I found this online...NOW WHY COULDN'T THIS BE THE ACTUAL COVER?
St. Clair. St. Clair. St. Clair. St. Clair. St. Clair. St. Clair. St. Clair. St. Clair...moreI found this online...NOW WHY COULDN'T THIS BE THE ACTUAL COVER?
St. Clair. St. Clair. St. Clair. St. Clair. St. Clair. St. Clair. St. Clair. St. Clair. St. Clair. St. Clair. St. Clair. St. Clair. St. Clair. St. Clair. St. Clair. St. Clair. St. Clair. St. Clair. St. Clair. St. Clair. ST. CLAIR!!!!
Can’t I just fill this review with his name instead of explaining how much I effing LOVED this book and trying to describe in vivid detail how beautiful and amazing and gorgeous and sexy and adorable and cute and sweet and perfect and totally smoking HAWT St. Clair is?
Asdfghjkl <--- this is me being speechless. I just…I loved, loved, LOVED this book. I’m positively utterly, totally, absolutely completely, undeniably IN LOVE with this book. Just thinking about it makes me giddy. Seriously. It makes me wonder “why don’t my parents send me to France?! I want to find my own Etienne, dammit!” Sigh. Just thinking his name makes me swoon.
Okay, I’m probably acting like an annoying fangirl right now, but can you blame me?! I’ll try to keep this review short, before I go into complete fangirl mode (which scares even me).
I loved the characters. Every single one of them. They weren’t there just to paint the background, they all had depth and each a different personality.
Anna was an awesome MC. She was so amusing and comical, even when she was angry; you kind of want to annoy her just to see her reaction. She has a wonderful dad (who cares if he’d a dick? He sent her to freaking PARIS. And he meant WELL) who sends her to School of America in Paris (SOAP), which is a boarding school. There, she meets a couple of students—Meredith, Josh, Rashmi, aaaaaand St. Clair *swoon*—who immediately befriend her. Unfortunately—or fortunately—she starts having feelings toward the totally gorgeous, off-limits Etienne St. Clair (okay, I’ve learned to say his name without completely hyperventilating, that’s progress). Not only does he have a serious girlfriend, but Meredith—the one who immediately befriended Anna and was kind and helpful to her from the beginning is also crushing on St. Clair. I totally get Anna. I mean, DUDE, HE HAS A BRTISH ACCENT. And he speaks French! That alone should make you fall in love with him within the first five minutes of meeting him. If only he were real. *le sigh* I would positively run to Paris, find him, snatch him away from Anna, grab his hand and run like hell. Which is sort of kidnapping and illegal, but WHO CARES? I mean, he’s St. Clair. Totally understandable. *pout* BUT HE’S NOT REAL. *BAWLS*
Gah, he’s just so perfect in this totally realistic way. And so sweet (did I already say that?). His love for his mother and friends makes me love him more.
I need to stop. I’m already feeling light-headed and woozy from thinking about it. Don’t worry, normal symptom after reading this book. So, yeah. Read it, if you haven’t already. Don’t let the blurb fool you, it might sound cliché, but there is NOTHING cliché about this book. It unique and one of the best books I’ve ever read.
Sigh. Gosh. I better stop or I’ll start blabbering “Anna! France! French kissssssss! Paris! St. Clair! St. Clair! St. Clair! St. Clair! I LOVE YOUUUUU!”
*patting myself on the back for having so much self-control*
I hope the companion novel is just as good as this. Please make it good, Mrs. Stephanie Perkins. I will forever be your slave.
Oh, and I have a sneaking suspicious that the third book will be about Isla Martin and Josh.
BTW, this is my version of St. Clair:
ISN'T HE YUMMY???
"I love you as certain dark things are loved, in secret, between the shadow and the soul."(less)
What a beautiful cover! It's a shame I have the blue one.
“So often we only do what we think is expected of us, when we are capable of so much more.”
4....more What a beautiful cover! It's a shame I have the blue one.
“So often we only do what we think is expected of us, when we are capable of so much more.”
4.5 stars.
-Review-
Oh man, this was good. I never expected it to be so good. I was blown away by the sheer goodness of this book that I stayed up until 4:00 am to finish it, which I never do. The only reason I didn't read Unearthly when it first came out was because of all the hype--that is usually why I read or don't read a book. I didn't particularly like the cover (the blue one), and I was just hesitant over all that it would not live up to my expectations.
Well, let me tell you: It exceeded them and shoved my stupid expectations in my face.
