Review: The Jewel by Amy Ewing

Title: The Jewel
Author: Amy Ewing
Publication date: September 2014
Publisher: HarperTeen
Goodreads | Book Depository | AbeBooks

From Goodreads:
The Jewel means wealth. The Jewel means beauty. The Jewel means royalty. But for girls like Violet, the Jewel means servitude. Not just any kind of servitude. Violet, born and raised in the Marsh, has been trained as a surrogate for the royalty—because in the Jewel the only thing more important than opulence is offspring.

Purchased at the surrogacy auction by the Duchess of the Lake and greeted with a slap to the face, Violet (now known only as #197) quickly learns of the brutal truths that lie beneath the Jewel’s glittering facade: the cruelty, backstabbing, and hidden violence that have become the royal way of life.

Violet must accept the ugly realities of her existence... and try to stay alive. But then a forbidden romance erupts between Violet and a handsome gentleman hired as a companion to the Duchess’s petulant niece. Though his presence makes life in the Jewel a bit brighter, the consequences of their illicit relationship will cost them both more than they bargained for.

 
The Jewel starts out with everything I love: gorgeous cover, detailed prose, and conflicted heroine. The main character, Violet, lives in a society where the royalty need girls with special ability to be surrogate mothers for their babies. Those surrogate mothers come from the poorest part of the country, and their somehow genetic mutation allows them to bring royalty’s babies without any flaws. Not only that, those surrogates have auguries: special ability that enable them to modify growth, color, and shape of anything, even living things. Violet has the most impressive ability in growth; a quality that is most prized by Duchess of Lake who bought her. Thrown into swirls of luxuries, dirty royal scandals, and everyone’s own scenarios, Violet must learn how to survive in this glittering community.

When I first picked up The Jewels, it started out wonderful. I love the intricate details of the gowns, the beautiful rooms, and the dazzling city of Jewel.

The room is enormous. Glowglobes cast a warm light on the walls, papered in pale green, and the furniture scattered about the room is upholstered in shades of green and gold. There are dressers, an armoire, a vanity, plush armchairs with footstools, a sofa, a small breakfast table, and a large fireplace. Dark green curtains cover the windows, gold tasseled ropes hanging at their sides—they block out the light completely, so I can’t tell whether it’s day or night outside.

That sounds absolutely gorgeous! Violet seems to share the same sentiment with me, and she can’t keep herself from gushing over her new room and her beautiful shiny violin. Of course, however, she later learns that there is monster hidden in seemingly picture-perfect things.

I devoured this book until I reached the romance part. Then, the story went downhill so fast. The instant attraction and what-they-call-true-love come very very soon after they meet. I’m sorry but I can’t see you putting your life in danger for someone whom you’ve barely talked to. No just no sorry.

The Jewel ends in an okay way, leaving some questions to be answered in the second book. I guess I’ll be waiting for reviews to come before picking up the second book. Fans of The Selection series by Kiera Cass would love the echo of royals life and beautiful details in The Jewel. The Jewel has great premise and flowy writing, and if you can get past the insta-love, I think you might enjoy this book.

I see the rose-shaped bars on the windows of the dormitories, set in the pale pink stone of the holding facility. I see the faces of the other surrogates, the girls who will go back inside once this train leaves and never think of us again. My gaze falls on a twelve-year-old girl with bulging brown eyes. She is so thin, and clearly malnourished; she must be new. Our eyes meet, and she crosses the fingers on her right hand and presses them against her heart.

I step into the carriage and the doors close behind me.

 

 3 cups of tea!

The writing is beautiful. Good light read.

 

Review and Giveaway: Lore: Tales of Myth and Legend Retold by Brinda Berry, Karen Y. Bynum, Laura Diamond, Jayne A. Knolls, Theresa DaLayne, Cate Dean

Title: Lore: Tales of Myth and Legend Retold
Authors:  Brinda Berry, Karen Y. Bynum, Laura Diamond, Jayne A. Knolls, Theresa DaLayne, Cate Dean
Publication date:
Publisher: Sweet Biscuit Publishing LLC
Goodreads

From Goodreads:
A collection of six folklore retellings that will twist your mind and claim your heart.

SHIMMER: A heartbroken boy rescues a mermaid... but is it too late to save her?

BETWEEN is about a girl, a genie, and a ton of bad decisions.

SUNSET MOON: Eloise doesn't believe in Native American magic--until the dreamcatcher spiders spin her down an unknown path.

THE MAKER: An incapacitated young man bent on revenge builds a creature to do it for him.

A BEAUTIFUL MOURNING: The story of a Maya goddess torn between duty and love, and the ultimate sacrifice she must make to achieve true happiness.

THE BARRICADES: When a human girl risks everything to save the life of an Eternal prince, will their feelings for each other change the world they know, or tear it apart?

I was in the mood for anthology, so Lore, An Anthology: Tales of Myth and Legend Retold was a great read for me. I like some stories more than the others, but overall it was a nice read and I came out knowing much more about myths and legends.

