Only Girl In The World...

Published:  April 2nd, 2013
Prophecy Girl (Angel Academy # 1)
By: Cecily White
Entangled
ISBN-13:  9781620612941

Amelie Bennett. . . . Ending the world, one prophecy at a time.

I was born to slay Crossworld demons.
Big black flappy ones, little green squirmy ones. Unfortunately, the only thing getting slain these days is my social life. With my high school under attack, combat classes intensifying, and Academy instructors dropping right and left, I can barely get my homework done, let alone score a bondmate before prom.
Then he shows up.
Jackson Smith-Hailey. Unspeakably hot, hopelessly unattainable, and dangerous in all the right ways. Sure, he’s my trainer. And okay, maybe he hates me. Doesn’t mean I’ll ignore the wicked Guardian chemistry between us. It’s crazy! Every time I’m with him, my powers explode. Awesome, right? Wrong.
Now my teachers think I’m the murderous Graymason destined to bring down our whole race of angelbloods. Everyone in New Orleans is hunting me. The people I trusted want me dead. Jack and I have five days to solve the murders, prevent a vampire uprising, and thwart the pesky prophecy foretelling his death by my hand. Shouldn’t be too difficult.

Getting it done without falling in love. . . that might take a miracle.

Review

 

     Amelie Bennett's biggest goal right now is to finish school, become bonded to a Watcher and begin slaying demons for real as a full-fledged Guardian.  But with her teachers dropping like flies and the paranormal community in uproar over peace tenets that are about to be signed, a normal path to the future is looking highly unlikely.  The scandal involving Amelie's Mom and the questionability of her angel bloodline's origins aren't helping her prospects either.  When Jackson Smith-Hailey is sent to replace one of her newly dead teachers, Amelie feels an instant connection with him and he seems to amplify her powers to unbelievable heights.  When the school is attacked during an assembly, Amelie is blamed and thought to be evil.  So of course her and Jack go on the run to avoid execution and must also prove who the real killer is before a prophecy that says she's going to kill Jack is fulfilled!  All while trying to make sure the peace tenets actually get signed and a war doesn't erupt between the vampire/werewolf races and the Guardians.  Can they manage to save the world and will both of them survive the effort? 

     In general, I am sick of reading the same old paranormal schtick time and time again.  So going into this one I was really hesitant, especially when I read the term 'Watcher,' which has me harking back to the days of my Buffy the Vampire Slayer obsession.  I was pleasantly surprised with the world-building and was particularly glad to not hate it based on its inability to focus on anything but the angel aspect, which I've noticed seems to be a trend in angel-based YA books a lot of times.  There was a coherent plot, and yes the different angel bloodlines and the calling to fight demons were an enormous part of the plot.  But it was more focused on characters and character development then overcomplicated plots/details that make a reader feel lost, like they're missing some important back story or something.  I loved the snarkiness of Amelie and felt like she really came across as a teenager (which she was) instead of some weird adult/teen hybrid, which comes with the territory sometimes.  It's like the authors forget that teens aren't super wise, smart, etc. all the time.  Sometimes they do dumb things, act like brats, or make you have WTF moments.  Amelia had all of those qualities, but also had a gigantic heart and wonderful sense of loyalty that made me want to hug her.  The relationship with Jackson was cute and although in most cases I don't like insta-love, I don't think this really even qualifies as it.  For the simple fact that Amelie is drawn to him (i.e. attracted to him) and he feels familiar to her in a slightly nagging way.  She doesn't even use the word love until over midway through the book, almost near the end.  The banter, arguments and fuzzy moments made me smile.

