Review: Unearthly by Cynthia Hand

Title: Unearthly
Author: Cynthia Hand
Series: Unearthly (#1)
Genre: Angels, Fantasy, Paranormal Romance, Young Adult
Publication Date: January 4, 2011
Publisher: HarperTeen

Pre-Reading: I just read the sample on my nook. I NEED the rest of this book now. It was actually really much better than I expected, for the first 35 pages they gave me...i hope the rest is as good as the preview.
The rest is as good as the preview. (Warning: minor spoilers ahead, major laziness, which is why I did this rather than mark spoilers.)
To cut it short, this book was...Unearthly. (See what I did there? Haha...yeah.)
I have always wanted to meet, or come in contact with, a book that was so wonderful it made me question everything I thought I knew about books- specifically, a book that broke every rule in the Young Adult market. A book that is so creative and refreshing that it makes you cry or squeal.
Fortunately, this is one of those books. I mean, admit it. You read the premise, the summary, whatever. You look at the cover. And now you're thinking, "Great. Another predictable book with a Mary Sue. I know everything that's gonna happen." You open the book and roll your eyes, because- ADMIT IT- You feel like you figured everything out already. Girl is angel, girl is beautiful, girl rescues boy, girl and boy live happily ever after, book ends in random cliffhanger for no reason. Right? This is what you are thinking. And I know because I was definitely thinking that too. I thought this would be a disappointment.
*WRONG*
Even Simon Cowell would be impressed by this book. And I'm sure he does not like or read Young Adult Paranormal/Fantasy/Romance/Angel books. The characters- Jeffrey, Clara, Tucker, Christian, and Clara's mom- are so realistic and relatable. I LOVE THEM. Everything about them (well, maybe not EVERYTHING) is likable. They have great backgrounds, flaws, and redeeming qualities. I can easily name three flaws every character has, and four redeeming qualities as well. They jump off the pages, and are so fleshed out and real, I feel as if they are my best friends. If one them was to suffer (and when they did suffer) I felt as if I was suffering too. I mean, Clara is as far from a Mary Sue as you can get. Yes, she is an angel, and of course, therefore she has supernatural abilities that could make her a Mary-Sue, such as the fact that she is beautiful and good at everything. However, the author writes her characters so well, that giving Clara those wonderful abilities actually just add to her appeal, and she has enough flaws to be a real human (well, maybe not HUMAN human...she is an angel and all) being, but enough good qualities to make her likable. She's more than likable. She's lovable. She's angelic (Pun fully intended). And I just love the fact that, even if she is beautiful like an Angel, the author made her have orange hair by accident, orange enough that kids call her Bozo at school. Because, really, if you dye your hair, sometimes it isn't going to turn out right, especially if you had Clara's hair. The best thing is that her appearance doesn't matter anyway. She can be blue-haired and purple eyed for all I care. Her personality outshines everything. At the beginning, she was so awkward around her new school and Christian that it made me cringe. I felt so bad for her- yet I knew, if I was in her place, I'd be handling everything almost the same way. Unlike in some books and TV shows, going to a new school, you won't become super popular and admired in the first week, let alone first day (*cough*BellaSwan*cough*). You also are obviously not going to be a total outcast, if we're being realistic- there will be a few people who will talk to you, and everything Cynthia Hand wrote about high school and the way the characters interacted with each other screamed "REAL"! There was nothing fake, dramatic, or unreal about this book. Exciting, amazing and real are the words that come to mind when I try to describe Unearthly. I don't know how Cynthia Hand did it, but she managed to write a world and book so utterly relatable that I couldn't stop staring at the cover. I have NEVER seen a book that was this real. Sorry for lack of better words to use other