The Bursting Bookshelf

This week I chose LJ Smith for New In The World Of...

As a big fan of hers, I check her website/ blog regularly and saw that she recently announced how she is planning but has yet to start writing, a sequel for both The Forbidden Game and The Dark Visions Trilogies. YES! If you've read them, you're probably yearning for more just like me.

Until next week,

Title: Infinite Days
Author: Rebecca Maizel
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Release: January 1, 2010
Rating: 5/5
Pages: 310
Series: Vampire Queen #1
Synopsis:
Lenah Beaudonte is, in many ways, your average teen: the new girl at Wickham Boarding School, she struggles to fit in enough to survive and stand out enough to catch the eye of the golden-boy lacrosse captain. But Lenah also just happens to be a recovering five-hundred-year-old vampire queen. After centuries of terrorizing Europe, Lenah is able to realize the dream all vampires have -- to be human again. After performing a dangerous ritual to restore her humanity, Lenah entered a century-long hibernation, leaving behind the wicked coven she ruled over and the eternal love who has helped grant her deep-seated wish.

Until, that is, Lenah draws her first natural breath in centuries at Wickham and rediscovers a human life that bears little resemblance to the one she had known. As if suddenly becoming a teenager weren’t stressful enough, each passing hour brings Lenah closer to the moment when her abandoned coven will open the crypt where she should be sleeping and find her gone. As her borrowed days slip by, Lenah resolves to live her newfound life as fully as she can. But, to do so, she must answer ominous questions: Can an ex-vampire survive in an alien time and place? What can Lenah do to protect her new friends from the bloodthirsty menace about to descend upon them? And how is she ever going to pass her biology midterm?

Review:
Infinite Days was a book that caught my eye some time ago, but like many other books of mine it took me a while to find it in stores. So I got it eventually, and then I was so behind in reviews and reading that it just sat in my TBR pile for a while. Then I got to it and read and read and read and read. I couldn't put it down!

The cover is, as usual the reason I got this book. It's right up there with my all time favorite book covers. It's so intriguing with the bright blue eyes with the brown flecks and the way that the face takes the whole page with no background whatsoever is just so different! I mean it's an eye catching, traffic stopping cover. And the paperback also slightly sparkles (if you have the soft cover of Hush, Hush, it's the same material).  The tear is cool looking too. The font is also the really cool component to this cover. I just love how script-y it looks and how the tail of the 'f' drips down as if it's dripping blood. I thought it came together very well.

The characters in this book are fantastic. And by fantastic I mean that they are made in a way that when necessary, they can yank on your heart strings and have you bawling in seconds. And I do mean it. I did end up crying while reading this book. Back to the characters, the characters in this book really did evolve throughout the course of this book. For example, Justin started out the typical, popular jock with a preppy girlfriend. But as the book went on he changed and realised he didn't have to be that jock and became more gentlemanly in the process. And then there was Lenah, I really came around with her as I started out hating her. The way she acted as a vampire just bugged me. I guess I've read too many vampire gone good books though. But she really did change herself in the end. I really did love how her character progressed throughout the story line. The coven was also wonderfully written. They made feel for them and hate them at the same time for all they did and how they were trying to tear Lenah and Justin apart.

The story in this book was great. And the author also made you grow these connections to the story that she later used to make you feel for the characters and feel their pain. As I also said above is that she could also yank on your heart strings so hard that you had no choice to either feel immensely bad for whom ever she chose or, in my case, cry. Yep, the book had so many twists and turns that by the time I got to the end, I cried. The writing combined with the story make this book a force to be reckoned with.

Title: Hush Hush
Author: Becca Fitzpatrick
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Release: September 27, 2009
Rating: 5/5
Pages: 391
Series: Hush Hush Series
Synopsis:
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...until Patch comes 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 whom 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 far 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:
This is a book that I've meant to get around to for what seems like forever. I picked it up and then it just sat on my shelf forever until I just recently started to catch up in my reading. I then remember ed I had this book and read it in a day and just loved it. A lot. I mean a lot, a lot.

The first thing you see about any book is it's cover. When I saw Hush, Hush's cover, I was intrigued by it. There was something dark and different about how it didn't try and make the story seem all light and happy. It was a great, amazing, epic match for the story and it really grabs the attention of potential readers above other covers. It's just such a cool dark cover.