I loved everything about Unearthly: the characters, the plot, the romance, the mythology, and the writing. It was such a breath of fresh air--in every department. It's one of those amazingly fluffy and all-around sigh-inducing books that make you feel like you're actually in the book and part of everything. And who wouldn't want to imagine--if only for a few hours--that they were actually part-angel and had to move to this cozy new town to save their super-cute new classmate? How I wish I could find more books like this!
Clara is maybe the first heroine I've really liked and genuinely cared about in a long, long, long time. Despite her unearthly perfections, she felt so normal, she made mistakes just like every other teenager does; not stupid, irresponsible mistakes, but ones that made her more human, and showed just how young she was and how she was only trying to do the right thing and find the right path in her life. She thought and felt things real people do.
The romance in this book was pretty unique. It's not an insta-love, where the minute they meet the world becomes heaven and everything is all sunshine and butterflies. Neither is it one that begins with hatred (but oh no! They secretly love each other!). It builds slowly, the characters take time to get to know each other. We learn about Christian and Tucker more as the story progress, taking the romance with it. And these guys are not here simply to fawn over the heroine and save her from her sheer idiocy (which Clara is definitely not). They (view spoiler)[Clara and Tucker (hide spoiler)] don't sit around all day cuddling, all their conversation consisting of "I love you!" "no, I love you more!" They do the awesomest things together, and it made me wish I'd spend my summers more doing the things they did!
As for which guy I like more, you should have definitely read this review backwards. I'm all for Christian. Which is not to say that I didn't like Tucker--I adored him. I thought he'd make the perfect real-life boyfriend; he was sweet, funny, and caring. But Christian was the one who did it for me, sorry. I guess most people like Tucker because despite his teasing, he genuinely liked Clara from the beginning, but in my mind's eye I only saw him as Clara's cute best friend who had a secret crush on her. Christian, however, was pretty oblivious to her at first, he wasn't a douchebag, he didn't ignore her, but he didn't stalk her either. That's why I liked him in the first place: he really loved his girlfriend, and it pained him when they separated, and that made him more real. Then slowly, his feelings for Clara come along. And then he was gone for half of the book. LIKE, REALLY CYNTHIA HAND?
Another thing I loved about Unearthly was the writing. It was so simple, easy and uncomplicated. It flowed smoothly, never felt forced or slow; the plot was not so much about the action, but the mystery--and it still managed to keep me interested and on the edge of my seat the whole time. I tried to savor it, read one chapter a day, but I just couldn't! Boy, am I glad Hallowed is already out!
Clara's world of angels and half-bloods unveils gradually, little by little. There's no info-dump--Hand slowly lets the reader into the story and the world. The mythology was not complicated, but you could immediately see that it'd been well researched and there wasn't any plot holes in sight, thank God.
Other things I liked:
1.Clara's best friends, Angela and Wendy. 2.The atmosphere. Especially the winter! I was almost purring! 3.That awesome Harry Potter reference, teehee. XD (You know I had to say it.) 4.This book made me act out the conversations. o.O 5.BABY BROTHER!!! 6.CARROTS. Need I say more? 7.Cynthia didn't do the here are these totally hot guys who are the love interests, and they're perfect, so you should love them too! She divulges small details about these two characters, and their personalities, and to me, that's what made Christian and Tucker perfect. They were so…human. Like real-life boys. 9."As a serf, poor Christian has already been killed several times in our class. Aside from dying of the Black Plague on the first day, he's starved to death, had his hands cut off for stealing a loaf of bread, and been run down by his master's horse just for kicks. He's like Christian the fifth now." Heeheeee. :3 9. This is the only time I could really picture Clara and Tucker together. (view spoiler)[I drop down onto the trail at the same time that he slides off the horse’s back. We run toward each other through the smoke. He stumbles but keeps running. Then we’re in each other’s arms. Tucker crushes me to him, wings and all, his mouth close to my ear. “I love you,” he says breathlessly. “I thought I wasn’t going to get to tell you.” He turns away and coughs hard.(hide spoiler)]
Also, I have the perfect vision of Christian in my mind:
*fangirling*
Anyway, as far as my complaints go (hence the 4.5 stars), after the first half of the book, it started to slow down a bit, and focused more on what Tucker and Clara were doing than about the plot and Clara's purpose. And for all the action the ending has, I'm surprised it wasn't fast-paced enough for me.
Okay, so I just finished Unearthly, and guess what? I like Christian more than Tucker. WHY? Why do I always go for the guy who ends up either heartbroken, alone, or dead at the end? This is so typical of me.
DAMMIT!