The first story, Shimmer, is a mermaid story with a twist in the end. It has romantic atmosphere, but the pacing is a bit too slow for my taste. I found the second story, Between, very interesting. It’s a classic high school elite clique story, but the appearance of djinn (genie) make this story memorable. I think the LGBT stuff can be taken more carefully, but I like the story in general. In my opinion, Sunset Moon has the strongest characterization in this anthology. It’s a bad girl meet good guy story, and their relationship is definitely swoon-worthy! I love Native American folklore, so it’s not hard for me to fall for this one. :)

The Maker… what can I say? It’s a take on golem mythology and the story reminds me a bit of Frankenstein. The guy makes a golem in order to take revenge on his girlfriend. The story lays heavily on description of action and it can bug you at times, but the plots are simply intriguing. I can definitely see the author’s potential in the story. A Beautiful Mourning has very beautiful, flowing written style. The story has poetic atmosphere in it which I’m sure many will appreciate. I love the ending in The Barricades. It ends with a hopeful note, and I think it suits well as the last story in this anthology.

All in all, Lore, An Anthology: Tales of Myth and Legend Retold is a fascinating read for me. If I have to play favorite, I think it would be A Beautiful Mourning. I’m a sucker for beautiful writing style and melancholic plots. ;) Sunset Moon is good as well. This anthology is a recommendation for anyone who wishes to visit many myths and legends in one go. From mermaid story to golem myth: just pick your favorite lore! :)

The heat from his skin dulled as his sharp eyes softened. “I will love as the mortals.” He leaned in and brushed his lips against mine. My eyes fluttered shut. “Fearlessly and without limitations.”

from A Beautiful Mourning

3 cups of tea

Great for in-between reading!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This is part of the tour hosted by Xpresso Book Tours. Thanks for letting me joining the fun, Giselle!

 

Review: The Truth About Alice by Jennifer Mathieu

Title: The Truth About Alice
Author: Jennifer Mathieu
Publication date: June 2014
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Goodreads | Buy from The Book Depository

From Goodreads:
Everyone knows Alice slept with two guys at one party. When Healy High star quarterback, Brandon Fitzsimmons, dies in a car crash, it was because he was sexting with Alice. Ask anybody.  Rumor has it Alice Franklin is a slut. It's written all over the "slut stall" in the girls' bathroom: "Alice had sex in exchange for math test answers" and "Alice got an abortion last semester." After Brandon dies, the rumors start to spiral out of control. In this remarkable debut novel, four Healy High students tell all they "know" about Alice--and in doing so reveal their own secrets and motivations, painting a raw look at the realities of teen life. But in this novel from Jennifer Mathieu, exactly what is the truth about Alice? In the end there's only one person to ask: Alice herself.

A read along with lovely Pooja @ On Books! . It was a great pleasure to compare notes with you, hun! Check out her wonderful review HERE.

3.5 stars

Everyone knows that Alice Franklin is a slut.

She has slept with two guys in one night in someone else’s bedroom during someone else party. Her sexting caused the super famous and gorgeous Brandon Fitzsimmons aka the king of Healy High died in car accident. She had abortion not long after, and who knows whose baby belongs to! Alice Franklin gets a stall dedicates just for her – slut stall – where girls can write all the things they believe Alice has done. Because Alice Franklin is a slut, and everybody knows it.

But is she really?

The Truth About Alice is a powerful book about what rumors can actually do. Events in this book remind me of snowball effect. Things roll and they get worse and worse. Told in multiple perspectives from the famous cheerleader to finally Alice herself, this book was a short and enjoyable ride for me.

I love the multiple POVs the most in this book. It was awesome to get to know Alice from different characters first and slowly unveil why each of them keep their own Alice-related secrets. Some of those secrets actually took me aback, like Kelsie’s secret. Kelsie, the ex-best friend of Alice and a social climber, is one of the most intriguing character I’ve ever met. She’s horrible and made me so mad, but she was an interesting character to read.

I think the only underdeveloped character in this book might be Brandon, the dead guy. Every character describes Brandon as gorgeous, super funny, a bit of jerk but still so awesome, and it ticks me off a little because he’s not the person I see from the pages. If the author wants readers to have some sympathy to him, I think it would be better to show more humane side of Brandon.

While reading this book, I was also driven to think of the double standard in our society. While Alice is treated like a slut for allegedly sleeping with two guys in one night, Brandon with his never ending conquest of girls is treated like God instead. I think hypocrisy is one of the greatest themes in this book – people keep saying one thing while they act different.

All in all, The Truth About Alice was a thought-provoking book with great narrations. I also love the glimpses of hope in this book despite of how bad the situation is. While this book is not entirely flawless, it’s certainly worth reading.

The hard truth is I think I knew we weren’t going to be friends anymore the day after Elaine’s party when I read that text about her and Brandon and Tommy Cray. It sounds terrible and shallow and not at all like something the Kelsie Sanders I knew in Flint would have said, but I’ve spent too many years sitting alone in the cafeteria, and I just can’t handle doing it again.

