Review: Moonset by Scott Tracey

Moonset by Scott Tracey

Paperback, 384 pages

Published April 8th 2013 by Flux
Source: ARC, NetGalley
Buy the book:  Amazon : B&N : Goodreads

From Goodreads:

Justin Daggett, his trouble-making sister, and their three orphan-witch friends have gotten themselves kicked out of high school. Again. Now they’ve ended up in Carrow Mills, New York, the town where their parents—members of the terrorist witch organization known as Moonset—began their evil experiments with the dark arts one generation ago.

When the siblings are accused of unleashing black magic on the town, Justin fights to prove their innocence. But tracking down the true culprit leads him to a terrifying discovery about Moonset’s past . . . and its deadly future.

Moonset was a great surprise for me! I thought it would be a solid, good book, but did not expect it to wow me like it did.

The reader is thrown right into the lives of the Moonset five right out of the gate. School problems on an unimaginable level bring them to yet another new school. Here they learn that a lot of things in life are not accidents and things are NEVER as they seem. The story gives new meaning to the old saying "History is written by the victors." Sometimes you just have to be there to know what really happened. This set of friends endure so much because of past events. It fuels them and gives them a steadfast desire to prove themselves, but some act in more appropriate ways than others. Their story of overcoming the bans set upon them is phenomenal with all the events that blow up on them. You won't be able to put this one down once you get started. There is always a turn or something poking its head around the corner to jump out at you.

The characters truly make this story. I thought that five may be a little much for main characters, but Tracey really makes it work. It never feels overloaded or choppy. On top of this, other characters play key roles in areas that you normally wouldn't see them. Ash and Quinn has essential roles, but still are practically in the background a majority of the time. A couple characters had quirks that I didn't favor too much, but it really didn't detract from the book for me. I just skipped over a couple of lines and went about my way. They all are likeable in various ways and that made them easy to connect to. For me, all of their bantering conversations made them realistic and that made me enjoy them even more. I cannot wait to see where Tracey takes this story. I believe it can only get better with the groundwork that's been laid out!

Review: The Stone Demon by Karen Mahoney

The Stone Demon by Karen Mahoney

Paperback, 336 pages

Expected publication: April 8th 2013 by Flux
Source: ARC, NetGalley
Buy the book:  Amazon : B&N : Goodreads

From Goodreads:

After being tricked into opening the doorway to the Demon Realm by Aliette, the Wood Queen, Donna Underwood is faced with a terrible ultimatum from the newly released demon hordes. They demand that the alchemists deliver the Philosopher's Stone, or their reaper storm will plunge the world into a devastating modern-day Dark Age.

Donna is sent to London, England, where she must complete her alchemist's training and learn how to recreate the Stone. But time is running out. Between facing the vengeful demon king, Demian, and collecting the Stone's elements, Donna realizes she must give her own life in order to succeed. And this time, even braving death may not be enough to save the world.

 The final installment of the Iron Witch series will take you for a ride and truly does live up to its predecessors. Donna and the gang face hard losses and challenges to overcome Demian and his army. Thankfully, they form an amazing group that wrangles through these incidents with their traditional clever tact. The process and journey they take is not easy and sometimes they trip up on what should be the simplest tasks. Normally, this would bother me but in this case it actually fits the story with the events occurring. It actually helps keep the book from being completely predictable. There are times you will probably think of similar series, but there is just enough of the author's touch to make it her own. Mahoney's keys are in the details. It's the little things she puts in the plot and characters that really make the difference. The snide remarks and small descriptions of Donna's arms in events all play a part, do your best to pay attention. You will particularly love the background information that we are privy to in this book. Info on Donna, her family, and especially Xan will let the characters come full circle for you. They slide past that awkward teenage phase and you get to see them begin to evolve into adulthood.

It would be so easy to give so much away. To justly define the book I would simply say that Mahoney masterfully wraps up loose ends and throws enough quirks in to keep you guessing and consistently turning the page. The Stone Demon does not disappoint, especially for those that already love the series. These fans will probably be dancing by the end and it may not even be for the reasons they think!

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: Undeadly by Michelle Vail

Undeadly by Michelle Vail

Paperback, 272 pages

Published November 20th 2012 by Harlequin Teen

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

From Goodreads:

The day I turned 16, my boyfriend-to-be died. I brought him back to life. Then things got a little weird...

Molly Bartolucci wants to blend in, date hottie Rick and keep her zombie-raising abilities on the down-low. Then the god Anubis chooses her to become a reaper—and she accidentally undoes the work of another reaper, Rath. Within days, she's shipped off to the Nekyia Academy, an elite boarding school that trains the best necromancers in the world. And her personal reaping tutor? Rath.