than "real", but that's what this book was. Oh- don't let it fool you. Just because this book is real, doesn't mean it's any less entertaining or fascinating. It is EXTREMELY entertaining and fascinating. The plot is solid and creative. You think it's all about her rescuing some hot boy? No way, Jose. As amazing as it is, Hand wrote a book with a plot so creative that I was fooled by the summary. I thought I was so great, having figured it out. But then I realized, Hand had fooled me- she had bettered me. I sulked for about eight seconds and squealed in delight for the next five days. Because this book is absolutely flawless. The world building was complete, neat, almost perfect- I had a few questions, but those were more of a plot's mystery factor than lack of world building. I was so glad to see that the author actually seemed to have studied and researched upon angel mythology and Angels before writing this - everything made sense, and it fit in. It wasn't stupid or random or awkward. Everything fit, like a nice little puzzle, and that was another breath of fresh air.
TALKING ABOUT FRESH AIR....OH MY GOD. THE RELATIONSHIPS. Don't take that as a bad "Oh My God" it's a happy "Oh My God". It's an, "Can she be more of a genius?" type of "Oh My God." I mean, every. single. book. in the YA market (or almost every book) suffers from a case of Insta-love syndrome. (*ahem*TwilightMortalInstrumentsHushHushShiverHaloAndThatsJustAFew*AHEM*) This book? It has THE MOST developed, slow-forming relationships I have ever read. I'm not kidding. THIS IS THE MOST DEVELOPED RELATIONSHIP THERE IS. I can't give away much - but Clara and the boy don't fall in love immediately. It takes more than half the book for them to even become friends. I mean, don't take this the wrong way- there is romance. Lots of it. Just...unexpected romance. As in, it takes a while for them to be friends, and a lot longer for them to be together. They (not saying who!) go from strangers, to enemies, to friends, to close friends, to a relationship, to head-over-heels. The thing is, though, that the plot is exciting even without any romance. It just adds on.
And, the best part? WE DON'T SEE IT COMING! We can feel it [the romance]- but we can't see the relationships coming. It's amazing. I love Cynthia Hand. I seriously do. I worship her for writing a novel with a plot that's a thousandfold times better than the summary and cover combined,a novel that I was able to clutch to my chest and cry, because I was so happy that it was so utterly real and exciting and unpredictable.
Talking about relationships, brings me to another thing I love about the book. Family. This book also does not suffer from absent-parent syndrome. Clara's mom is very, very, very involved in Clara's life- her mom is a big part of the puzzle. Without her, it wouldn't be the same. A great book, but just not as amazing. And the fact that their relationship isn't all rainbows and sunshine or clouds and ice makes it better. Clara loves her mother - it's obvious - but has conflicting feelings about her and her complex situation. Her dad isn't as present, but he is definitely a part of Clara- and she does think about him. Her brother is a pretty big part, too- Clara loves her family, though they do have their fights. It just makes this book better. And it GETS better. There is something about the way Cynthia Hand writes, something about this book I can't pin point, that makes it so....AMAZING. ENCHANTING. THRILLING. EXCITING. PAGE-TURNING. EVERY GOOD ADJECTIVE THERE IS. Please, you all have to read this book. I will definitely read it again - I already re-read this book 4 times, and I finished only a few days ago with reading it the first time. And I'm still not tired of it. I doubt I ever will be. '
Five-stars. A solid five stars, since I can't do five and a half, or six. I really recommend this book to everyone. You can't miss. This is a must-read with one of the best plots and characters I have ever seen. Read it and you will not be disappointed. It exceeded my expectations BY A LOT. I expected to rate it one-star after the premise. Now, look at those nice five little stars. I swear- if you don't read this, I'll have to find you and do something about it.

