Under the Never Sky: Book Review

Under the Never Sky

Veronica Rossi

HarperCollins
January 3rd 2012
Young Adult | Paranormal | Post-Apocalyptic

Official Blurb -

Since she'd been on the outside, she'd survived an Aether storm, she'd had a knife held to her throat, and she'd seen men murdered. This was worse.

Exiled from her home, the enclosed city of Reverie, Aria knows her chances of surviving in the outer wasteland - known as The Death Shop - are slim. If the cannibals don't get her, the violent, electrified energy storms will. She's been taught that the very air she breathes can kill her. Then Aria meets an Outsider named Perry. He's wild - a savage - and her only hope of staying alive.

A hunter for his tribe in a merciless landscape, Perry views Aria as sheltered and fragile - everything he would expect from a Dweller. But he needs Aria's help too; she alone holds the key to his redemption. Opposites in nearly every way, Aria and Perry must accept each other to survive. Their unlikely alliance forges a bond that will determine the fate of all who live under the never sky.

Aria starts off a bit high maintenance. So glad she drops that and quickly takes her place as a contributing member. More glad to not have to listen to a whiny character. She is very easy to like.

I really enjoyed Peregrine. He is such an interesting character. What would it be like to know so much about other people? To have to live in a world where no one appreciates you or treats you like a person. To see you have feelings and aren't just some animal or means to an end. It was very precious to be able to watch him open up and feel. I only hope he can hold onto it and not become blind when doing what he thinks is right by tradition. I love how he is more than first meets the eye. Not simply some savage that would sooner kill you than worry over your blisters. So much power and responsibility rest upon his shoulders yet he can be kind and sweet. He doesn't at first strike me as a romantic interest. From his looks to his manner he is more likely to repulse.

The world in Under the Never Sky is much like Peregrine. Very dangerous and yet incredibly stunning. So much beauty in such a perilous world.

I was also very pleased with how the Senses worked out in this book. Unlike other books I have read this time it worked. Instead of being annoying or overdone it was just right. When Peregrine opens up to explain just how his sense of smell works it was fascinating. I could feel understanding bloom in those moments. It seems like it might be glorious as well as a great hardship.

I loved the made up language in this book. Words like streaky or even new meanings to old words like rendered. There were a few words I really struggled to assimilate at the beginning. The hardest being Scire. It helped a bit when we were given a pronunciation guide later in the book. Plus it was nice it was repeated plenty so it had time to sink in. Also, I enjoyed that there was nothing immediate or overly lusty to the romantic relationship in this book. There was so much more power in the subtle build of feeling.

I am left wondering if there is a rendering for the other Senses. It only seems fair that the Auds and the Seers have some sort of similar bonding. Why should the Scires be the only ones so fortunate. At the same time I really hope it works out to be a good thing. Something that still allows conscience choice and not a feeling of regret or chains.  

 

The ending was very sweet, almost to the point of feeling more like a dream than possible reality.

I am definitely sold on this series. Count me in for pre-orders for the last two. Strangely I am not really certain where this is headed but I know I want more Aria and Peregrine. Where ever they go adventure will follow. I will cross my fingers for some more sweet moments in their future. I am certainly a solid believer in love over arranged relationships. This was almost a five star. There was just a smidge of something missing. Definitely recommend picking up this book for an interesting journey.

Content:
Language: Mild

Violence: Heavy 
Sexual: Behind the scenes

Justice: Book Review

Justice

Deck of Lies #1

Jade Varden

December 24th 2011

Young Adult

Official Blurb - 
A House of Cards...

When you build an entire life on a foundation of lies, it only takes one truth for the whole thing to come crashing down. I never invited the truth in. I never went searching for it. I never had any reason to suspect that the two people I loved most were dishonest with me every second of every day.

I made one bad decision, and in a single day my entire world changed. If I'm ever going to discover the truth about myself and my parents, I have to trace all the lies back to their source. I have to try to find the truth that they're hiding.

The more I discover about myself, and my past, the more I realize that lies really are better than the truth. But now that I know the lies are all around me, I can't stop until I've discovered them all. I'll pull each lie away, one by one, and examine it to see what's underneath…until this house of cards crumbles into dust at my feet.

I just hope I can survive the crash.