Besides that one teeny-tiny complaint--AWESOMESAUCE!!
It is now exactly 4:00 AM, my eyes are all squinty and bloodshot and twitching weirdly, but I AM SO HAPPY RIGHT NOW. AND SAD. Completely worth my sleepless night! Can't wait to write a review on this one. I mean, this. Was. SO WONDERFUL! Like, SERIOUSLY GUYS. Tomorrow. Review. Why am I talking like this? SEE WHAT YOU DID TO ME, CYNTHIA HAND? ARE YOU HAPPY?! Right now, all I want to do curl up in my bed and think about Unearthly until I fall asleep. Which will be in about ten seconds...nine...eight...three...one...zer--
Oh my, where to begin? I find it really hard to voice my opinion on this book. To put it simply: I used to love this book. I thought Meyer was the be...moreOh my, where to begin? I find it really hard to voice my opinion on this book. To put it simply: I used to love this book. I thought Meyer was the best writer in the history of forever. But then, why is it that now whenever anyone fawns over Edward Cullen and tells me how romantic Twilight is, I shudder? I mean I was part of the Twilight-obsessed club. Maybe it was that I wasn't a reader back then, maybe I was just a total sucker for romance, or maybe it was that I was a fourteen-year-old daydreaming teen? Either way, I worshipped this book and its sequels, and I couldn't wait till the last book came out—Breaking Dawn. But now I wish I hadn't. The whole time I was reading Breaking Dawn, I was internally fighting the urge to throw the book across the room, or better yet, burn it—so I couldn't ever see it again. I felt like I was betraying Twilight and told myself that I was being irrational, and then I searched on Goodreads to see what other people thought of the book. I was really surprised when I saw it had made to the "worst books of all time" list. I was soooooo…proud? Because then I knew that I was right; that Breaking Dawn was just a pitiful excuse for a book. And the reviewers? Oh don't even get me started. I just loved reading their 1 star reviews. It's like they were reading my mind! Because I liked their reviews so much, I decided to check out what they thought about Twilight.
The results left my jaw hanging open.
I couldn't believe people hated Twilight! I thought that was blasphemous. But then I started reading further and it was like a light bulb had gone off in my head. Seriously. So I read the book for the umpteenth time. And I mean really read. I took in every little detail of the book. And by the end, I found myself hating it with a fiery passion (not be melodramatic or anything). And I wanted to slap a fan girl whenever I came across one—which happened a lot. Now let me tell you why I hated this book:
Bella. I despise this girl. She's incredibly boring, when she's not gushing over how hot Edward was, or how much she loved him and couldn't live without him, she was whining. And really, talking about Edward's beauty in every single page—paragraph—is not cool. It's disgusting. You don’t have to describe the character every two pages, we know all about Edward’s ‘perfectly toned chest’ the fourth time you mention it. Edward is HOT. We get it. I think I would have enjoyed the book a little more if it wasn't written through Bella's idiotic mind. Not to mention she's incredibly needy and has no life outside of Edward Cullen. That's not how a main character should be. A main character should be smart, witty, and most of all, strong. This girl is shallow, stupid, dim-witted and weak. The situations she gets herself into are just mind boggling. I didn't believe anyone could be that stupid. Here is a little proof of how brainless she really is (and I quote):
-What did she do when she found out Edward was a vampire? "It doesn't matter to me what you are."
-What did she do when she found out Edward had watched her sleep and practically stalked her before they even knew each other? "I was flattered."
That should pretty much explain Bella's character. Oh, and she's also a Mary Sue, Bella Swan = beautiful swan, really? That's just horribly cheesy. It doesn't take a genius to find that out. See? Even her name is perfect. I really don't buy all the bullshit she says about being ordinary. If she's so "plain," why do so many guys fall for her within the first 2 chapters? And clumsiness is not a fault, especially when Edward is always there to catch her.
This book was just full of purple prose. Ugh. I hate purple prose. This is an example:
"He lay perfectly still in the grass, his shirt open over his sculpted, incandescent chest, his scintillating arms bare. His glistening, pale lavender lids were shut, though of course he didn't sleep. A perfect statue, carved in some unknown stone, smooth like marble, glittering like crystal."
That was just unnecessary. I could've written that whole paragraph in one single sentence.
Oh, and what the hell was it with Bella and "holly crow?!"
The characters are all flat and predictable. And apparently it takes Bella one week, ONE FREAKING WEEK to be "unconditionally and irrevocably in love with him." But how exactly did they fall in love? Oh yeah, Bella smelled like freesia and Edward was hotter than any male model she'd ever seen. How very romantic.
