Quintessentially Q by Pepper WInters (book review by Efterpi)

Author: Pepper Winters

Publisher: CreateSpace

Release Date: December 13th 2013

Series: Monsters In The Dark #2

Pages: 376

Rating: 5 stars

Buy on: Amazon

Add on Goodreads  

All my life, I battled with the knowledge I was twisted… fucked up to want something so deliciously dark—wrong on so many levels. But then slave fifty-eight entered my world. Hissing, fighting, with a core of iron, she showed me an existence where two wrongs make a right."

Tess is Q’s completely. Q is Tess’s irrevocably. But now, they must learn the boundaries of their unconventional relationship, while Tess seeks vengeance on the men who sold her. Q made a blood-oath to deliver their corpses at Tess’s feet, and that’s just what he’ll do.

He may be a monster, but he’s Tess’s monster.

 REVIEW:

For those of you that considered Tears Of Tess a dark and twisted book then you should not read this one. This is a much darker, twisted, painful book that you can possibly imagine. I had to stop reading at some parts just to get myself together from the shock, to register the fact that I was actually reading that particular scene or paragraph.

The book continues where Tears of Tess left off, we read one of the hottest sex scenes and I felt like everything would be okay in this book. Everything would turn out alright and Tess with Q would be able to do what they swore to each other.

The writing was great, the author did a great job with the point of view of Q and to be honest with thought and talked the way I had pictured him doing in the first book, so thats a plus for the story, when the author can actually sense what her fans need and deliver it. She also did a really good job with getting my heart ripped out of my chest.

Tess is being kidnapped under Q's nose and I wont spoil anything to you, I will just warn you that what you will be reading is games and fun, love and romance. It's violence to its extreme to the point that I panicked thinking even for a minute what trafficking victims go through. The only thing that I will tell you is that Tess will go through the 9 circles of Hell and back. As for Q, Q broke my heart into a thousand little pieces.

The writing like I said before was so good and this time the author gave Q a rather more animalistic side entwined with love for Tess. It was a scary narration since we see what a human can actually do if he has the means to take back what was taken from him. How can someone lose hope and find it to the weird places, how you shut down emotionally when someone you love is being forced to do the worst of tihngs, things that are no humanly imaginable and how you cope with these thoughts.

This is one great read with more adventure and pain that ever you ,will more than mesmerized by the talent of the author.

City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare (book review by Efterpi)

Author: Cassandra Clare
Release Date: May 27th 2014
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderly
Series: The Mortal Instruments #6
Pages: 725
Buy on: Amazon
Add on: Goodreads, Shelfari, Booklikes

In this dazzling and long-awaited conclusion to the acclaimed Mortal Instruments series, Clary and her friends fight the greatest evil they have ever faced: Clary's own brother.

Sebastian Morgenstern is on the move, systematically turning Shadowhunter against Shadowhunter. Bearing the Infernal Cup, he transforms Shadowhunters into creatures out of nightmare, tearing apart families and lovers as the ranks of his Endarkened army swell.

The embattled Shadowhunters withdraw to Idris - but not even the famed demon towers of Alicante can keep Sebastian at bay. And with the Nephilim trapped in Idris, who will guard the world against demons?

When one of the greatest betrayals the Nephilim have ever known is revealed, Clary, Jace, Isabelle, Simon, and Alec must flee - even if their journey takes them deep into the demon realms, where no Shadowhunter has set foot before, and from which no human being has ever returned...

Love will be sacrificed and lives lost in the terrible battle for the fate of the word in the thrilling final installment of the classic urban fantasy series The Mortal Instruments!

Review:

NO MAJOR SPOILERS.
I cant believe the series is over. I just cant. I mean I have been reading these books for years now, I spend days and nights obsessing over the Mortal Instrument series and not its done.

The final installment of the MI was in one word OUTSTANDING. I didn;t expect that. Uusally the last books in a saga are rushed and sloppy but not with this one. Claire took her time to write everything down in order to satisfy her fans (of course we waited two whole years for the book to come out). There is not one thing that you cant find in the City of Heavenly Fire. Romance -Check. Long conversations – Check. Action – Check. Incest- Check. I loved the fact that there were long conversations in this one, that all the things that had never been told in the previous books are being told in this one. Some may think its tiring but not at all since every single page is filled with important things and confessions everyone have been expecting.

Although, we get to see a lot of Jace and Clary, the romantic scenes are a bit less that in the previous books but those few ones are scorching hot, so detailed and well written in detail that I wanted more more more.
There is a lot of pain and a lot of loss, hate and betrayal but from all this I felt compassion and pity for Sebastian. Beautiful, cruel, psycho Sebastian. I felt that Claire was not fair to him, she never gave him a chance but in the very end when it was too late. I felt sorry for him because deep down he felt alone and unloved. He wanted people to approve of him but no one did, and who wanted the most to be next to him he couldn't have simply because it was his sister. He never knew love and starved for it like a wolf and he tried to gain it the wrong way. It was just sad and unfair.