The characters in this book were great. I liked Patch a lot though as he wasn't the standard young adult love interest. He was rude and annoying and I just loved it. The way he could turn anything around and interpret it in a way to both annoy Nora and to make him very appealing to a reader. Vee was another character that I thoroughly enjoyed as well. She was realistic, in that we all have a friend or know someone like her. Someone who likes to exaggerate things even though you know it's not true but you love them for it anyway. And then there's Nora. Nora was a great protagonist for this type of novel. She started out not believing and didn't fall for any of his tricks or didn't outwardly show it. She stayed strong through and through and for that I ended up really liking her.

The story and writing in this book were just amazing. The story took all sorts of sharp un-foreseeable turns that made the storyline original, unpredictable and amazing. The writing was also good in this book. It was very original in how the story got to where it was going and it makes me want to run down to the nearest bookstore and buy Crescendo.

All and all, Hush, Hush was a great read that will leave you begging for more. It really delivered and that's why it gets a 5/5 in my books. What did you guys think of this one?

Follow my Blog Friday is a meme held by Parajunkee and it's where you answer the weekly question and then link yourself and you go and check out other blogs of your interest. Sounds fun hey?

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event held by Jill over at Breaking The Spine! It's all about those books you just can't wait for and are counting down the days till they come out.
This week for WoW I have chosen...

This week I chose Stephenie Meyer as I just found out the names of the next two Host books. They'll be called The Soul and The Seeker. I found these on Goodreads so I have no clue how long that's been out there for but it's new to me. I will be getting these two as I did enjoy The Host and I was hoping that she would turn them into a series so yay! They're both currently scheduled for 2012, but that will probably change as we get closer to.

That's it for this week,
The Bursting Bookshelf

On My Wishlist is a weekly event hosted by Book Chick City and runs every Saturday. This week I have chosen the book The Forest Of Hands And Teeth by Carrie Ryan.

Don't think of me as a nut because I haven't read this one yet, it's only because I can't seem to find it anywhere.

The Bursting Bookshelf

 

How long have you been book blogging??

Title: Night Star
Author: Alyson Noel
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Release: November 16, 2010
Rating: 4/5
Pages: 302
Series: The Immortals
Synopsis:
After fighting for centuries to be together, Ever and Damen’s future hinges on one final showdown that will leave readers gasping for breath. Don’t miss this explosive new installment of the #1 bestselling series that’s enchanted millions across the world!

Haven still blames Ever for the death of her boyfriend Roman, no matter how hard Ever’s tried to convince her it was an accident. Now she’s determined to take Ever down…and destroy Damen and Jude along the way. Her first step is to tear Ever and Damen apart—and she has just the ammunition to do it.

Hidden in one of Ever’s past lives is a terrible secret about Damen—a secret that illuminates new facts about her relationship with Jude, but that’s so dark and brutal it might be enough to drive her and Damen apart once and for all. As Ever faces her greatest fears about the guy she wants to spend eternity with, she’s thrust into a deadly clash with Haven that could destroy them all.

Now it’ll take everything she’s got—and bring out powers she never knew she had—to face down her most formidable enemy. But in order to win, she must first ask herself: is her own survival worth dooming Haven to an eternity of darkness in the Shadowland? And will learning the truth about Damen’s past hold the key to their future?

Review:
As always, I've read the rest of the series and I will review them too after I have caught up to myself with all the books I've recently read.

Guess when I got this one? That's right! I've had it on pre-order since the last one came out! So I ended up getting it on the day it came out and it took me all of two days to read it. I read it that fast. I liked it that much.

The cover of this book is great. You can't see it above but it has shiny highlights on the bottle and on the back cover on the covers of the other books. I absolutely love the little stars and the shiny thing on the cap of the bottle. They're just really pretty. I also like the orange color and red color scheme. I love those two colors so the book is very visually appealing to me.

The story for this book was great. I found it to be a great improvement to other volumes of this series. I really felt though that the next book will top it all. That this book was almost setting up for the next one that will probably blow all of our socks off. But for now, she left us with a great build up to a finale that I can't wait to read. I just need to know what happens to Ever and Damen and Jude and EVERYONE!

