Summer Lovin' Book Tour Review! While He Was Away

Author: Karen Schreck
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Release Date: May 1, 2012
Pages: 256

Summary: All she wants is for him to stay. She's been doing pretty well, pretending he doesn't have to go. But one day, after one last night to remember, she wakes up and there's no denying it anymore. He's gone.

When Penna Weaver's boyfriend goes off to Iraq, she's left facing life without him. As summer sets in, Penna tries to distract herself with work and her art, but the not knowing is slowly driving her crazy. Especially when David stops writing.

She knows in her heart he will come home. But will he be the same boy she fell in love with?

~Video Review~

Goodreads link---> While He Was Away by Karen Schreck

LC's Take:

Some books just knock me right upside the head and leave me thinking about them for days after. While He Was Away was one of those books!

Penna and David have been dating for almost a year before David has to go away to Iraq. As Penna tries to not fall to pieces, she's now faced with what seems like a giant void. The long summer days stretch out before her to what seems like eternity, and nothing feels like it has any meaning with David gone. But slowly, Penna starts to pick up the pieces of her life again, and she takes heart in making new friends and soldiering on as best she can-- no matter what life throws at her.

Before I started reading this one-- I won't lie-- I was a little hesitant. I'm not one of those people who likes reading super-tragic, sad books with depressing endings that make me cry my eyes out, and I thought this story might go in that direction. On top of that, I've never known anyone close who has gone to Iraq, or even been in the military for that matter, so reading this kind of a book was a totally new experience for me and I wasn't sure how I was going to react to it.

Even though this was an everyday story about very average people, While He Was Away managed to pull me into a powerful tale of love and war. As I started reading, I was a little worried that the whole book was going to be a sob-fest with Penna pining away and obsessing over David, but then the more I thought about it, the more I realized that in the same situation? I'd be reacting in the same way-- seeing and hearing David in everything, and remembering all the times before he left. And as Penna learns to cope with her boyfriend going off to Iraq, she learns things and changes in ways that she could never have anticipated. She grows into a stronger, more resilient person in the face of a near-impossible situation. You will love Penna and feel the excruciating pain that she has to go through every single day as she waits for her David to come back home, but you'll also be encouraged by her willingness to not crumble, getting on with life as life goes on with or without her.

Another major concern of mine while I was reading this book was whether it would have a happy ending or not. Well, I'm not going to give much away for those who haven't read the book yet, but I will say that this story was very much like real life-- the point wasn't about having a happy or sad ending. Rather, the story really tried to show how the experiences we have and the people we meet shape us, for good or bad, and how all we can do is survive and try to make the best of things. I don't think this was depressing, it was just very realistic. And while the ending was bittersweet, I wouldn't say it was sad. I did cry, but it was more because I felt so touched by a story that was both simple and yet extremely powerful at the same time.

The only other thing I'll say is-- I really, really hope there is going to be a sequel to this one! As much as the end of the book made sense, I really want to see what happens next in Penna's life!

In the end, I think that While He Was Away accomplished exactly what it set out to do: tell a real-life story of love and war and the people who are most deeply affected by both. And something about this book definitely affected me personally, because it was raw and real, and it didn't try too hard to make an impression or be overly-dramatic. Honestly, it didn't have to-- the story was just that good, and the characters were just that relatable. I would recommend this book to all my readers, because it was realistic, genuine and heartfelt with a wonderful message that can't help but encourage and inspire you. And really, that's about everything I could ask for in a book!

~Cover Talk~

This cover is just so sweet and romantic! And especially knowing what this book is about, I mean it's just like, bring on the water-works! I love the picture of Penna and David together, they just look so sweet and innocent, and the pinky-peach sunset glow behind them makes the entire scene look very ideal and romantic. It's like a moment captured in time that you can always look back on. Definitely a fan of this cover!

LC's Rating:

A stunningly beautiful and compelling story that captured my heart from the very beginning- While He Was Away will not only pull you into a wonderful love story; it will give you an even greater appreciation for the ones that you love! This is definitely a must-read for the summer :)

So I hope you guys enjoyed this video review and review post on While He Was Away-- stay tuned TOMORROW when I'll be posting a special GUEST POST by author Karen Schreck AND a fabulous GIVEAWAY for a copy of this amazing summer read!! Talk to you guys soon and Happy Reading!!

Book Review: Crossed

Author: Ally Condie
Publisher: Dutton Juvenile
Series: Matched #2
Release date: November 1, 2011
Pages: 384
Read it in: 2 days
Source: The Library

Summary: In search of a future that may not exist and faced with the decision of who to share it with, Cassia journeys to the Outer Provinces in pursuit of Ky - taken by the Society to his certain death - only to find that he has escaped, leaving a series of clues in his wake.

Cassia's quest leads her to question much of what she holds dear, even as she finds glimmers of a different life across the border. But as Cassia nears resolve and certainty about her future with Ky, an invitation for rebellion, an unexpected betrayal, and a surprise visit from Xander - who may hold the key to the uprising and, still, to Cassia's heart - change the game once again. Nothing is as expected on the edge of Society, where crosses and double crosses make the path more twisted than ever.

LC's Take:

Sigh... where to begin with this one? You know that I **try** to be nice with my reviews and at least say something that I liked about a book before I go all crazy-rant-girl on it, so I guess we'll do a run-down of what I liked about this second book in Ally Condie's Matched trilogy first...

Crossed did a good job of continuing the romance between Cassia and Ky, and honestly, I do like the romance between them. Not too hot-n-heavy, not to whiny-piney, it's sweet and simple. I also liked the conflict that was created between all the relationships going on, even though we all know just how beaten to death love triangles are. Cassia still doesn't know whether she should chose Xander, the guy she was originally matched with, or go with Ky who has shown her a whole new way of life. Oh yeah, and what was going on between Ky and Indie?! Was anybody else wondering that? Were they attracted to each other? I couldn't tell, but this definitely peaked my curiosity and I wonder what will be going on between them in the future...

The new characters that were introduced in Crossed-- namely Indie, Eli, Vick and Hunter-- were all likable, if somewhat lackluster and underdeveloped. I thought that Indie was strong and brave, which Cassia really needed while she was trying to survive in the wilderness, and I'm glad that Ky decided to take Eli and Vick with him, so there was some interaction going on during his parts of the story. Hunter was sort of a mystery, although we know that he has a sad background.

I also liked the descriptive language used to paint a picture of what The Carving-- AKA the giant canyon that Ky and Cassia escape to-- was like. For the most part, I was able to see the rugged landscape and the different settings that both Cassia and Ky traveled through, which created a stark contrast to the perfect, pristine setting of The Society from the first book.

*****

Alright, so that's what I liked, now moving on to the stuff I wasn't a fan of.

First of all, the plot was so sllllloooowwww... like I'm talking molasses in January slow. I think that the reason for this was that the narrative was extremely reflective. I mean, you're in the moment, and then all of a sudden, one of the characters starts reminiscing about some memory, or starts considering a leaf or a piece of grass and thinking, "Wow, how beautiful. This green leaf reminds me of the color of my Match banquet dress, and my mom and dad, and my childhood, and it's so pretty, what a beautiful blade of grass... I think I will write a poem about it."