And has anyone noticed that Meyer basically wrote down her fantasies? Think about it; brown eyes, brown hair, widow's peak, full lips. The only difference is that Bella is small, which might be Meyer's wishful thinking?
Now let's come to Edward. God, someone stake his whiny ass before he gives all vampires a bad name; he's a disgrace. He's also stalker. Watching Bella sleep is not romantic. It's creepy. And he's supposed to be the mature one. Way, way more mature. 100 years more mature. He's always acting so calm and cool and wise, and I used to really like that about him, but a 100 year old vampire falling in love with a brainless 17 year old is such a turn-off. I mean, really? Couldn't Meyer make the main character a little more intelligent and mature, at least? Because 100 years of age difference certainly equals a pedophile. Not to mention he's extremely possessive and border-line abusive. Edward also has multiple personality disorder. One minute he's smiling, the next he's "growling." Who the hell growls? And did I mention that he's perfect? His face, his body, even his smell and handwriting is perfect.
Meyer must be really into this whole pedophilia business, first Edward and Bella and then **spoiler followed with a yuck** Jacob and Renesme.
Some of the most important questions Meyer never once answered:
-Why were the Cullens in high school? Seriously, if they're as hot and rich as Bella claims they are, why would they enroll in high school when they could be doing better things? Why wouldn't they just go and live in **spoiler** Isle Esme (their island—yeah, they're that rich) if being around humans is so hard for them? Obviously, Meyer couldn't think of a better place for Bella and Edward to meet.
I thought this was supposed to be a VAMPIRE book. Where the hell are the fangs? We don't need a bunch of high school pussies that play baseball and sparkle in the sun and can't get killed by stakes. That is not how a vampire should be. They are apparently indestructible, and if they're so indestructible, why hide their identities from humans if they can't get killed by them?
-Why couldn't Edward read Bella's mind? Part of why I was so enthusiastic about reading Breaking Dawn was that I thought that Stephenie Meyer would finally explain to us why Bella's mind was immune to Edward's powers, but noooo …that wasn't important enough. What was important was Bella and Edward getting it on day after day after day. Again, how romantic. Why could some vampires work their abilities on her, and some couldn't? Bella's mind seems like some deux-ex-machine. Seriously. Edward couldn't read her mind, Alice could see her future, Jasper could alter her emotions, Aro couldn't read her mind, Jane couldn't mind-torture her. Why was she immune to all the bad ones, and not the good ones? And why was it never explained? I just can't get over that, for some reason. I've eased my anger a bit by telling myself that the only reason Edward couldn't read Bella's mind was because she didn't have one.
-Why wouldn't Edward leave Bella alone? He was like, actually running after her and then saying "we shouldn't be friends." Well it's kind of hard when he's constantly stalking her.
And worst of all…the ending.
THEY. GO. TO. F***ING. PROM.
PROM! Of all things…
She could've thought of something a little smarter than that. I mean a vampire wanted Bella dead and after Edward rescuing her from him, they go to prom. I just…I don't know what to do with this.
The only reason the books became so popular is because Bella has no life or personality, and any loser can put themselves in her shoes. Well, I'm nothing like Bella. She has no goals and no future, her life revolves around Edward. Obsessive much?
Now let's come to the idea of the book in general. Twilight is sexist. Stephenie Meyer makes the guy tough and strong whereas the girl is weak and fragile and always needing the guy to come and save her. That's pretty much a huge step backward for women everywhere, who have fought for equality. Do any guys even like Twilight? Poor, poor guys. Their girlfriends are probably waiting by their bedroom windows for Edward to come watch them sleep. Now this is the main message Meyer gives her readers:
Girl: “I can’t live without you. I'll leave my whole family to be with you. If you leave me, I will kill myself. You're hot, I love you.” Boy: “you smell good. I love you.”
Oh, and just a tip, Meyer: if the first 200 pages of your book rely on the mystery of a character’s identity, don’t slap “First, Edward was a vampire” on the back cover. AND complaining about how crappy Forks is is really not cool, you could've just made up a fictional town for Bella to whine about.
This book was not worth the paper on which it was printed. You may think Edward Cullen is smart and fast, but Lestat A.K.A. badass-vampire-of-all-time could totally take him. Or even Damon Salvatore.
Whew. I'm so glad I finished this review. Now I'll finally go and read about a main character that actually does something.
Wow. This book is so bad it took me 4 pages to take out my hatred for it.