     The inclusion of the werewolf and vampire races in side-character capacities was interesting and allowed for an important part of the plot involving peace tenets to unfold smoothly and make sense. But they were by no means main characters (at least till Vampire Luc became mega important at the end of the book) and didn't become annoying, or detract from the main plot.  The twist about Amelie's surprise sibling was very movie of the week and not at all shocking.  I thought the revelation of who it actually was happened to be really odd and didn't fit too great with the direction the action took near the final battle.  It seemed to me just a convenient plot twist.  I really wanted it to be someone she'd never met, but alas I wasn't so lucky.  Which sucked because I really liked that character until the truth was revealed!  The likeability of the characters, the witty dialogue and the overall humor of the book were definitely my favorite points.  With the huge twisting cliffhanger at the end I'm intrigued to see how the author spins things in the next book.  Overall a fast paced, funny paranormal read with a lot of heart that I would recommend to fans of Obsidian by: Jennifer Armentrout, The Percy Jackson Series by: Rick Riordan, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

 

VERDICT:  4.5/5  Stars

 

*I received an Advanced Reading E-book Copy from the publisher, via NetGalley. No money or favors were exchanged for this review. This book was published April 2nd, 2013.*

Kissed By a Cowpoke Angel

Expected Publication:  August 20th, 2013
My Totally Awkward Supernatural Crush
By: Laura Toffler-Corrie
Roaring Brook Press
ISBN-13:  9781596437333

Jenna Bloom is just an average middle school student until her family takes her to her least favorite restaurant for her birthday, where she meets Cowpoke Luke, her waiter and one true love. Oh, and he also happens to be an angel. Jenna can't believe that Luke could actually be interested in her, and yet he is! Unfortunately he's got a demonic foe named Adam who could potentially complicate matters, and when the two boys have a big showdown at the local community theater's performance of Fiddler on the Roof, Jenna is right in the middle of it all.

Review

 

     Jenna Bloom is having the worst fourteenth birthday ever.  Instead of having the beautiful, sophisticated dinner she wanted, Jenna is stuck at the steak-house (her least favorite restaurant) with her parents and brother for her birthday - as well as the annoying neighbor boy who won't leave her alone!  So when a hot guy named Luke turns out to be their server things are looking up.  But when Jenna's Mom gives her a truly ugly heirloom necklace as a present, Luke starts acting really weird around her.  Then his archrival Adam shows up and Jenna learns that there really are such things as angels and demons - and they both have different agendas involving Jenna's futures.  When the boys crash the local production of Fiddler on the Roof that Jenna is part of, hilarity and shenanigans ensue.  Throw in the holy terror that Jenna babysits, David, and you have the makings of a supernatural battle to the death.  But who will win, Adam or Luke?  Also, which boy has stolen Jenna's heart? 

     This book is obviously a parody of all the supernatural, young-adult romances and this is made clear from the very beginning.  Jenna is cute, but reads very young.  I did appreciate the non-wavering attitude towards romance on her part.  Even with this book being a parody, there is nothing more annoying than an unnecessary love triangle.  The whole thing with her necklace being the magical key to Adam (the demon) being able to stay on Earth permanently and wreak havoc was such a stock supernatural plot that it made me laugh.  My favorite character through was David, the bratty kid that Jenna babysits for so that she'll have money for clothes that weren't bought in bulk by her Mom.  He was always finding a way to make Jenna's life difficult, but they had a relationship more brother/sister-like than she did with her actual brother.  In particular the part involving him near the end, during the performance of Fiddler on the Roof had me dying laughing!  Obviously there wasn't much character development and the plot wasn't super in depth either.  I found myself wondering what the point was a few times, as the plot wandered aimlessly in circles for a good chunk of time in the middle of the book.  The conclusion was trite and overdone.  I found it slightly funny (for the fact that in ways it reminded me of the stupidity of Twilight) but saw it coming a mile away.  It was like reading a book form of Scary Movie, only a helluva lot more clean and tween friendly.  Overall, a cute read and if you can deal with obvious parody, and serious plot holes (that was probably intentional) you might enjoy this one for what it is: pure fluff!