There are a lot of action scenes in City of Heavenly Fire that are packed up with adrenaline and then they are followed by long conversations. There is one particular scene or more like scenes in a big scene that made me see the possibilities this book could have. That from one story you could make a thousand more with the same characters – how Claire could so easily change the route of the book to something completely different and yet as beautiful.

Jonathan grinned. It was unconcerned happy grin, the grin of a someone who'd never really had much to worry about beyond pretty girls and whether one of his little sisters had eaten the other sister's wedding cake.
I mean think about it. How different the book would be.

Clary sat on the ground, seeing in front of her not the shell of a destroyed town but the eyes of the brother and the sister that she could have.

And then of course there was what I was expecting the most. I always thought of this since I picked up the series but I never read a single innuendo or a single thought in the whole series about it until I reached this little paragraph.

Clary sat up straight. ''You know'', she said ''do you think there's any chance that you two could...'' She gestured between Jace and Alec. ''It would be kind of hot''.

Really? No kidding. I was fangirling so hard when I read these lines. I mean it would just be great a whole new novel by it self.

Apart from the fact that there was a great storytelling and plot, funny, sad, emotional and filled with hate and adreanline scenes that made this book amazing there were also some drawbacks. One of them was the repetition of phrases and words over and over again. Especially some phrases that had been told in previous books they kept being repeated making sure that the reader memorized them.

Also there is a very dragged scene towards the end of the book that really had me skip a couple of lines because the whole argument- conversation went around in circles.

Other than those drawbacks the book itself was amazing and in my opinion a great closure to the series.

And dont forget in less than a year the Dark Articifes will be in our hands and from what I read they promise lots of action and forbidden love.

Time After Time by Tamara Ireland Stone (book review by Eleni)

Author: Tamara Ireland Stone
Release Date: October 8th 2013
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Series: Time Between Us #2
Pages: 368
Rating: 3.5 stars
Buy on: Amazon , Barnes and Noble

Calling Anna and Bennett’s romance long distance is an understatement: she’s from 1995 Chicago and he’s a time traveler from 2012 San Francisco. The two of them never should have met, but they did. They fell in love, even though they knew they shouldn't. And they found a way to stay together, against all odds. 

It’s not a perfect arrangement, though, with Bennett unable to stay in the past for more than brief visits, skipping out on big chunks of his present in order to be with Anna in hers. They each are confident that they’ll find a way to make things work...until Bennett witnesses a single event he never should have seen (and certainly never expected to). Will the decisions he makes from that point on cement a future he doesn't want?

Told from Bennett’s point of view, Time After Time will satisfy readers looking for a fresh, exciting, and beautifully-written love story, both those who are eager to find out what’s next for Time Between Us's Anna and Bennett and those discovering their story for the first time.

Review:

These days its hard to find a really good book to read and lately i have been reading a lot of boring books. I expected a lot from this book due to the fact that the first one was indeed amazing ,this one lacked the enthusiasm of Time Between Us and somehow the narrative seemed slow and boring. Maybe because it was from Bennett;s point of view?

We have the classic love story with the distance of a decade in the middle of everything and that should make the whole plot a lot more intriguing and have more feeling in it but unfortunately I didn;t feel the rush at all. I want a book where I can feel the characters , i want to be able to develop feelings for them and want them to do certain things. In the first installment of the series I couldnt wait to have Bennett and Anna fall for each other, in this one I should have felt the urge to see them together..and I didn't and thats because of the writing.

The plot was great it had a lot of doubt and frustation and sadness but not in the detail a reader should expect..something which ruined the book for me. Other than that it was an okay book , it had equal amount of drama and fun in it ,lots of stupid stuff too and the classic i-dont-want-to-do-this-but-i-have-to-because-you-think-its-right-for-me-to-be-a-{insert word here} . Its a teen book like all the rest and besides the fact that it was boring in a level of apathy i read it because I wanted to see what will happen in the end ,seriously I will read book three because i think it will be great but i pray that someone intervene with the author and make her do some great changes in the development of the characters.

Origin by Jennifer L. Armentrout (book review by Eleni)

Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout
Release Date: August 27th 2013
Publisher: Entangled
Series: Lux
Pages: 364
Rating: 4.5 stars
Buy on: Amazon , Barnes and Noble

Daemon will do anything to get Katy back.