I enjoyed reading this book. It really surprised me. There were plenty of unexpected revelations and turns. Rain has absolutely no idea just what lies in store for her. I expect if she had she would have stayed home that first day of school. Some things are better left unknown.

My biggest complaint is that I felt Rain was a little bit too complacent to follow along with what others wanted from her. Everyone was willing to place their expectations on her. There didn't seem to be a character that really wanted to get to know her and help her be happy.

I guess it really is true you shouldn't judge a book by it's cover. But maybe the cover is all part of a clever plot of deception. A cover that is pink and bland encasing a story that is well written and will leave you wondering just what will happen next. I am very curious just how the characters are going to get out of their current predicament and how will more truth be unveiled.

Content:
Language: Mild to Moderate

Moment Divine:

"Why are you looking at me like that? It's all right. I'd be in bad shape if a little thing like you could hurt me that easily. But maybe you want to look where you're going, in case the next guy isn't as resilient as me?"

Endlessly: Book Review

Endlessly

Kiersten White

HarperTeen
July 24th 2012
Young Adult | Paranormal

Official Blurb -

Evie's paranormal past keeps coming back to haunt her. A new director at the International Paranormal Containment Agency wants to drag her back to headquarters. The Dark Faerie Queen is torturing humans in her poisonous realm. And supernatural creatures keep insisting that Evie is the only one who can save them from a mysterious, perilous fate.

The clock is ticking on the entire paranormal world. And its fate rests solely in Evie's hands.

So much for normal.

Once again the humor was entertaining in this trilogy. The dialogue between Jack and Evie was just so hilarious at points. Jack is such an irreverent boy but I am glad he was around to keep everyone on their toes.

Are you familiar with the Matrix movie? The part where they describe how the mortals in their sick virtual world rejected a perfect society. So they filled that world with misery and trial and the mortals accepted it. Well this story reminds me of that. That probably sounds very strange considering that Evie and her friends go through a bunch of trials. But somehow all those trials just don't seem very deep or real. Maybe it is Evie's ever present attitude to just ignore it and move forward. Nothing can destroy me that I don't choose to acknowledge. Or at least that seems to be her attitude. So nothing really felt all that desperate or dark to me. The endings only further made the whole thing feel less real. I wanted to rebel against all this perfect happy stuff. Usually perfect and happy is just what I want at the end. But there was just too much of a good thing in this book. Her boyfriend is way to perfect to be believable. Planning giant surprise parties and tons of perfect dates. Then everything is so unbelievably happy go lucky cheesy there at the end. It all felt more like some teenager vision of finding the perfect boy and facing some "scary" fun adventures in the process. I felt like Evie when she was having those rainbows forced into her head. It is just too much.

Even though they must have infused those pages with Unicorn blood and I couldn't stop wanting to dance in joy at rainbows it was a good book. I enjoyed my time reading it and thought several of the characters were highly entertaining. Somehow this book just didn't hold up to the same standard as Supernaturally. I think I would gladly read anything else Kristen will publish but I wouldn't say this was my all time favorite trilogy.

Content:
Language: Heavy(Just kidding. Once again the word 'bleep' is used rather frequently.)
Violence: Mild  
Sexual: Clean 

Moments Divine:
"And rainbows! Why did I keep thinking of rainbows? Who cared! Rainbows were totally awesome!
And the unicorn! I beamed at it, reaching out my hand to stroke it. There was never a creature more beautiful, more majestic. I'd spend the rest of my life out here, and we'd prance around the forest, worship the sunlight, bathe in the moonlight, and. . .
I shook my head, scattering the idiotic warm fuzzies that had invaded. "Whoa," I said, shoving the unicorn's head away.
"That's enough of that. I am not going to frolic in an eternal meadow of sunshine and moonlight with you, you rotten little fink. But thanks."

---------------------------------------------------------------

"To be honest, I don't know which court most of the faeries belong to."
"You don't? How can you not know? It seem like pretty vital information to me. You know, 'Are you a member of the evil court kidnapping humans and plotting world domination, or a member of the moderately less evil court who just wants to get the crap off the planet?' sort of a survey when you get them."

---------------------------------------------------------------

"Besides, I wouldn't let you sacrifice your own soul. It's mine."
"Uh, I think you mean my heart is yours. That's a little more romantic and less stalker creepy."