And by the way- TEAM TUCKER! FTW! TEAM TUCKER ALL THE WAY! -Astrid

Review: Angel by James Patterson

Title: Angel
Author: James Patterson
Series: Maximum Ride (#7)
Genre: Science Fiction, Young Adult
Publication Date: February 14, 2011
Publisher: Pageturners



This entire series is now ON PROBATION for me.
I fell in love with Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment, School's Out Forever, and Saving the world and Other Extreme Sports. After The Final Warning, I started to have second thoughts. After reading FANG, I threw up and smashed my head against the wall.
Now, I know that's not a very good note to start on for a book review. But this book was HEAPS better than the last book, Fang. After reading Fang, I felt as if the author was milking it. Patterson, my man, I love you- but even I can tell this is just for the money. The book series came to an end in Saving The World and Other Extreme Sports- they saved the world, after all, which was the goal. But then, we figured out that NOOOO, they totally still haven't saved the world. Which is obvious for, "I know, I know, I already wrote the final book, but they're so famous that I better keep going and drag it out." Even after reading Fang, which is not only the worst book in the series but is actually amongst one of the few that I rated one-star, I felt obligated to continue and read ANGEL, seeing as how the characters feel like my friends now and I care for them (except, Angel sort of scares me now). I did not make a mistake. Angel is TWO AND A HALF STARS better than FANG, and honestly, everything was almost back to normal. I did say ALMOST back to normal. Of course, Fang is still running his cirque de freak gang, whom I want to kill with a malet very badly.
Let's start with the plot. The plot, as I said, is still dragged out- but I feel like this is one of those books where the author suddenly comes up with a brilliant, fresh, exciting new idea that will make the next book better. I feel like rather than being boring and plotless, James has come up with a new idea for the series, which will be revealed in Nevermore. Therefore, the plot wasn't as washed out, bland, and pointless as in the last book. I mean, it was a lot of sitting around and I miss the action we had in the first three books, but they had some good action bits and I enjoyed how it seems to be setting up for something big. The book also consisted of less action than the first three books, but I think it was a lot more fascinating and action packed than the last two books. Another thing that MAJORLY saved this book for me: The fact that Angel is back to normal. The first three books, Angel is sweet, and Max just loves her. She's smart and very loyal to the flock. Then, for some JACKED UP REASON, Patterson turned her into a demonic bird child that keeps trying to control everyone and get Max kicked out of the flock. In this book, Angel is a lot more like her old self. She's sweeter, calmer and she seems to support and stand behind Max like she did the first few books. I don't know if she's just planning to earn our trust and then kill us in our sleep, but she was the peacekeeper between Fang and Max and she was very good and more like her old self, which i was grateful to see. Which brings us to another point, something I didn't like and that I am sure nobody did: Max and Fang's relationship. They absolutely hate each other in this book. They can't seem to get along for longer than seven and a half seconds. They each have their own new little love interests, which we all know they are using to make one another jealous. How did that HAPPEN? They were disgustingly in love last book, and now they seem ready to snap eachother's heads off. Yes, that is mostly Max, but I just feel that it's unfair and too big of a change. From love birds to fire throwers. How the heck do you make THAT leap, Patterson? And not only is Fang crushing on Max's clone, the annoying and obxnoxiously girly Maya, but  he has his own flock now. And I hate all the people in his new flock. Sure, I get it- they're just people. But I feel like he's trying to replace the flock, the way a poor person buys cheap knockoffs of purses in New York. It annoys me endlessly, and none of the flock members he has are deep or complex in anyway. They are mindless hooligans and honestly, if they all got on a boat and it sunk and an octopus served them for breakfast, I'd be okay with that. I'd also be okay if Fang went with them, seeing as how he isn't acting like himself and is actually spraying people with Cheeze Whiz now. I want to smack him upside the head, hang him by his feet and poke him with sharp sticks, which I also want to do with the annoying, obnoxious, dense, singing, Gary-Stu we call Dylan. It's not RIGHT for Fang to be apart from the flock, to have his own group. It's messed up and I just can't read it- it seems awkward and sticks out in the worst ways. I hope Patterson fixes it by Nevermore. Now, the Flock...I think it's safe to say that in the last book, they were falling apart. Max isn't a great leader anymore. She's weak, uncertain, and too focused on other matters besides her Flock to be a strong leader anymore. She was the best leader in the first three books, but the more books that are published, the worse she gets. However, she had a few redeeming moments in this book that made me think maybe not all hope is lost.
Overall, I think the way I felt about Max is the way I felt about the rest of the book. Like it was falling apart and that it was very weak, but there were a few moments or chapters that reminded me of the first three books and that helped the book go from one star to three. This book had a few redeeming moments and I think that, by the end of this book, everything could be much more normal. The only thing I truly hated was that the Flock used to be a family, and now they are like strangers to each other. I feel like I don't know anyone anymore except Iggy, and that they're falling apart, and it breaks my heart. I miss how close they used to be, how united they were, in the first two/three books. However, they seemed more like a family at the end, and hopefully in Nevermore, Fang's stupid gang will be vanished (along with Dylan and Maya), and everything will be back to normal. I really hope so. If not, I might have to die unhappy and hang James Patterson by his feet and poke him with sharp objects while forcing him to read his own book and eat spoiled bananas. It breaks my heart to rate this book a two. -Astrid

Review: Spell Bound by Rachel Hawkins

Title: Spell Bound
Author: Rachel Hawkins
Series: Hex Hall (#3)
Genre: Adventure, Fantasy, Paranormal, Young Adult
Publication Date: March 13, 2012
Publisher: Hyperion Book CH

(ATTENTION: MAJOR TO MINOR SPOILERS AHEAD.)
Aha.
After the MAJOR cliffhanger at the end of Demonglass, a cliffhanger that challenges the one in The Hunger Games, I was so excited to see this book waiting for me in the mail, all nice and new in the nice packaging Barnes&Noble provided. I sat down with a bottle of pepsi, turned on the fan (Summer can get violent here), and started to read.