After the successful but disastrous raid on Mount Weather, he’s facing the impossible. Katy is gone. Taken. Everything becomes about finding her. Taking out anyone who stands in his way? Done. Burning down the whole world to save her? Gladly. Exposing his alien race to the world? With pleasure.

All Katy can do is survive.

Surrounded by enemies, the only way she can come out of this is to adapt. After all, there are sides of Daedalus that don’t seem entirely crazy, but the group’s goals are frightening and the truths they speak even more disturbing. Who are the real bad guys? Daedalus? Mankind? Or the Luxen?

Together, they can face anything. 

But the most dangerous foe has been there all along, and when the truths are exposed and the lies come crumbling down, which side will Daemon and Katy be standing on? 

And will they even be together?

Review:

One thing that Jennifer Armentrout is for sure is a book thief...and I don;t mean Markus Zusak's book thief. All of the series are pretty similar with Twilight and all the cliche love stories but one good thing the author of the Lux series does is to create amazing characters.

This installation of the book is much much more adventurous and nerve racking. The characters are so good developed that you even feel for the second protagonists of the book that they don't play big roles. I think that the story wouldn't be that successful without them. 

A lot of scenes are predictable and you also see a lot of situations coming which doesn't leave much anticipation to the reader unfortunately but what I liked is how well the action-Part of the book was written. You could actually feel the fear and ''see'' the whole battle scene which for me was amazing. Not a lot of authors can do that. Fear blends with terror and for a brief second affection between the main characters which takes the plot to a whole different level.

So the book had it's flaws and also the goods but I love and hate how it ended. It just leaves you there hanging until the release of the last installation of the series and that makes me want to cry. I don't know what else to say without spoiling it to you so im gonna leave it here and hope you enjoy the book!!

Onyx by Jennifer Armentrout (book review by Eleni)

Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout
Release Date: August 14th 2012
Publisher: Entangled Teen
Series: Lux
Rating: 4 stars
Buy at: Amazon , Barnes and Noble

Being connected to Daemon Black sucks…

Thanks to his alien mojo, Daemon’s determined to prove what he feels for me is more than a product of our bizarro connection. So I’ve sworn him off, even though he’s running more hot than cold these days. But we’ve got bigger problems.

Something worse than the Arum has come to town…

The Department of Defense are here. If they ever find out what Daemon can do and that we're linked, I’m a goner. So is he. And there's this new boy in school who’s got a secret of his own. He knows what’s happened to me and he can help, but to do so, I have to lie to Daemon and stay away from him. Like that's possible. Against all common sense, I'm falling for Daemon. Hard.

But then everything changes…

I’ve seen someone who shouldn’t be alive. And I have to tell Daemon, even though I know he’s never going to stop searching until he gets the truth. What happened to his brother? Who betrayed him? And what does the DOD want from them—from me?

No one is who they seem. And not everyone will survive the lies…

Review:

As it usually happens with all good book series I immediately jumped from book 1 to book 2 in no time. I think I read this one within 6 hours or so and I am so so so excited.
It's been some time since the last time I actually read something so good that I had to devour it so quickly and to tell you the truth Onyx is one of my fav books.

Usually, when it comes to book series the second book tends to be the one where the couple separates or something happens to them...but that's not the case here...actually there was no couple to begin with. The author did more than an awesome job starving the readers for some romance and in this book we get rewarded finally!!! Katy is starting to realise that Daemon is not kidding with the whole I want you, I need you thing and starts to loosen up a little until she completely falls for him...in his embrace. They both keep secrets from Dee and Katy gets a little estranged from her because she wants to protect her until the inevitable happens. What happened in the end of the book I didn;t see it coming and I bet a lot of you wont either.

Meet Blake the new sexy guy at school that makes Katy act weird and date him....yup they went out together. As it turns out Blake has his own secrets and Daemon has a hard time trusting him with Katy.

The plot has a lot of twists and turns that I didn;t expect, things can be good and then turn ugly but that kept me reading because I was so excited about the unexpected. The writing is so intense and also you get to see the character's from a whole different perspective, it's just amazing because that doesn't happen really often.

Totally recommend it.

Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout (book review by Eleni)

Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout
Release Date: May 8th 2012
Publisher: Entangled Teen
Series: Lux
Pages: 335
Rating: 5 stars!!!
Buy at: Amazon , Barnes and Noble

Starting over sucks.
When we moved to West Virginia right before my senior year, I'd pretty much resigned myself to thick accents, dodgy internet access, and a whole lot of boring.... until I spotted my hot neighbor, with his looming height and eerie green eyes. Things were looking up.
And then he opened his mouth.
Daemon is infuriating. Arrogant. Stab-worthy. We do not get along. At all. But when a stranger attacks me and Daemon literally freezes time with a wave of his hand, well, something...unexpected happens. 
The hot alien living next door marks me.
You heard me. Alien. Turns out Daemon and his sister have a galaxy of enemies wanting to steal their abilities, and Daemon's touch has me lit up like the Vegas Strip. The only way I'm getting out of this alive is by sticking close to Daemon until my alien mojo fades. 
If I don't kill him first, that is.