Okay, now I really have to stop babbling. Sorry guys! (less)
Okay, so I watch plenty of anime, but this is actually the first manga I've ever read. I liked it very much, BUT here it comes...some p...more Who needs Yuki?
Okay, so I watch plenty of anime, but this is actually the first manga I've ever read. I liked it very much, BUT here it comes...some parts really ticked me off, like:
-The lack of action. -Yuki. She was such a a bit of a goody-two-shoes. Which annoyed the hell out of me. -The story tended to get a bit melodramatic. -The mystery parts could've been done so much better. -The cheesy dialogue. -Blood drinking being depicted as "erotic." Yeah, try having someone's teeth stuck in your neck.
Basically, the plot didn't impress me and I wasn't exactly blown away by the dialogue. What intrigued me more than anything was the dynamic between Zero, Yuuki, and Kaname. I also LOVED the artwork, I think I enjoyed looking at Zero and Kaname more than anything, really. xD
That said, I'm willing to read the next one, since I've heard so many great things about this series, and I have a feeling it will turn out to be kickass.
PS, the Chairman reminded me a lot of Shigure from Fruits Basket. I love him!! <3(less)
My second Meg Cabot book (I know, lame) and it did not disappoint!
Oh, my. I loved it! Mind you, I found some aspects of this novel complete...more3.75 stars.
My second Meg Cabot book (I know, lame) and it did not disappoint!
Oh, my. I loved it! Mind you, I found some aspects of this novel completely ridiculous, but the good parts more than made up for it. I admit, at first I thought it would be a light, fluffy, quick read, with cute characters and plenty of laughs--this is written by Meg Cabot after all, and she's the queen of chick-lit--but this was so much more than that.
I love reading about modern retellings and myths in general, so it's no surprise that I would adore this little book!! <3 It's supposed to be a retelling of the story of Hades and Persephone, but Meg uses this old myth and weaves it into a story that's all her own. I honestly expected it to be just like The Goddess Test, which disappointed me due to lack of research on the author's part I more or less liked, but it's not. Meg writes the story so that it is very loosely based on the myth, not necessarily about Hades and Persephone, but based on them, and adds some historical twists here and there (like Marie Antoinette--genius!). I loved that too!
I don't really know how I feel about the main character, Pierce; she tended to get way over dramatic sometimes, and sometimes she made me glare daggers at the book for being so spoiled and shallow, but with all the things she'd been through, you couldn't really blame her. And this girl, unlike the usual soft completely useless heroines these days, actually has guts! She doesn't automatically swoon over our tortured hero; in fact, when John tells her he wants her to live with him in the Underworld forever, she throws a cup of hot tea in his face.
Which made me wanna kiss her and at the same time made me feel so bad for John. >.<
John. *sigh*...how do I describe John? He's just the right blend of adorably sweet and dangerously dark--and it makes him totally irresistible. The more I grew to know him more, the more I sympathized with him. I loved him, every single aspect of his personality. From the gentle, caring boy that talked to seven year-old Pierce and brought a bird back to life, to the tormented, lonely guy who just wanted someone to be in his life. He, too, does not act like a jerk like so many heroes in YA books do. Sure, sometimes he was scary and all don't mess with me, I'm a death deity, but there is actually reason why he behaves like that and it all just made me wanna give him a big hug and scream "it's okay baby!" :3
Now let's come to the ending!
I was not expecting that! I mean seriously, that twist! It was so...twisted!
To sum things up, this book was far from perfect, yet I still finished it with a stunned expression on my face, and it was completely worth my time. I NEED BOOK TWO NOW!!! That would also be my only complaint: it comes out in May! Ugh, seriously?
In the beginning of this review, I said that this book was far from perfect, so I disliked quite a few things, like: The lack of John! There better be more John in the second book! Second, the excessive use of em dashes (it made me so confused!), third, the flashbacks within flashbacks, the past and present narration switching kind of all...muddled up. And finally, at some point of the book, I got really tired of Pierce saying "check yourself before you wreck yourself" and "it's not safe for you here" or some such, so much that I stopped reading those lines because I'd memorized them all! Also, I still don't get why Pierce thought tassels were so evil...
PS, can I just say that Pierce's dad reminds me so much of this guy?
Edit: JUST RE-READ THIS! What can I say, after reading the most amazing book on the face of the planet Deathly Hallows, I just had to read this again!...moreEdit: JUST RE-READ THIS! What can I say, after reading the most amazing book on the face of the planet Deathly Hallows, I just had to read this again! Nostalgia got to me. xD
Review: Loved this book. :)
It was a little boring at first (especially since I'd seen the movie before reading the book), but it got better halfway through.