Life at Nekyia has its plusses. Molly has her own personal ghoul, for one. Rick follows her there out of the blue, for another...except, there's something a little off about him. When students at the academy start to die and Rath disappears, Molly starts to wonder if anything is as it seems. Only one thing is certain—-Molly's got an undeadly knack for finding trouble....

 The concept won me over with this book, but the story itself could have benefited from a stronger heroine. 

Molly is a horrible accident waiting to happen. This girl has the luck of a bad penny, but she always seems to just scathe by trouble. In many ways she is a typical teenager trying to make it through a regular school day. However, supernatural incidents keep reminding her that she is not quite normal. Just how not normal she is actually completely unknown to her until she gets to Nekyia. Here events open up a can of worms and Molly has no choice but to fall in line...  Poor Rick. He gets drug along for the horrible ride, but is really a gem in the story. Rath. I adore him for some odd reason. He is a great character and compliment to Molly's naive personality. 

Together, this set of characters will give you a chance to involve yourself in the story along with them. It does start off slow, but Molly's blunders quickly get it rolling. Whining and teenage angst slow it down in several spots as well. If that had deterred from the story, this would have been an easy 5 sticky book. Unfortunately, it made me flip through a few parts to hurry the story along.

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: Flesh and Bone by Jonathan Maberry

Flesh & Bone by Jonathan Maberry

Hardcover, 469 pages

Published September 11th 2012 by Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers
Source: Own
Buy the book:  Amazon : B&N : Goodreads

From Goodreads:

Reeling from the tragic events of Dust & Decay, Benny Imura and his friends plunge deep into the zombie-infested wastelands of the great Rot & Ruin. Benny, Nix, Lilah and Chong journey through a fierce wilderness that was once America, searching for the jet they saw in the skies months ago. If that jet exists then humanity itself must have survived…somewhere. Finding it is their best hope for having a future and a life worth living.

But the Ruin is far more dangerous than any of them can imagine. They are hunted by fierce animals escaped from zoos and circuses. They must raid zombie-infested towns for food and medical supplies. They discover the very real truth in the old saying: In the Rot & Ruin…everything wants to kill you.

And what is happening to the zombies? Swarms of them are coming from the east, devouring everything in their paths. These zoms are different. Faster, smarter, infinitely more dangerous. Has the zombie plague mutated, or is there something far more sinister behind this new invasion of the living dead?

In Flesh & Bone, Benny Imura, Nix Riley, Lou Chong and Lilah the Lost Girl are pitted against dangers greater than anything they've ever faced. To survive, each of them must rise to become the warriors Tom trained them to be.

 One of my favorite series and it just keeps getting better and better. This installment takes the previous dangers met by our heroes and makes them look like teardrops falling into a five gallon bucket. The Rot & Ruin brings some horrific surprises for Benny and his crew!

  The journey has already hurt them physically and mentally, but it continues to give our heroes grief. Things don't turn out anything like they thought they would. The cults they encounter are far more crazy than what they could have imagined. This takes their lives and journey into an entire new direction. The incident with Chong was one I was waiting for, just was not sure which character it would happen to. It will be interesting to see how the plot winds that one out. Especially with Lilah involved. We get to see so much more of her and her thoughts this time around and I loved every minute of it. She's become my favorite character. 
Benny and Nix take on some almost hilarious scary events. They are totally plausible, but also laughable because that is all I would be able to do in those situations. Its that sad and horrific and I would be screwed. You will really get to see these two grow up in this book. They are learning the complete in's and out's of a relationship and time will tell if it is something they want to hold on to. 

For a time their journeys are divided, but then combine again at the end. Both paths are filled will potholes, especially when they learn about the airplane and the real history of life after First Night. This opens a whole new can of worms to deal with. The crew's Sanctuary and new friends may not be all they are cracked up to be. From what we learn towards the end, Sanctuary could actually be anything but what it implies. The anxiety you will feel at the end of this book will make you extremely mad. There is so much left wide open, you will be sitting in a corner, rocking, and waiting for the final book in the series, Fire & Ash, to come out in September. Don't worry, you won't be alone. I will be patiently biting my nails until the end of this saga!

Review: Sacrifice by Cayla Kluver

Sacrifice by Cayla Kluver

Paperback, 438 pages

Published October 23rd 2012 by Harlequin Teen 

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

From Goodreads:

This is not the time for the fight to end. Now is when the fight will begin. This is the time to regain what has been lost.

Alera

Queen of a fallen kingdom, secretly in love with the enemy.

Shaselle

Daughter of a murdered father, rebel with a cause.

One lives behind the former Hytanican palace walls and walks the razor's edge to keep the fragile peace in her beloved homeland. The other slips through the war-torn streets, seeking retribution for her family's tragedy, following whispers of insurgency.

Both face choices that will separate them from those they cannot help but love. As their stories intertwine, a conspiracy ignites that may end in slavery or death—or lead to freedom anew, if only each can face what must be sacrificed.