 

VERDICT:  2.75/5  Stars

 

*I received this book as part of Around the World ARC Tours, run by the lovely Princess Bookie. No favors or money were exchanged for this review. It became available for purchase on August 20th, 2013.*

You Have Drawn Me In

Published:  March 5th, 2013

Infatuate (Gilded Wings # 2)

By: Aimee Agresti

Harcourt Children's Books

ISBN-13:  9780547626154

Haven Terra is still recovering from an internship that brought her literally to the brink of hell when a trip to New Orleans leads to more trouble. Graduating early from high school leaves the spring semester free, so Haven and her friends Dante and Lance head to the Big Easy to volunteer with community service projects. But their true mission becomes clear when they run across an enclave of devils known as the Krewe. New Orleans is a free-for-all for these shape-shifting devils, who are more reckless and vicious than any Haven, Lance, and Dante have encountered. 

And they soon discover their French Quarter housemates are also angels-in-training, and together they must face off with the Krewe in their quest for wings. But Haven’s resolve is tested when Lucian, the repentant devil with whom she was infatuated, resurfaces and asks her for help escaping the underworld. Can he be trusted? Or will aiding him cost Haven her angel wings—and her life? Thrilling, romantic, and full of surprises, this gripping sequel to Illuminate takes the battle of good and evil to the next level.

Review

     Haven Terra and her friends want nothing more than a stress free trip to New Orleans, where they will spend their time volunteering on community service projects and enjoying the local history and attractions.  In other words, voluntourism.  Haven leaves thinking that after everything at the Hotel she and Lance will be closer than ever in their relationship.  She and Dante will be rock solid.  The second assertion yes, the first one not so much.  Lance and Haven are drifting further away from each other than they ever expected and with the demons actively campaigning for their souls, now is not the time to be divided.  Also, their pretty and emotionally wounded housemate Sabine's attention focused on Lance, Haven just might lose him for good.  But when all of the housemates learn they are participating in a secret bootcamp to train as angels, the threat becomes all too real.  As the Krewe, a group of seductive demons, rampages on a murder spree through New Orleans can Haven and her friends come together long enough to defeat them once and for all?  Will all of them still be alive when the dust settles?

     I really enjoyed the first book and it's retelling of The Picture of Dorian Gray in a completely new and interesting way I had never encountered before.  This book doesn't manage quite the same feat for Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, but it is still well crafted and easy to immerse yourself in while reading.  Haven was still too good for me in this one - even when she's jealous of Sabine and Lance she never once lashes out.  She basically just gives up and doesn't fight for what she wants.  Plus her continued communication with Lucian, who is reaching out from the Underworld just strikes me a s stupid after the experience that she Lance and Dante has at the Hotel during their internships.  I thought that the undercover voluntourism was a nice touch, but I didn't necessarily buy the sudden surge of Haven's powers and the ease with which all the teens learned what they could do.  The idea of Dante as the sage adviser was fun and well written.  He's still Haven's BFF, but has an extra dimension with his very happy romance and place at the head of the class.  I loved his interactions with Voodoo Queen he's apprenticing for as well.  

      The Krewe as the villain seemed very obvious, but at the same time extremely disjointed and I had a difficult time keeping track of who knew what and whether or not someone was really evil.  All of the human sacrifice and murders became repetitive to me as a reader and therefore less effective as plot devices the more they were used.  The final battle seemed kind of played out, but maybe that was because of the way the plot began to drag near the end.  I kept waiting for something to happen and when it did, it was somewhat anticlimactic.  There was some awesome character development and the reconstructing of the relationship between Lance and Haven after it crumbles was very nicely done.  I am interested to read the next book in the series.  I want to know how it will end for the gang, especially after they've suffered so much.  The world building had just enough detail mixed in with mystery to keep me hooked.  Also, Agresti's prose is fairly gorgeous.  Overall, if you're not such a fan of the angel trend (as I am not) I would recommend this book to you as it happens to be mostly character driven, with a pretty well constructed plot.  Not too much religion or flying around talking about Heaven and/or Hell to be interesting.

