Review: Splintered by A. G. Howard

Splintered by A. G. Howard

Hardcover, 384 pages

Published January 1st 2013 by Amulet Books

Source: ARC, NetGalley
Buy the book:  Amazon : B&N : Goodreads

From Goodreads:

This stunning debut captures the grotesque madness of a mystical under-land, as well as a girl’s pangs of first love and independence. Alyssa Gardner hears the whispers of bugs and flowers—precisely the affliction that landed her mother in a mental hospital years before. This family curse stretches back to her ancestor Alice Liddell, the real-life inspiration for Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Alyssa might be crazy, but she manages to keep it together. For now.
When her mother’s mental health takes a turn for the worse, Alyssa learns that what she thought was fiction is based in terrifying reality. The real Wonderland is a place far darker and more twisted than Lewis Carroll ever let on. There, Alyssa must pass a series of tests, including draining an ocean of Alice’s tears, waking the slumbering tea party, and subduing a vicious bandersnatch, to fix Alice’s mistakes and save her family. She must also decide whom to trust: Jeb, her gorgeous best friend and secret crush, or the sexy but suspicious Morpheus, her guide through Wonderland, who may have dark motives of his own.

 The idea behind this Alice concept is amazing. The perspective Howard takes on the tale is wonderful and definitely different than many would be brave enough to try. Descriptions and excellent visualizations make this a great read for anyone. I simply wish there had been more originality in the book. I felt like I was reading just a deranged version of Alice in Wonderland. Yes, that is basically what it is, but there should have been more of the author's ideas thrown in somehow. The characters and their history's roles in the story are decently weaved into the traditional plot. It made the book very predictable, but Alyssa's and the others personalities make it worth it. Morpheus should have had a better role to play in the end. I think he was cheated of his true potential in the story. Jeb is sweet and great, but sometimes a story needs more than the boy next door. This is definitely one of those cases.

These aspects and the book's ending are what really brought this book down for me. Howard gives you a good ride through the story, but at the end you feel like you have been cut short. I seriously closed after the last page saying, "Wait, that's it?" I believe it to be a little bit of a miscalculation to just drop the ball with the characters like that. 

Review: Princess of the Silver Woods by Jessica Day George

Princess of the Silver Woods by Jessica Day George

Hardcover, 336 pages

Published December 11th 2012 by Bloomsbury USA Children's Books

Source: ARC, NetGalley
Buy the book:  Amazon : B&N : Goodreads

From Goodreads:

When Petunia, the youngest of King Gregor's twelve dancing daughters, is invited to visit an elderly friend in the neighboring country of Westfalin, she welcomes the change of scenery. But in order to reach Westfalin, Petunia must pass through a forest where strange two-legged wolves are rumored to exist. Wolves intent on redistributing the wealth of the noble citizens who have entered their territory. But the bandit-wolves prove more rakishly handsome than truly dangerous, and it's not until Petunia reaches her destination that she realizes the kindly grandmother she has been summoned to visit is really an enemy bent on restoring an age-old curse. The stories of Red Riding Hood and Robin Hood get a twist as Petunia and her many sisters take on bandits, grannies, and the new King Under Stone to end their family curse once and for all. 

The reader hits the ground running right from the beginning of this book. I thought this was a good thing until I realized I had no idea who half of the characters were. We're introduced to Petunia and her "wolf" right off the bat. These two are written well and really make the story like they should. They are extremely likeable and I found that I connected to them easily. Unfortunately, the other characters weren't so lucky with me. The sisters and their respective suitors were distant and sometimes aggravating to me. This is why I would probably read the other books in the series to get a better understanding of Petunia's story, but in no rush to learn about these others. 

Adding to that frustration was the fact that magic just appeared here and there for no reason to me. However, this is when I realized that this was actually the final installment in the series. Everything finally made sense after that. After researching the series a little, I finally settled into the storyline once again. There were still incidents and actions that happened seemingly random, but the story managed to hold my attention right till the end. The perspective on the fairy tale was unique compared to many others I had read and I actually enjoyed this one the most. 