---------------------------------------------------------------

"Stick around, though. I'm going to need all the help I can get to figure all this out."
"That's me! Mister Helpful. Captain Dependable."
"That sounds like a brand of adult diapers."

Pile Denial: 28

I am in denial.

It is ugly but it is nevertheless the state of things.

Here I will document my struggle with my book obsession. Behold my denial in all of its glory.

Pile Escalation:

Bought:

Sanctum by Sarah Fine

Event Bonus:
Fall in Love with Teen Fiction Extras Pamphlet includes snippets by Mindee Arnett, Leigh Bardugo, Lisa Desrochers, Sarah Fine, Kristin Halbrook, Kody Keplinger, and Ingrid Paulson

Pile Reduction:

Read:

Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood
Touch by Jus Accardo
Beasts and BFFs by Shannon Delany
Untouched by Jus Accardo
Fallen from Grace by M. J. Putney  
 

Bottleneck Effect:

Reading:

The Alchemy of Forever by Avery Williams

It was an awesome week for me. Not only did I manage to read quiet a bit and decrease both my reading piles but I had some extra fun. I got to meet Leigh Bardugo. My dreams have finally been fulfilled. Well almost. Leigh was a blast to meet. She is so funny and has such an expressive face. She is officially my number one best author meet. It was worth the three hour drive to get there. Though it seems that after that particular high point I am having a hard time getting back into reading. Neither of the two books I am trying to read seem to be able to compete.

Until next week. . .

Here are the numbers of books hanging out on my TBR pile.

Pile Truth:

Books:38 (decrease) :) 

eBooks: 21 (drastic decrease) :)

How about you? Are you in denial?

Share in the comments or even in a post, just don't forget to leave a link, and help me feel a little better.

REM: Book Review

REM

Cheryl Abbott

iUniverse.com

May 3rd 2012

Young Adult | Paranormal

Official Blurb - 
Seventeen-year-old Bradalynn Collier is used to enduring night after night of unbearable restlessness. In the quiet darkness while everyone else sleeps, dreams that are not only hers take possession of her mind. Brady thinks her gift for entering the subconscious minds of others is a curse-until she meets the mysterious Alexander Connelly on her first day of her junior year in high school.

Alexander is a new transfer student whose mesmerizing green eyes seem to stare straight through Brady. Against the advice of her best friend, Doug Rothen, Brady decides to venture into the dark nights of Alexander's slumber. As she suffers through his relentless nightmares, becoming emotionally attached along the way, Brady finds reason to finally gain control of her unique ability. But just as an unexpected relationship emerges and blurs the line in her friendship with Doug, a devastating accident forces Brady to make an unthinkable decision.

In this compelling tale, Brady must betray the trust of others and make a choice that has the potential to tear her away from the only dream she now desires-a life with Alexander Connelly.

Bipolar personality for Alexander. Not the best way to show his reluctance about a relationship with Brady. Plus he is a bit too nice and perfect under the conditions. He is far too perfect and understanding. Annoyingly, boringly, perfect. Alexander is hard to really adore. He starts off emotionally void and at the drop of a pin is emotionally charged. Then is so perfect it is painful. Maybe there really are some guys so perfect but to my knowledge I haven't met any. Their relationship is way intense, grown up, for their age. They can be in a house all by themselves with no chance for adult interruption and they don't get up to any funny business. How likely is that?

The story gets really boring toward the middle. Had a really hard time convincing myself to keep reading. This book could in many ways be two separate books. That way we could skip some of the dull middle parts. Keep the pace more even.

The tone of the book at the end is completely different than the beginning. When I picked this book up I was anticipating something like Wake by Lisa McMann. Instead this is more like a version that has been scrubbed with a fine toothbrush and bleach. Everything is so squeaky clean it defies believability. The world of dreams isn't clean. Only one small mention occurs regarding dreams of lustful fantasy. If you blink you might easily miss it. There is a giant chunk related to the horrific fear of loss. Even with all the dreams there isn't much excitement when the character is awake. On top of which Brady spends all her time in Alexander's horror dreams.

The love triangle in this story is awkward and the resulting jealousy is really petty.

With a traumatic event involving her best friend the mood of the book changes. Suddenly everything is sentimental and emotional. The type that would only fit on your last day to live.