VERDICT:  4/5  Stars

*I received an Advanced Reading E-book Copy from the publisher, via NetGalley. No money or favors were exchanged for this review. This book was published February 5th, 2013.*

Coming Out of My Cage, I've Been Doing Just Fine

Expected Publication: February 26th, 2013
Wicked Kiss (Nightwatchers # 2)
By: Michelle Rowen
Harlequin Teen
ISBN-13: 9780373210640

MY KISS CAN KILL.

I used to be ordinary Samantha Day, but that's changed. Now, after one dark kiss from a dangerous boy, I can steal someone's soul...or their life. If I give in to the constant hunger inside me, I hurt anyone I kiss. If I don't...I hurt myself.

Bishop is the one whose kiss I crave most, but if I kiss him, I'll kill him. Then there's another boy, one I can't hurt. One whose kiss seems to miraculously quell my hunger. They're both part of a team of angels and demons that's joined forces in my city to fight a mysterious rising darkness, an evil that threatens everyone I know and love. I just wonder if I'll be able to help Bishop-or if I'm just another part of the darkness he's sworn to destroy....

Review

 

     Samantha Day was an ordinary girl just a week ago, wanting nothing as much as to be kissed by the boy she'd been crushing on for a long time.  She didn't expect him to steal her soul when it finally happened.  Oh yeah, and Sam is also half angel and half demon, which makes things even more complicated.  Now with a constant hunger, Sam must fight and retrieve her soul before it's too late and she's gone for good.  With the help of a team of Angels and Demons assembled to keep the balance in the universe, (including fallen angel Bishop who Sam shares an attraction with and Kraven a demon, and Bishop's brother) Sam needs to find a way to get rid of the 'Grays' before the city is destroyed.  But when the dust settles who will still be alive?  I was kind of on the fence about the first book and am not really into the angels/demons YA trend that's still kind of floating around.  But this book ended up being kind of 'meh' for me like the first one.  The reason it gets as much accolade as it does from me, is mostly due to the supporting characters and not the leads.  For instance, mean girl Jordan grows and changes so much in this book, but manages to stay snarky and interesting even after becoming Sam's friend (a.k.a getting mixed up with the supernaturak shit in her life).  I also enjoyed the addition of Cassandra, the female angel sent down on a secret mission which might be at cross purposes with the rest of the group's aims.  The dynamic between Cass and the rest of the group was interesting, even if her self-righteous attitude did grate on my nerves somewhat.  The jealousy on the part of Sam got really annoying though and made me want to smack her.  As a reader I enjoyed the backstory given about Bishop and Kraven's tumultuous history and thought it was very well executed.  But the rest of the plot felt like it dragged, making me want to skip large chunks out of pure boredom.  There were a couple of plot twists that caught me off guard, which always impresses me.  I like it when an author's writing is good enough to keep me guessing.  Too bad that momentum didn't exist through the whole book.  Especially with the scene where Sam "died" and was no longer a Grey afterwards; it was so cheesy and predictable, with no real substance.  I'm glad I stuck with it and read this book, because it turns out this is the last one and it WON'T be a trilogy.  In a way that sucks, because the ending was extremely loose and even though the action plot got resolved, the romantic one definitely did not.  Overall, an unsatisfying book but a decent read.

VERDICT:  2.75/5  Stars

*I received an Advanced Reading E-book Copy from the publisher, via NetGalley. No money or favors were exchanged for this review. This book's expected publication date is February 26th, 2013.*

Sweet, But Dead

Expected Publication:  May 14th, 2013

The Sweet Dead Life 

By: Joy Preble

Soho Press

ISBN-13:   9781616951504

“I found out two things today. One, I think I’m dying. And two, my brother is a perv.”