 

Review: Parallel Visions by Cheryl Rainfield

Parallel Visions by Cheryl Rainfield

Paperback, 146 pages

Published November 20th 2012 by Rain and Sun Press
Source: ARC, NetGalley
Buy the book:  Amazon : B&N : Goodreads

From Goodreads:

Visions can kill you. Would you risk your life to save someone else’s?

Kate sees psychic visions of the future and the past—but only when she's having an asthma attack. When she "sees" her sister being beaten, she needs more visions to try to save her, along with a suicidal classmate—but triggering her asthma could kill her. Parallel Visions is the story of one brave, caring girl whose unusual gifts put her own life in danger.

A new YA fantasy from the award-winning author of SCARS and HUNTED

 This was quite the little book. There is a whole lot of ground covered in short span, but the characters make it worth the ride. 

Kate has an interesting dilemma. She has an asthma attack and a vision at the same time. No one believes her and most just think she is just "that sick kid that misses a lot of school." Then life intervenes. Issues with her sister and a friend's sister come up because of her visions and it doesn't lead to where you would think. Instead of creating complete conflict for Kate, it builds her life and opens doors for her that she couldn't have imagined. The build up to that point is a little slow, but then this book really picks up. The culminating events turned this one into a page turner quickly and almost leave you as breathless as Kate. Yes, some may say it is a little predictable and somewhat cliche when it comes to the romance part, but it makes the best out of the number of pages it is allowed. It is definitely a solid good book, but if it had been a "full-length" novel it would have been outstanding!

Review: Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry

Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry

Hardcover, 392 pages

Published July 31st 2012 by Harlequin Teen 

Source: ARC, NetGalley
Buy the book:  Amazon : B&N : Goodreads

From Goodreads:

No one knows what happened the night Echo Emerson went from popular girl with jock boyfriend to gossiped-about outsider with "freaky" scars on her arms. Even Echo can't remember the whole truth of that horrible night. All she knows is that she wants everything to go back to normal.But when Noah Hutchins, the smoking-hot, girl-using loner in the black leather jacket, explodes into her life with his tough attitude and surprising understanding, Echo's world shifts in ways she could never have imagined. They should have nothing in common. And with the secrets they both keep, being together is pretty much impossible.

Yet the crazy attraction between them refuses to go away. And Echo has to ask herself just how far they can push the limits and what she'll risk for the one guy who might teach her how to love again.

 An absolutely amazing book. Do not let my 3 stickies fool you into thinking otherwise. While it is not something that I would normally read or purchase for my own, the book has wonderful characters and deals with so many teen social issues. The writing is so well done the story and characters flow fluidly right through to the end. There is a whole roller coaster of emotions in this one. You'll cover extreme anger to gut-wrenching sadness within a few pages. This is one that will awe you over and over again.

The main characters, Echo and Noah, have both been traumatic experiences in their life. Echo's has left her scarred mentally and physically to the point that her mind has blocked the event out entirely. Noah has the opposite issue of dealing with his problems on a daily basis. Together they face their demons and come to an absolution. The journey to that point is both beautiful and tragic, but readers will enjoy watching them grow and mature along the way. They were, however, very melodramatic and a little too full of angst for my taste. 

Issues such as depression and other mental illnesses, drugs, sex, and peer pressure are covered thoroughly throughout the book. Fortunately, the book is also written well enough that it does not feel like you're reading a pamphlet that would be usually found in the counselor's office. This makes the book drag in spots though and it could have been a lightened a little bit. If you deal with any extreme emotions about these topics, consult a friend before reading this book. 

Review: The Dead-Tossed Waves by Carrie Ryan

The Dead-Tossed Waves by Carrie Ryan

Ebook, 321 pages

Published March 9th 2010 by Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Source: Own
Buy the Book: Amazon : B&N : Goodreads

From Goodreads:

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

     The "Forest" Series exists in a world that I wonder if we may end up in one day. I believe that is why I have such a connection to it. Unfortunately, this book suffers from a horrible case of "second book syndrome" even though it is more of a companion novel instead of a sequel. 

     One of the best aspects of TDTW is that it comes from Gabry's point of view. She is Mary's daughter, but definitely doesn't take things like Mary does. Gabry, while it does cause her to be a little dull at times, has a contentment about her and is happy with the life that she has been living. This is completely different than her determined mother who came off with a "I'm going to conquer the world or burn it" attitude. Fortunately, it does suit the plot, but does cause it to drag sometimes as it coincides with her complacency. 

