Poltergeeks [Review]

{Actually 3 1/2 Stars}

Stats:
320 Pages
To Be Published 2 Oct 2012
ISBN: 1908844116
Amazon//Barnes&Noble


Synopsis:
15-year-old Julie Richardson is about to learn that being the daughter of a witch isn't all it's cracked up to be. When she and her best friend, Marcus, witness an elderly lady jettisoned out the front door of her home, it's pretty obvious to Julie there's a supernatural connection.

In fact, there's a whisper of menace behind increasing levels of poltergeist activity all over town. After a large-scale paranormal assault on Julie's high school, her mother falls victim to the spell Endless Night. Now it's a race against time to find out who is responsible or Julie won't just lose her mother's soul, she'll lose her mother's life.


My Thoughts:
Poltergeeks takes us into the world of a Canadian teenage witch named Julie. Julie and her best friend and fellow geek Marcus are fundraising when they run into a poltergeist at old lady Mrs. Gilbert's house. Thinking her amateur witchcraft can handle a simple, non-malicious poltergeist, Julie takes action. However, Julie quickly finds out that this is way over her head.

I'm not going to say I really loved this book, nor would I say I disliked it. It's worthwhile to read. I feel like a lot of the book is cliched though. Inexperienced witch thinks she can take on the big, bad spirit. Only live parent gets horribly injured because of said inexperienced witch. Best friend has feelings for her. I wasn't really a big fan of Julie at times though. She's kind of selfish, arrogant, and at times, just plain annoying.

There are some pretty unique parts to the story though. I'd have to say I really liked Betty, the appointed guardian slash immortal spirit. Marcus was a really likeable character too. The actual poltergeist events were very well written and detailed.

Thank you to Angry Robot and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this :)


Previous Review:
Fifty Shades Freed by EL James [here]

Fifty Shades Freed [Review]

Stats:
#3 in Fifty Shades series
594 Pages
Published 1 Jan 2011
ASIN: B007IXWL2C


Synopsis:
When unworldly student Ana Steele first encountered the driven, damaged young entrepreneur Christian Grey, it sparked a sensual affair that changed both their lives irrevocably. Shocked, intrigued, and ultimately repelled by Christian's singular sexual tastes, Ana demanded a deeper commitment; determined to keep her, Christian agreed. Now, together, they have more-love, passion, intimacy, wealth, and a world of infinite possibilities. But Ana always knew that loving her Fifty Shades would not be easy and being together poses challenges neither of them ever anticipated. Ana must somehow learn to share Christian's opulent lifestyle without sacrificing her own integrity, identity, or independence; Christian must somehow overcome his compulsion to control and lay to rest the horrors that blighted his past and haunt his present. Just when it seems that together their love can conquer any obstacle, tragedy, malice and fate combine to make Ana's worst nightmares come true.


My Thoughts:
The reason this one gets 3 stars from me instead of 2 is because of the Midnight Sun-esque bits at the end. I'm not a fan of this whole back and forth crap that is done throughout the book. How many times does something need to almost happen to Ana that makes Christian realize he almost lost her for their dynamic to change? It's ridiculously unrealistic. I didn't really have a problem with the writing in the first two books, but this one was horrible and I finally agree with everyone who had issues with the writing. Jasmine and apex of thighs are mentioned entirely too much. I'm not a fan of the finger sucking and the backwashed drink kissing in this one. The odd popsicle fingers at the end is seriously weird too. I feel like this one left a lot of questions that remained unanswered. The whole first 3/4 of the book was so redundant and annoying. The last 1/4 was "good", but also still annoying.


Previous Review:
Love, Lust, & Faking It by Jenny McCarthy {here}

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Love, Lust, & Faking It [Review]

Stats:
256 Pages
Published 28 Sept 2012
ASIN: B003TLN1E4


Synopsis:

In Belly Laughs, Jenny McCarthy told you what you could really expect when you're expecting; in Baby Laughs and Life Laughs, she gave you the unfiltered ups and downs of motherhood and marriage. Now in Love, Lust, and Faking It, the inveterate truth-teller turns the lights on for a funny, often wise, and no-holds-barred look at the essence of relationships: love and sex.
McCarthy talks about finding first love and dealing with heartbreak; the importance of playing doctor and other nice and naughty fantasies; becoming a Playboy Miss October; why women are master manipulators; the virtues of sex with the lights off; the power of a "loving no," and so much more.
Love, Lust, and Faking It takes on a subject the sex symbol, mother, television star, comedian, and divorcÉe can be trusted to examine with nothing but unvarnished honesty and outrageous humor.