No, I am not making this up-- literally, the entire book is like this. And what's more, I don't understand the point of it. None of the memories are ones we haven't already heard about from the first book, and they don't bring us to any mind-blowing revelations about what's going on in the present. They're just pretty and empty and-- I'm sorry-- don't add much to the plot, except that I had to work that much harder to not fall asleep.

My second issue with this series-- and this book in particular-- is that there is pretty much zero context or motivation for anything that is going on. This is a problem not just with the main characters, but with the entire world that they live in. I have so many questions that haven't been answered yet, starting with:

1.) WHO or WHAT is the Society and what is their purpose behind getting rid of all but 100 of everything (example: The Hundred Songs, The Hundred Paintings, The Hundred Poems...), and then controlling everyone in the way that they do? We're told that they want to "increase efficiency" and stop death, but how the heck does getting rid of music and paintings do this??

2.) WHO is "The Enemy" that is mentioned at least a hundred times throughout the story and what is their motivation for rising up against The Society and killing people in the Outer Provinces? NOTHING is said about The Enemy, if you aren't counting the fact that "they" are called "The Enemy." This gives me the reader absolutely nada to go on-- do the main characters even know who on earth "The Enemy" is? Wouldn't this be an important little tidbit of info to let us in on?? JUST SAYING.

3.) WHO are these people in "The Rising" and what the heck is their motivation? To get rid of The Society? The Enemy? I am SO CONFUSED. And also, why does Cassia want to join The Rising's rebellion so badly when she has no idea who they even are or what they actually stand for?

4.) What exactly was everyone's ultimate goal in this book? Why were they wandering around a canyon for almost 400 pages? I'm sorry, but if I get to the end of a book and have little understanding of why anything just happened and I close the thing with a ginormous blank stare on my face-- you missed telling me something. Like, badly.

So basically what I'm trying to say is that, the writing wasn't bad and the characters weren't too bad (although they are pretty boring too), but pretty much everything about Crossed was incredibly vague and confusing. And forget about action because there wasn't any. There was a lot of description, but unfortunately not in the places where I actually needed it.

This is similar to how Matched was written, but I can forgive Matched because it was the first book in the series and there was at least some action going on. I expected that in this second book, there would be more explanation about the Society and the Enemy, but unfortunately I was left even more confused than I was at the end of the first book! Crossed just seemed like a lot of aimless wandering around, without actually getting anywhere. And it is very frustrating when you read something like this for the entire length of a book, but nothing is ever really explained about what everyone is trying to accomplish and why.

So I don't know. For me, this is just one those series that meets my most basic standards of being "good," but never leads up to anything that really makes it stand out as being incredible or even really memorable. I thought that the writing was "good" if somewhat bland in places, the narrative flowed well between Cassia and Ky's points of view, and there was nothing outwardly annoying in this book, besides the fact that I can't find a motivation for anything in this plot for the life of me. The thing with second books in series is-- you need to give your readers something to go on. You can't just talk all vague and wishy-washy and totally leave them in the dark, because you're going to lose their interest. My final comment would be "meh." And I hate having that reaction to a book.

~Cover Talk~

I think we can all agree that these covers are just beautiful. I liked the cover for Matched even better than this one, but I think that they both go together perfectly. And the cool thing is that the colors actually are incorporated into the books-- in Matched, the main color theme is green, and in Crossed it was blue. My guess is that the last book in the trilogy is going to be red! And maybe the glass sphere will be totally smashed? I'm definitely looking forward to seeing it.

LC's Rating:

I was not impressed with the sequel to Matched. There was very little action, and hardly any explanation behind what the characters were doing or thinking. The plot was also extremely slow and difficult to maintain interest in, due to the fact that there was so much internal reflection going on. Unfortunately, boredom and confusion were the end results.

Book Review: Matched

Author: Ally Condie
Publisher: Dutton Juvenile
Series: Matched #1
Release Date: November 30, 2010
Pages: 384
Read it in: 1.5 days
Source: The library

Summary: 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.

LC's Take:

I feel a teeny-tiny bit sorry for Matched, because I read it in the wake of other amazing YA dystopians such as The Hunger Games, Wither and Divergent. Now, that is not to say that I didn't like it, or that it was a disappointment-- because it wasn't! Only that, it somewhat lacked the brilliance of other novels in this genre. It wasn't heart-stoppingly amazing, but I did like it. In fact, I liked it enough that I read it in 2 sittings, which is almost unheard of for me (I'm a slow reader!).

Cassia Maria Reyes is 17 years old and every aspect of her life has already been planned out for her by the trusted Officials of "The Society." Rules and regulations shape every aspect of her life, and Cassia has never questioned or deviated from them. Everything is safe and perfect, and there is no pain, suffering or sadness. That is, until a glitch in the system matches her with two different guys-- Xander, her best friend, and Ky, a mysterious boy from the Outer Provinces whom she knows little about.

I loved seeing Cassia's character develop as I read this story. Through her Grandfather's poems, Ky's stories, and her own observations, Cassia begins to think for herself and realize that everything she has always passively accepted as truth is actually false. And as Cassia slowly starts to think independently from what the Society has always told her to believe, she also starts to find her own identity along the way. I loved that Cassia finally realized that she needed to live her life according to her own terms and no one else's.

The romance between Cassia and Ky was very touching and beautiful, and I loved seeing their relationship slowly build over the course of the novel. Even though it's secret and forbidden, you just can't help but wish against everything that they will end up together! The romance is thankfully free of teen angst or mushy love scenes- everything was genuine and sweet. 

Ally Condie really did a fantastic job of creating a world that seems perfect, but clearly has something very dark and disturbing lurking under the surface. The plot itself did lack the same amount of heart-pounding action as The Hunger Games or Divergent, but in it's quieter way Matched still had it's own appeal.

Unfortunately, some parts of this book did seem slightly formulaic (yup, there's a big ol' love triangle)-- and I thought some things were reminiscent of other dystopian books I've already read (The Giver-- almost everyone else has said the same thing). Also, I felt like we were left in the dark about a lot of things, and I wish that more history and context had been explained. What lead to the Society being created in the first place? What year does this story take place in? Who are the people fighting the system? Who are the people actually in charge and what does the structure of the Society look like? Is there a president or leader? What exactly is the war about and who are they fighting against? These are things that seemed frustratingly vague and wishy-washy to me, and I hope we get to hear more about them in the next books!

In many ways, Matched was a good story that kept me reading. However, there were also things that I found to be lacking, and even though this probably isn't fair, it was hard not to compare it to other books in the YA dystopian genre. Overall it was still very readable and entertaining, and I think that the story it tells was both beautiful and thought-provoking.

LC's Rating:

In its own quieter way, Matched takes a place among other YA dystopian novels. While I found it to be touching and beautiful in some aspects, I wish that there had been more world-building and action. Other than that, this was still a great story!

ARC Book Review: Incarnate

Author: Jodi Meadows
Publisher: HarperCollins
Release Date: January 31, 2012
Pages: 384
Read it in: 3 days
Source: ARC provided by publisher

Summary: NEWSOUL... Ana is new. For thousands of years in Range, a million souls have been reincarnated over and over, keeping their memories and experiences from previous lifetimes. When Ana was born, another soul vanished, and no one knows why.