     However, this book does the "love triangle" better than most. In the beginning, we meet Catcher as Gabry sets out on a journey to find herself. Along the way we pick up Elias, who brings a whole new persona into the situation. Each guy has redeeming qualities and of course cons, but I can honestly say I don't think either choice would be bad. Alas, it would not be that easy for Gabry. In what is probably the most exciting part of the book, this whole situation changes in one second and the choice is taken from her...

Review: Rapture by Lauren Kate

Rapture by Lauren Kate

Hardcover, 448 pages

Published June 12th 2012 by Delacorte Books for Young Readers

Source: NetGalley, ARC
Buy the book:  Amazon : B&N : Goodreads

From Goodreads:

RAPTURE, the fourth & final FALLEN novel, is the Lauren Kate book the world has been waiting for.

The sky is dark with wings. . . .

Like sand through an hourglass, time is running out for Luce and Daniel. To stop Lucifer from erasing the past, they must find the place where the angels fell to earth.

Dark forces are after them, and Daniel doesn’t know if he can do this—live only to lose Luce again and again. Yet together they face an epic battle that will end with lifeless bodies . . . and angel dust. Great sacrifices are made. Hearts are destroyed.

And suddenly Luce knows what must happen. For she was meant to be with someone other than Daniel. The curse they’ve borne has always and only been about her—and the love she cast aside. The choice she makes now is the only one that truly matters. In the fight for Luce, who will win?

The astonishing conclusion to the FALLEN series. Heaven can’t wait any longer.

The series had really been hit or miss with me. The first book was ok, the following two were simply "eh, I've come this far, might as well continue on..." Now, I am glad I did. After all that these characters have been through, they realize there is always hope in humanity.
The story picks up where it left off in Passion. It takes a little bit for it to pick up, but their traveling to find the place where the angels fell does help speed things up. Here lies the obstacles that they have to deal with and forces that they have to eradicate. The journey with this was heartbreaking but yet invigorating. The plot line with Daniel, Luce, and Heaven becomes really interesting in this book. Kate had always before just alluded to certain aspects, but this time we get to learn more about how our heroes ended up the way they did. Kate's take on Heaven and the inner workings for it is not really conventional to what I know, but I do like it. For this story it fit well.
The sacrifices with Luce and Daniel are extreme. We lose friends and foes in this book, no one is safe. However, this helps everyone grow in many ways. They take it in stride and strive on to meet their goal..and sometimes their doom. The ending. Ah, the ending. The price for happiness can be extreme in reality, let alone in their fictional world. Here it is no different. These characters literally have faced Heaven and Hell to fix things...and those left standing have a few surprises and decisions to make. Overall, I enjoyed the book and the solid ending it was for this series. It will probably not be on my top favorite series of all time, but it is definitely one that you should consider if you are given the chance to.

Review: Legacy by Cayla Kluver

Legacy by Cayla Kluver

Paperback, 496 pages

Published June 28th 2011 by HarlequinTeen
Source: Purchased
Buy the book: Amazon : B&N : Goodreads

From Goodreads:

I noticed his eyes. They were blue, sharp and intense. Despite the youthful glows of his suntanned face, his eyes were cold and unfriendly, suggesting he had great experience in the world and was now expecting the worst.
In her seventeenth year, Princess Alera of Hytanica faces one duty: to marry the man who will be king. But her father's choice of suitor fills her with despair.
When the palace guard captures and intruder— a boy her age with steel-blue eyes, hailing from her kingdom's greatest enemy— Alera is alarmed… and intrigued. But she could not have guessed that their clandestine meetings would unveil the dark legacy shadowing both their lands.
In this mystical world of court conspiracies and blood magic, loyalties will be tested. Courage won't be enough. And as the battle begins for everything Alera holds dear, love may be the downfall of a kingdom.