And I won’t.

3 cups of tea!

A quick and enjoyable ride.

Review: The Boy in the Smoke (A Shades of London book) by Maureen Johnson

Title: The Boy in the Smoke
Author: Maureen Johnson
Publication date: February 2014
Publisher: Hot Key Books
Goodreads


From Goodreads:
On a cold night, Stephen Dene went to the Eton boathouse to perform a desperate act. But someone stopped him along the way, sending his life in a new and decidedly strange direction–leading him to London, to two new friends, and to a world of shadows and mystery.

From New York Times bestselling author of 13 Little Blue Envelopes, Key to the Golden Firebird and The Name of the Star, The Boy in the Smoke is a thrilling prequel to The Shades of London series.

Since I am in the mood for guy protagonist lately, I decided to venture out of my usual sub-genres in Young Adult and read this book. The Boy in the Smoke is a novella and prequel for a series I haven’t even read, but I managed to enjoy this book a lot nonetheless.

We are introduced to Stephen, a quiet boy trained to obey authorities, and his dysfunctional family. In the cold house where his parents never have time for him, Stephen’s only friend is his sister, Gina. But Gina, cheerful yet self-destructive Gina, will not stay around for long. In the end, Stephen himself has to choose whether to follow his ignorant parents’ orders or to follow his own dream.

The first half of the book feels very much like a typical contemporary YA, so I was quite taken aback when the paranormal stuffs kick in. One of the ghosts still gives me creeps (“He was little,” she explained. “And he made a lot of noise. So I put him in the fire. Everyone was angry.” *shivers*). I like Stephen, he is a nice guy – polite and sincere – and no one deserves better happy ending than him. Mentally kicking his parents for treating him so badly. I’m glad with how things turn out in the end. The ghost-buster things feels kinda rushed, but I guess it’s understandable since we are expected to find out more about it in the first novel.

Maureen Johnson is an author whose book I’d wanted to read for a long time, and I’m glad to say that this novella made me want to read more of her works. The story has a nice flow and it didn’t take long for me to finish it. For a companion novel, I think this book also works well as a standalone. Fans of Shades of London would love this companion since it adds up a lot to the background of one of the main characters, Stephen. Those who are simply curious and in search of a well-written guy POV like me, well, feel free to dive in!

You can tell when your parents dislike you—when they are horrified by the way you eat, at your bodily fluids, at the noises you make and the way you play. You know when you perpetually give them a headache or make them vanish into another room and leave you with the housekeeper or each other or the dog, whatever is handy.

Another way you can tell is when it is the last day of prep school, and they forget to come and get you and go on holiday to Barbados instead.

This is how Stephen Dene finally figured it out.

 

3.5 cups of tea!

Love the smooth guy narration. :)

 

Review: Afterparty by Ann Redisch Stampler

Title: Afterparty
Author: Ann Redisch Stampler
Publication Date: December 31, 2013
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Goodreads


From Goodreads:
Emma is tired of being good. Always the dutiful daughter to an overprotective father, she is the antithesis of her mother -- whose name her dad won't even say out loud. That's why meeting Siobhan is the best thing that ever happened to her...and the most dangerous. Because Siobhan is fun and alluring and experienced and lives on the edge. In other words, she's everything Emma is not.

And it may be more than Emma can handle.

Because as intoxicating as her secret life may be, when Emma begins to make her own decisions, Siobhan starts to unravel. It's more than just Dylan, the boy who comes between them. Their high-stakes pacts are spinning out of control. Elaborate lies become second nature. Loyalties and boundaries are blurred. And it all comes to a head at the infamous Afterparty, where debauchery rages and an intense, inescapable confrontation ends in a plummet from the rooftop...

This explosive, sexy, and harrowing follow-up to Ann Redisch Stampler's spectacular teen debut, Where It Began, reveals how those who know us best can hurt us most.

 

“I made you and I could undo you in three minutes. Two online.”

Reading Afterparty is like watching a train wreck in front of my eyes. We know that things will go bad, like very bad , yet we can only watch it without doing anything.

Emma, the ultimate good girl, is the new girl in Latimer, school for the riches in California. She has trouble fitting in with the rest of the school, except with the other new girl, Siobhan. Siobhan is wild and borderline crazy, but she is the perfect best friend for the new Californian Emma. However, their friendship becomes more dangerous as Siobhan spins out of the control, and Emma can’t help but getting carried in. When lie becomes the second nature, sneaking out of night is a given, and her best friend becomes a stranger… Emma must confronts herself on the choices that she makes.

In the beginning of the book, we get a passage of fastforward Emma on the rooftop confessing to the readers that she just killed her best friend. I must give brownie point for Miss Stampler – what a brilliant way to open the book with a bang! Then we are introduced to Emma and Siobhan’s first meeting and the beginning of their toxic friendship. Peer pressure at its best.