Spell Bound picks up right where Demonglass left off. No joke- it literally picks up the second after the ending sentence of the last book, with Sophie arriving at a mysterious location, which will stay mysterious seeing as how I am trying to avoid spoilers for this one. After not reading this series for at least five months, I found it hard to remember what was going on- but I warmed up to it after a few pages, three at most, and so that was good. The best part? The book started right away with what it is most famous for- the action. Yes. Hardly a dozen pages pass before our favorite heroine, Sophie Alice Mercer, is stuck in the middle of a very fascinating fight. A fight that had me laughing and gripping my book in anticipation. We find out what I and a few others had guessed, and the next few chapters of the book is a little too slow-paced, but still interesting enough. It's mainly a small history lesson on The Brannicks and Sophie's family (view spoiler)[Yes, her family is the Brannicks. So now her name is Sophie Brannick/Mercer/Atherton/whatever. (hide spoiler)] and them preparing for battle. The action in this book is great, but it doesn't compare to the everpresent, heart-stopping action of Demonglass. Sophie is her old, snarky self, and she shows a lot of development because despite having to be a hero and do some things she probably wasn't happy to be doing, she was working hard to do the right thing and hardly complained about anything. She was still hilarious and made me choke on my pepsi. Archer was the same, as well- hot and comedic - while Cal was...well, Cal. Hot and alluring. The love-triangle really made itself known in this book as well, which i enjoyed, up until the last few chapters (view spoiler)[[Yeah, because Cal dies. WHAT THE HELL, HAWKINS?] (hide spoiler)]. It really seemed like Sophie loved Archer, but there was definitely something with Cal too- it was interesting to read and figure out how you felt about that, since there definitely was some Chemistry between both couples. Another thing I liked was the fact that, though mostly very predictable (I never thought I'd use that word when describing the hex hall series.), there were a few things that stunned you and made you squeal. And the way Sophie handled almost everything, including the love triangle, was very mature. She has/had her flaws, obviously, but she was still fascinating and fun to read about and would make a pretty good role model. Bravo, Rachel Hawkins, for pulling off a non-Mary-Sue character that couldn't possibly be more amazing. I loved Sophie and her story and was very sad to read the ending...which brings me to the worst part.
THE ENDING
I was not satisified. We spend the whole book waiting for The Eye to make this appearance- for this huge, big fat battle, for the Eye to have their moment. I mean, we've been waiting for the Eye to have their spotlight dance since we heard about it in Demonglass. And yet, though it is really needed and necessary for the book, they never get their moment to shine. A few people from the Eye show up, but the actual Eye never actually make an appearance. In fact, Archer was basically the only Eye we saw (BASICALLY, not really the ONLY one, but...). It was kind of a let down. Also, Archer kept hinting to Sophie about having the Eye and Council unite and have a sort of agreement to take down the Casnoffs, but they never actually agree on anything- there is no closure in that aspect. We never know whether they end up having an alliance with the Eye for any reason. Actually, a lot of things don't have lots of closure. Hawkins kept hinting around about Isabelle and Torin and them having a interesting relationship- which I really really REALLY want to find out about - but we never find out ANYTHING. And Now I will die sadly, wondering- what was really up with Isabelle and Torin? Seriously. There was this big fat MYSTERY right there, and despite this being the last book, IT NEVER IS ANSWERED! She better write a separate book based on Isabelle and Torin alone because otherwise she will be getting angry letters from me. Also, the fact that (view spoiler)[Cal dies (hide spoiler)] was very unnecessary and I didn't like it. I mean, why? How did that help? Because now Sophie won't have to deal with all that baggage and make a choice? Wow. I never thought Hawkins would stoop to such a level that I actually glared at something she wrote. I was so unhappy with the cheesy, happy ever after ending- I mean how many times have books ended the way this one did? I'd need multiple hands to count on my fingers. It just wasn't an original ending and I needed more closure on a lot of things.