I have to admit, the hype for this book got to me. That's why I snatched it up a week before its release when I found it at Books-A-Million. The premise really intrigued me, but it didn't really hold up to the hype.
The story itself I loved, but the author's attention to detail really slowed it down to barely a crawl. I like the fact that a lot of background history is given, but stating a character's every miniscule move is a bit too far. The reader does get true look at the people and society of this world, but for many this depth is detrimental. I found myself flipping through pages just to see when the next conversation started. If a lot of this had been cut out, I feel I would have enjoyed the characters more.
Alera is a strong-minded woman in a society era that extremely hinders such beings. This personality trait made her very easy to relate to for me. The men in her life? Now that is another non-interesting storyline to get into with this book. It should have taken a larger front and the book may have been better. It was not to be though and it felt really like "deejay-vu" due to the premise. The man she is supposed to marry is an a$$ and the man she wants is a member of opposite forces (yes, just a liiiittle cliche). Unfortunately, the only man that held any true interest for me was her bodyguard. He actually had depth and characteristics that I looked forward to. Well, he is not in a majority of the book and that made the wait between scenes horrid. Even worse, he has the most potential for Alera, but circumstances arise and that door is slammed shut. That is where this book lost me almost entirely. The book itself is something to be desired, but it did hold out long enough for me to want to read the second one. We'll see where that took me in my next review post!

Review: 3/5 for Crave by Melissa Darnell

Crave by Mellisa Darnell

Paperback, 416 pages

Published October 25th 2011 by Harlequin Teen
Source: NetGalley
Buy the Book: Amazon : B&N : Goodreads

From Goodreads:

Savannah Colbert has never known why she's so hated by the kids of the Clann. Nor can she deny her instinct to get close to Clann golden boy Tristan Coleman. Especially when she recovers from a strange illness and the attraction becomes nearly irresistible. It's as if he's a magnet, pulling her gaze, her thoughts, even her dreams. Her family has warned her to have nothing to do with him, or any members of the Clann. But when Tristan is suddenly everywhere she goes, Savannah fears she's destined to fail.

For years, Tristan has been forbidden to even speak to Savannah Colbert. Then Savannah disappears from school for a week and comes back…different, and suddenly he can't stay away. Boys seem intoxicated just from looking at her. His own family becomes stricter than ever. And Tristan has to fight his own urge to protect her, to be near her no matter the consequences….

This is a book you will either like or absolutely hate. The story has a little more originality to it than I've seen with others, but I hit many walls of frustration while reading it.

The characters are likeable and probably the best part of the book, especially the grandmother. She reminds me of what I think I would be like at that age and had her affinities. :) Savannah, on the other hand, is a typical teenager...at first. She deals with many teenage conflicts even before her life goes haywire. Afterwards, it goes to whole new level of challenges. Savannah finds herself drawn between two worlds, each with their own very strict rules. While she does well, there are a few incidents where she show her age in them. She does compromise and makes good decisions about her school activities that I was proud of, but I felt that she could have stood up for herself just a little more. It seemed that she either was told or chose to take the road that benefited her the least. Tristan is her downfall in good and bad ways. He provides the connection to humanity that she needs, but is also the one thing she's not allowed to have. The valiance he showed throughout the book is truly admirable and makes him one of my favorite male characters. The things he does just to make the situations possible and in his favor are wonderful. Every girl wishes for someone like that. I loved and hated the parents in this book. Everything about them was inconsistent. There were many times I just wanted them to get over themselves and get their crap together. It's obvious to the reader that they both love their daughter, but their methods of showing that to her are vastly different. This is probably due to the different backgrounds they come from and a part of tension that is supposed to be there. However, a little more collaboration wouldn't have hurt at all. The grandmother is my favorite character. She provides the most consistent support and critical advice for Savannah. I feel that I could honestly say Savannah would be nothing and in a world of hurt without her. She pretty much keeps the story together.

The plot and pace of this book was its downfalls in my opinion. While contributing originality to the over-worked vampire genre, the book lacked a good pace to keep the reader attached to the characters. The prologue is very good, but after that it is not until after 75% of the book that it picks up again. Good characters or not, I felt like I just kept waiting for something to happen. It has a lot of back story during this time, but the secrecy from the parents and other characters keeps Savannah and the reader from being able to move forward. I was turning in circles with her, not realizing what had happened and had to re-read a few parts to catch up.
I do the like the dual POV with Tristan. Darnell does pull this off well where others bomb on it. Tristan managed to save the book for me in this aspect. He grounded Savannah's maddening world into something a little more civil for me.