My Thoughts:
I've always found Jenny really fascinating and wanted to read all of her books. She's a riot on any show I've seen her on. I kind of went in expecting Chelsea Handler. It wasn't really Chelsea. It was okay, not bad, not horrible. There were many moments where I was laughing out loud. I just was unused to reading something so "light" and without real structure like a fiction plotline!


Previous Review:
Shadow & Bone by Leigh Bardugo {here}

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Shadow & Bone [Review]

Stats:
#1 in Grisha series
258 Pages [Kindle]
Published 5 June 2012
ASIN: B007NKMQGQ


Synopsis:
Surrounded by enemies, the once-great nation of Ravka has been torn in two by the Shadow Fold, a swath of near impenetrable darkness crawling with monsters who feast on human flesh. Now its fate may rest on the shoulders of one lonely refugee.

Alina Starkov has never been good at anything. But when her regiment is attacked on the Fold and her best friend is brutally injured, Alina reveals a dormant power that saves his life—a power that could be the key to setting her war-ravaged country free. Wrenched from everything she knows, Alina is whisked away to the royal court to be trained as a member of the Grisha, the magical elite led by the mysterious Darkling.

Yet nothing in this lavish world is what it seems. With darkness looming and an entire kingdom depending on her untamed power, Alina will have to confront the secrets of the Grisha…and the secrets of her heart


My Thoughts:
Shadow and Bone started off a little shaky for me because Bardugo threw out a lot of names, places, and terminology that was way over my head. Once a few chapters went by, more of what was confusing was revealed. It ended up being a pretty good book. I nearly cried a couple times. Alina is a really likeable female lead IMO, although I'm sure she is the "weak lovesick girl" to most. I thought she was pretty badass. I'm really hoping to see more of Genya in the next books because I really really loved her. Overall, this is a must-read, but remember not to get discouraged when you first start out!


Previous Review:
Fallen by Lauren Kate {here}

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Fallen [Review]

3.5 Stars

Stats:
389 Pages [Kindle]
Published 1 Jan 2009
ASIN: B002WE46VG
Amazon//Barnes&Noble


Synopsis:
There’s something achingly familiar about Daniel Grigori.

Mysterious and aloof, he captures Luce Price’s attention from the moment she sees him on her first day at the Sword & Cross boarding school in sultry Savannah. He’s the one bright spot in a place where cell phones are forbidden, the other students are all screw-ups, and security cameras watch every move.

Even Daniel wants nothing to do with Luce – he goes out of his way to make that very clear. But she can’t let it go. Drawn to him like a moth to a flame, Luce has to find out what Daniel is so desperate to keep secret...even if it kills her.

Dangerously exciting and darkly romantic, FALLEN is a page-turning thriller and the ultimate love story.


My Thoughts:
The first half of this book was great. It was fluid, captivating, and made sense. The second half was kind of confusing and choppy. It left me wanting way more and not really in the good sense. I will be reading the next in the series and hope that it is a little better than this one. It wasn't a bad read. It was just okay.

Lucinda, "Luce", is a 17 year old girl. All her life, she has seen these shadows and has been to various therapies, psychiatrists, medicated up, etc. In a freaky accident, her boyfriend (maybe?) is killed and she has no recollection of what actually happened. The police think she did it. It lands her in a reform school called Sword & Cross. She feels very out of place, but quickly makes friends with Arianne and Penn. Arianne is very likable right of the bat. She's kooky, quirky, and impish! Penn isn't actually at reform school because of a bad deed, but rather her late father was a groundkeeper at the school. Immediately, Luce finds herself drawing the attention of a good-looking jock-ish "popular" guy, Cam, and obsessing over the mysterious, brooding Daniel.

There are a lot of questions that never really get answered. The ending was packed full of random information, but none really that meaningful to the plot in the first book.


Previous Review:
Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake [here]

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Anna Dressed in Blood [Review]

4.5 stars for this one!

Stats: 
369 pages [Kindle]
Published 30 August 2011
ASIN: B004V9O52U
Amazon//Barnes&Noble


Synopsis:
Just your average boy-meets-girl, girl-kills-people story...

Cas Lowood has inherited an unusual vocation: He kills the dead.