THE ACTION
Okay. I'm going to pounce on Hawkins here. The action is partly what made Demonglass and Hex Hall such great books. The action was exciting, well written and around every corner. The action was either unexpected or expected but still very heart-stopping. It made you squeal and stare with big eyes at the book in your hands. Sadly, for Spell Bound, this was not the case. There was always a major climax in the last two books, but here, that climax was sadlt lacking of action. I wasn't sure when the climax was coming, and I had to go back and re-read to make sure that I hadn't missed it. Then, there were times when the characters were preparing for a big battle, mission or action bit, where there was all this excitement leading up to the final moment- and then NOTHING happened. An example: (view spoiler)[When Sophie and her friends had to go down to hell, or the underworld, and get the demonglass, you'd expect this big, demon filled, evil, page turning battle would go down. In reality, they spent about ten minutes down there, and all they did was walk, shatter glass, breathe heavily, and go back. I mean, sure, they saw their biggest fears and nightmares happen, but it was more of a silent-fear thing than an action filled thing. There was nothing exciting about it, not in the swords-and-blood-and-battle type of thing the last other 2 books were so rich of. And that was a big let down. Also, the parts where there was some sort of battle, was tuned down. There wasn't anything that was really as EXCITING as you'd expect. No REAL epic show down, and the action seemed to watered down. Hawkins didn't measure up. (hide spoiler)]. That was a big disappointment- everything that was action related was watered down. Hawkins didn't write to her full potential.

Of course, I still adored the characters. Jenna was as adorable as ever, Archer as hot and funny, Sophie as snarky, Cal as stoic, her mom as dangerous and deadly as usual. And I loved the fact that throughout the entire series, Sophie's parents were a BIG PART of Sophie's life, even in Hex Hall when Sophie was away from her parent(s), she still called and cared and thought a lot about her mom. Her family was largely integrated and important to the story, and if it weren't for her dad, there probably wouldn't be a second book- it was because of him that she got to London, after all. And not only were her parents present, parent-y, and important, but she had a rich relationship with them, and she cared about them and what they thought. I really liked that aspect, and it was a fresh breath of air in the parent-free YA section. The characters were amazing, the relationships were amazing, but the world-building and the action were sadly lacking. It could've been MUCH MUCH better. Strangely enough, I feel like- though this is a solid three-stars because there WERE some exciting parts- Hawkins changed her mind and is going to write a fourth book. After all, Sophie is now HEAD OF THE FREAKING COUNCIL. She is ruling the Prodigium government. Don't we have a right to know how that GOES? I can totally picture another book coming along. If anything, more questions were ASKED AND UNSOLVED than ANSWERED in this book, when it should be the other way around. All in all, this book disappointed me. I liked it, I did, but it could have been something great- could've been my favorite in the series. SHOULD have been my favorite.

It was not. And I am sad about that. However, as I said, there were good things, and bad things. Great things and terrible things. A solid three stars. -Astrid

Review: The Giver by Louis Lowry

Title: The Giver
Author: Louis Lowry
Genre: Classics, Science Fiction, Dystopia, Young Adult
Publication Date: January 24, 2006
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers


I read this in the fourth grade. Well, I was supposed to be in fourth grade, but was in fifth grade reading class. We read this in advanced 5th grade reading class, and back then I found it so fascinating, I spent hours either discussing it or thinking about it. First off, how the main character has no reason to rebel- in his head, anyway. That alone sets it apart from other dystopias. There is Jonah, who thinks his society is so perfect- as does everyone else - and he has no idea what is going on to make it so perfect. It really is perfect, on the outside- but what it takes to make the society perfect *SPOILER* such as, getting the twins and weighing them and killing the weakest one, and choosing what their future jobs will be, isn't such a merry-go-round of joy.
I found the entire concept so amazing. I can't put it into words, and I usually can put anything and everything into words. This was the first dystopia I ever read, and the first book that really struck something in me. In fact, this is the book that made me think, "Someday, I am going to write a book that will change someone's life." Because this book changed mine and the way I look at everything.
From character development (Jonah believing everything is fine, to seeing the horror behind his father's job and society), to plot, to setting, to writing style, everything in this book is deep and perfect. Every sentence is perfectly woven into the bigger picture, every word a necessary action. It is amazing, how gifted Lois Lowry is. This is a book that children will read hundreds of years from now in school, such as Pride & Prejudice and The Great Gatsby. Truly a classic, and a book rare enough to find in the midst of today's Vampire romance and Hunger Games wanna-bes.