The characters in this book were good. I really like all the guys from the lovable Miles to the hotty Damen to the surfer boy Jude. I like them all but my favorite is Miles. He's funny in even the darkest of times. And he's also adventurous and will never ever (haha never ever, get it? Bad pun...) let Ever down, even if she's an Immortal and kept a ton of secrets from  him, he still wants to be her friend. And then there's Haven. Haven is the ultimate love to hate character. She made the transformation from shy BFF to Ever's arch enemy in such a short span but you still feel like she's still there under it all but you also just love to hate her at the same time. It takes great writing to be able to pull that kind of feelings off in a reader, and I definitely congratulate Alyson for that.

Overall, this book did have some flaws, but it ended up making up for them here and there. I would recommend this book to anyone who has read the rest of The Immortals Series.

Title: The Iron Daughter
Author: Julie Kagawa
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Release: July 27, 210
Rating: 5/5
Pages: 359
Series: The Iron Fey Series
Synopsis:
Half Summer faery princess, half human, Meghan has never fit in anywhere. Deserted by the Winter prince she thought loved her, she is prisoner to the Winter faery queen. As war looms between Summer and Winter, Meghan knows that the real danger comes from the Iron Fey, iron-bound faeries that only she and her absent prince have seen. But no one believes her. Worse, Meghan's own fey powers have been cut off. She's alone in Faery with only her wits for help. Trusting anyone would be foolish. Trusting a seeming traitor could be deadly. But even as she grows a backbone of iron, Meghan can't help but hear the whispers of longing in her all-too-human heart.

The title says it all. I'm just super excited to have gotten to this point with my blog. I wasn't sure I could do it but I did! So thanks to my followers and please check out my new Goodreads account here!

Thanks,
The Bursting Bookshelf

The title says it all! Just a little blurb about how Night Star, the newest and second to last book in the Immortals Series by Alyson Noel comes out today! That's really it.

The Bursting Bookshelf

Title: Witch and Wizard
Author: James Patterson and Gabrielle Charbonnet
Publisher: Little, Brown Books
Release: December 4, 2009
Rating: 4/5
Pages: 302
Series: Witch and Wizard Series
Synopsis:
The world is changing: the government has seized control of every aspect of society, and now, kids are disappearing. For 15-year-old Wisty and her older brother Whit, life turns upside down when they are torn from their parents one night and slammed into a secret prison for no reason they can comprehend. The New Order, as it is known, is clearly trying to suppress Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Being a Normal Teenager. But while trapped in this totalitarian nightmare, Wisty and Whit discover they have incredible powers they'd never dreamed of. Can this newly minted witch and wizard master their skills in time to save themselves, their parents--and maybe the world?

Review:
Why'd I get this book? Because I liked the cover and it was 30% off of course! But all that aside, I had actually seen an ad for this book several months before it's release and thought it looked good. But I soon forgot about it. It wasn't til I saw my friend reading it that I remembered it. I then and there decided that this book would be one that I would read eventually. So another several months later, I found it on sale, read it in a day and liked quite a bit.

The cover on this book was cool. I liked how the first letter of the title was featured as well as one of the powers of the children. What I think is so cool but didn't notice but is now plain as day to me is the faces in the 'W'. I can't believe I missed those! I actually only noticed them an hour after I bought it but still! How obvious are those faces in the flames? That's just oh so smart me I guess.

The writing in this book was pretty good. I loved the setting as well. The one thing that set me off a bit was the ending. Now, I didn't get it but you might.  I just didn't really get what happened there at all. And the prologue never happened in the book. I just didn't understand that at all. but all that aside, I loved the adventurous side of this book and the way the characters were portrayed. It was an enjoyable read for the summer or anytime really.

Overall the good far outweighed the confusing ending and earned this book a 4/5 in my opinion.

Hey this week I chose Jessica Verday for New In The World Of... The reason I chose her is because I just found out the name of the third and final book in her Sleepy Hollow series. The new book will be called The Hidden according to Goodreads. That's it for now.

The Bursting Bookshelf

Title: The Hunger Games
Author: Suzanne Collins
Publisher: Scholastic
Release: October 1, 2008
Rating: 5/5
Pages: 374
Series: The Hunger Games Trilogy
Synopsis:
In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV.

Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen regards it as a death sentence when she steps forward to take her sister's place in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before--and survival, for her, is second nature. Without really meaning to, she becomes a contender. But if she is to win, she will have to start making choices that weigh survival against humanity and life against love.