Overall, this was a good book. Does it have issues? Yes, but there is a lot of potential for the series as well. The book ends well enough for me that I can safely say I will read the next one. I do hope that there will be an improvement in its timing and pace.

Review: 3/5 for Entwined by Heather Dixon

Entwined by Heather Dixon

Hardcover, 480 pages

Published March 29th 2011 by Greenwillow Books
Source: Borrowed from friend
Buy the book: Amazon : B&N : Goodreads

From Goodreads:

Azalea is trapped. Just when she should feel that everything is before her . . . beautiful gowns, dashing suitors, balls filled with dancing . . . it's taken away. All of it.
The Keeper understands. He's trapped, too, held for centuries within the walls of the palace. And so he extends an invitation.
Every night, Azalea and her eleven sisters may step through the enchanted passage in their room to dance in his silver forest.
But there is a cost.
The Keeper likes to keep things.
Azalea may not realize how tangled she is in his web until it is too late.

The beauty of the cover snagged me on this book. After I started reading it I realized that it involved A LOT of dancing. This is normally ok, but this book takes it to another level. While that is a slight annoyance, the characters make up for any and all shortcomings.

Azalea and her sisters are charming. All of the girls are the product of the King's desperate attempts to have a son to take the throne. Each have their own strengths and weaknesses, but Azalea has the most weight on her shoulders. She has the burden of looking after her sisters and preparing to rule as queen. She carries her role well and stands up for herself really well for someone her age. Once it is apparent things are not going to go his way, the King comes to several realizations about his daughters. I enjoyed watching their relationships grow and change throughout the book. There are several, several suitors in this book for the girls, but they just do not seem realistic. Quite a few incidents and relationships actually seem just "tacked" on or an after thought. The "Keeper" seems vague to me. I learned some information about him, but I guess I simply didn't understand him.

The plot was very odd to me. It was not bad, but it wasn't great either. It is continually slow from the beginning all the way through until the ending scenes. However, unlike others this book had the wonderful characters to carry me through and keep me interested until the end. That being said, there were several times I stopped reading and would ask myself why in the world they would feel the need to dance at a time like that. I love music and dance, but I think I just do understand that "need" for it in every aspect of life. The final scenes do a really great job of wrapping up the book. It's one of the better endings I've seen in a while.

Dixon's writing is very beautiful to me. She does an amazing job with descriptions and vivid details. It made it easy for me to imagine that I could be standing right in the middle of the story, just watching from afar. Everything right down to the dialogue between the characters felt like it welcomed my subconscious into a whole other world and experience. It is a very solid good read and I do recommend it for everyone.

Review: 3/5 for Passion by Lauren Kate

Passion by Lauren Kate

Hardcover, 420 pages

Published June 14th 2011 by Random House Children's Books
Source: eBook, purchased
Buy the book: Amazon : B&N : Goodreads

From Goodreads:

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.

Alright. After reading to this point in the series I had almost given up on it. This book definitely set the bar higher than the previous two. It takes the characters that I've followed thus far and speeds up their action to an acceptable pace.

As we join back with Luce she is hopping through time to try to figure out her and Daniel's past. She slowly figures out a few important key factors, but it is still hard because of Daniel's intent on secrecy. Luce has some company join her along the way, but it's slightly obvious from the start that it's not the best of help to have. I like the sides of Daniel I finally got to see this time. His story finally cracked open and I saw him in a little better light than before. Along with the help of their friends, Luce and Daniel's story truly grows in this book.

*Happy dance* The plot FINALLY picks up in this one! It was so sluggish in the first two books I was honestly concerned that it would continue on in this one. Luce's time travels came to my aid on this aspect. The hopping through time and seeing all the different lives and cultures she lived in really kept me interested. Daniel's struggles through these situations left real validity to their past and present relationships. I am very glad that is finally shown. I had hoped that some of the secrets he possessed about these relationships would illuminated this time. There is still a feeling that there's a lot more to be had at the end of the book though.

I did not realize until the ending of this book that it was actually a four book series. I thought this would be the end. That's why I was irritated when I finished the book. It had just picked up enough that I was truly interested and the series ends like that?? Nope, I was wrong. If I had known, I would have seriously waited until Rapture came out to even bother with these books.