NOSOUL... Even Ana’s own mother thinks she’s a nosoul, an omen of worse things to come, and has kept her away from society. To escape her seclusion and learn whether she’ll be reincarnated, Ana travels to the city of Heart, but its citizens are suspicious and afraid of what her presence means. When dragons and sylph attack the city, is Ana to blame?

HEART... Sam believes Ana’s new soul is good and worthwhile. When he stands up for her, their relationship blooms. But can he love someone who may live only once, and will Ana’s enemies—human and creature alike—let them be together? Ana needs to uncover the mistake that gave her someone else’s life, but will her quest threaten the peace of Heart and destroy the promise of reincarnation for all?

Jodi Meadows expertly weaves soul-deep romance, fantasy, and danger into an extraordinary tale of new life.

LC's Take:

Honestly, I am still reeling over how gorgeous the cover of this book is! When I got it in the mail, it pretty much took my breath away when I saw it...

Incarnate was one of those books that had both things I liked and disliked about it. However, the greatest thing about it by far was it's daring creativity, and the author's ability to write something unlike anything else in the YA genre. All in all, it was a very interesting, creative story, and I thought that the writing was done very well-- there were parts that I definitely savored. Sometimes, it just seems like there are so many YA books out there, and they can all run together, so when you find a plot premise like the one in Incarnate, it really stands out from the rest!

What I noticed while reading this book, is that it is really difficult to put in one specific box-- it's partly YA utopian, partly fantasy, partly romance... I'm not quite sure what label to put on it. But you know, that's a good thing. I sort of liked that this book had me guessing the entire way through, and like I said, that it was so different from anything else I have read so far in the YA genre.

~Basic Premise~

Incarnate starts off on the edges of a world called "Range." Range has exactly one million souls, and all of them have been reincarnated over and over again for the past 5,000 years or so. Until Ana is born-- she is a "Newsoul," one who has never lived before. At the start of the story, Ana is 18 years old, and she lives a secluded life in the forest with Li, her unloving mother. The people of Range fear Ana, because not only is she a "Newsoul," she also replaced one of the million souls, named Ciana, when she was born-- and Ciana never returned. What if more newsouls are born, while older souls disappear forever??

In the first chapter, Ana leaves her horrible mother and the only home she's ever known to go to the city of Heart. Throughout the book, Ana is basically on a quest to figure out who she really is, where she came from and why, and what will happen to her after she dies-- questions we probably all wonder about ourselves to some extent. When she nearly drowns in a lake at the beginning, she is saved by a boy named Sam, who subsequently saves her again from a Sylph attack-- Sam takes care of Ana until she's well enough to make the rest of the trip to Heart and face head-on a society that doesn't understand her.

~Thoughts~

Ana was a bit of a complicated main character, and I found at times that it was difficult to like her. However, I completely understood why she acted and thought the way she did, after spending her entire life under the tyranny of a mother who brainwashed her into thinking she was a "Nosoul"-- something that couldn't think or feel, and wasn't even worthy of life. Ana was a mix of being strong and independent but also vulnerable, hurt and distrusting. You could see in her thoughts, words, and actions just how cynical, and quick to judge others she was-- especially when it came to Sam.

Thank goodness Ana found Sam! He was such a sweet and caring person. He cares about Ana when everyone else treats her like an outcast. He saves her life in the beginning, and then takes care of her, even though she tries to push him away. The reason I loved Sam is because he accepts Ana for who she is, and their relationship isn't the typical YA version of love-- AKA "we-have-no-clue-why-we're-inexplicably-obsessed-with-each-other-after-four-pages" love. He doesn't question why she exists or what she's doing in Range, he simply loves her unconditionally, and this really made me fall for him!

The world building of Range and the city of Heart was brilliant for the simple fact that it was so different. It was like part fantasy world, part dystopian world-- there were sylphs, dragons, centaurs, and trolls but then there were also laser pistols, futuristic technology and a society built over thousands of years from souls who have been around for millennia-- isn't that such an awesome idea? At first, it took a little getting used to, I wasn't exactly sure how to picture Range and Heart, but in the end, I thought it was so cool that Jodi stepped outside the box to create something so totally unique!

So now, I have to get into the things about Incarnate that I was not completely a fan of. As you know, I keep my reviews as honest as possible, so it's only fair that I give my opinion about what didn't work for me...

First of all, while reincarnation is an interesting idea for a fictional book, it leaves a lot of possibilities for plot holes-- sort of like time travel. It's an interesting idea, but it also leads to a lot of questions that aren't easy to explain away. I have to hand it to Jodi Meadows in taking on such an ambitious plot and making it work without leaving her readers super confused. But I did still have questions throughout the story.

Such as-- and this was probably the most confusing for me-- every soul can be reincarnated into either a man or a woman, and they never know from one lifetime to the next which gender they will be. Um, OK... so, Ana loves Sam in THIS lifetime-- what if he's a woman in his next lifetime?? Is he even really a "he"?? Is Ana really a "she"? This whole concept was completely lost on me, it was just too weird. I think the idea was that "true love" transcends gender, and two souls will love each other in every lifetime, whether they're male or female. That's a great New Age-y kind of ideal, but I don't think it would translate in the real world. This issue was kind-of, sort-of addressed, but we never really got an answer to how it would work with Ana and Sam.

Also, I did not like the idea of soul mates killing themselves or each other so that they could wind up together at the same age in the next lifetime-- this just didn't sit right with me, and I definitely don't think it's romantic. I was disappointed that suicide and killing off your lover so that you can be born again at the same time in the next life was passed off as being "romantic." For me, this was just a turn-off.

I've already talked a little about the main character Ana, but I need to elaborate a little on her, because as I said, she wasn't always the easiest person to like. Even though I did like her for the most part, I thought that at times she got to be overbearing-- her pessimism, cynicism, and bitterness didn't always mix well, especially since she could also be arrogant and downright mean to Sam. Some of this made sense since she had such a horrible upbringing with Li, but at some points I just got tired of her poor attitude. I am hoping that as the series goes on, we see Ana's character develop more, as she overcomes all the hurt of her past.

Finally, I'm not going to say too much about the ending, except that, I'm not sure what it was setting us up for as far as the rest of the series goes-- I pretty much have no idea what's going to happen next, even though there are still so many questions that need to be answered. The last few chapters just had so much going on, and the action along with the explanations left me slightly confused. I feel like it's important to set up some expectations for your readers, so they have some idea of what is going to happen in the next book-- but there wasn't much to go on in the last few pages.

Overall I did like this book, and I think that the majority of YA readers will enjoy it as well. It really was a unique and creative story with awesome world-building and some great characters. Despite some flaws, I give Jodi Meadows a lot of credit for being creative and ambitious in writing a story so unlike any others in the YA genre. Definitely be on the look-out for Incarnate when it's released in January!

LC's Rating:

Part fantasy, part utopian fiction, Incarnate was a unique and creative book that stands out from the rest. Despite some flaws, this book definitely takes risks-- and for that, I liked it!