So did his father before him, until his gruesome murder by a ghost he sought to kill. Now, armed with his father’s mysterious and deadly athame, Cas travels the country with his kitchen-witch mother and their spirit-sniffing cat. Together they follow legends and local lore, trying to keep up with the murderous dead—keeping pesky things like the future and friends at bay.

When they arrive in a new town in search of a ghost the locals call Anna Dressed in Blood, Cas doesn’t expect anything outside of the ordinary: move, hunt, kill. What he finds instead is a girl entangled in curses and rage, a ghost like he’s never faced before. She still wears the dress she wore on the day of her brutal murder in 1958: once white, but now stained red and dripping blood. Since her death, Anna has killed any and every person who has dared to step into the deserted Victorian she used to call home.

And she, for whatever reason, spares his life


My Thoughts:

Cas is a teenage ghost hunter. Think Buffy, but with ghosts instead of vampires. He is following in the footsteps of his deceased father, who was also a ghost hunter and died on the job mysteriously. With his mom and his mom's neurotic cat Tybalt, they move from town to town wherever there is a murderous ghost wreaking havoc. Cas uses his dad's asthame (a ceremonial dagger) to send these homicidal ghosts away from our world. Cas gets a tip off for his most dangerous hunt ever: Anna Korlov in Thunder Bay, Ontario. She is called Anna Dressed in Blood - her throat was slit on her way to a prom and when they found her body, her white dress was covered in her blood. Anna kills anyone who enters her house - dismembers their bodies.

I have never read a "ghost story" before and to be honest, when I started out, I had completely forgotten the synopsis and didn't know that's what I was getting myself into. Blake does a good job of making the story CREEPY! I legitimately didn't want to leave my bedroom because it was dark out in the rest of the house. The story took a much different turn than I expected when Cas first got to Thunder Bay. Even when I thought I had everything figured out, it still took another turn than expected. I really liked this one and I'm excited for the sequel.
 

Previous Review:
The Death Cure by James Dashner {here}

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Sept TBR

Books leftover from July:

• The Alchemyst by Michael Scott
• The Magician by Michael Scott
• Fallen by Lauren Kate [We Heart YA BOTM]
• Shadow & Bone by Leigh Bardugo [We Heart YA Runner Up]

Books leftover from August:

• Choke by Chuck Palahniuk
• The Sorceress by Michael Scott
• The Necromancer by Michael Scott
• The Warlock by Michael Scott
• The Enchantress by Michael Scott
• Across the Universe by Beth Revis [We Heart YA Themed BOTM]
• The Fault in Our Stars by John Green [We Heart YA BOTM]

Books for September:

• Love, Lust, and Faking It by Jenny McCarthy
• Marked by PC Cast
• Betrayed by PC Cast
• Chosen by PC Cast
• Untamed by PC Cast
• Three to Get Deadly by Janet Evanovich
• ?? [We Heart YA BOTM]
• ??[We Heart YA Themed BOTM]

I must've known when I made my year TBR list that I would need some leeway near the end of the year. I read a lot in August. Or at least a lot more than I did in July, so I am starting to get caught up finally.

The Death Cure [Review]

Stats:
325 Pages [Kindle]
Published 11 October 2011
ASIN: B004JN1CW4
Amazon//Barnes&Noble


Synopsis:
Thomas knows that Wicked can't be trusted, but they say the time for lies is over, that they've collected all they can from the Trials and now must rely on the Gladers, with full memories restored, to help them with their ultimate mission. It's up to the Gladers to complete the blueprint for the cure to the Flare with a final voluntary test.

What Wicked doesn't know is that something's happened that no Trial or Variable could have foreseen. Thomas has remembered far more than they think. And he knows that he can't believe a word of what Wicked says.

The time for lies is over. But the truth is more dangerous than Thomas could ever imagine.
Will anyone survive the Death Cure?


My Thoughts:
The Death Cure gets intense and emotional, more so than the previous books. Who can Thomas trust? Can he even trust himself? After being separated from the other Gladers in solitary confinement for 2 weeks, Thomas is ready for another trial to begin. Mr. Jansen, aka Rat Man, tells them they are done. They need their memories back to help them finish what they started, but there are no more trials. They have a chip planted in their brains that wiped their memories and also let WICKED control them. Thomas and a few others choose not to have it removed. They decide to get out.

I thought this was really action-packed. It was the perfect ending to the series. I am really excited to read the prequel: The Kill Order.


Previous Review:
The Scorch Trials by James Dashner [here]

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