Siobhan. You will wish that you’d never get into her bad list. Self-destructive and insane at times, it’s clear that Siobhan needs professional help. This girl is losing her grip and I can’t help but feel sorry for her sometimes. She tries to protect herself so bad by clinging onto promises with her friends, the ‘pacts’, and pretends that everything is a game. The queen of denial and self-destruct.

The characters are very well-thought, with their flaws, values, and imperfections. While I didn’t really connect with any of them, I did feel sympathy towards some of them. The main plot nicely progresses although the sub-plots didn’t really work for me. The whole drama with Emma’s extended family in Canada felt a bit pointless because there is no real resolution in the end. Personally, I feel that the story could do better with resolved subplots of the side characters, but I understand that the whole book intends to put spotlight on Emma and Siobhan’s friendship.

Fans of Go Ask Alice would love this book. Overall, what I enjoyed the most are the fun, strong voice of the main character and the original plots. If you go for Afterparty looking for excitement and crazy ride, I think you will have more luck with this book.

If things aren’t looking a whole lot better for both of us by the end of the year, we should jump off a tall building.”

“Sign me up.”

“You’re in,” she says. “Pact.”

 

 

 

 

 3 cups of tea!

 Love the crazy ride, but could be better.

 

 

 

Review: Luminosity by Stephanie Thomas

Beatrice is a seer with ability to see the future, but lately she keeps having strange dreams. In her dreams, she meets Echo, a beautiful guy who is wearing the clothes of her enemy. Echo is one of the Dreamcatchers, people with ability to shatter another person’s mind with their touch. Echo is her enemy, yet Beatrice feels strangely attracted to him. Her loyalty starts to waver along with Echo’s constant appearance, and when the Dreamcatchers attack, Beatrice needs to decide what she has to do in order to save her city and the citizens.

To tell you the truth, it’s… painful to finish this book. There are things that bug me a lot when I read this book. I’m very, very confused: why don’t they seem to have war strategies prepared ahead? I’m not asking for strategies on Sun Tzu's level, but I just found it very strange that the seers seem to be very eager to throw their lives away. Why don’t they asses their situation calmly and split themselves into groups, instead of running in a big group and try to kill as many as possible without any strategy prepared? The Keeper, the one who controls the city, doesn’t seem to plan any strategy in order to save her seers. I mean, I know that the seers are disposable, but surely it won’t hurt to keep victims in your side as low as possible, right?

Another thing that I found really strange is the fact that Beatrice’s loyalty is toyed between the Keeper, whom she has practically known all her life, and the man whom she has met only in her dreams. Echo might be gorgeous, yes, but it’s not like I would turn my back against my own team because of the guy whom I only meet in my dreams. What does Echo actually do to make Beatrice believe in him? (Aside from being gorgeous, mind you) I just can’t see myself to betray my own city, my own friends, because of things a mysterious guy said in my dreams. I really wish that Echo had brought more evidences to make Beatrice believe in him.

This book is too bizarre for me to truly enjoy and I’m not a fan of the world-building either, so it took me some time to finish it. I admire Beatrice’s strength though, and I really wished that there were a competition to begin with between Echo and Brandon, Beatrice’s best friend. I like Brandon, it seems like he truly cares for Beatrice. Echo is too vague for me to actually feel anything for him, so I can’t say much about him.

I can’t really recommend Luminosity, but I figure that since many of my friends have read this book and enjoyed it, some of you might as well end up liking it. I might be curious enough to pick the sequel though, because I want to see what will happen to Beatrice, Echo, and Brandon. Hopefully we can see more inside Echo’s head in the sequel, and more background story to enhance the story! :)

I am standing on a bridge, gun cradled under my armpit, combat jumpsuit soiled and stained with the grime of the City. The screams of innocent people reverberate from everywhere around me, and I don’t know which way to run. Everyone needs to be saved, and yet, I cannot save everyone. But somehow, the weight of it is on me, and it’s a heavy, suffocating weight. One I don’t want to carry, never wanted to carry, and yet I must.

Website * Goodreads * Amazon * Book Depository

 

I rate this book:

Three cups of tea. Not really my cup of tea, but some people might like it.

Review: Beauty by Lisa Daily

Imagine waking up in one morning and finding out that you are the most beautiful girl in town.

Molly, like average teenagers, doesn’t like the way she looks. She is too self-conscious about her appearance, and it doesn’t help that she has the biggest crush to a boy in her neighborhood, Hudson, who isn’t even aware of her existence. After a humiliating incident involving a stuffed monkey, the prettiest girl in her school, and a country-fair-went-wrong, all Molly wants is just to curl up and die. When she’s looking for a spot in the fair to hide herself away, she meets Dharma, a mysterious artist who offered to draw a sketch of Molly. She also offers to listen to Molly’s problem, and Molly agrees.