Book Review: Girl Wonder

Author: Alexa Martin
Publisher: Hyperion Books
Release date: May 3, 2011
Pages: 304
Read it in: 1.5 days

Summary: As if transferring senior year weren't hard enough, Charlotte Locke has been bumped to lower level classes at her new school. With no friends, a terrible math SAT score, and looming college application deadlines, the future is starting to seem like an oncoming train for which she has no ticket.

Then Amanda enters her orbit like a hot-pink meteor, offering Charlotte a ticket to something else: popularity. Amanda is fearless, beautiful, brilliant, and rich. As her new side kick, Charlotte is brought into the elite clique of the debate team—and closer to Neal, Amanda's equally brilliant friend and the most perfect boy Charlotte has ever seen.

But just when senior year is looking up, Charlotte’s life starts to crumble. The more things heat up between Charlotte and Neal, the more Neal wants to hide their relationship. Is he ashamed? Meanwhile, Amanda is starting to act strangely competitive, and she's keeping a secret Charlotte doesn't want to know.

Talented newcomer Alexa Martin delivers a poignant story of first love, jealousy and friendship, where the ups and downs of senior year have never been so complicated. What else can Charlotte do but throw her hands up and ride?

LC's Take:

This really was a great book, and I loved it from the first few pages. Girl Wonder was a realistic coming-of-age story, both charming and flawed at the same time. Charlotte was an amazing main character and it was very easy to relate to her, while also seeing both the good and bad pieces of yourself in her personality. She was slightly sarcastic, cynical, and insecure. But she was also endearing, and her narration of the story made you want to keep reading. Honestly, I couldn't put this book down.

The author, Alexa Martin, did an awesome job of describing the world inside a public high school, and how hellish it can be for a new student. The stereotypes weren't blatantly forced down your throat like they are in some other YA books, but you can still see the strict social structure of the school and all the cliques that exist there. All Charlotte wants is to fit in-- unfortunately, she's never been to a public school before and she suffers from a learning disability that makes her have difficulties with reading numbers.

The dynamics of Charlotte's family were just as intriguing to read about as her school life- her dad has just become a successful published author, but he's having an affair on the side with his young publicist. Charlotte can see the strain wearing off on her mother, while her over-achieving brother James Henry, destined for an Ivy League School, eclipses her in almost everything. Charlotte has to not only make her own way in school-- she also has to learn how to be her own person and be happy despite all the high standards her family has forced on her.

Then there was Amanda-- AKA "Girl Wonder." She's the Popular Girl, but she was actually a lot different than your typical Queen Bee. She has neon-pink hair, for starters, and she's the star of the debate team. She has everything and yet she cares about nothing. It was very hard to sympathize with her, and I was so glad that Charlotte was able to make peace with herself in the end and not depend on Amanda anymore.

Neal was the biggest jerk-- but then, I guess we have all had experience with them. (If not, then we're lucky!) Basically, Charlotte is highly vulnerable and she falls for the wrong guy. She gives up nearly everything to be with him and ends up... well, I won't give it away! Fortunately, Charlotte is able to come to terms with what happens to her and find a sweet guy who is worth her time and appreciates her for who she is!

Girl Wonder was a touching book that made me laugh and cry at different points. I thought the narrative told through Charlotte's perspective was both original and familiar at the same time. This was a great coming-of-age story that was a lot of fun to read, but made me happy that I'm no longer in that awkward teenage-high-school phase! 

LC's Rating:

This is one of those books that you can just fly through without any effort. Girl Wonder managed to tell a familiar coming-of-age story from a new and unique perspective. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a good, heart-felt novel that will make you both laugh and cry.

Book Review: Passion

Author: Lauren Kate
Release Date: June 14, 2011
Pages: 432
Read it in: 3 days

Summary: Luce would die for Daniel.

And she has. Over and over again. Throughout time, Luce and Daniel have found each other, only to be painfully torn apart: Luce dead, Daniel left broken and alone. But perhaps it doesn’t need to be that way...

Luce is certain that something-- or someone-- in a past life can help her in her present one. So she begins the most important journey of this lifetime... going back eternities to witness firsthand her romances with Daniel... and finally unlock the key to making their love last.

Cam and the legions of angels and Outcasts are desperate to catch Luce, but none are as frantic as Daniel. He chases Luce through their shared pasts, terrified of what might happen if she rewrites history. Because their romance for the ages could go up in flames... forever.

Sweeping across centuries, PASSION is the third novel in the unforgettably epic FALLEN series.

LC's Take: 

Sigh... OK, ready for this? So, as you may know, the Fallen series is definitely not one of my favorites-- but I am inexplicably drawn to them like a moth to a flame and I keep reading, in the vain hope that someday, somehow I will finally understand what was going through LK's head when she wrote these books... so, here we go:

~Brief Synopsis~

At the end of the last book, Luce had had enough of absolutely no one telling her what the heck was going on with the curse between her and Daniel (OK, we were ALL fed up with not knowing what was going on) so at the last moment she peaced-out by stepping into an Announcer and back into her past lives to figure things out on her own. Passion follows Luce's "Quest" to find out why she and Daniel are cursed, so that she can break it. Along the way, she meets her new little Disney-sidekick Bill, who helps her while adding comic relief throughout. Luce and Bill travel from Moscow during WWII to England in the mid-1800's, to Versailles, to the Globe Theater during Shakespeare's time, to the Mayan civilization, all the way back to ancient Egypt. Meanwhile, Daniel goes back in time to try and find Luce and make sure she doesn't alter things permanently...

~Thoughts~

When I started getting into Passion, I was thinking, hey! So far, this isn't so bad! Not nearly as painful and cringe-inducing as Torment! The plot was moving along, there was a fun, new secondary character, we finally got to see Daniel's point of view and he wasn't such a tremendous butt-face, and even 2-D, cardboard Luce seemed to take on some life... and THEN there was the ending.

Oh good lord, the ending.

But before I get all down on the Fallen books again, let me say what I did like about Passion. And also, let me just state for the record, that this is definitely the best book in the series so far. Alrighty, let's do this in good old-fashioned bullet points, shall we?

• First, the prologue was mysterious and downright creepy. We realize that the Elders still exist (even though they fell out of the plot in the second book and then disappear again for the rest of this book) and they are now teaming up with the Outcasts to get their hands on Luce.
• Second, LK has FINALLY picked up the pace. The story line, while not heart-stoppingly amazing, was at least not as painfully slllllooooowww as the first two books.
• Third, we finally get to see things from Daniel's point of view. Up to this point he's been a self-centered, irritating, nasty, chauvinistic jerk-wad who you want to give a nice, swift kick in the crotch. Here we get to see another side of him-- awesome! Now he has two sides XD
• I personally liked snarky, fun, quirky, potentially gay, admittedly cheesy Bill-- um, that is, until the end. Don't worry-- that's not really a spoiler-- if you have half a teaspoon of brains, you have a pretty good idea from the get-go who "Bill" actually is... unless you're Luce Price. Let's just say she's definitely not the brightest crayon in the box...