I was shocked to discover that this is only the first of three books. Not sure what to think. Just where could this go from here and is more story appealing?

Content:
Violence: Moderate

My Wolf's Bane: Book Review

My Wolf's Bane

Veronica Blade

Crush Publishing, Inc

January 28th 2013

Young Adult | Romance | Paranormal
Werewolf | Shifter

Official Blurb - 
NOTE FROM THE PUBLISHER: As with any Veronica Blade book, this is a ROMANCE NOVEL, meaning it's romance FIRST and everything else is secondary. Rated PG-13 for sexual situations and mild profanity.

Different species. Mortal enemies. It'll never work, but they'll die trying.

Autumn Rossi thought she was a normal teenager. Suddenly, she can outrun every critter in the forest, making her wonder if she’s even human.

When the new guy at school, Zack de Luca, witnesses a questionable scene, he unfairly pins her as stuck-up. He acts like he hates her, yet he keeps bailing her out of trouble. Not only is Zack both insufferable and irresistible, he seems to sniff her anytime he gets close.

As passion flares between them, Autumn isn’t sure which is more dangerous: her psycho ex-boyfriend, or falling for Zack — who’s risking his life just by being near her.

See the book trailer: http://youtu.be/GEXgVD1NblU

I have given this book a generous rating at two stars. I really wanted to like this one. Werewolves are my favorite and I love a good romance. So this seemed like it had all the makings of a good winner. Sigh. Not so much. By page two I knew the best this book would score was a three star. The writing was very scattered. Much like the thoughts of a person suffering from an attention deficit disorder. There just wasn't a decent transition between ideas. Sentences flit with little flow or transition which felt very hyper. Luckily as I pushed through I became accustomed to the writing patterns and it grew to be less noticeable.Unfortunately, there was very little development of the characters or any outside story.
 

There are a few of words that fit this book very well. Shallow, masochistic, corny, and fantasy. Werewolf was definitely not a word I would add to the list. There is nothing werewolf involved. Zack can shift into a werewolf and he sniffs her a lot but that is all. Any other werewolf mentions are strictly background fodder for maneuvering purposes. The worst of these random facts is the information that there is a werewolf king. Not two words I think should ever be put together. Maybe werewolf chief and absolutely werewolf alpha. But werewolf king was just corny. The "shift" into werewolf involved some mist intermediary state in which their cloths would just drop to the ground unless made of natural fibers. All the passion and animal nature you would expect from a werewolf is lacking. Plenty of desire on the girls side which is fairly typical for a teenager. Far too many scantily clad moments in this book. Would you really be sleeping in almost nothing with a near stranger in your house? Of course all those moments were terribly unrealistic. Perfect fantasy guy only taking a nibble in a situation where there are no adults and a bed and late hours. I was put very strongly in mind of early teenage fantasies as I read this book. As if some girl concocted every attribute she thought would make for the perfect guy and tossed it all in. In order to parade each awesome trait she would make up random scenarios to showcase them. That is all werewolves are in this book. Some random information to bring Zack and Autumn into a specific fantasy scenario. So strong was the teenage fantasy impression that this was unrealistic to the point of painful. Bang your head on the table sort of idiotic repetitive cycle. In fact three fourths of the way through the book I came across the word masochistic. A perfect description of this reading experience. But having forged so far into the story I just had to finish.

Could you hit us over the head with the HOT stick one more time please? It isn't as if in the last 100 whacks we didn't get the point. Zach and Autumn are two incredibly unbelievably hot people. On top of being uber hot they are playing some tedious dance of not liking each other while liking each other. Please, I beg of you break the cycle. It is driving me crazy. The death of one of the characters would be preferable to another round of he likes me, he likes me not.

The bad kid is too scripted. What are the chances a kid would turn out so obsessed and crazy? Too convenient. The parents are hard to swallow. Over obsessive of their child's every move and then suddenly showering her with money and flying across the country to leaver her completely unsupervised for weeks. As if. When it comes to the end the fight scene between Zach and Daniel is awkward. The methods used to subdue are strange.

The meaning behind the title never became clear to me. I could speculate but it isn't overly obvious. I think a title change might be best.

This wasn't a terribly long read. Longer than I would have liked to spend on this story. This is a book for those more interested in combative foreplay riddled with inner turmoil and daft foot in the mouth moments.