Review: 3/5 for Torment by Lauren Kate

Torment by Lauren Kate

Hardcover, 452 pages

Published September 28th 2010 by Random House Children's Books
Source: eBook, Purchased
Buy the Book: Amazon : B&N : Goodreads

From Goodreads:

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?

After debating back and forth when I finished Fallen, I finally decided to continue on to this book. Fallen lacked in a lot of areas for me, but friends recommended I should carry on with the series because they felt it picked up for them in Torment. I am certainly glad I listened to them. While there are some things I wish would just be taken care of, there were several things introduced that gave this book some pep.

Luce discovers she's headed to Shoreline from Daniel. Of course, there is secrecy involved with every action he takes. On the plus side, several new and interesting characters are introduced at the school. These characters end up playing a more crucial part in the story that what I thought they would. They are more true to Luce because of their backgrounds. She does grow quick a bit in this book, but is still held by the boundaries that Daniel sets. He does elaborate on the grand scheme of things, but just enough to irritate me. I continually hope that one of other characters will just bluntly state the situation, but their allegiance is unwavering.

The beginning of this book is as slow as Fallen was, but Luce instigates a series of events that finally gets the ball rolling. It is not a page-turner, but it does keep the plot going at a decent pace. Some events involving Luce seemed a little unbelievable or simply irrational. A lot of it seemed out of character for her. It was slightly predictable, but the book just simply stops at the end. I'm not sure if it qualifies as a cliffhanger for me, but I'm sure most it would probably feel that way.

Review: Firelight by Sophie Jordan

By Sophie Jordan
Published: September 7th 2010 by HarperTeenFormat: Hardcover
Pages: 323
Source: Borrowed from friend
Buy the book: Amazon : B&N : Goodreads


From Goodreads:

A hidden truth.
Mortal enemies.
Doomed love.
Marked as special at an early age, Jacinda knows her every move is watched. But she longs for freedom to make her own choices. When she breaks the most sacred tenet among her kind, she nearly pays with her life. Until a beautiful stranger saves her. A stranger who was sent to hunt those like her. For Jacinda is a draki—a descendant of dragons whose greatest defense is her secret ability to shift into human form.
Forced to flee into the mortal world with her family, Jacinda struggles to adapt to her new surroundings. The only bright light is Will. Gorgeous, elusive Will who stirs her inner draki to life. Although she is irresistibly drawn to him, Jacinda knows Will's dark secret: He and his family are hunters. She should avoid him at all costs. But her inner draki is slowly slipping away—if it dies she will be left as a human forever. She'll do anything to prevent that. Even if it means getting closer to her most dangerous enemy.
Mythical powers and breathtaking romance ignite in this story of a girl who defies all expectations and whose love crosses an ancient divide.

The concept in this book is pretty good. I loved the world of the draki that Jordan created, but there were a few things that brought the book down for me.

This book is one of those that I think of as "easy to get along with." The characters are likeable from the very beginning and just about anyone can relate to at least one or more of them. While the plot may include Draki and other supernatural situations, it was also one that included many situations that everyday teens have to deal with. It did start out kind of slow for me but mid-way through it picked up and finished very nicely.

Likes: The draki and their world. It's different than a lot of the dragon ideas that I've read and I'm really happy to see some change.
The strong, determined characters. Regardless of what was happening they seemed to always push and go for what they want.
The ease with which the book flows. One could actually read this while doing anything. The plot flows simply from one point to the next and there's nothing too elaborate to figure out. The writing is very simple as well; one has no doubt what the author is trying to say.

Dislikes: Very, very predictable. I guess this may come from the plot and writing style, but it did not feel very original at all to me. It was like I was reading a book for the second time and just discovered that there's draki in the mix. The best part for me was the ending and where the next book is headed.
The high school drama. In this type of book some is expected. However, this one is overloaded with it. Imagine every kind of scenario in a high school teen movie and know that they occur in this book.

Overall, the book really is a good read. Especially if you are just looking for something to pass the time and escape for a little while. It won me over well enough that I will definitely read Vanish when it comes out. If the plot continues as is, I think it will be even better.