Review:

Okay I will try to review this book as much as i possible can without making any spoilers and I will stop drooling over Daemon like a girl trapped on a freaking island with no sight of boys for months!!!

Obsidian is amazingggggggggg, is awesommmmmeeeeee it is just GREAT. Okay now lets move to the actual review...

First of all, I loved the fact that the story was not an insta - love kinda romance but a more like I-LOVE-YOUR-GUTS-SO-HARD-BUT-THERE'S-NO-WAY-I'M -GONNA-LET-YOU-KNOW story and that goes until the end of the book. That made me starve me for kissing, sex whatever between the two main protagonists Daemon (sexy dude) and Katy (bookworm). 

To be honest with you the whole thing kind of reminded me of Twilight (yes i know )but a lot more intense and with no corny -cheese lines so don't be disappointed because it's not as stupid, actually I didn't find the book stupid at all except at some points where it was similar to Twilight.

The book is building up suspense in the right speed ,not to fast not to slow but as it should be and that made me turn the pages faster and faster. Also the word usage is amazing and there are some swears in it and a lot of description which i love particularly in steamy scenes..if you know what I mean.

The characters could not be more amazing and developed. I fell in love with Daemon immediately and I adored Katy too. Armentrout created a paranormal romance novel but Daemon and Katy are so human that you can relate to them. They have their faults and make their mistakes and surely they have a lot of stubbornness that you want to slap both of them. The rest of the characters are cool too and I liked them a lot, even the b*** of the whole thing in the end you get to like her. 

To be honest with you, I expected a book with all the cliche situations and a protagonist that falls in a second for the sexy neighbor next door but that was beyond expectations. The author just crashes all the cliches and gives Katy a backbone. 

This is a novel with lots of sense of humor, sarcasm and cleverness that you will enjoy so so so much. I am sure you will never forget this book.

Matched by Allie Condie book review by Eleni

Author: Ally Condie
Release Date: November 30th 2013
Publisher: Dutton Juvenile
Series: Matched
Pages: 369
Rating: 4 stars
Buy on: Amazon , Barnes and Noble


 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:

When this book released back in 2010 i didn;t want to read it because of all the aftermath of the Hunger Games and the infamous controlling society. Well, now that i read it I felt so guilty and stupid that i didn;t earlier. 

The story takes place in the future, in a world where The Society rules everything and in a world where people are being watched and monitored all the time. In a world where there is no knowledge of history and art and any chance of creation. In a society where they choose who to marry and love...and then we meet Cassia. A girl that obeys all the rules and does everything by the book until she sees Ky and reads a poem. Then everything changes.

Being fascinated by the boy she can't have and being intrigued by his otherworldly knowledge of things she never knew Cassia finds herself falling deeper in love. I loved the way the author took his time with the characters. You can actually feel the need to read more and lose yourself in the magical and painful world of Ky and Cassia. 

This book is all about taking control of your life and be who you want to be. Do what you want and get what you want. It;s a book about the power every person hides inside him and how he or she decided to use it. I hated the Society a lot and i actually thought that i could never live in a world like this and that made me feel more about the characters. The characters are well developed and down to earth, to the point where you can actually relate yourself to them.

This book is all about revolution and you can feel it in every single page. I am sure that all the fans on Divergent and The Hunger Games will love love love this book.

Clockwork Princess by Cassadra Clare book review by Eleni

Author: Cassandra Clare
Release Date: March 19th 2013
Publisher: Walker Books Ltd
Series: The Infernal Devices
Pages: 565
Rating: 5 stars
Buy on: Amazon , Barnes and Noble

Danger and betrayal, secrets and enchantment in the breathtaking conclusion to the Infernal Devices trilogy.

Tessa Gray should be happy – aren't all brides happy? Yet as she prepares for her wedding, a net of shadows begins to tighten around the Shaodwhunters of the London Institute. 

A new demon appears, one linked by blood and secrecy to Mortmain, the man who plans to use his army of pitiless automatons, the Infernal Devices, to destroy the Shadowhunters. Mortmain needs only one last item to complete his plan. He needs Tessa. And Jem and Will, the boys who lay equal claim to Tessa's heart, will do anything to save her. 

Review:
Okay, here we go. It took me two whole days to come up with a review for this...book. This book that tore my heart in two and made me so freaking angry and made me lost it totally..is one of the greatest books I ever read on this genre.