But let's not get TOO carried away: there were definitely things about this book that left me with an unpleasant eye-twitch and something reminiscent of a bad hangover-- such as:

• We are still no closer to understanding WHY Luce and Daniel "love" each other, or WHY they ever even fell in love in the first place. Classic case here of telling and not showing-- we're told a bazillion times that Luce loves Daniel and Daniel loves Luce, but gosh darn it, we sure haven't seen anything yet beyond a bunch of goo-goo eyed stares and passionate lip-locking. Sorry, but if you want Me the Reader to believe in this magical, eternal bond of love between the two main characters, you need to give me something more to base it on than teenage sighs and making out. FAIL #1.
• To elaborate on my last point, when a "CERTAIN SOMEONE" asks Luce exactly why she loves Daniel so much, here is the response we get: "A million reasons. I just do." (p. 388) I just do?? REALLY?? So... you're telling me that after 1200+ PAGES this is the best explanation we get for why Luce loves Daniel?? She just does? So basically... they love each other-- because they love each other. **slaps forehead in TOTAL frustration** I am reeling from the inconceivable shallowness of this statement.  FAIL #2.
• As if this series wasn't confusing enough, now we have TIME TRAVEL thrown into the mix. And multiple versions of the main characters. AND other major characters and plot elements that have just completely disappeared altogether with no explanation for why they're no longer there. But the time travel was the worst-- it was just one big, inconsistent mess that leaves you staring blankly into the space-time continuum. Now, I'm no Stephen Hawking, but I'm pretty darned sure this isn't how time travel goes down. Seriously, by the last few chapters I was so freaking confused I had to pop a couple Tylenol PM just so that I wasn't up all night racking my brains over what the hell had just happened. And considering that this series already has more plot holes than I can count on fingers and toes, time travel just didn't seem like a really smart move to me. FAIL #3.
• Let's talk about Luce for a minute. Will poor Luce EVER learn that she has zero instinct or ability to read people? How many times now has her gullible butt been duped because she blindly skips after the bad guy like he's the freaking Pied Piper? She can pass quantum physics but she thinks following a creepy gargoyle who won't let anyone but her see him is a GOOD idea?? EARTH TO LUCE!! Stay away from the strangers trying to lure you to your death! They're bad-news bears, K?? Really, if she's going to be THIS stupid over and over again, do I really even care at this point what happens to her? Not to mention that, up to this point, Luce's sole existence is based on being head-over-heels in love with Daniel. That's it. End of story. The girl has no other purpose. Luce Price= FAIL #4.
• The writing style, while somewhat better, is still pretty sloppy, confusing, and all over the place. (I SWEAR I'm trying to not be a total jerk here! It IS better than the first two! There IS improvement!!) But still, the transitions between each chapter and each new time period visited are about as graceful as falling down a flight of stairs. Also, maybe an OUTLINE would have helped before just taking the write-as-you-go approach and then conveniently taking the easy way out with pretty much EVERY aspect of the plot. I'm not expecting this to be Shakespeare, but I would appreciate at least being able to follow some remotely logical series of events... FAIL #5.
• Speaking of which! Did you know that Luce knew SHAKESPEARE in another lifetime and SHE'S the reason why the Globe Theater burned down?? Hey! Neither did I!! Oh Lord, the history re-writing in this book just cracks me up... FAIL #6.
• Back to that "CERTAIN SOMEONE," all I can say is-- Wow. Congrats LK, on managing to take the evilest being of all time and turn him into a cliche villain about as scary and intimidating as one of those 1920's silent-film guys-- you know, the one with the monocle and top hat? He's all, MUAHAHAHA!!! Then cue a lot of eeveell pacing back and forth as he explains his eeveell plans... (which, by the by, ALSO make NO SENSE.) Are you kidding me? FAIL #7.  
• At the end of this book-- guess what? We STILL have NO IDEA what the EFF is going on. No joke! NOTHING is ever explained, and the ending contained about 297 plot holes. NO ONE has a motive in this series, NOTHING is ever given a logical explanation, and everything is all chalked up to DESTINY. Isn't this what we call a cop-out? Why yes, yes it is! The worst of it is, the book was set up to make it sound like we would FINALLY get some answers to major questions, and then the last few chapters just made no sense at all. Is this some kind of joke Ms. Kate?? Because after a thousand plus pages it just isn't funny anymore. What exactly was the POINT of Luce's "Quest"? What was she trying to find? So far, the whole plot is completely meaningless to the reader. I went back and tried to re-read whole sections thinking I must have missed something, and I'm STILL totally lost. I honestly want to believe that there is more to this plot and these characters than meets the eye-- but at this point, I'm not holding my breath. FAIL #8.
• This was literally my favorite line in the whole book: "Finally, things were beginning to make sense." (p. 400) Really? They ARE?? Could've fooled me! I'm seriously going to have an aneurism if I spend one more minute trying to make sense of this story. This is honest-to-goodness THE most convoluted mess of a plot I have ever read! Does the author even know what's going on here?? But I LOVED that line. It made me chuckle.  FAIL #9.
• Random question: Does the kiss you've been dreaming about your whole life include knocking your teeth into somebody else's? No? Huh, me neither. Just wondering. FAIL #10.
• We honestly can't get though a Fallen book without someone "waggling" or "wagging" their eyebrows-- seriously LK, why? What does it mean to "waggle" your eyebrows? Is this even physically possible? Are people going to look at me all crazy if I attempt this? I am so confused. FAIL #11.

*****

Please know that I'm not trying to offend anyone with my silly rants, and I totally respect people who love these books. And even though I like to poke fun, keep in mind that if these books really were beyond sucky, I WOULDN'T EVEN BOTHER READING THEM. But they are good enough and entertaining enough that I continue on! Don't take this review too seriously, I am not trying to discourage people from reading the Fallen series, I'm just stating my personal opinion. 

I read books for all kinds of reasons-- to inform me and make me smarter, because the writing is phenomenal, because they are classics, and because I just want some cheap, easy entertainment. Consider this series to be in the latter category of the previous statement :) So with that being said...

LC's Rating: 

Altogether, another utterly confusing masterpiece! Maybe it's just me, but there is precious little that makes sense in this series. If you have read these books and have figured out what the heck is going on, please let me know. I would greatly appreciate it. Otherwise, I'm still entertained. AND this book was, despite everything, still better than the first two. Unfortunately, Passion is "unforgettably epic" for all the wrong reasons. That's all I've got.

Book Review: Torment

Author: Lauren Kate
Release date: September 28, 2010
Pages: 464
Read it in: 3 days

The Hook: "How many lives do you need to live before you find someone worth dying for?"

Summary: Hell on earth.

That’s what it’s like for Luce to be apart from her fallen angel boyfriend, Daniel.

It took them an eternity to find one another, but now he has told her he must go away. Just long enough to hunt down the Outcasts— immortals who want to kill Luce. Daniel hides Luce at Shoreline, a school on the rocky California coast with unusually gifted students: Nephilim, the offspring of fallen angels and humans.

At Shoreline, Luce learns what the Shadows are, and how she can use them as windows to her previous lives. Yet the more Luce learns, the more she suspects that Daniel hasn’t told her everything. He’s hiding something— something dangerous.

What if Daniel’s version of the past isn’t actually true? What if Luce is really meant to be with someone else?