Content:
Language: Moderate to Heavy
Violence: Mild to Moderate
Sexual: Moderate

Book Blogger Confessions: The Evolution of Book Blogs

Hosted by: For What It's Worth and
Midnyte Reader 

Question: 
How long do you see yourself blogging for? Do you think it's okay for a blog to evolve over time? For example: You may have started out as a book review blog but now your interest is in cooking as well. Do you incorporate that or start over?

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Whoa! Hold your horses there. This is heresy against the Church of Book Blogging. Don't let the Elders hear you say such things. The punishments are terrifying. I heard of this one girl who tried to evolve and they "book stretched" her. *shudders* Think of those old balance scales. Except in this case she was the one tied between them. So as they added more books to each respective side she was slowly tortured by the weight. The screams will forever torture those who witnessed the scene. I hear they have a lot more than just that method at their disposal.

*looks around and checks the coast is clear*

*closes the shutters and stuffs blankets under the door*

Honestly I have never considered switching my book blog to cover a new hobby. I think mine is far to theme oriented to ever make that possible. Plus my "followers" are here for the book stuff right? Not sure they would be hanging around if they showed up one day with detailed pictures of my newest knitting project. They might instead be thinking they have stumbled into a dystopian world where books are forbidden and knitting is the only acceptable form of entertainment. And get this in this messed up world there is this kick but female assassin trying to get rid of those evil knitting enforcees by strangling them with knitted chains. lol. Oh, my goodness I really must have eaten something strange this morning.

I have wanted to evolve the types of post I do about books. Like change the way I review into more like random thoughts. That way no one can get upset they are really not "acceptable" reviews. Have posts that really are more about book fun and such. But that sort of change takes time and effort. Neither of which are easy to summon up some days. Maybe someday.

I have no idea how long I will blog. I did once have a personal blog. Didn't last long. I changed it into a cooking blog. Really didn't last long. So far books is the only thing I can keep up.

I can't really imagine incorporating my other hobbies. Not sure anyone would be interested. Today cooking, tomorrow gardening, the next knitting, crochet, books, spring cleaning, hiking, camping, etc. Wonder if it would be easier to upkeep if it was completely random. There wouldn't be all the pressure. Hmm . . .

Anyway, thanks for the topic.

Pile Denial: 27

I am in denial.

It is ugly but it is nevertheless the state of things.

Here I will document my struggle with my book obsession. Behold my denial in all of its glory.

Pile Escalation:

Mail:
Dark Triumph by R. L. LaFevers

Pile Reduction:

Read:

The Golden Lily by Richelle Mead
The Indigo Spell by Richelle Mead
 
DNF:

The Taker by Alma Katsu
Tunnels by Roderick Gordon and Brian Williams

CNS: (Could not start)
Requiem by Lauren Oliver
The Reckoning by Alma Katsu 

Bottleneck Effect:

Reading:

Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood

Well it was a purging week for me. I came up against quite a chunk of books I just couldn't read. I should probably be miffed that I was taken in on them in the first place but I am just so very happy to get them off the pile so easily. Only one book came in this week. Plus I have already read Dark Triumph so that doesn't add to my stress at all. I feel like I could float away. Especially since I managed to get my pile under forty. This hasn't been done since the beginning of this denial. It gives me some hope. Now if I could get the ebooks under twenty we would be in miracle territory. I am just not thrilled with Born Wicked yet. Hopefully it picks up soon or next week will have another DNF.

Not that you were wondering but I am off for a slice of yummy strawberry chocolate cheesecake.

Until next week. . .

Here are the numbers of books hanging out on my TBR pile.

Pile Truth:

Books:39 (It was a free fall) :) (Whoo Hoo! Again, again!)

eBooks: 24 (stable) :)

How about you? Are you in denial?

Share in the comments or even in a post, just don't forget to leave a link, and help me feel a little better.

Breathless: Novella Review

Breathless

Brigid Kemmerer

Kensington Teen
April 25th 2013
Young Adult | Paranormal

Official Blurb -

Too many secrets. Not enough time.

Nick Merrick is supposed to be the level-headed one. The peacemaker. Since it’s just him and his three hotheaded brothers against the world, that’s a survival tactic.

But now he’s got problems even his brothers can’t help him survive.