I wont spoil anything at all but what I will say to you is that go buy, download, loan whatever this book right now and start reading. It will drive you crazy and i have to say that you will be pulling your hair with utmost despair.

The characters are all the same and the story starts from where it was left on the Clockwork Prince and then everything goes to hell literally. Tessa is about to marry Jem and the rest of the Shadowhunters try to figure out what to do with the infamous Mortmain. Suddenly, when everything is going bad Will comes up with the news that there is no yin fen for purchase anymore due to the fact that Mortmain bought everything. And the downfall starts.

I really hated the fact that Clare had to totally tear her characters apart in this book and have everyone suffer as much as possible - with the only exception of Will who suffers a lot more than the others. Tessa has found herself in a love triangle again but this time the weight goes towards Will - but wait..she is not sure. I dont know how Clare did this but Tessa gave me the impression (Again) that she was trying to convince herself that she loved Jem, although we all know that she loves Will.

I cant say how much i wanted to cry when Jem was dying and when Will talked to him about some things. How both of them love each other and how each one of them would sacrifice himself for the other. This 10 pages were the most emotional in the whole book. Clare did a good job with words again. She gave a great description of how the bond of a parabatai ends and how it really feels. It was just heartbreaking and amazing.

I want to make a huge spoiler but i cant because i told you i wont but towards the end of the book all of you will get a huge shock. I thought i would die because what happened goes beyond imagination and seriously i think that what happened is a huge slap in the face for Jem...poor, kind Jem but for that part and only i am so glad that i read the book.

In the whole book what i DID NOT LIKE AT ALL IS THE EPILOGUE. Seriously??? 15 pages for 130 years of life????Okay i have to say that some lines made me tear up and think about it after i finished the book and i have to give that to Clare -she can make you cry with just one line. But what really happened in the last 4 pages is what made me so angry. What happens is kinda weird when it comes to honor and respect and also She leaves you with the impression that there's gonna be more but i dont think it will be more. Agh!!!!

Cassandra Clare's Clockwork Princess is one of my favorite books now and i will return to it sometime in the future.

Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Claire book Review by Eleni

Author: Cassandra Clare
Release Date: March 19th 2013 (Ppaerback)
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Series: The Infernal Devices Book 2
Pages: 505
Rating: 5 stars
Buy at: Barnes and Noble, Amazon

True love is shrouded in secrets and lies in the #1 New York Times bestselling second book of the Infernal Devices trilogy.

In the magical underworld of Victorian London, Tessa Gray has found safety with the Shadowhunters. But that safety proves fleeting when it becomes clear that the mysterious Magister will stop at nothing to use Tessa’s powers for his own dark ends.

With the help of the handsome, tortured Will and the devoted Jem, Tessa discovers that the Magister’s war on the Shadowhunters is deeply personal and fueled by revenge. To unravel the secrets of the past, the trio journeys from mist-shrouded Yorkshire to a manor house that holds untold horrors. When they encounter a clockwork demon bearing a warning for Will, they realize that the Magister knows their every move—and that one of their own has betrayed them.

Tessa is drawn more and more to Jem, though her longing for Will continues to unsettle her. But something is changing in Will. Could finding the Magister free Will from his secrets and give Tessa answers about who she really is? As their search leads to deadly peril, Tessa learns that secrets and lies can corrupt even the purest heart.

Review:

     As always I don;t know what to say about Claire's books. The use of words and the depth of the characters take you to 1880's London and make not to want to leave.

     First of all, this book is a little more different from the first one. To be honest I thought that I would drop the first one because (let's face it) it was a little bit boring. This one though is so much different. It's so much more intense and has so many scenes that are romantic and sexy but also so so so annoying because we all know Claire and how she likes to torture her characters (and the readers too). Claire takes the love triangle in a whole other level. It makes you wanna rip the pages from the book with utter madness. I don;t want to spoil it for you but there is going to be a lot of disappointment in the end for most of us. 

     The depth of the characters is amazingly good, I love the bromance of Jem and Will and I hate that both of them love Tessa and each one of them is so proud to talk to each other about their feelings until the very end where everything goes to hell and it's too late for a certain one.

     For some reason Will reminds of Jace (Mortal Instruments) and to be honest although a little fun and familiar it is kinda boring, at least Claire would change Will a bit and make him more of a...gentleman since we are talking about Queen Victoria's London.

     Tessa on the other side is a whole new characters (at least for me). Altough brave and generous, she seems to lose it big time in the end of the book giving the reader the impression that she is doing things she doesn't want to do but need to be done out of pity...and that is bad. But as a weak person that I am Tessa has a special spot in my heart for being so good.

     Jem in this books is more adorable than ever and more sexy than ever all at the same time. Although, I will never forgive him for doing what he did.