Rreview: Fracture by Megan Miranda

Title Fracture
Author: Megan Miranda
Genre: Contemporary, Paranormal, Young Adult
Series: Fracture (#1)
Publication Date: January 5, 2012.
Publisher: Walker Childrens
*SIGH* LOOK AT THAT COVER <3 (#coverlove)

I have been wanting to read this for such a long time. The cover was just so beautiful, everything about it - the dramatic face on the beautiful girl, the color scheme, the lake, the woods...the color scheme- drew me in. The blurb drew me in as well. I forgot about it after a while, but found it while nook browsing the other day. From page one, I THOUGHT I knew it was one of those books that have so much potential that they never live up to. And I know, that's probably starting on the wrong note for this review, but the reason I said that is because I'd like to inform you all that this author proved my initial feeling wrong. This was much better than I expected.
I'll give Miranda this- it was easy to imagine that I was being the one drowning in the first chapter(s). I could feel the water over me, the fear. She does a great job with that part. And of course, though the concept of the book isn't as original as one might think,the characters did develop- most of them, anyway. I have to say that I feel that the main character, Delaney, did develop from the beginning of the story to the end. Not in a BIG BIG way, but really, she was a lot less annoying and selfish. I saw so much depth and complexcity in all of the characters. I also really enjoyed how the main character, Delaney, WAS A REAL PERSON. In the way that she tried her best to have great relationships with everyone around her as well as wanted to have a real life and education. She has goals- the author obviously knew her character well. And the fact that the parents weren't so obscenely absent from Delaney's life was great- you never find parents in YA novels anymore, with the Mortal Instruments series and Unearthly being an example of books that DO happen to have parents. Have you noticed that those two books are also very succesful? Yes, the author did a good job with having the parents involved in her life, but not to the point that it prevented the characters from being teenagers. The relationship between Decker and Delaney is very complex and it is hard for me to put into words- they had some issues throughout the book that had been there for quite a while and needed to be solved. The hot, mysterious, cliched love interest, Troy V, was a bit too sulky and tortured and emo for my liking, but he was sympathetic enough- as well as alluring enough to make you want to keep reading [about him]. At the beginning, I felt like she [Delaney' was acting so superior, so above it all. Like, "Oh, yeah, and then this happened, but whatever. Oh and then that, but i mean, whatever, so." She just had this attitude and I couldn't really bring myself to like her at the first few chapters. But when she raged, it made me think, maybe I should stay open minded.And as the story went on, I grew to really care for and like Delaney and her story. I think she was well written in the end and I feel like her story was really good. She's like a friend now. Another thing was that after I first met Decker, I thought he was a jerk. He seemed to just want to go and kept dismissing Delaney at the beginning of the story, and I couldn't tell if he was mad at her or what- he just seemed to be annoyed by her, like she was his little sister who kept following him around and he couldn't care less. After the book went on, I started to like him better. I guess the author's strongest points as a writer is how well she develops and writes her characters- they felt so real, and yet had more depth than many people I know today. I kept stopping and thinking to myself, "These are people I could be friends with." The writer had me go from thoroughly disliking her character to really caring for and appealing to them. I think this book shouldn't be a series, and should only have one other book at most, but it was so great to have some great, 3-D, believable characters, because in most YA now a days all you see are Mary-Sues. The story itself could have been told a little better, and I sadly admit I knew what was coming from five pages away before it happened, but it was a nice plot and I really, really enjoyed the characters- something that can make or break a book. In the end, It deserves a solid 3.5 stars, because though it was NOT horrible, I feel as if there were some flaws and things that could have been avoided. Me rating a debut author a 3.5 is really something, since this is their first novel and usually I place debut authors in a solid 2 star rating. However, I feel like this book was very well written overall and that the author has a lot of potential. This story did warm my heart a few times, and overall was greater than I expected it to be- I think it measured up to the beauty of its cover, if not passed it a little bit. That's another exciting thing we never see in YA- When the content is more beautiful and good than the cover. A round of aplause to miss Megan Miranda. She really is someone to look out for in the future. Three and a half cupcakes.

Review: Demonglass by Rachel Hawkins

Title: Demonglass
Author: Rachel Hawkins
Series: Hex Hall (#2)
Genre: Fantasy, Action, Paranormal, Young Adult
Publication Date: March 22, 2011.
Publisher: Hyperion Book CH