His so-called girlfriend, Quinn, is going quick as mercury from daring to crazy. Meanwhile, Quinn’s dancer friend Adam is throwing Nick off balance, forcing him to recognize a truth he’d rather shove back into the dark.

He can feel it—-the atmosphere is sizzling. Danger is on the way. But whatever happens next, Nick is starting to find out that sometimes nothing you do can keep the peace.

Worst case scenario I am afraid. Cautionary tale in why you should always do your homework before blinding plunging into a book even if it is by an author you have loved every time before. This novella and I were never going to get along. If only I had known before hand.

Nick has ever been a disappointment for me. When we first met him in Storm he came across very different from how he actually is in all the other books. This story though really brought that difference out plainly. I think he was my early favorite. Or at least enough that I really wanted to know his story. But then he just sort of dulled down and took a back seat. It just felt like such a gaping difference that his character may well have been two separate individuals. Perhaps my imagination has made more of it than really existed. 

I have absolutely loved the series so far even if it is a bit brash or rough around the edges(I mean these guys get in lots of fights and swear a bunch). It has been very entertaining and I could not wait for another installment. Sadly this one may have broken me of such an urge. :(

Content:
Homosexuality
Language: Moderate

The Collector: Book Review

The Collector

Victoria Scott

Entangled Teen

March 25th 2013

Young Adult | Paranormal
Angel | Demon

Official Blurb - 
He makes good girls...bad.

Dante Walker is flippin’ awesome, and he knows it. His good looks, killer charm, and stellar confidence have made him one of hell’s best—a soul collector. His job is simple: weed through humanity and label those round rears with a big red good or bad stamp. Old Saint Nick gets the good guys, and he gets the fun ones. Bag-and-tag.

Sealing souls is nothing personal. Dante’s an equal-opportunity collector and doesn't want it any other way. But he’ll have to adjust, because Boss Man has given him a new assignment:

Collect Charlie Cooper’s soul within ten days.

Dante doesn't know why Boss Man wants Charlie, nor does he care. This assignment means only one thing to him, and that’s a permanent ticket out of hell. But after Dante meets the quirky Nerd Alert chick he’s come to collect, he realizes this assignment will test his abilities as a collector…and uncover emotions deeply buried.

First thing that comes to mind is The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. You know Will who thinks he is all that? Outrageous and full of himself. Has all the street lingo and behavior will all the pomp and enormous ego of the wealthy. Always getting too cocky and getting into trouble. That describes Dante perfectly. It is so terribly hard to take Dante seriously. He just comes off endearing. Almost like he is on giant comedic act. He uses so much slang that it doesn't seem to fit his wealthy upbringing. More like an act he puts on to impress. Yet by the end it just seems like a natural extension of his odd personality. He swears like a sailor but instead of feeling uber offensive it is just mildly humorous. Like hearing a ferocious growl of a bark coming out of a Pomeranian. It is so very odd. Dante has the strangest ideas and thoughts running through his mind at times. His best friend is even more crazy than Dante.

The worst part is that we lose a tiny bit of this comedic feel to Dante three-quarters of the way through the book. He starts using pet names like "Sweet Girl" and getting all heroic. Still entertaining but a definite change in the overall tone of the book. I had a hard time taking any of it seriously. Impending death, yeah right, it is all just some punch line.

Dante is the story. Take his character out and you haven't got much. If Boss man is concerned about one tiny ugly girl, Charlie, and Trevelator, lame name by the way, he really isn't scary. That is like some big bad tattoo covered dude running away screaming like a girl from a cuddly bunny. He should probably have his Evil Dude card revoked. Come on, really? So hard to take him seriously. So basically the villain's motivation is weak and the story plot is weak as well. But that doesn't phase Dante. In   his own words, "I have the confidence of a killer whale." Dante just carries the whole thing off single handed.

So I feel a little comparison is in order. Of late I read a post that lumped Dante and Kaidan Rowe in the same group of bad boys. While on paper that would be true it sure isn't in practice. Kaidan would have walked into this assignment and out five pages later. Done. Girl's soul collected or what not. Puh-leaze. He has got moves! Dante is pathetic in comparison. So it is a good thing they will never meet. Dante would never survive the crushing blow to his ego.

If it weren't for all the swearing I would have given this four stars. Yet even so I don't really feel any desire to read the next book with the more serious Dante. He just isn't quite as much fun.