     This is a really sad book and I am afraid that the next one will be much much worse. Overall Claire did an incredible job with the book and Im not  disappointed  at all at it because honestly it drives you crazy with anticipation and pure agony. 

    

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo book review by Eleni

Author: Leigh Bardugo.
Release Date: June 5th 2012
Publisher: Henry Colt and Co.
Series: The Grisha (bk 1)
Pages: 358
Rating: Dropped
Buy at: Barnes and Noble, Amazon

The Shadow Fold, a swathe of impenetrable darkness, crawling with monsters that feast on human flesh, is slowly destroying the once-great nation of Ravka.

Alina, a pale, lonely orphan, discovers a unique power that thrusts her into the lavish world of the kingdom’s magical elite—the Grisha. Could she be the key to unravelling the dark fabric of the Shadow Fold and setting Ravka free?

The Darkling, a creature of seductive charm and terrifying power, leader of the Grisha. If Alina is to fulfill her destiny, she must discover how to unlock her gift and face up to her dangerous attraction to him.

But what of Mal, Alina’s childhood best friend? As Alina contemplates her dazzling new future, why can’t she ever quite forget him?

Review:


Some of you will probably condemn me for not finishing this book. I can't make a full review because  didn't read the whole thing but i have to say that it is well written but not my style. At all. I couldn't even push myself to page fifty for that matter. 

It will appeal to all of the fantasy readers out there and i really hope you will enjoy it more than i did.


I won't promise anything but i will try to come back to this book somewhere in the future.

Towering by Alex Flinn book review

Author: Alex Flinn
Release Date: May 14th 2013
Publisher: Harper Teen
Pages: 304
Buy at: Barnes and Noble , Amazon.
Rating: 3 stars

At first, I merely saw his face, his hands on the window ledge. Then, his whole body as he swung himself through the window. Only I could not see what he swung on.
Until, one day, I told my dream self to look down. And it was then that I saw. He had climbed on a rope. I knew without asking that the rope had been one of my own tying.

Rachel is trapped in a tower, held hostage by a woman she’s always called Mama. Her golden hair is growing rapidly, and to pass the time, she watches the snow fall and sings songs from her childhood, hoping someone, anyone, will hear her. 

Wyatt needs time to reflect or, better yet, forget about what happened to his best friend, Tyler. That’s why he’s been shipped off to the Adirondacks in the dead of winter to live with the oldest lady in town. Either that, or no one he knows ever wants to see him again.

Dani disappeared seventeen years ago without a trace, but she left behind a journal that’s never been read, not even by her overbearing mother…until now. 


Review:

I finally finished reading Towering no...it's not that good. I thought that Flinn created a nice retelling of a classic story that every kid heard before going to bed but i was wrong. This book is nothing like beastly...it's inferior to it.

Let's start with the characters:
To be honest although i am a die hard for romance novels i hate insta-love. I want the characters to make each other suffer a little before confessing to each other, i want to feel this agony, this craziness that makes me turn pages like crazy in order to finally read the part where they get together and i didn;t experience that in this book...not at all. When Wyatt met Rachel it was boring and predictable...it lacked the sparkle. The author wanted us to feel the same thing as Wyatt and Rachel but her attempt fell flat. And no it's not the fact that i have read so many books that i find nothing fascinating anymore, because with Easy by Tamara Webber i was shivering with every scene i read.
Their relationship seems superficial and the only part that gives you a slight glimpse of their actual connection comes for a couple pages and then fades away in the author's rush to finish the book.

The Plot:
It was pretty good for a fairy tale retelling...modernly. I didn;t see the twist coming and to be completely truthful with you i didn't even had the slightest suspicion of what would happen.That was great of her.
Now what put me completely off was the ending. Although Flinn made a great job with keeping you reading ,choosing carefully her words did a terrible mistake (unforgivable) with the ending.

The Ending:
I found the last few chapters of the book completely stupid. It dind;t make any sense and i felt like the author wanted to get the book out of the way as fast as she could. It was rushed and not well written and i really wanted to give up on the last 20 pages. Why would you write a whole book and just change your attitude towards the end???? It was disappointing.


I don't know if i would like to spend my time reading this book on reading something else but i now know that i wont be reading any other books of Flinn unless something really good comes up. Although it kept me reading i would prefer it if it was a written a little more careful.

Nobody But Us by Kristin Halbrook book review

Author: Kristin Halbrook
Release Date: January 29th 2013
Publisher: HarperTeen
Pages: 272
Rating: 3 stars
Buy At: Barnes and Noble , Amazon

Will

Maybe I'm too late. Maybe Zoe's dad stole all her fifteen years and taught her to be scared. I'll undo it. Help her learn to be strong again, and brave. Not that I'm any kind of example, but we can learn together.