So begins the diary of 14-year-old Jenna Samuels, who is having a very bad eighth-grade year. Her single mother spends all day in bed. Dad vanished when she was eight. Her 16-year-old brother, Casey, tries to hold together what’s left of the family by working two after-school jobs— difficult, as he’s stoned all the time. To make matters worse, Jenna is sick. When she collapses one day, Casey tries to race her to the hospital in their beat-up Prius and crashes instead.

Jenna wakes up in the ER to find Casey beside her. Beatified. Literally. The flab and zits? Gone. Before long, Jenna figures out that Casey didn’t survive the accident at all. He’s an “A-word.” (She can’t bring herself to utter the truth.) Soon they discover that Jenna isn’t just dying: she’s being poisoned. And Casey has been sent back to help solve the mystery that not only holds the key to her survival, but also to their mother’s mysterious depression and father’s disappearance.

Review

     Jenna Samuels has a pretty sucky life, watching out for herself ever since her Dad disappeared and her Mom lost her mind.  Her older brother Casey isn't much help either, with his pervy tendencies but he has a good heart and is trying his best to support them by working two jobs.  But lately Jenna has been deathly ill and when Casey is rushing her to the emergency room one night, they get into a car crash and Casey is transformer - into an angel!  Soon Casey and Jenna figure out that she was being poisoned, by someone who doesn't want a dark secret to be uncovered.  To help their Mom regain herself, the two need to figure out who wants her to stay crazy.  Also, their Dad is out there somewhere and it may be closer than they ever dreamed.  Will they succeed, or will Jenna's family stay broken?  This book was FUNNY.  I was so surprised that I was really into a book with a 13 year old protagonist.  Although her life really sucks and she might be dying, Jenna knows who she is and what she wants.  She refuses to compromise.  The description for the book makes you think that Casey is some deadbeat pervert.  But really he's just dealing with their Dad being gone in a very different way than Jenna is.  I enjoyed the brother-sister interactions.  But the whole angel thing was slightly confusing.  Also the identity of the villain, and why they were hurting Jenna and her Mom, was extremely predictable.  I saw it coming from within the first few chapters.  If there is a sequel I will most likely read it, but I wasn't in love with this book.  It was a well-written, fun read though and I would recommend it.

VERDICT:  3.75/5  Stars

**I received this book as part of Around the World ARC Tours, run by the lovely Princess Bookie. No favors or money were exchanged for this review. It will be available for purchase on May 14th, 2013.**

Touched By An Angel...

Published: September 30th, 2010

Angel Burn

By: L.A. Weatherly

Candlewick Press

ISBN-13: 9780763656522

In a world where angels are beyond redemption, Alex thinks he’s found one that might deserve mercy. 

Alex is a ruthless assassin—of angels. Forget everything you’ve heard about them before. Angels are not benign celestial creatures, but fierce stalkers whose irresistible force allows them to feed off humans, draining them of their vitality until there is barely anything left. As far as Alex is concerned, the only good angel is a dead angel... until he meets Willow. 

She may look like a normal teenager but Willow is no ordinary girl. Half-angel, half-human, Willow may hold the key to defeating the evil angels. But as the hunter and the hunted embark on an epic and dangerous journey and Willow learns the dark and terrifying secrets of her past, Alex finds himself drawn to Willow... with devastating consequences.