 Yay!
That's all that comes to mind when I think of this fantastic book, the sequel to Rachel Hawkin's Hex Hall debut. Sophie Mercer finds herself in England, learning about her demonocity (come on. Sophie would SO use that word) and spending some demon-dad-and-demon-daughter time with her dad. Throw in a LOT of action, eye-lash glitter, vampires, demons, hot boys, swords, fire, and night clubs, and you have one of the best books in YA fiction.
Let's start with Sophie Mercer. She's her same old, snarky, sarcastic, comedic self, but this time, she really impressed me with her maturity. She thought things through and really tried to keep an open mind when handling everything. And hooray for a YA heroin with a consience! She actually listened to her parents and said no to the love interest, which is a big step up from Bella Swan's constant spineless, selfish behavior and rule bending. Sophie thinks of what's best for everyone, and her and Jenna's relationship continues to flourish and grow like a beautiful flower (hah, im getting corny now). But honestly, the best part? The action and the characters. The dialogue between every character with one another was fantastic. They were all realistic, three dimensional, and they feel like my best friends. I liked all the new characters, and it was a big breath of fresh air to have her dad be so involved with her life, since parents are ALWAYS abscent in YA fiction. But not with this series- in Demonglass, her dad is a big part of her life, and he's there almost every chapter. He also is the whole reason she's in London, so basically, if he wasn't in this book, there probably would be no book. And Daisy and Nick tugged at my heart strings- I liked their relationship and characters a lot. Everyone was so complex, and yet they were all fascinating for their own reasons. Lara was also interesting (to refrain from any spoilers, I will not spectulate on her any longer). The amount of chemistry and tension between Archer and Sophie was off the chain. I have not read a series where I wanted to reach into the book, and make the two characters kiss like I used to make my barbie dolls. Honestly, their feelings for eachother were so strong- it was amazing. And the thing is, you KNOW why they like each other. It's not because of how hot they are to one another (In fact, another aspect that I like is the fact that Sophie is very plain and not beautiful. She's just...plain, girl next door, and she's always addressed that way. She can look pretty, but her looks aren't the best thing about her. Brown hair, brown eyes, freckles. And the thing is, she really IS plain- she doesn't just say she is to be modest. Nobody ever says she's so beautiful and hot. She's just plain, with a FANTASTIC personality), it's because of how well they get along and how they compliment eachother. I could easily list why Archer likes Sophie, and why Sophie likes Archer. I think anyone could, but not for any book, which makes this series that much more spectacular- also, their relationship wasn't insta-love. Sophie hated Archer at first, then she developed a futile crush, then a not so futile crush, but at first you weren't sure if he reciprocated, and at the end, they had a solid friendship before they moved on to romance, which is very new. I swear, this book...its flawless. There's nothing I didn't like about it, and I can be picky, but it's just so fun and amazing. Everyone has realistic conversations and the relationships were realistic, but not too intesne- unlike most fantasy/paranormal YA fiction, this series doesn't take itself too seriously and doesn't have intense, sorrowful, angsty characters- it can be serious, but it is humor filled and packed with more action than cake is packed with sugar. The action makes your heart-stop and sweat form on your brow. It is page-turning and VERY fascinating- there is never a dull moment. This book lacks of "filler" sentences that bore you, which I find AMAZING and am eternally grateful for. The world-building is great- every detail of Sophie's prodigium world is stated, and there's nothing confusing about it. Everything is smooth as a pearl and just as shiny and pretty looking. I loved the banter between Archer and Sophie and Sophie and her dad- there are so many great quotes. An example:
Sophie: "So, did the eye come down here looking for me tonight?" Archer:"No, we came down for free corn dog night. Imagine our disappointment."
Archer and Sophie's banter is seriously out of this world. I am so lucky to have stumbled upon this series. Actually, I picked up DEMONGLASS first, figured out it was the second book in the series, and picked up Hex Hall first. Anyhow....I think that's all I can say. Hawkins has real talent. Of course, this ends with the BIGGEST CLIFFHANGER IN HISTORY, and I can't wait to get my hands on the next book.

But the very best part? Demonglass is the sequel to Hex Hall, and it's BETTER than Hex Hall. It doesn't suffer from second-book-syndrome. It seems like every book Hawkins writes is better than her last, and I thought Hex Hall couldn't get any better. As I said, I am so pre-ordering Spell Bound...
FIVE CUPCAKES <3 !!