LC's Take:   

**NOTE: This review contains a few spoilers and a lot of ranting**

Torment took me a little while to get into, simply because I had long forgotten pretty much everything that had happened in the first book, Fallen. To refresh your memory (and mine) Luce is the main character and she has been haunted her whole life by what she calls "the Shadows." She is caught between two guys that she meets at Sword & Cross reform school: Daniel and Cam. Daniel is an angel and Cam is a demon-- but it was never really made clear who was distinctly good or evil. Book One ended with a lot of unanswered questions-- and **spoiler** so does Book Two.

~Brief synopsis~

We quickly learn that there is some new evil trying to kill Luce besides the Elders from Book One, called the Outcasts, and they are the very worst kind of angels. Caught between Heaven and Hell, they control the deadliest weapon known to angels and demons alike. To protect Luce from the Outcasts, Daniel and Cam form a Truce that will last 18 days. Meanwhile, Luce is sent to another school in California called "Shoreline," where the students are made up of celestial beings called "Nephilim"-- the offspring of angels and humans. Luce then spends the whole book trying to figure out her past lives with Daniel and why he has left her at this new school...

~Thoughts~

I need to preface this review by saying that, even though I do have major issues with the Fallen series (and this book in particular), I still for some unknown reason enjoy reading these books. (And even more, I love reading what people have to say about them.) The whole human-girl-falls-for-fallen-angel-and-now-celestial-beings-are-out-to-destroy-her plot line is intriguing, even though (in my opinion) poorly done. Also, I was extremely lenient to the point of being too generous with LK's first book Fallen. See that review here. That being said, Torment was an obnoxious repeat of the first book.

So... let the ranting begin!

• It felt like Luce did nothing but pine away after Daniel-- Yes, she missed him while she was at the new school, but holy crap, did we have to be reminded every other paragraph? You're going to see him in 18 days! It got real old real quick, having to listen to Luce go on and on (and on AND ON) about how much she misses Daniel, she wishes Daniel was there, she can't stop thinking about Daniel, Daniel is so beautiful, oh my god, Daniel! Please, get a grip already. 
• While we're on the subject, seriously don't even get me started on brooding, chauvinistic Edward Daniel. If you've read even 2 pages where Daniel is involved, you already know that he's a controlling douche-bag with perfect blond hair and zero personality who treats Luce like crap. (Do you remember that Daniel's first social interaction with Luce from the first book is to flip her off??) Spare me.
• Why did the author have to make Luce such a clueless and dimwitted airhead? Like when she fell for the obviously shady fake note supposedly written by Daniel to lure her outside of school grounds-- um, hello, he just warned you like 5 pages back NOT to leave the school, and then you immediately catch a bus into town after finding a TYPED note at your door telling you to leave the school, and then almost die! Dumb and gullible? Yeah, I would say so. I get that the author wanted to set up a situation where Luce runs into Cam again and learns about the Outcasts, but did she have to do it at the expense of making Luce seem like the biggest idiot ever? If you are going to throw your heroine into dangerous, life-threatening situations where she has to be rescued again and again, can't you at least give her a little credit and not make everything the result of her own stupidity?
• Added to this, we are kept just as clueless throughout the book as Luce is-- not a big change from Fallen. At every turn where we might grasp onto some pertinent piece of information that holds the key to what on earth is going on, we're frustratingly disappointed. Oh, we're gonna find out something meaningful here! Oops, nope-- false alarm. Meanwhile Luce continually gets into scrapes and needs to be saved because she's totally left in the dark about what's happening. Really Ms. Kate, give the girl (and us) something to go on!! Where are the Elders from Book One? Who are the Outcasts? Why are the demons siding with angels? There's a premonition of some great war? What the heck is going on in this book?? I'm sorry but at SOME point, you need to explain SOMETHING to your readers. Any little scrap of information would be GREATLY appreciated... 
• What is up with the 18-day Truce going on between Cam and Daniel? It is all kept very wishy-washy and vague, but then it's made out to be some really big deal, since every chapter after the prologue counts down to the end of it. And then at the end, after building up all this suspense and anticipation, nothing happens. Like, nothing. No epic battle, no explanations or loose ends tied, no background to Luce and Daniel's story that we didn't know already-- nada. It was pretty much a big confusing let down with some lame angel-fight in the backyard, leading us no closer to knowing where this whole story and series is going than the first book. It just seemed like a lot of pointless filler and fluff.
• I wish I could describe Luce's character without using the term "Mary Sue" but gosh darn it, I just can't. She's a wish-fulfilling Mary Sue, through and through. I mean she and Bella could be twin sisters for crying out loud. She thinks she isn't good-looking, yet she has every stinking guy drooling over her, she's continually in trouble and needs to be rescued, she has a mind-numbingly vapid personality, and she's also continually psycho-obsessive over her uber-controlling boyfriend. And speaking of Twilight references, Torment is also full of  insanely unnecessary details (literally, there are like 2 pages dedicated to what Luce and her friends order to eat at an IHOP in Las Vegas. I swear I'm not making this up.) 
• Speaking of unnecessary, did we really need yet another jealous guy falling all over Luce? Isn't Miles just another version of Cam? A guy to distract Luce from Daniel? Now we have three guys vying for Luce's love and attention. Dude, this is getting out of control.  
• And here is one of the biggest issues that I have with this series thus far: The titles, the cover art, the summaries-- all of these things market the Fallen series as being serious, dark, and Gothic. But when you read the actual books they're... how do I put this... corny as all get out? The characters are just so unbelievable and their dialog and actions are so ridiculously dorky to me, that I just couldn't take them or the story seriously. (LK: How does one "waggle" their eyebrows? PLEASE explain to me what on earth you mean when you say this because it's driving me insane!) I must have rolled my eyes a couple hundred different times throughout the book, due to the fact that it was such an enormous cheese-fest. And I'm sorry, but it takes more than insanely gorgeous cover art to make a good series (Case in point: Wicked Lovely). I'm over the cover art already. 

So at this point you may be asking yourself: If you weren't all that pumped about Fallen, why the heck did you pick up Torment? Well, despite my rants, I am still entertained by this series, and might take just the slightest of guilty pleasures in saying what irks me about them. I know, it's horrible to take pleasure in writing ranting reviews, but I do it with the disclaimer that I am still ultimately and inexplicably attracted to these books. Even though it's a total hot mess, I just can't look away. I will probably still read both Passion and Rapture when they come out, even though my expectations for them are about 2 millimeters above my toes, and there's pretty much no way I can take these books seriously in any sense of the word. This series is truly epic for all the wrong reasons.

LC's Rating:

I have a love-hate relationship with the Fallen books. I hate the fact that they're popular to begin with, but I love reading them anyways because 1.) they're terrible (like really terrible) entertainment and 2.) I practically die laughing from reading the other rants from fellow readers about them-- hence, the two stars. My advice is to not think too hard about the merits of literature whilst reading this book and it might actually pass for being somewhat enjoyable-- albeit in a mindless and brain-numbing kind of way.