Content:
Violence: Moderate
Language: Heavy
Sexual: Mild to Moderate

Moments Divine:

"Her birth was ordained by. . ." She stops and points upward. Apparently Big Guy has become the new Voldemort. He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named.

-------------------------------------------------------

Opening her nightstand drawer, I find a pen and paper and write out a quick message:

Charlie, I need to talk to you. It's urgent. It's regarding the thing we signed. Call me at Wink Hotel. I'll be waiting.

I stare at the note and try to decide how to sign my name. Dante? Love, Dante? Obsessed with you, Dante? I feel like a freakin' twelve-year old, like I'm seconds away from zits and wet dreams.

Shaking my head, I decide on: -D

Folding up the note, I lay it on her pillow. Then I decide that's too creepy and move it to the dresser. Then back to the pillow. I let out a frustrated groan, because I'm getting on my own nerves.

Prophecy Girl Blog Tour: Book Review and Giveaway

Today I am lucky to be hosting a post for the Prophecy Girl Book Tour. Below you will find my review. Also, there is a giveaway running. Alright enough of the introductions lets get to the good stuff.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Prophecy Girl

Cecily White

Entangled

April 2nd 2013

Young Adult | Paranormal | Romance
Angel | Vampire | Werewolf | Demon

Official Blurb - 
Amelie Bennett. . . . Ending the world, one prophecy at a time.

I was born to slay Crossworld demons.

Big black flappy ones, little green squirmy ones. Unfortunately, the only thing getting slain these days is my social life. With my high school under attack, combat classes intensifying, and Academy instructors dropping right and left, I can barely get my homework done, let alone score a bondmate before prom.

Then he shows up.

Jackson Smith-Hailey. Unspeakably hot, hopelessly unattainable, and dangerous in all the right ways. Sure, he’s my trainer. And okay, maybe he hates me. Doesn’t mean I’ll ignore the wicked Guardian chemistry between us. It’s crazy! Every time I’m with him, my powers explode. Awesome, right?

Wrong.

Now my teachers think I’m the murderous Graymason destined to bring down our whole race of angelbloods. Everyone in New Orleans is hunting me. The people I trusted want me dead. Jack and I have five days to solve the murders, prevent a vampire uprising, and thwart the pesky prophecy foretelling his death by my hand. Shouldn’t be too difficult.

Getting it done without falling in love. . . that might take a miracle.

At first I found the dialog felt too forced. Dressed to impress instead of being a natural occurrence. But before long I grew to enjoy it. Several time sit would startle a laugh or two out of me. I just might have read the book, toward the end, just to enjoy the banter. So funny it makes me smile even now.

What kind of nickname is Omlet? Can we add this to the list of failed nicknames on account of it being too odd?

There were definitely some confusing spots in the story. In the middle she has this extreme blackout from which she wakes up in a situation that doesn't make sense. There was just no way to expect that outcome. Very confusing trying to piece together what caused her predicament. I thought they had forgotten a whole chapter in the eARC. Luckily, several pages of small hints helped to smooth over the giant gap.

The story was cute and action packed.

The ending surprised me. I did not expect vampires to play much role in this story so it came as a huge shock at the end. Actually I am still a bit confused by the transition. Just what trouble have they gotten into now?

I agree with Amelie about prophecies. Refuse. Yep, refuse to be ruled by them.

My favorite word from this book would have to be monkeycrud. 

Story reminded me of a watered down mix of Demon Trapper's Daughter and Vampire Academy.

Amelie is a fun character. She had a way of getting into trouble innocently. In some cases she lacks common sense or that third eye that keeps the average person respectful and in line. She is oblivious to the idea that some things shouldn't be done.

The young courtship between Jackson and Amelie is so wrong it is funny. If you are considering showing your love and adoration for your girl try decapitation. :

For the most part the story is great. Very entertaining characters and dialog. Some mystery and lots of action. It is just lacking great depth. While I was concerned for the characters I wasn't emotionally entwined.

Content:
Language: Mild
Sexual: Mild
Violence: Moderate

Moments Divine:
Despite my foul mood, the image of Jack romancing Bertle the Turtle in a pantry made my mouth curl up at the corners. Who knows, maybe that was exactly what he needed to tame his burning angst into pure, unbridled manpassion.

