of the new detective. He’s broody, moody and downright sexy. At first he seems to want to jump Clare’s bones, but then thinks her off her rocker when he discovers her psychic abilities. He proceeds to struggle with his attraction to Clarity, and she to him. As you may imagine, she isn’t exactly wild about the idea of liking someone who thinks she’s an insane fraud. Both boys are interesting, complex characters and even after finishing the book, I am not really on a particular team. Which as you may know, is highly unlikely. Kudos to Harrington to giving us two, actually viable options! 

All in all, I have to say, Clarity was a wonderful read. I have always loved mysteries and this book is exciting, clever and intriguing. The characters and storyline are both extremely creative and well-developed. Do yourself a favor and pick up Clarity!

Favorite Quotes

“Excitement in Eastport? Nay! But I had time to snoop around Nancy Drew style."

“Gabriel Toscano. Damn. Even his name was sexy.”

“Tiffany’s pale faced turned to green and I involuntarily took a step back, half expecting an Exorcist-style stream of vomit to shoot out of her gaping mouth.”

“you can date every girl in town as far as I’m concerned. I hate you. I pray every night that you’ll fall victim to some strange and unusual castration accident.”

“come, fruit of my loins, we’re going for a walk.”

“yellow police tape stretched across the motel room door. I stood beside it, waiting for Mr. Stick-Up-His-Butt to finish up in the office.”

“well, color me impressed.”

“Pass me the Academy Award. I don’t know how I did it, but hysterical-girl tears sprung from my eye as I ran out of the room and down the grand staircase.”

“I think the correct term for this was ‘pissing contest’, and though I was flattered, I didn’t have time for it.”

“ugh. I was going for ‘crazy ex filled with hate" not "isn’t she cute when she’s mad?”