Review: Stolen by Lucy Christopher

Title: Stolen
Author: Lucy Christopher
Genre: Contemporary, Young Adult
Publication Date: May 4, 2009
Publisher: ChickenHouse





Do you want to know how many tears I cried while I read this small, immensely powerful and emotional book? No, I can't count how many tears I shed. There were too many.
WOW.
That's all that comes to mind when I think of this powerful book that altered my views on...well, everything around me. About Love, Family, Life in general.
I was very hesitant at first, seeing as how this was written in letter format. I wasn't sure how I would feel. But right away, after page one, I was hooked and I knew letter format must be the only way to truly get the emotion and power this book needs to (and does) get across to the reader. The fact that it's in letter format allows the reader to experience how Gemma, a 16 year old girl who was kidnapped by Ty from an airport one day, feels towards Ty and everything around her in a way that first-person narrative couldn't have accomplished. Since instead of "Ty" or "He", Gemma writes, "You", it's like you are in Ty's position, but at the same time, in Gemma's place. It gives you perspective on both the character's, and I think that's great.
I feared that, since it was in letter format, it wouldn't describe the scene or setting well enough. I was wrong. Lucy Christopher described everything just beautifully, in a way that I myself can not put into words. The characters, Gemma and Ty, who are basically the only characters (seeing as how Ty kidnapped Gemma), jump out from the page. They feel like real, flesh, livuing people who you could meet any day in the street or at school or at a fair. But they are still fascinating, and honestly, I don't think any other author has made me feel so much for his or her characters as Lucy Christopher made me feel. I was naturally rooting for Gemma and Ty to be together, as I think anyone would. They are the only ones basically in the book. You want them to be together. But then you slip into Gemma's mind, the feelings she had, how it felt for her to be kidnapped and her conflicting feelings over a handsome young man who has a temper but a vulnerable, gentle side as well. I loved Ty- and then he would scare me, or scare GEMMA, which in return scared me. By the end of the book, I was just as confliced about my feelings towards the couple as Gemma was towards Ty. And, actually, I bawled my eyes out. I was just so confused and lost and conflicted, but not lost and confused in the, "Wait...what just happened here?" way, but in the way that I was emotionally conflicted to the point of not knowing how to feel or act or do. That was also the position that Gemma was in by the end of the book, and Lucy Christopher makes it so that if her characters hurt, you hurt as well. You have no option but to hurt- it just happens. You fall in love with Gemma, who is so deep and complex that it will just amaze you. This book exceeded my expectations. It BLEW MY MIND. I had no idea writing could be this powerful, without using complicated metaphors like in other books such as The Book Thief. No, it was just so beautiful. It makes you experience Stockholm Syndrome and confuses you just as it confused Gemma, because you wonder- IS this Stockholm, or is this real? Does she even LOVE him, should she, do I even want her to...i do want her too... You want them to be together, but at the same time, it is so hard to accept them being together because of the fact that there really <i>is no escape</i> and it's hard to get over the fact that he took Gemma. It's hard not to hate him for what he did, but it's also hard to hate him once you see the vulnerable, gentle sides of him- it's hard to do anything, really. And then you hear about Gemma's old life, and how he thought he was proteting her by saving her from that life. And That is one very big and powerful part of the story. Everything here will make you lay at night thinking, it will make you cry and change everything for you. The characters are so real, they seem to be close friends- it's like you know them and, as i said, if they cry, you cry, if they laugh, your heart smiles. You see their flaws plain and simple but can't help but feel for and care for them so much. Numerous times I cried. I cried, because....
Because I wanted Gemma to go home.
Because there was no escape.
Because she was so afraid.
Because she was starting to love him.
Because Ty wanted her to love him so bad.
Because Ty was so gentle and she rejected him.
Because Gemma was conflicted.
Because it was impossible to love him, but impossible not to.
Because Ty could be scary.
Because of how bad Gemma's life was before, and because you don't know if this new life is any better. 
Because I just didn't know how to feel- and Gemma didn't, either. It was just a maze of emotions, this book- and the fear you feel when she first wakes up in a strange bed, in the outback of Australia- it is such a real fear that it makes you want to cry, and you can't help but imagine yourself in her position, and the terror washes over you and suffocates you.
This is an amazing book. Every single sentence will fill you with some kind of emotion. The plot is original- so original. The characters are realistic, three dimensional, and VERY well developed. You watch them grow throughout the book, it's beautiful and really, I think this book is the perfect example of a real, solid, perfect, emotional, powerful book that will change your life. I wish all books had the same raw, emotional power, plot, and well written characters that this book did. Lucy Christopher is a genius. She writes gracefully and finishes perfectly, not rushed, but beware- you will need a box of tissues for this book. And this might just change how you view everything in your life.  A fantastic book. This will be a classic, trust me- right up there, children from all over america will read this in 20 years. Beautiful. Just beautiful. If you haven't read this, you need to. Now.