A phenomenal ending to a brilliant series. Period. 

I had questioned myself on whether I wanted to continue with the series after reading Legacy. I thought it was a good story, but took too long to get to where it was going. Thankfully I did carry on and this book was definitely worth the wait. 

The two POV's in this book was iffy to me and I did not think that it would work well. It ended up being a great compliment to the story, especially being able to see the conflicts from both sides. I loved the pacing and placement of action in this installment. It was right where it needed to be and always held my attention to keep flipping pages. The plot didn't necessarily go the way I thought it would, or should really, but I understand the concessions Kluver made and the results of them. The culminating events that decide Hytanica's fate will leave you breathless!

The characters are fully matured now and the reader gets to enjoy the effects of their full circle. Alera and Narian are the essential "life-bloods" of the story. Everything that is to be decided is determined by their actions and influence. It was wonderful to see Alera step-up from childhood and truly embrace being decisive and tactical ruler. She finally learned how to put her foot down and inspires her country to do so as well. Narian takes an interesting journey this time around. We get to learn so much more about him and this information ends up being a significant player in the game. I wasn't convinced until this book that he would be a suitable leader or counterpart to Alera. Shaselle offers a great alternate POV to the events. I believe she is the girl that Alera would have been had she not been born into higher level royalty. She is very perceptive, but there were many times I wondered what in the world she was thinking. That was always with a decision that I knew would bring her grief and ultimately did in the end. The other characters pretty much played out the story as I thought they would. We find out a little more information here and there, but you will probably find the background on London and someone else really interesting. 

Overall, this was my favorite book in the series. The characters and plot were right where they should be and Kluver's writing improved leaps and bounds. It is definitely worth the wait, but reading the previous books are a must. There is no starting in the middle of this series, you'd be completely lost. A highly recommended set of books by all means!

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: Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

Hardcover, 563 pages

Published December 1st 2009 by Little, Brown and Company
Source: Own
Buy the book: Amazon : B&N : Goodreads

From Goodreads:

"There were no surprises in Gatlin County.
We were pretty much the epicenter of the middle of nowhere.
At least, that's what I thought.
Turns out, I couldn't have been more wrong.
There was a curse.
There was a girl.
And in the end, there was a grave."

Lena Duchannes is unlike anyone the small Southern town of Gatlin has ever seen, and she's struggling to conceal her power and a curse that has haunted her family for generations. But even within the overgrown gardens, murky swamps and crumbling graveyards of the forgotten South, a secret cannot stay hidden forever.

Ethan Wate, who has been counting the months until he can escape from Gatlin, is haunted by dreams of a beautiful girl he has never met. When Lena moves into the town's oldest and most infamous plantation, Ethan is inexplicably drawn to her and determined to uncover the connection between them.

In a town with no surprises, one secret could change everything.

There's a lot of "differences" in this book when compared to others. Love, love the different perspective taken on magic in this book.Another is the POV that it is written from, Ethan's, instead of the heroine's. That itself should tell you the thought that the authors put into this book. It comes from a male perspective in a period there were very few of them, even compared to today. 

There is A LOT of back story in the beginning of the book. Yes, it is somewhat long to a few people, but I see it as an essential tool. Otherwise, the rest of the story would not have the meaning that it did, especially Ethan's reason and purpose for his actions. The pacing in this book is awesome once you get the back story. You always want to just keep turning pages because something else is happening and you can't wait to see where it goes. The concept of Casters and other magical creatures in this book is eerie and utterly realistic. I've even had friends stop reading the book because they say it hit too close to home and they could see these events happening. It is that well written and reflects a lot of the southern aspects that I grew up in and love. Toss in the Gothic style southern POV on the setting and it is a fantastic foundation for magic.

The characters in this book are phenomenal, especially the villains. Ethan is a great example of a steadfast southern boy. He will absolutely make you laugh until you hurt and then melt your heart the next minute. I would like to keep him in a box just for safekeeping. Lena has so many layers to her that it takes the entire book to just begin to fold them back. It makes for long journey as you watch her spread her "magical" wings as the days to her claiming tick away. Even the supporting characters like Link and Macon are amazing. I could read books about either of them as well and be happy. Link is that friend that would not question you if you called him and said "I need your help, bring a shovel and a bag of lye." He would simply show up and nod his head. Macon is the parental figure that everyone wants growing up, but, be warned, he will break your heart by the end of the book. And the villains....wonderful. Creepy, mean people that makes you wonder and question if everyone has a side like that. You won't even look at your neighbor the same way again after getting to know these characters. 

Be prepared to be wowed and ready to crave more after this book. Actually, buy the set. You won't regret it.   

The movie is coming out on February 13th, learn more at IMDB!