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"I have a theory on why you never got bonded," I said. "I think you ridiculed all your potential bondmates until their self-esteem imploded. Then, when it came time to list prefs, no girl could write your name without bursting into tears. Am I close?

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"Tell me, love, do you dance?"
"Stand still fr a sec. I'll dance on your face."
"Hmm," he frowned, thoughtful. "Not much incentive, is that?"

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"Do you wankers have any idea of the gravity of this situation?"
"No. And don't bother explaining again," I snapped. "We're far too feeble-minded to get it."
At this point, we'd have to be blind, deaf, and completely moronic not to get the "gravity of the situation."

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Find the book:

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Cecily White:

Cecily Cornelius-White, Psy.D. makes a habit of avoiding boredom whenever possible. She has enjoyed careers as a hand model, GAP salesgirl, movie projectionist, psychotherapist, yoga instructor, university professor, artist, dance choreographer, eating disorders specialist, psych diagnostician, book reviewer and copy editor. None of which are as much fun as writing novels.

She currently lives in Springfield, MO with two FABULOUS kids, and a schizophrenic yet well-mannered cat. She can swear in Klingon, take down an alien aggressor using only her mind (or a pair of chopsticks), and kill giant spiders without getting schmutz on her shirt.

When not singing to herself, she spends time creating new worlds and thinking up ways to make this one better…

Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter

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Giveaway:

US Only
a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Tour Schedule:

4/1/2013- Anatea's Bookshelf - Review

4/2/2013- Fade into Fantasy - Guest Post

4/3/2013- Bookalicious - Review

4/4/2013- Booky ramblings of a neurotic mom - Top 10 List.

4/5/2013- Bibliophilia Please - Review

4/8/2013- Hope, Love and Happy Endings- Review

4/9/2013- Two Chicks on Books - Playlist for Prophecy Girl

4/10/2013- Books and Needlepoint - Review

4/11/2013- Fiktshun - top ten or top five to ten favorite quotes

4/12/2013- Fantasy Book Addict - Interview

Pile Denial: 26

I am in denial.

It is ugly but it is nevertheless the state of things.

Here I will document my struggle with my book obsession. Behold my denial in all of its glory.

Pile Escalation:

NetGalley:
The Collector by Victoria Scott

Pile Reduction:

Read:
Girl with the Iron Touch by Kady Cross 
Dare You To by Katie McGarry 
The Collector by Victoria Scott 
Keeper's Curse by Diana Harrison 

Bottleneck Effect:

Reading:

The Taker by Alma Katsu

I went crazy this week. Something snapped in my head and I just had to read myself out of a fix. It was like my Nook was glued to my hand. In fact I think I am suffering from it. The joint connecting my thumb to my hand is sore and hurting. Some sort of excessive Nook reading syndrome. It is not pleasant and switching hands only resulted in both my hands hurting. I can't seem to stop even though I am in pain. But I have finished my review request pile of books. Someone throw me a party. I can't believe it. I am desperately ignoring the five new requests in my email. I really need to read something of my TBR pile before I go crazy from looking at the exact same books on my shelf.

There really is something to be said for reading physical books. I don't think I have ever gotten this exact sort of pain in my hands from over reading. Pain yes but not like this.

On a good note the book I recorded in audio format for my husband has finally stopped collecting dust. He is listening to it right now while he works. And he actually likes it so I may be recording myself reading more books in the future. It is fun since it makes me feel like we get to spend just a little time together even though we are apart during the day.

So apparently Leigh Bardugo is on a tour that will stop in Portland in early June. Um, yes I want to go! I have been wanting to meet her for at least a year and I have been jealous of all those who have gotten the chance. Hopefully, I can finagle a trip out of my husband so I can meet her.

I am totally taking a break from reading this weekend. Girl needs some space so you books can just back off with your accusatory glares. But come next week I will give The Taker a try but I have a very strong feeling that I won't be finishing it. Wonder if I should not even start or if I will be surprised.

Until next week. . .

Here are the numbers of books hanging out on my TBR pile.

Pile Truth:

Books:45 (stable) :|

eBooks: 24 (decreased) :)

How about you? Are you in denial?

Share in the comments or even in a post, just don't forget to leave a link, and help me feel a little better.