“It’s just … it’s unfair. I wish I could be like that, you know?” … “Like Ashley.” I picked at a blade of grass, watching the water roll over my toes. “I wish I could be the most beautiful girl in Miracle.”

In a town named Miracle, miracle happens for real. The day after, Molly wakes up and finds out that the distance between her eyes has shortened, her cheekbones become higher, and in result, she has the most beautiful face in Miracle. Now Hudson finally notices her, and the popular crowd wants Molly to join their exclusive group. But what if that’s not what Molly really wants?

I’ve read books with similar plot to Beauty, but it’s still a very entertaining read! It was very easy to get lost in the story. I found myself giggling and squealing along with Molly when everyone in school starts fawning at her feet. It was pretty fun to read the good parts when people worshiped her. The writing, although not amazing, is great and very easy to follow.

Beauty, although extremely predictable, is such a cute read. Sure, there are plot holes and unrealistic parts that bugged me a little, but I just brushed them off and enjoyed Molly’s story. I found the story refreshing after reading too much books with stories that I have to analyze. I think most readers can relate to Molly’s story easily. There is always a time when we wish that we were prettier, that we were as beautiful as girls in magazines. Although in the end, just like Molly, we realize that what matters is the inside, not the outside. :)

Beauty is a short and cute read, and I’d recommend this for younger readers or for those who are looking for a light read. This book is something that you can finish in one sitting, and even though the story is not exactly something new or exceptionally amazing, it’s a fun book to read in your spare time.

And it wasn’t just my features. It was something else too—a certain je ne sais quoi as my dad would say—something that drew my eyes to the mirror and made them never want to look away. Something that seemed to emanate out of me, warm and alluring, like a fire on a freezing night. Something that made me want to step closer, look closer, like there was this magnetic pull to me. I was captivating. I was enchanting. I was … beautiful.

This was not possible.

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I rated it:

Three cups of tea. I like it.  Recommended to read in spare time.

Review: The Demon Catchers of Milan by Kat Beyer

3.5 stars

If I have to describe this book in one work, I’d say that it is strange.

The Demon Catchers of Milan has one of the most original storylines I’ve ever encountered. I really like the fact that the story is set in Italy too because it’s such a beautiful place. Because of the phrases and the different culture, sometimes I feel like reading a historical story. Given that the characters in the story lead a traditional, peaceful life, it’s easy to think that the story is set in different period. Another thing that makes it easy to forget about 21st century is the main character of this story, Mia, who doesn’t go to school anymore after living with her grandparents.

Mia, the main character of this story, is possessed by a very powerful demon. She is then saved by her grandfather from her father’s side and her distant cousin, Emilio. It turns out that the demon has been haunting the family since a very long time. It’s very dangerous for Mia to stay in the US, so she moves in to Italy to live with her father’s family. The rest of the story takes place in Italy, and Mia’s struggle to fight her demon.

I personally think that the chapters in this book seem dragged. I feel like we are given a chunk of Mia’s life and we have to be satisfied with it. As much as I adore the details about Italian culture, I would have liked to have my questions answered too. The character development is too slow for my taste, but I really how genuine it is. It would be great if the pace of this book can be quicker.

Mia is a character I can’t help but sympathize with. Away in a foreign land with family she has never met, it’s not hard to understand her loneliness. Mia is innocent in such a way that somehow doesn’t bug me. As for Emilio, the kind-of love interest in this story, I don’t feel very much attached to him. He’s too beautiful, too perfect. His perfection makes him feel distanced and I can’t work out any strong emotion toward him. I’d like to see more flaws and secrets about Emilio, because it seems like he’s good in everything. I’m sure no one, not even fictional character, is supposed to be that perfect.

Although The Demon Catchers of Milan can’t be said as one of my favorite reads this year, I still hope that there would be a sequel because there are too many loose ties in the story. This is a very strange story and I’d recommend you to read this while curling up in a blanket in cool, windy autumn night. The demon part of the story can be a bit scary, so it’s best to have warm fireplace near you and a hot chocolate to calm down the nerves!

Eventually we started bouncing over cobblestones, and I will always remember the first time I heard that sound, the sound of a foreign street. Then I was led up into a dark apartment walled with books. Somebody steered me into a small room, filled with more books, and pointed me to a soft, white bed.

I tried to remember what to say. At last it came. “Grazie mille,” I said to the blurry face, and fell down and went to sleep.

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I rate this book:

 Three cups of tea. I like it.  Recommended to read in spare time.

Review: Dark Star by Bethany Frenette

3.5 stars

Wow, this book is absolutely not your normal definition of superhero book.