Book Review: Wicked Lovely

Author: Melissa Marr
Release Date: June 12, 2007
Pages: 328
Read it in: 5 days

Praise: "Riveting and dark: I love this tale of a smart, tough girl who walks the razor's edge between an ancient faery curse and her future!" ~Tamora Pierce

Summary: (Goodreads) All teenagers have problems, but few of them can match those of Aislinn, who has the power to see faeries. Quite understandably, she wishes that she could share her friends' obliviousness and tries hard to avoid these invisible intruders. But one faery in particular refuses to leave her alone. Keenan the Summer King is convinced beyond all reasoning that Aislinn is the queen he has been seeking for nine centuries. What's a 21st-century girl to do when she's stalked by a suitor nobody else can see? A debut fantasy romance for the ages; superlative summer read.

LC's Take: 

Sigh... OK, so I really, really wanted to like this book-- I had been so excited to get into the Wicked Lovely series! But honestly-- for whatever reason-- I just could not get hooked. In fact, it almost got (gasp!) DNF-ed. Let me explain:

When I first picked up Wicked Lovely I was pretty excited-- the cover is gorgeous and I'd never read a book focusing exclusively on fairies. However, I have to admit that I had some difficulties with it from the very beginning, simply because it starts right in the middle of the action with very little explanation for what the heck is going on: there's a girl named Aislynn and she's pretty freaked out because she sees faeries everywhere, but she can't tell anyone so she just tries to run away where they can't find her. (Ummm... OK.) Maybe it was so hard to follow because it felt like the author assumed the reader knows all about faeries, or "fey." Well, I don't know anything about faeries so I felt pretty out-of-the-loop for the first 100 pages or so. (They have "glamours?" There are fey courts? They're deathly allergic to iron or something?? Yeeeah, I felt clueless!)

For this reason, I found it kind of difficult to connect with the characters or get into the plot because I had no idea what was going on. The author seems to know a lot about faery lore, but the way she goes about telling the story left me totally confused. The writing seemed very clunky to me, and this made it hard to read quickly because I just couldn't stay focused. And to be completely honest, this just made me kind of bored with the whole book. I mean, if you don't get what's going on, how are you going to maintain interest in it?

There were definitely other issues I had with this book, besides not knowing what was going on throughout the first third of the story:

• I felt like the writing style was somewhat sloppy and it wasn't until around p.160 that I finally could get into the plot a little. Because of this, it was just really difficult to stay interested in what was going on.
• You know those incredibly annoying plot holes that you just can't get over as you're reading a book? Oh wow, there were so many here! One that stood out: One of the number one rules that Aislynn lives by is she can't stare at fairies because they can't know that she can see them. So how is it that the fairies are described down to the last detail from Aislynn's POV all the time? Isn't she supposed to not be looking at them?? Ahh! Logic!
• There wasn't much in the way of character development: Aislynn never had much of a presence in the story. I felt like things just happen to her and she passively reacts-- I couldn't connect with her on an emotional level at all. 
• There were definitely more than a few typos throughout the book which is always a turn-off, because it makes you think that the entire thing was poorly edited. Usually I can pass by a couple typos, but in this case, added to everything else that bothered me, my end impression was that it was just sloppily done. 

To be fair, there were some things that I liked about this book: The snippets from old 18th/19th century books about faery lore, published in Ireland, Scotland and England were very interesting to read at the start of each chapter, and it shows that the author did her research about the subject she's writing on (it just wasn't translated well enough so that I could understand it, too!) Also, Aislynn's love interest Seth? Yum-my haha :)

I don't want to totally knock this book just because I could not connect with it personally-- I think that while it may not be for everyone, there is definitely a reader base that will enjoy Wicked Lovely. I would say that if you love the subject of fairies, or you can follow a plot that isn't completely straight-forward, this may be a great book for you. Unfortunately, I was not a fan, but I know that there are many fans of this series out there-- so it may be worth a shot!

LC's Rating:

If you are into fairies and know a lot about fairy lore before you begin this book, you might be able to get into the story being told. However, if like me you don't know anything about this subject, you might be highly confused about everything going on!

Book Review: Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side

Author: Beth Fantaskey
Release Date: January 18, 2010
Pages: 384
Read it in: 3 days

The Hook: The undead can really screw up your senior year...

Summary: Marrying a vampire definitely doesn't fit into Jessica Packwood’s senior year “get-a-life” plan. But then a bizarre (and incredibly hot) new exchange student named Lucius Vladescu shows up, claiming that Jessica is a Romanian vampire princess by birth—and he’s her long-lost fiancé. Armed with new-found confidence and a copy of Growing Up Undead: A Teen Vampire’s Guide to Dating, Health, and Emotions, Jessica makes a dramatic transition from average American teenager to glam European vampire princess. But when a devious cheerleader sets her sights on Lucius, Jess finds herself fighting to win back her wayward prince, stop a global vampire war—and save Lucius’s soul from eternal destruction.

LC's Take: 

It feels like a really long time since I have posted a book review-- I have been so busy lately, so I apologize for slacking off!! I am hoping to get back into my reading/blogging groove this week :) OK, so now for my review...

Seriously, what is there not to like about this book? You've got hot vampires, vampire princesses, snotty cheerleaders trying to steal hot vampires away from their betrothed, blood pacts-- oh the drama! LOVE it. This book was fantastic, I had so much fun reading it.

Jessica AKA Antanasia (that's her Romanian vampire princess name) was an awesome female protagonist- she is funny, quirky, insightful, and a fully-developed character that you can really connect with. What I liked most about her is that she was an individual- she had her own interests and strengths, she was smart, talented, and didn't have to depend on Luscious (main love interest) to have a personality-- as sometimes happens in books, where the gal can't exist without the dashing vampire guy! **cough cough twilight cough** Jessica is a main character you can root for, and I found myself feeling the same things she did: confusion and disbelief when she learns she's a vampire, anger and jealousy when some popular cheerleader tries to steal her vampire man, and real fury and betrayal when that vampire falls for said cheerleader. One of the best parts of this book is how Jessica grows into her own- you can see her go from being this gawky, awkward teenager to becoming a regal, confident princess who is proud of who she is. That is always an amazing character development that really makes a book worthwhile and rewarding to read.

Speaking of this vamp guy, I had very mixed feelings about Luscious Vladescu-- on one hand he's an arrogant, condescending and insensitive jerk to Jessica (he is a vampire prince, after all), but then he also has a passionate, romantic side that really makes you feel for him. He has been stuck his whole life in this blood pact between two warring vampire families and was raised by ruthless, power-hungry vampire "Elders."  As a result, he is both dripping self-importance while also being extremely vulnerable. It was a roller coaster with Luscious- first I liked him, then I got annoyed with him, then I hated him, then I felt sorry for him. Despite being a vampire, he was very human, and I guess that's what made him an endearing character, faults and all. I thought the author did a really good job at making such a complex character-- you can never really pin him down with one specific trait, and I think it's a real feat for an author to be able to create someone that multi-dimensional. Also, I thought it was very creative of the author to include Luscious' point of view by having stand-alone chapters of his letters back home (despite them being extremely annoying at times- oh man, **spoiler** especially the prison one, I was dying).  

Bottom line: I really enjoyed this book, and I am really hoping there is going to be a sequel to it. The plot had me hooked the entire way through, and the ending was wonderfully climactic. The characters Jessica and Luscious are ones that I definitely want to see again-- their chemistry is just so addicting. The narrative was funny, sexy, and dark all at the same time; full of passion, high-school drama and Romanian vampire lore. This is one vampire love story that is definitely worth your time!