I adored Harry, Hermione, and Ron; loved their constant banter, their epic rule breaking adventures. Their friendship is one of the most unique aspects of the Harry Potter books, and I loved that. I loved Neville too. He was funny. Hell, I even loved Voldemort; I hope he shows up more in the other books. (I can see you glaring at me.)
AND DON'T EVEN GET ME STARTED ON RUMBLEROAR--I MEAN DUMBLEDORE.And Draco Malfoy.
On the other hand, I still don't know what all the rave is about. That's why I'll be reading the other books in the series. Hopefully I'll share your enthusiasm and it'll become a mind-blowing, jaw-dropping, heart-wrenching, earth-shattering ride to me too, haha. :D
So, yeah, I have nothing else to say.
Edit: Well, what d'ya know? It was a mind-blowing, jaw-dropping, heart-wrenching, earth-shattering ride!(less)
After reading Cynthia Hand's Unearthly series, I am now required to lower the rating to Hush, Hush. Not that Silence is very great either (maybe one h...moreAfter reading Cynthia Hand's Unearthly series, I am now required to lower the rating to Hush, Hush. Not that Silence is very great either (maybe one half of the star I lowered was because of the sheer dumbassery going on in the 3rd book? Could be).(less)
I’m not sure if this is a 3-star book for me, which means I “liked it,” or a 4-star one, which implies that I “really liked it.” Alas, I think I shoul...moreI’m not sure if this is a 3-star book for me, which means I “liked it,” or a 4-star one, which implies that I “really liked it.” Alas, I think I should go with four, because this is one the few books I’ve read about family which I liked and didn’t think was completely unrealistic.
Every member of Mia’s family endeared me. I felt like I’ve met each one of them at some point in my life; from her charming, witty, punk-badass father to her tough-love, soft, a la feminist-bitch mother, to her little brother Teddy. They were completely kickass in their own way. I loved that Mia never felt the need to distance herself from her family.
The book is pretty short, and it all happens during the span of one day, with flashbacks of happier times here and there. I liked this book for mainly two reasons; and I think, more than anything, that’s what made me give this book four stars. The flashbacks of Mia’s past, the best times she spent with her family, the memory of Adam and what first love was like for her, her breezy best friend, Kim. These not only made me think of my own past, but also made me see the bonds of family and friendship, and how each person was connected to the other through Mia. Few books have made me feel the love that these people had for each other. And it made sad and happy at the same time.
The second reason is Mia. I was surprised at how completely alike we were. I don't know how to say it. I am sort of a quite, reflective, completely introverted type of person, only letting my hair down with people I feel completely comfortable with. And I saw a great deal of these characteristics in Mia; I don't know if it's a good or bad thing, but it made me relate to her more. (But I don't think I would ever, ever be brave enough make the choice she did. Ever. And for that I like her even more.)
Overall, I recommend this book to anyone looking for a poignant tale of the true meaning of family. While it didn’t exactly make me cry, it left me with a melancholy feeling, and I’m sure I will be thinking of Mia and her family and Adam and everyone else for the next few days.
Can't wait to read the sequel!
Favorite quotes parts:
And then we stopped talking for a while as Adam strummed an unfamiliar melody. I asked him what he was playing. “I’m calling it ‘The Girlfriend’s-Going-to-Juilliard-Leaving-My-Punk-Heart-in-Shreds Blues,’” he said, singing the title in an exaggeratedly twangy voice. Then he smiled that goofy shy smile that I felt like came from the truest part of him. “I’m kidding.” “Good,” I said. “Sort of,” he added.
“Music! Goddammit! Music!” Mom screamed. “We have some lovely Enya. Very soothing,” the midwife said. “Fuck Enya!” Mom screamed. “Melvins. Earth. Now!”
“I want you to play me like a cello.”
“Holy crud. Is that Brooke Vega?” I hear someone ask in a totally fakey dramatic voice from outside the ICU’s automatic doors. I’ve never heard any of Adam’s friends talk so PG-13 before. It’s their sanitized hospital version of “holy fucking shit.”