Audrey has always been idolizing her mother, the superhero Morning Star. It’s bad enough that her mother doesn’t seem very keen to have Audrey following her path, but it’s even worse when her mother’s sidekick, Leon, keep tugging her patience. Strange things are happening in the city with high school girls gone missing, but Audrey’s mother refuses to give out any information to her. When Audrey’s friend is falling victim and almost dead, Audrey decides to take matters into her own hands and uncovers what her mother and Leon has been fighting all this time. But like Gram said, there are some places it’s best not to look…

The writing in Dark Star is great and very easy to follow. I also like the relationship between Audrey and her mother. Although they fight at times because Audrey’s mother tends to keep her in dark, it’s clear that both of them love each other very much. I like how Audrey keeps first aid kit everywhere in their house because her mother doesn’t want to get Audrey worry when she comes home injured. Leon, with her cookies smell, flour in his hair, and ironed shirt also get some pieces of my heart too.

However, I felt like the characters in this book are not used wisely. They have just the right characteristics to make them even more awesome: a bit reckless and justice-must-be-served heroine, a vigilante superhero as her mother, a mysterious sidekick, stern grandmother, and supporting best friends, but I feel like I didn’t know them much better in the end. I also wished for more romance in air because really, Audrey needs more time to talk to Leon without getting into banter and later, fight.

In overall, Dark Star is a good read but it’s not something that I expected. Although this book gives sense of comic-like superhero, it’s nothing near. It’s a great book but with the superhero thing stamped in the synopsis, I think I raised my expectation bar too high. I think devoted fans of paranormal stories (who can endure slow pacing in their books) would fall in love with this book. I hope there would be a sequel because for me, Dark Star felt more like an opening for an enjoyable series.

But that night I lay awake thinking of girls lured out into the sweet night air, the darkness that awaited them, vanishing lights and a rising wind. Tricia and Kelly and those other nameless girls, bound to me by a shared ancestry and by the cuts above our heels. And when I slept, my dreams were filled with blood.

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I rate this book: 

Three cups of tea. I like it.  Recommended to read in spare time.

Review: Retro Geeks by Karen Mueller Bryson

This book is completely and totally adorable. It has all the elements needed to make perfect and Disneyesque book: two geeky and lovable heroines, mean popular girls, not-so-bright jocks, annoying sibling, and swoon-worthy heroes!

Molly and Ally are self-proclaimed geeks. Boy, do I ever meet any clumsier character than them! Imagine this. Their physical coordination is so bad that they hit each other every time they try to do high-five! But the girls are also adorable in every sense possible. They love to dress in 80s attire, and they’re not afraid to be different. Although there are times they lose themselves somewhere in their effort to be popular, you can expect them to get their chins up and stand up straighter!

Retro Geeks is a fun and light book you would love to read in one sitting, just like me! I really hope that this book could be adapted into ad TV show someday, because it’s just too fun to miss! Get ready to read the misadventure of Molly and Ally, and how they find out that the only thing better than being popular girls is being their own quirky, unique individuals.

Dylan pulled up the pig's intestines for the girls to see. “The intestines, of course.”

The girls gagged once again. The intestines looked like the school cafeteria’s pasta delight.

“Prom should be quite a romantic evening for the right couple,” Dylan remarked as he gazed longingly at Molly.

But the girls could not take their eyes off of the horror show that was the dissected pig.

Website * Goodreads * Amazon * Book Depository

 

I rate this book:

Three cups of tea. I like it.  Recommended to read in spare time.

Many thanks to the author and YA Bound girls who provided me the review copy! Don't forget to check out the rest of the tour because some blogs offer copies of this book! :)

Review: Cat Girl's Day Off by Kimberly Pauley

Natalie can speak to cat. It sounds like a cool ability, but compared to her family’s ability, hers sounds like a ‘party trick’ talent. Her older sister has three super cool Talents, including being a human lie detector. Her younger sister can ‘disappear’ like a chameleon. Her mother has really high IQ and laser vision. Her father’s nose is hypersensitive and he can tell each bit of chemical component in things.

When Natalie’s friend Oscar shows her a funny video of a crazy cat attacking her famous owner, Natalie understands instantly what the cat’s problem. The pink cat in the video screams for help, and Nat is the only person in the world who understands him. Some people’s lives are in danger, and it all depends to Cat Girl and her spunky friends to save the day…

If there were a ‘lovely book award’, Cat Girl’s Day Off would be one of the biggest candidates. With brilliant dialogues between a snobby pink cat and a girl with purple streak in her hair, this book delivers tons of fun and laughter scenes. I almost feel sympathetic to see Natalie dragged by her celebrity-obsessed best friends to movie sets. It’s her unwillingness to get caught up in the mystery that made me want to smile. But Natalie has real sense of justice and in the end you can expect her to be the superhero.

Cat Girl’s Day Off has enough mystery, light romance, and craziness to keep you engaged in the story. Plus, lots of cats! As a cat person, the whole cat-talking thing earns extra brownie point from me. Who doesn’t want to exchange snarky remarks with this furry creature? The pink cat in this story, Rufus Brutus the Third (or you can call him Tiddlywinks), certainly has attitude, but he’s so fabulous that I’m willing to adopt him as my pet.