Review

   In the world at large, Angels are real and everyone believes that they've been sent to help mankind.  In reality they feed from human energy and make humans diseased and weak, even killing them.  Willow Fields has always been different from other kids.  She is psychic and can read people's futures.  Things take a turn for the worse when Willow reads a popular girl from school's future.  It turns out that Beth is being fed on by an Angel and it's slowly killing her.  But when Willow tries to warn her, she's seen as hostile to the Church of the Angels (an organization used by the Angels to acquire energy sources at the expense of the humans) and is hunted by them.  Also, Willow finds out that the reason for her psychic abilities is that she is half-angel.  Enter Alex, an AK or Angel Killer who is working for the CIA and gets orders to kill Willow.  Then he begins to question his orders and it turns out that the CIA's Project Angel has been compromised - the Angels are the ones giving the orders and they want Willow dead.  Because apparently she's the only one with the power to stop them.  Alex and Willow go on the run, determined to stop the Angels from infiltrating Earth even more in any way they can.  Will they be able to fix things or is it too late?  And will they find love and redemption in one another along the way?  This was a new concept to me - Angels as the bad guys.  I loved the idea because it was different and I'm tired of reading the same old things over and over again.  Willow was a strong heroine, who didn't take crap from anybody.  Her ability to fix cars was cool and I liked that she  never hesitated to do the right thing, even when it might not be what she wanted.  Alex was for want of a better term, a bad-ass.  He is a motorcycle riding, tattooed, angel killing, tortured hero with a painful past.  Plus, he was willing to question everything he'd been taught to figure out the right thing to do.  There was a lot of action and fight scenes that were well-done and kept me on the edge of my seat.  This was a thrilling action/adventure/romance novel and I'm excited to read the next one in the series.  My only complaint it the descent into lovey-dovey near the end of the book.  I highly recommend it.

VERDICT:  4/5  Stars

*No money or favors were exchanged for this review. This book is now available in stores and online.* 

The Kiss That Ruins...

Expected Publication: May 22nd, 2012
Dark Kiss (Nightwatchers # 1)
By: Michelle Rowen
HarlequinTeen
ISBN-13: 9780373210473


I don't do dangerous. Smart, über-careful, ordinary Samantha-that's me. But I just couldn't pass up a surprise kiss from my number-one unattainable crush. A kiss that did something to me...something strange. Now I feel hungry all the time, but not for food. It's like part of me is missing-and I don't know if I can get it back. Then there's Bishop. At first I thought he was just a street kid, but the secrets he's keeping are as intense as his unearthly blue eyes. If he's what I think he is, he may be the only one who can help me. But something terrifying is closing in, and the one chance Bishop and I have to stop it means losing everything I ever wanted and embracing the darkness inside me.... NIGHTWATCHERS When angels and demons must work together, something beyond evil is rising...

Review

   Samantha never expected her longtime crush Stephen to finally kiss her when she went clubbing with her best friend Carly.  He said it would change her life, but she never would have seen it coming.  Now Sam is hungry, just not for food anymore.  What she wants now are human souls.  Because it turns out that Stephen stole her soul when he kissed her!  Now Sam is enlisted to help a group of angels and demons, sent to stop all of the Grays (term for soul-suckers) from destroying the town, possibly even the world.  But there might be more to the situation than any of them have been told.  And when they've defeated the Grays will Bishop, an angel who Sam is starting to fall for, be able to leave as planned?  Or will he be stuck on Earth, cast from Heaven forever?  This book was semi-new to me.  I have tryed and mostly succeded at staying out of the angel/demon craze in YA books.  Therefore I'm not burnt out on them yet like so many others seem to be.  I kind of have mixed feelings about Sam as a heroine.  She was sort of a bitch through the whole situation, a little too woe-is-me Bella Swan in her mentality.  It was like Sam was physically incapable of seeing anyone's problems but her own.  Bishop was too much of the strong, silent yet suffering type to really appeal to me.  After so many of them in YA books, do-gooder heroes bore me.  They annoy me somewhat as well.  The insta-love/lust is so overplayed I can't even express it.  The people who interested me of course were the side characters, like Carly, Kraven, and the others on the team sent to fight the Grays.  Maybe there will be more of them in the second book, but I probably won't be reading it to find out.  The style this was written in drove me mad - not enough action to counterbalance all of Sam's angst and I just didn't connect with the main characters.  The plot would have been a winner, but the characters bogged it down.

VERDICT:  3/5  Stars

*I received an Advanced Reading E-book Copy from the publisher, via NetGalley. No money or favors were exchanged for this review. This book's expected publication date is May 22nd, 2012.*