A week before Halloween of my junior year, Adam showed up at my door triumphant. He was holding a dress bag and wearing a shit-eating grin. “Prepare to writhe in jealousy. I just got the best costume,” he said. He unzipped the bag. Inside was a frilly white shirt, a pair of breeches, and a long wool coat with epaulets. “You’re going to be Seinfeld with the puffy shirt?” I asked. “Pff. Seinfeld. And you call yourself a classical musician. I’m going to be Mozart. Wait, you haven’t seen the shoes.” He reached into the bag and pulled out clunky black leather numbers with metal bars across the tops. “Nice,” I said. “I think my mom has a pair like them.” “You’re just jealous because you don’t have such a rockin’ costume. And I’ll be wearing tights, too. I’m just that secure in my manhood. Also, I have a wig.”
“Social services frowns on drunk ten-year-olds. Besides, when I dropped my drumsticks and puked onstage, it was punk. If you drop your bow and smell like a brewery, it will look gauche. You classical-music people are so snobby that way.”
2.5 stars. (Damn you goodreads! Why can’t there be a .5 in the ratings?!)
Okay, so I neither loved this book, nor hated it. It was j...moreCONTAINS SPOILERS!
2.5 stars. (Damn you goodreads! Why can’t there be a .5 in the ratings?!)
Okay, so I neither loved this book, nor hated it. It was just a quick, quirky, fun read to me (don’t let that cover fool you, it’s not dark, and it’s not very serious—not in a bad way, of course). The whole IPCA thing (International Paranormal Containment Agency) kind of reminded me of the movie Men in Black.
I loved the main character, Evie. She was so cute and so different from the usual heroines I read about. I found her obsessions with the color pink, high school, lockers, driving licenses, and normalcy adorable. Also, she’s not like some heroines where she thinks she not pretty and always lacking confidence, she’s always honest and yeah, sometimes insecure too but in a completely normal way. Also, she wasn’t whining and complaining 99% of the book so that’s definitely a bonus. (Oh, and her eyebrow-raising envy kind of reminded me of Clary (from The Mortal Instruments series) and Rose (from The Vampire Academy series)).
As for the love triangle, I don’t really think there was any to begin with. I don’t think the author meant for Reth (or Lorethan, love the name!) to be a love interest (unless she changes that in the second book), just an obstacle for Evie to surmount so that she can be with Lend. But if he actually was a love interest, then I don’t think their relationship was outlined enough. A shame really, he was the one that kept me reading, although he didn’t show up much in the book. His dark, beautifully ominous and seductive nature pulled me in. I would love to learn more of his background and the courts (Seelie and Unseelie) and faeries altogether. As much as the other paranormals intrigued me—vamps, werewolves, water nymphs, mermaids, hags, trolls, gnomes, you name it, Evie’s tased it—the faeries were the most interesting; cold and distant and enigmatic. Not to mention the Faerie Realms and Paths were just very fascinating. (Going wherever you want just by opening a door must be awesome.) I don’t necessarily want him to end up with Evie—since I still don’t know if he’s the good guy or the bad guy or neither, for that matter, since “faeries only care about things they care about”—but I definitely want to read more about him in Supernaturally, since he was (mostly) the one who kept me reading.
Lend wasn’t one of those sexy and hot and smoldering and combustible love interests. Which I was kind of glad but also disappointed about. He was just sweet and cute, like Evie, and together they made an adorable couple. BUT, sometimes their relationship and feelings toward each other didn’t seem real, just like when you get your first boyfriend (which was exactly the case with Evie and Lend) and you think you can’t live without each other only to break up a month later. There wasn’t much passion and intensity between them. Reth is a much deeper character than Lend, and I was more fascinated by him (damn you, bad boys! …or really evil, bad-tempered faeries in Reth’s case). Which is ridiculous because I know Reth doesn’t love Evie (and vice versa), he just needs something from her, which, hopefully, we’ll find out in the second book (I still don’t know why the whole sucking-paranormal’s-souls matters to him so much). I also really want to know more about their history together.
What annoyed me was that, throughout the book, I felt like Evie had two personalities, one being when she was with Reth, when she was all self-confidence and fierceness and maturity, and the other when she was with lend, all cute and excited, and a normal 16 year-old. I would’ve liked her more if she was both all the time.
There were some very funny parts in the book. Evie’s best friend, Lish, was bleeping hilarious. (“Bleep stupid bleep bleep faeries and their bleep bleep bleep obsessions. He had better stop bleep bleep bleep the bleep bleep rules or I will bleep bleep bleep the little bleeeeeeeeeeep.”)
Her love and protectiveness of Evie makes me want to have a best friend like her. I was so sad she died, when I found out that Vivian hadn’t actually let the souls go, just kept them in her body, I was hoping (and was kind of expecting) she would be alive again when Evie released the souls, but she’s really gone. Maybe Arianna will become Evie’s new best friend, though the whole seeing-through-her-glamour-right-down-to-her-shriveling-corpse thing would be kind of scary.