Review:
Originally a friend raved about this book to me and told me I just had to get it. I ignored her. That was a huge mistake, now that I know what I was missing out on before. She told me the synopsis and I only kind of wanted to read it. How crazy was I? Anyway, after reading numerous great reviews for this book, I thought 'Fine, I'll read it because everyone says it's so great.'. That is when my obsession began.

The cover for this book probably won't hold any meaning or not make sense to you til you've read the book. The bird and arrow and whole idea of the cover comes from the character Katniss and an event that happens along the storyline. Once you've read this book, it make perfect sense, don't worry. But once I understood, I simply fell In love with this cover. It's so simplistic and yet it tells so much about the main character and the story that it's shocking. I also love the colour scheme of this book. The gold and black and red go so well together and the font on top of all that is really well matched to the story and it's violent and slightly war like feel. I just love the cover.

The setting and writing were just beautiful. There is no way that this book could be improved in my opinion. The author made all these little facts along the way turn out to be super important later and she had this way of making it so you wouldn't know the ending until you got to it that really had me impressed. Then there were all the twists and turns and trials that she threw in just when you thought that Katniss was safe. It was a whirlwind of emotions including everything from sadness to anger and everywhere in between. It was such a great ride that I wish there were more books than there is just so I could read more and more about Katniss and Peeta's adventures.

All the characters were perfect for their time and setting. Out of the two boys my favorite was by far Peeta. Even though he seemed to betray Katniss at first, in the end he really came through for her and was willing to give his life for hers in a heartbeat. Then there was poor Gale. I felt bad for him when Peeta was winning Katniss's affection over him on national TV. That must have been so hard for him. But Gale kept fighting for Katniss through and through and he never gave up. That's something I admire in a character, when they have this determination. And Katniss. Poor, poor Katniss. She had to go through the Hunger Games to save Prim, her sister, from the almost sure death that ensues playing them. She had the bravery to step up and take Prim's place and pretty much give her life for Prim's. That just amazed me. The strength that was Katniss was truly remarkable and it made for a great main character. And all the names used in this story were just so unique and cool. I just adore them.

All in all, this is one of my all time favorite books and I have no doubt in my mind that it will go on to be a classic for sure. That's why it gets a tremendous 5/5 indefinitely.

PS: Can't get your Hunger Games fix? Watch for the movie and details online.

Sorry I'm a day late agian, but I don't have an excuse. Sorry guys. This week I chose...

THE IRON KNIGHT BY JULIE KAGAWA

I am absolutely obsessed with the Iron Fey series right now. I just finished The Iron Daughter today and I only just recently read The Iron King. I am just freaking out over this series! It's great and your guys need to read it if you haven't all ready.

That's all for now,
The Bursting Bookshelf

PS: The Iron Queen (third book in the Iron Fey series) comes out in February 2011. But if you want to get your hands on it early check out Julie's blog here. She's hosting a giveaway for an ARC of The Iron Queen ending on November 24, 2010. Don't be late! Wish you guys luck!

Yes. Just yes. I have yet again (and by yet again, I mean for the second time) been tweeted by @harlequinteen. Again, I can't thank them enough for tweeting about my review and actually finding my blog. It's just amazing. Thank you so, so much for this. I just loved it!

Thanks again,
The Bursting Bookshelf

PS: Here's the tweet:

The Bursting Bookshelf: The Iron King by Julie Kagawa http://t.co/ghGVWkT "...boy, did I ever love this book." #ironfey

Ahh! They quoted my review! Ahh!

Title: The Iron King
Author: Julie Kagawa
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Release: February 1, 2010
Rating: 5/5
Pages: 368
Series: Iron Fey Series
Synopsis:
Meghan Chase has a secret destiny—one she could never have imagined…
Something has always felt slightly off in Meghan's life, ever since her father disappeared before her eyes when she was six. She has never quite fit in at school…or at home.
When a dark stranger begins watching her from afar, and her prankster best friend becomes strangely protective of her, Meghan senses that everything she's known is about to change.
But she could never have guessed the truth—that she is the daughter of a mythical faery king and is a pawn in a deadly war. Now Meghan will learn just how far she'll go to save someone she cares about, to stop a mysterious evil no faery creature dare face…and to find love with a young prince who might rather see her dead than let her touch his icy heart.