LC's Rating:

Strong, multi-dimensional characters and a wonderfully-addicting plot make this book one you have to read, especially  if you are into the vampire lit genre!

Book Review: Delirium

Author: Lauren Oliver
Release Date: February 1, 2011
Pages: 448
Read it in: 5 days

The Hook: Love, the deadliest of all deadly things: It kills you both when you have it and when you don’t. 

Summary: There was a time when love was the most important thing in the world. People would go to the end of the earth to find it. They would tell lies for it. Even kill for it. Then, at last, they found the cure. Now, everything is different. Scientists are able to eradicate love, and the government demands that all citizens receive the cure upon turning eighteen. Lena Haloway has always looked forward to the day when she'll be cured. A life without love is a life without pain: safe, measured, predictable, and happy. But then, with only ninety-five days left until her treatment, Lena does the unthinkable…

LC’s Take:  

Before I go any further, let me first say that Lauren Oliver is such an incredible writer. Her words are just like poetry and there were points in this book where I literally just broke into tears, because what she has to write is so beautiful and poignant. As I read Delirium, I became totally wrapped up within the story, with the characters—the entire world that Oliver creates is absolutely spectacular. I was able to feel every bit as much as Lena (the protagonist) does, as she reacts to the dystopian society she seems so inextricably a part of.

Lena is a teenager that you can absolutely relate to, despite the fact that at the beginning she is completely brainwashed. Little by little, Lena begins to question things that she has always believed and held to be true-- and this is what makes her such a real character. It’s not like she walks along all happy and oblivious, then meets Alex the guy of her dreams and says, “OK! I guess I’ll believe whatever you tell me, heehee, because I love you and can’t live without you.” No, she actually has a brain of her own and she does go through a painstaking process of shifting back and forth between what’s right and what’s wrong, what’s real and what’s a lie-- it takes her some time to figure it out but that internal struggle gives her character both depth and complexity.

Alex is such a lovable character- from the very first time you meet him, you can’t help but fall in love with him too, I mean he just makes you smile. He’s fun, full of life, mischievous, and represents everything good that stands up against the dark, twisted world Lena lives in. Also, he truly loves her-- that is undeniable by the last pages of the story.

That being said, I did have a few issues with this book. First of all, I just didn’t understand the concept of a world where love is considered to be a disease. Where did this come from? I’ve heard the point made before that dystopian worlds need to have an origin— there needs to be some logical string of events that connects the world we live in to the dystopian world the characters live in. But I couldn’t draw any parallels between our current society and Lena’s that would put love, of all things, in trouble of being destroyed.

Other things that puzzled me: What exactly is the point of making everyone immune to love? Yes, I understand it turns them into dull, listless zombies to be controlled by the government, but love just doesn’t seem to be the most logical or stable thing to target if you are trying to maintain complete control over people. Also, I couldn’t figure out-- are the raiders/regulators/government people in Lena’s world all “cured” as well? How could they be and still stay in control? There were just a lot of open-ended questions I still have that were never answered.

I wasn’t crazy about the ending to Delirium—I don’t want to give anything away, but after 400+ pages I just ended up feeling kind of depressed, let-down, and slightly jipped. (Note: this is not because the ending is boring, it's definitely not!) Maybe I should’ve seen it coming or maybe I’m too idealistic, but I was so convinced the story would end one way and then it ended completely different. I wonder if anyone else who has read this book had the same reaction?

On the upside, Oliver’s story is definitely unpredictable with many plot twists. Most importantly, it was original. **Sigh...** I just wished things had turned out differently! But this is going to be a trilogy, right? So maybe I will be pleasantly surprised with the books to come-- I will definitely be reading them.

LC’s Rating:

Captivating and beautiful writing with an unexpected ending—love it or hate it, you won’t forget this book.

Book Review: Fallen

Author: Lauren Kate
Release Date: December 8, 2009
Pages: 464
Read it in: 4 days

The Hook: “What if the person you were meant to be with could never be yours?”

Summary: There's something achingly familiar about Daniel Grigori. Mysterious and aloof, he captures Luce Price's attention from the moment she sees him on her first day at the Sword & Cross boarding school in sultry Savannah, Georgia. He's the one bright spot in a place where cell phones are forbidden, the other students are all screw-ups, and security cameras watch every move. Even though Daniel wants nothing to do with Luce--and goes out of his way to make that very clear--she can't let it go. Drawn to him like a moth to a flame, she has to find out what Daniel is so desperate to keep secret . . . even if it kills her. Dangerously exciting and darkly romantic, Fallen is a page turning thriller and the ultimate love story.

LC's Take: 

OK, I know there are mixed reviews out there about this book. It seems like it has some fans and then there are those that simply CANNOT STAND it. I, personally, liked this book. I didn't LOVE it, but I enjoyed reading it. I wasn't bored, and I thought the closer to the end I got, the more intrigued and wrapped up in the story I became. Now, I have only just started reading YA fiction so to be honest, I have very little to base an opinion on as far as paranormal romance/forbidden love go, especially in terms of this theme being over-done and cliché.  Maybe this gives me a fresh viewpoint on the whole genre??

That being said, I have read Twilight and I really thought Fallen was overall a better book than Twilight (Twilight fans please don't hate me). However, I think it’s also probably another case of a book being popular more for the marketing it’s had than based on actually being an awesome, unforgettable story. It’s not that Fallen was a bad read—it just wasn’t all that memorable, either.  Here's some things I did like about it:

•  The story unfolds in mid-19^th century England and from the beginning draws you in—there is something intriguing and mysterious that keeps you reading
• Luce's character is portrayed well- she is an actual living, breathing, thinking human being—vulnerable, innocent…  she has some depth to her and her thoughts and reactions very often echo those of the reader (ex: “Why is everyone at this school so weird?” p.52). I could relate to a lot of the things she goes through at the reform school and her reactions generally make sense.
• The scenes of Luce being thrown into the hellish world of Sword & Cross reform school reminded me slightly of Mr. Brocklehurst’s school in Jane Eyre-- and Kate does a really good job at painting vivid pictures that are dark, brooding- and at times pretty sexual/erotic-- the perfect mix for a Gothic story of doomed lovers. But there is nothing cheap or trashy with the way Kate describes the interactions between Luce and Cam/Daniel- they are heavy and deep, pained and other-worldly, all at the same time. 
• The book cover is freaking gorgeous.

Alright, so here's what turned me off about Fallen:

• The dialogue was at times very forced- and forced dialogue always winds up sounding incredibly cheesy…(phrases like “nice digs,” “capiche,” “He has the hots for you,” “absolute lame-o’s”-- Who talks like that???)
• Daniel was a bit too Edward-esque-- too perfect and a super a-hole. But Kate does a pretty good job at giving a reason for why he's such a jerk to Luce towards the end of the story-- and it makes sense. (Well, it did to me anyways). He redeems himself.
• Luce’s parents are clueless, apathetic, unloving and fake—not to mention bordering on sadistic in their absolute negligence of their daughter. I kinda wish they had spontaneously combusted to be honest…

LC's Rating:

Some things annoyed me about Fallen, but overall I thought it was a good story with lots of dark, Gothic elements that kept me reading.