When the whole world is after you, sometimes it seems like you can't run fast enough.

Zoe

Maybe it'll take Will years to come to terms with being abandoned. Maybe it'll take forever. I'll stay with him no matter how long it takes to prove that people don't always leave, don't always give up on you.

Review:

** spoiler alert ** 3.5 stars and thats because i didnt like the ending...its so not fair.

i loved loved loved this book. initially i didnt know if reading it would be a great idea because all of us know where the runaways end up. and i tend to be one of those people who think about a book for a long time after they finished it.

anyways i am so glad i read this book it was great!!!! 
the story was awesome and i liked that you could see the thoughts and actions of two people through their perspectives!!!

what i didnt like was the ending and that the main characters acted really really stupid at some points in the book.it felt like they didnt think before they acted which made me pull my hair is despair.

i totally recommend this book although i have to warn you that you will totally get dissapointed with the ending!!!

Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman book review

Author: Alice Hoffman
Release Date: August 3rd 2003
Publisher: Berkley Trade
Pages: 286
Rating: 2 stars
Buy At: Barnes and Noble , Amazon

The bestselling author of Second Nature, Illumination Night and Turtle Moon now offers her most fascinating and tantalizingly accomplished novel yet -- a winning tale that amply confirms Alice Hoffman's reputation not only as a genius of the vivid scene and unforgettable character but as one of America's most captivating storytellers.

When the beautiful and precocious sisters Sally and Gillian Owens are orphaned at a young age, they are taken to a small Massachusetts town to be raised by their eccentric aunts, who happen to dwell in the darkest, eeriest house in town. As they become more aware of their aunts' mysterious and sometimes frightening powers -- and as their own powers begin to surface -- the sisters grow determined to escape their strange upbringing by blending into "normal" society.

But both find that they cannot elude their magic-filled past. And when trouble strikes -- in the form of a menacing backyard ghost -- the sisters must not only reunite three generations of Owens women but embrace their magic as a gift -- and their key to a future of love and passion. Funny, haunting, and shamelessly romantic, Practical Magic is bewitching entertainment .

Review:

Seriously i thought i would die reading this book. i thought that it would never ever end...it went on forever.
ok so on this particular case the movie was way better than the actual book. The book in other words sucked. maybe i should have read the book first and then watched the movie but when you grow up with this movie and you live in a country where the book is not available what do you expect.


the book was awful. the writer had a way of telling things which in a way was both calming and nerve wrecking...while i was reading some peaceful paragraph the word f*** and p**** would suddenly appear making me think wtf?

i think that the book didnt have a plot. i felt like the writer just grabbed a piece of paper and started writing without a plan or something in her mind. people say that the book is all about witchcraft but i didnt see any actual witchcraft...the movie held that part a lot better.


i would not recommend this book to you...i would recommend the movie instead. so go and watch the movie.

The Dead Tossed Waves by Carrie Ryan Book Review

Author: Carrie Ryan
Release Date: March 9th 2010
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Pages: 404
Rating: 3 stars
Buy At: Barnes and Noble , Amazon.com

Gabry lives a quiet life. As safe a life as is possible in a town trapped between a forest and the ocean, in a world teeming with the dead, who constantly hunger for those still living. She’s content on her side of the Barrier, happy to let her friends dream of the Dark City up the coast while she watches from the top of her lighthouse. But there are threats the Barrier cannot hold back. Threats like the secrets Gabry’s mother thought she left behind when she escaped from the Sisterhood and the Forest of Hands and Teeth. Like the cult of religious zealots who worship the dead. Like the stranger from the forest who seems to know Gabry. And suddenly, everything is changing. One reckless moment, and half of Gabry’s generation is dead, the other half imprisoned. Now Gabry only knows one thing: she must face the forest of her mother’s past in order to save herself and the one she loves.

Review:

** spoiler alert ** I finally read the second book of the trilogy of the Forest of Hands and Teeth and i have to say that i cant compare it with the first book because i read it 3 years ago and i dont remember much apart from the fact that some author messes really really bad with the love triangles.

I was a little dissappointed with this book. if i am right (at least in fiction) when you come face to face with a zombie or an infection you just run the other way and pray that you wont be next. In this particular book this rule didnt apply. there was a lot self-discovery with an infected guy that i would love not to see infected cuz he was so awesome.
Now, Ryan tell me what is your problem and in both books have a love triangle with one guy turning into an infected person about to turn in any moment. what is your problem with one on one romance and the probability of things taking its course. aaahhhh...

the plot was fast..i found myself turning the pages like crazy at some parts because of the agony that the story-telling created and i admit that i was scared. i give that to Ryan. i dont see that often, its rare and its great.


i gave three books to this book because it was stupid when it came to love triangles etc..i would like to see something different in the second installation....off to the third now.

Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire book review

Author: Jamie McGuire
Release Date: May 26th 2011
Publisher: Self Published
Pages: 319
Rating: 3 stars

Abby Abernathy is a good girl. She doesn’t drink or swear, and she has the appropriate number of cardigans in her wardrobe. Abby believes she has enough distance from the darkness of her past, but when she arrives at college with her best friend, her path to a new beginning is quickly challenged by Eastern University’s Walking One-Night Stand.

Travis Maddox, lean, cut, and covered in tattoos, is exactly what Abby wants—and needs—to avoid. He spends his nights winning money in a floating fight ring, and his days as the ultimate college campus charmer. Intrigued by Abby’s resistance to his appeal, Travis tricks her into his daily life with a simple bet. If he loses, he must remain abstinent for a month. If Abby loses, she must live in Travis’s apartment for the same amount of time. Either way, Travis has no idea that he has met his match.

Review:

So i finally finished Jamie's McGuire's beautiful disaster and i enjoyed it...a lot. some of you will probably hate me...due to some reviews i was reluctant reading but guys its just a book. 

The writing was really cool and that made me turn the pages like crazy with anticipation on whats coming next. through the dialogues i fell in love with the characters and their pain, love, happiness. In other words there were perfectly developed.

What i didn't like at all was Travis. The boyfriend that is willing to change so quickly and become obsessed with the girlfriends like a dog that follows you everywhere humping your dog at any chance he gets. Exactly disgusting and disturbing. 
His relationship with Abby is no different. They don't really talk about their problems and they prefer dealing with them by dumping each other and having sex. seriously?Ii have to say that Edward's and Bella's relationship was a lot more deep and with meaning...sans the sex.


Apart from that little thing there the book was very very good and i would totally recommend it to you.

Hare Moon by Carrie Ryan book review

Author: Carrie Ryan
Release Date: January 1st 2011
Publisher: NA
Pages: 40
Rating: 4 stars

Tabitha can’t shake the feeling that something exists beyond the fences of her village. And when she sneaks out, past the gates and down the path into the Forest of Hands and Teeth, she meets a boy who teaches her heart things she never knew. But love in a world surrounded by so much death doesn’t come without its sacrifices, and Tabitha gradually realizes just how much she’ll have to give up to live among the Unconsecrated.

Review:

What is wrong with Ryan and uncompleted love. why does she like making her readers hate her and what does she like to torture her characters.
this one was a great love story...short but still better than book three. i read this within 20 minutes and i was like wow. 
i wish it was an actual book.

The Dark and Hollow Place by Carrie Ryan book review

Author: Carrie Ryan
Release Date: March 22nd 2011
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Pages: 375
Rating: 3 stars

There are many things that Annah would like to forget: the look on her sister's face before Annah left her behind in the Forest of Hands and Teeth, her first glimpse of the Horde as they swarmed the Dark City, the sear of the barbed wire that would scar her for life. But most of all, Annah would like to forget the morning Elias left her for the Recruiters.  
Annah's world stopped that day, and she's been waiting for Elias to come home ever since. Somehow, without him, her life doesn't feel much different than the dead that roam the wasted city around her. Until she meets Catcher, and everything feels alive again. 
But Catcher has his own secrets. Dark, terrifying truths that link him to a past Annah has longed to forget, and to a future too deadly to consider. And now it's up to Annah: can she continue to live in a world covered in the blood of the living? Or is death the only escape from the Return's destruction?


Review:

To be honest i am a little disappointed with the series. 
When i started the fist book in 2010 i was amazed on how different it was from other books of it genre. Ryan made me shiver with fear while reading it and i still remember and carry the urge to read it again.
The second book ,of course,as usually happens didnt meet my expectations. A lot of things were similar with the first one and gave me the feeling that Ryan didnt really try her best.
And here we come to the last installation of the Forest of Hands and Teeth Trilogy..the dark and hollow places was similar to the first to book as to finding love and losing lose..the only difference here is that everyone lives happily ever after and blindly in love. The book had some scary parts but apart from that it wasnt something great. 
I found some points extremely stupid and crazy...i was pulling my hair in utter desperation. Although i liked Annah a lot i found a lot of similarities with her sister Gabry (a.k.a. Abigail) although those two grew up separately and lot different with one of them having no memory of her past. So i came to question those similarities as telepathy cuz i didnt find any other explanation. there is no way that two people to be almost the same when they grow up completely differently. Ryan wanted to show that family remains family and those traits that you get to adopt in your first years of living stay with you forever..wrong Ryan wrong.
Anyway i would suggest you read only the first two books of the trilogy if not only the first one.