I hope that someday I could see this book adapted into a movie or TV series. There are so many things-gone-wrong scenes in this book that makes me wish to watch it played by real actors. Cat Girl’s Day Off makes a remarkable story for teenage readers, and I think I would enjoy this story even more if I were younger. However, if you’re generally a cat whisperer like me and in need of something light and easy to read, then this book should be your first choice! Natalie and her friends (including a number of exceptional cats) will bring you along in their crazy and hilarious adventure.

Oscar snorted but then turned serious. “You have to do something,” he said. “It’s your duty.”

“It’s my duty? What are you talking about?” I turned away from the window to look at him.

Oscar tapped the seat in front of him for emphasis. “You’ve seen Spider-Man,” he said. “‘With great power comes great responsibility.’ It’s your duty to do something about Easton. You’re the only one on the planet who could’ve seen that video and known something was wrong. That’s kismet.”

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 I rate this book:

Three cups of tea. I like it.  Recommended to read in spare time.

Review: Elemental by Brigid Kemmerer

3.5 stars

With the glowing reviews of Merrick brothers, I expected Elemental to be a wonderful novella before I start Storm. But it amazed me how short the story is. Just when I thought things start to become exciting, BAM! It suddenly ends, leave me with gaping mouth. If I have to metaphor my feeling, I feel like jumping from a cliff to a lake when I reached the last page. But instead being welcomed by the cool water, there was only solid wall hit me mercilessly.

Despite the sort of cliffhanger ending, one thing I enjoyed most about this book is the tension. Oh, the tension between Emily and Michael! It is as if I were there, watching them exchange hostile glances and snarky remarks. The conversations are interesting to read and I like the chemistry between them. I love the vivid description of the hot summer days and the deserted sports center. Perfect setting for the start of Michael and Emily’s friendship.

There are a few things I found frustrating in this novella. I don’t understand how things work in Elemental’s world. Does everyone have ability to control elements? I’m really confused because it is never stated clearly in the book. Elemental doesn’t offer answer, but it definitely is a good prequel before you start the series. It leaves you with questions about the community, the power, and the aggression that Merrick family constantly receives. Brigid Kemmerer also does such good job in portraying Michael’s emotion, frustration and turmoil he felt toward his family and sequence of things happening because of his power. I need answers and I’d definitely read Storm. Hopefully it would be a great explosion that I’m anticipating!

“Want to learn?” he said.

“Learn?” Her voice was squeaking.

He tapped the fence with the end of the bat. “How to hit.” She couldn’t. She’d already spent too much time talking to him. This had danger written all over it.

But some part of her heart had already told her brain’s insistent thoughts to shove it.

Because she was already saying yes.

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I rate this book:  

Three cups of tea. I like it. Recommended to read in spare time.

Review: The Summer My Life Began by Shannon Greenland

Elizabeth Margaret, or simply called Em, is a girl with passion in cooking. However, the option of telling her uptight and prestigious family that she wants to pursue career in cooking is off-limit. Her family would be furious, and Em doesn't want to hurt her family's feeling. Being a chef is not even possible in her wildest imagination.

This is Em's last summer holiday before she goes to Harvard and follows her father’s path as a lawyer, when a letter from her aunt arrives. Em doesn’t even know that she has an aunt until she receives the letter. She is invited by her aunt Matilda to spend her summer in Outer Banks. The more Em thinks about it, the more she wants to accept this invitation. This is her only chance of freedom. The moment when finally, her life begins.

The Summer My Life Began could be a much better book with more polishing. I judged most books I read by the first chapter. The first chapter plays a lot in my judgment whether to keep reading or shuffle the book to somewhere in my To-Be-Read pile. Sadly, this book falls on the latter. When I finished reading the first chapter, I got the impression that most part of this book will be about telling, not showing. I felt like I was overloaded with too much information regarding Em’s feeling. I would like to have more sides of Em’s shown in the following chapters, not thrown out in the first chapter. It made me think that I’ve known every bits and pieces about her already.

Fortunately, the writing is much improved throughout the story. There are also enough puzzles and magnetism of beautiful setting of an island out in the Atlantic Ocean that made me eager to read what happens next. Em and Cade’s relationship is also very adorable. There are some surprises that I didn’t see coming and they add to positive points of this book. I think The Summer My Life Began will appeal to fans of younger YA. If I were younger, I know that I would fall in love more with this story and the message behind this book.

We drove under the beautiful archway of bright red flowers growing on thick green vines that I had seen on the Pepper House’s website. We circled around a stone fountain with four carved goats spouting water from their mouths. Cade stopped the van in front of a Mediterranean-style whitewashed stone house covered in more beautiful red flowers.

He turned the key and silence filled the cab.

“Here we are,” he said, flinging open his door and getting out of the van.

I sat for a moment and smiled. Here I am.

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I rate this book:

Three cups of tea. Like it, but doesn’t give me much impression. Recommended to read in spare time.