Review:
Wow. Oh my gosh, wow. I went in with no real idea of what this book was about but I expected it to be similar to the Wicked Lovely series that I really enjoyed. The two books are hugely different but boy, did I ever love this book. It was so different from what I expected it to be. I was left speechless when I finished it and it left me anxious to get home to the second one. I loved this book. It left me speechless and wanting more from the romance aspect to the action parts too. Ahhh! I don't have the words to say how much I enjoyed this book.

The characters blew me out of the water. I immediately fell for both Ash and Puck and I thought it was so cute how Puck was watching over her her whole life with out her knowing. It was so romantic to me! But then Ash. Woah, he came into the story and I completely fell for Ash. the way he was so cocky when he asked Meghan to dance in the beginning to the way he risked his life to help her to the Iron Kingdom (he was bound to do so, but hey: it was still cute!). He was dark and dangerous and risky. I liked him A LOT. My all time favorite character in this book was Grimalkin. He made me laugh and I liked the general vibe from that character. He just was quirky and was great as he was completely and utterly unique. I mean how often is it that you read about a talking cat with attitude? The main character for this book was Meghan Chase, an ordinary girl who finds out that she's half faery on her sixteenth birthday. She also finds out that Robbie, her best friend and seemingly guy next door, is the infamous Puck who has had numerous stories and such written about him over the years. That's a lot to go through when all you want for your birthday is your drivers permit. I adored Meghan. She was able to cope with all that and save her brother from the Iron Fey. That's a lot to put on a newly turned sixteen year old girl. I think she dealt with it amazingly and realistically. I mean the character had the real flaws that a teenage girl actually has. It was great that she wasn't some uber-perfect chick, but I was able to relate with her.

The cover was gorgeous. That's it. End of story. It was beautiful and it fits the book perfectly and it was a big reason in why I bought this book from the start. I love the shiny highlights on the cover and the thorn theme that's going on in the background, the title and the thorns that kind of frame the rest of the cover. It all came together extremely well and the cover model is exactly how I picture Meghan in the book. I also just love the colour too!

The story and setting were just as great as the characters. They were different than anything I've ever read. There were equal parts action  I really enjoyed Julie's writing style and how she painted a picture in my head of what everything looked like and how things worked. She left no hanging questions along the way and she provided a very full story along with the amazing description. Julie also obviously had an idea of where she wanted her story to go and how it would get there as no part dragged at all and something was always happening even if it was the death threats being thrown around by Puck and Ash, she made it interesting. The novel itself was also a really nice length, not too long but also not too short that it just flies by in an hour. This book was just amazing.

Just reiterate myself, everything in this book was just great. The Iron King kept me on the edge of my seat all the way through. Everything was well planned and written from the characters to the setting, I enjoyed every last detail of this book and I would highly recommend it to anyone who has not read it yet. That's why it gets a well deserved 5/5.

Hey guys! it's been a while since I've had a book haul for you guys, but here it is.

This time I got:

The Luxe by Anna Godbersen
Rumor by Anna Godbersen
Splendor by Anna Godbersen
Envy by Anna Godbersen

That's it for a while,
The Bursting Bookshelf

Title: The Forbidden Game (The Hunter, The Killer, The Chase)
Author: LJ Smith
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Release: June 8, 2010 (Bind Up)
Rating: 4.5/5
Pages: 750
Series: The Forbidden Game Trilogy (Contains all three)
Synopsis: (Only for The Hunter)
Jenny Thornton wanted the perfect game for her perfect boyfriend's birthday party. And the nondescript hole-in-the-wall shop manned by an unnervingly handsome blue-eyed boy seemed to carry just the right thing: 'The Game'.
To win, the players' paper avatars must race through a constructed cardboard house. Each room contains a 'nightmare'; conquering the nightmare is the only way out.
'The Game' is fun at first. That is, until Jenny and her friends get sucked inside the house to find the blue-eyed boy waiting for them. His name is Julian, and he is a demonic Shadow Man. Now, Jenny and her friends must play the game for real. They must find their way out of the cardboard house by morning, or they'll be stuck in the Shadow World forever...

Review:
I got this one just because it had LJ Smith's name on it (Did you know her full name is Lisa Jane Smith?). That's pretty much how I got this one. Little did I know that it had just released a week before and it was her new bind up of some old books. They turned out to be some sort of good books.

I really enjoyed the characters in this story. And the whole time I was crushing on Julian. Even though he was trying to trap Jenny into being with him forever and he almost killed her friends several times, I still really liked him. A lot. Even though I still really liked Tom too. I love how LJ can make you fall in love with any character she writes. I just loved all the characters in this book! They just kept growing with the stories. I love how LJ is able to create these amazing characters in such a short time. Another of my favorites was Summer. She was so clueless and naive. It was a huge contrast to any other character in the book. I don't know why, but I really liked Summer's character.

The world that LJ creates in this book is amazing. If you were to pick up any one book of LJ's you would find completely different worlds in each. If you picked up Night World and Dark Visions, you wouldn't guess that the same author wrote them. LJ creates a new world for each of her book that is specifically tailored to each plot and cast of characters. Doing this makes for a great read every time that you can always expect from LJ. This book was no exception. It was a universe that you could escape to whenever you chose to. You could just get away and live a whole different life alongside the characters.

The only downfall to this book was the slow spots. At some points in between the action I just had to take a break from the book because it got so slow. At one point in the second story in this bind up, I actually stopped reading for a week and a half. I eventually kept going and got through that spot and ended up really enjoying this book. It just took a little determination to get through this book at times.

My favorite aspect of this book was the first Game. All the games that Julian played with them were great to read about, but my personal favorite was the first one. the first one was new and you didn't know what to expect and it was all on Julian's turf. Which made it great because I really thought that deep down Julian was sweet and just wanted to be loved but at the same time he was totally BA.

Overall, this book was great. I loved all of it except for the sticky slow parts that crept up every now and again. Except for those it was a great reading experience and I would recommend this book to anyone. That's why it gets a 4.5/5.

*Sigh*
I'm sorry I'm late for New In The World Of... this week. I got busy and didn't have time to post this so I'll post it now!

This week I picked PC and Kristen Cast as I am a fan of their House of Night Series. And finally after a wait of what seems like forever, the cover of Awakened has been released!

This is it! I just think it's gorgeous! What do you guys think?

For a better quality version check the House of Night website.

The Bursting Bookshelf

*epic chorus of Don't Stop Believing in the background*

I can't believe it! HarlequinTEEN, the publishers of The Iron Fey Series, just tweeted about my Waiting on Wednesday post! I am so over the moon right now that I can barely type! AHH! Thank you so much HarlequinTEEN for tweeting about my post! I am so excited for the release of The Iron Queen, it's not even funny! So thank you times like a million! I am just so happy and ecstatic! And just to top it all off Julie retweeted it too! AHH!

Thank you x10000000000000
The Bursting Bookshelf

PS: Here's the original tweet by @HarlequinTEEN

The Bursting Bookshelf: Waiting On Wednesday... Iron Queen http://t.co/T02PHqK

PSS: Here's Julie's retweet!

The Bursting Bookshelf: Waiting On Wednesday... Iron Queen http://t.co/T02PHqK

Title: How to Ditch Your Fairy
Author: Justine Larbalestier
Publisher: Seal Books
Release: October 14, 2008
Rating: 5/5
Series: None
Pages: 304
Synopsis:
Welcome to New Avalon, where everyone has a personal fairy. Though invisible to the naked eye, a personal fairy, like a specialized good luck charm, is vital to success. And in the case of the students at New Avalon Sports High, it might just determine whether you make the team, pass a class, or find that perfect outfit. But for 14-year-old Charlie, having a Parking Fairy is worse than having nothing at all—especially when the school bully carts her around like his own personal parking pass. Enter: The Plan. At first, teaming up with arch-enemy Fiorenza (who has an All-The-Boys-Like-You Fairy) seems like a great idea. But when Charlie unexpectedly gets her heart’s desire, it isn’t at all what she thought it would be like, and she’ll have resort to extraordinary measures to ditch her fairy. The question is: will Charlie herself survive the fairy ditching experiment? From the author of the acclaimed Magic or Madness trilogy, this is a delightful story of fairies, friendships, and figuring out how to make your own magic.