Review: Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma

3.5 stars

Reviewing Forbidden in complete, coherent thoughts is one of the hardest things I did. I still am not really sure about the stars I give to this book. This book can earn two, three, or even five stars from me. I'm just too conflicted with my own feelings. Books with dysfunctional family theme always leave me feeling sad. I mourn how much children would be affected because of their parents. I especially hate it when parents can be completely ignorant of their kids and just mind their own business. This is one of the books, and the result of the dysfunction in the family is the worst.

Lochan and Maya are two siblings separated only by thirteen months. Even since their father’s leaving, they take turn doing household chores and taking care of their little brothers and sister. Lochan was constantly coping with his depression, haunted by his mother’s words when he’s twelve-year-old that he is ‘the man in the family’. Maya tries to help her brother by helping him socialize, but she doesn’t help much. Lochan has some kind of phobia to people and he can’t bring himself to talk to people out of his family members.

They try to hide the fact their mother is gone most of the time so they’re always on their own. If Social Services know about their condition, the children would be forced to go to foster houses. In this hard situation, Lochan and Maya find themselves forbiddingly attracted to each other. Even though they know that they can never have future together, and their relationship would threaten the fragile string of hope in their family…

Oh, what can I say about this book? Forbidden is a gripping read and I found myself devouring the story. It’s obvious than Lochan is broken, even more crushed than any members of his family. He has sudden outbursts and he said things he doesn’t mean sometimes, but I liked Lochan and I really hoped that he would recover from his depression and anxiety problem. Lochan thinks way too much and the only who can help him is his sister, Maya. Maya never doubts Lochan and she always sees the bright view in everything. If Lochan is in darkness, Maya is a representation of light to Lochan.

I don’t usually like reading two POVs in a book, but Forbidden is an exception. I love reading Maya’s cheerful and bright thoughts, and getting glimpses of Lochan’s darker thoughts and fear. The transition between Lochan and Maya’s feelings is fairly smooth. A character I especially resent in this book is their mother. She’s completely oblivious to the fact that her children are suffering. She spends money on useless things to please her boyfriend, while her children are struggling to make ends meet. I feel like she’s the one to blame of the messed up result.

Forbidden is a disturbing read, one that will leave you feeling completely raw and twisted. I recommend this book to people who enjoy mature YA with psychological streak since the theme of this book might be considered offensive to some people. 

They said that we refused to mix, that we had no friends. But they were wrong. We had each other. He was my best friend in the world. He still is.

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I rate this book: 

  Three cups of tea. Don't let the rates deceive you. Recommended to read but I know this book is not for everyone.

Review: Jake and Lily by Jerry Spinelli

Jake and Lily are twins. They were born in the California Zephyr train, in the Moffat Tunnel.

Cool.

They have something special that intertwine them. Both can feel the other’s thoughts, fear, and presence. In their birthday since they’re sixth, they somehow wake up in a train station. That is their secret, the thing that makes them special. Goombla.

Super cool!

But now they’re both eleven and having their summer holiday, Jake starts hanging out with other boys. He never has time to play with Lily anymore.

Uh oh, NOT cool.

It is the first summer when the twins spend it separately. While Lily tries to find her life without Jake with the help of their Grandpa, Jake learns about making up for his own mistakes and being friends with someone considered nerd is okay.

The first thing that made me interested to read this book is the author. Jerry Spinelli is not my favorite author but I love how raw and honest his writing in Star Girl. I enjoyed how wonderful Jerry Spinelli captivates the feeling of eleven-years-old kids.

This book is written like a journal and you get to slip inside Jake and Lily's head. At first, I was more interested in Jake’s POV. Jake goes out and spends summer holiday with his friends, and it’s certainly more interesting rather than sulking Lily who keeps yelling and getting angry at Jake. But as the story progresses, Lily’s story intrigued me more. Lily’s attempts to have a life are desperate and hilarious sometimes. While Jake’s story is dark with the heavy theme of bullying, Lily’s story is a little more cheerful and more focused on her struggle to stand in her own feet.

I like most parts of this book, even though I’m not really in favor with the ending. It’s just an okay ending for me. Jake and Lily is a great, quick read that will remind you about the confusion of growing up, the strangest time when you realize that boys and girls are different, and the importance of staying true to yourself.

How do you not try to get something you want?
How do you stop caring about the thing that you care about the most?
How do you erase the other half of your own self?

parts of Lily’s journal

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I rate this book:   

 Three cups of tea. Like it, but doesn’t give me much impression. Recommended to read in spare time.

Review: Embrace by Jessica Shirvington

Welcome to this massive review post of:

About The Book:

My girl,

Happy 17th birthday. I wish I could be there with you, but I think if you ar reading this...I am not. For that, I am sorry. The day your dad and I found out we were going to have a baby was the happiest day of my long life. I know the only day that will exceed that joy will be the day you are born - no matter how that day ends.

A big decision lies ahead. The burden of the covenant is a heavy one to bear. Choose with your heart, for I already know that you, my girl, must let your heart guide the way.

I love you. Please forgive me.

Mom

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