Review:
This book. I initially read this book about two years ago after just kind of randomly picking it out. Good choice, me, good choice. This book was just so funny and light hearted. Sure it did have some a bit heavier parts like the kidnapping, but it's just a fun read.

This book is kind of like a cross of romantic comedy with a little girl's fairytale movie. It has this perfect fun feel to it that makes it a great read when you want something light and upbeat. I just loved Charlie in this book though. She was given the worst fairy of all - a parking fairy when she doesn't even have her license - but she has to watch her friend have one of the best fairies of all - a clothes fairy - and she was just sort of a nobody at school. But then she meets the guy of her dreams just to have him stolen by her enemy Fiorenza who has a all-boys-like-you fairy and accidentally steals him right out from under Charlie's nose. Accidentally is the key word here - you don't get control over your fairy, they do all the work whether it's for the best or not. Fiorenza doesn't like all the male attention she gets as they're all under a trance when she talks to them. She doesn't like the guy that Charlie is in love with but her fairy attracts him nonetheless.

I like this story so much not just because of it's fun and light hearted tale. I love it also for the characters and their depth. For such a short book, the characters are really well developed and the setting is well thought out. The writing is really good too as the author makes you believe that the fairies are there even though you can't see them and some of the characters doubt their existence. The setting is really cool though because it's only in this one town that the fairies exist -at least that's what's implied- and it's only this own and select individuals that know about fairies. Huh, sounds interesting hey?

I was amazed at this book and the wit in it. I can't say anything more without giving too much away. This one is a must read great for summer or any season for that matter. It totally deserves a 5/5.

PS: This is the hardcover cover page up there. I posted that one because even though it's long since gone paperback, i own the hardcover, so I posted that one.

Title: Shiver
Author: Maggie Stiefvater
Publisher: Scholastic
Rating: 3.5/5
Release: August 1, 2009
Pages: 390
Series: The Wolves of Mercy Falls #1
Synopsis:
For years, Grace has watched the wolves in the woods behind her house. One yellow-eyed wolf - her wolf - is a haunting presence she can't seem to live without. Meanwhile, Sam has lived two lives: In winter, the frozen woods, the protection of the pack, and the silent company of a fearless girl. In summer, a few precious months of being human -- until the cold makes him shift back again. Now, Grace meets a yellow-eyed boy whose familiarity takes her breath away. It's her wolf. It has to be. But as winter nears and the temperature drops, Sam must fight to stay human or risk losing himself, and Grace, forever.

Review:
Yes, it's about werewolves. I just thought I should put that out there now so that those of you with an opposition to werewolves because you're 'Team Edward' can leave. Now that you know that (if you couldn't guess from the summary :P) we can get on with the review.

Sam was only OK to me. As a love interest, I feel that the reader should understand the attraction to another character. I didn't understand why Grace liked him at all. He watched her get attacked and bitten by his own pack and then he shows up and everything is just perfect. I mean she watched for him every night out of her window in the winter and I felt she did it for the wrong reason. If it had been me, I would have watched in fear, not in curiosity. That brings us to Grace. I just couldn't relate with her. She was very no-nonsense it stated how she didn't like fiction because it was too unreal. When I read, I really like to be able to relate to the main character, if I can't it greatly takes away from my reading experience.

If you guys haven't noticed, I buy books for their covers a lot of the time. I don't like to read a book that I don't like the cover of because it kind of ruins it for me. Especially if the main character is on a cover and I don't like it, that will drive me nuts. But that wasn't the case with these books. I just love the covers! They are simple yet they say a lot. And the coolest part is that each book is printed in their respective colours! Meaning Shiver is printed all in blue ink and Linger is printed all in green ink. And I'll bet that Forever will be printed in red-ish ink too. I really like the uniqueness that printing the book in colour gives it. The thing that threw me off on this cover, was that the title reminds me a lot of the Twilight font. See just look at it. It does doesn't it? Yes, I so told you so.

In this book, I felt like it was just a cute read and nothing really serious. It didn't stand out from a lot of other books. Just the whole forbidden love thing going on and it's a small town and all. Just really rung some bells. I really didn't mind the story at all, it was only the characters weren't my favorite ever, but they weren't the worst I've ever read either.

And so overall, this book was pretty good. I liked the story line and the pace it was set at. That's why this book get's a 3.5/5.