Oh, and I loved the whole rolling-chair thing, too. Kind of makes me want to do it too. Evie’s a bad influence on me.
The villain was not scary, at all. Was she even a villain to begin with? Vivian just seemed like a really lonely, sad person in need of a family…(and possibly therapy, since she was raised by faeries, which, based on the fey in this book, is not good).
Reth and Lend also reminded me of Ren and Shay from Nightshade.
BTW, what does the title mean? I think it’s a mixture of “paranormal” and “normalcy,” thus, in Evie’s life, there’s no “normalcy,” just “paranormalcy.”
Not much to say on this book. I liked it. A lot of the main characters were lovable. I loved Puck and Grimalkin. They were HILARIOUS. And I'm official...moreNot much to say on this book. I liked it. A lot of the main characters were lovable. I loved Puck and Grimalkin. They were HILARIOUS. And I'm officially crushing on Ash.
The only problem was that there was barely any romance at all. I mean, Meghan and Ash barely knew each other. And then the ending wasn't very satisfying.
On a total random note, does anyone else think of Grim when seeing this icon? It reminds me of Grimalkin (which, by the way, I adore):
Okay, maybe he'd look a little more serious than this, lol. :D(less)
Of all the books currently being made into movies, this is definitely the one I'm looking forward to the most!
I did NOT expect to like A Great and Ter...moreOf all the books currently being made into movies, this is definitely the one I'm looking forward to the most!
I did NOT expect to like A Great and Terrible Beauty as much as I did. Really, the only reason I got it in the first place was because of that gorgeous, mysterious cover and title.
But it was so FUN to read! I shivered at the scary parts, and had a big goofy grin on my face when Gemma and her best friends were sneaking out to do their nightly rule-breaking, or shared a secret, how they totally exploited the magic they had (it wouldn't have been so fun otherwise, nor believable...they are teenage girls after all). And there's just something about boarding schools that excite me (I mostly just picture gloomy, huge, old mansions where you can share rooms with your best friends), and the time being Victorian era was just a bonus. You'd expect it to be loads different, but there's still the cliques and the gossiping--it's magnified, even.
This book also reminded me a little bit of Harry Potter, another bonus point.
I admit that it's goes a little bit slowly in the beginning, but it'll get good. I see no flaws in it: great writing; great, strong female characters; great plot; great setting; great everything. I loved it and I definitely recommend it. <3(less)
Oooooh drama, drama, drama! And forbidden romance! What more could I possibly want in a book? This has it all. I loved, loved, loved it. I loved how t...moreOooooh drama, drama, drama! And forbidden romance! What more could I possibly want in a book? This has it all. I loved, loved, loved it. I loved how the author talked about each of them in different, separate chapters. That made it a lot less confusing (especially since I couldn't differentiate between them at first and got their names all wrong in my head). I didn't like Hanna's story, though. well, I did like her and her story was intriguing, but not as much as the others. I though she was a little whiny.
This book is officially my guilty-pleasure. I can't wait to read the rest of the series and find out who 'A' is and what 'The Jenna Thing' is. I already got all the books, yay!
Okay, some of my favorite characters (and relationships) were:
**Spoiler** -Aria and Ezra…I loved it when he turned out to be Aria's English teacher after they hooked up with each other! Especially his reaction when he saw her in class, it was so funny! I really hope they can work it out, I didn't like that he practically kicked her out of his house… -Normally, I don't really like to read about lesbian relationships, but Maya and Emily were so cute together! -And let's not forget Spencer and Wren (AKA Melissa's boyfriend AKA sexy British guy). The whole time I was like "KISS HIM ALREADY!" partly because I wanted to avenge Spencer's sister, Melissa, as much as she did and partly because of…well, all the sexual tension between them. I want them to be together so badly! (Well, without her parents' interference.) **End of spoiler**(less)
I loved the Shiver audio-book! The only reason I gave it 4 stars is because Sam sounded old. I mean rea...moreNote: This is the audio-book review of Shiver.
I loved the Shiver audio-book! The only reason I gave it 4 stars is because Sam sounded old. I mean really old. But Grace's narrator read perfectly! I loved her voice, the way she put so much emotion into reading, and narrated Sam and the other characters without all of them sounding like each other and the males sounding like girls. She made me cry even more at the sad moments in the book, and she sounded so sarcastic at times I couldn't help laughing. :)(less)
I really don't know what my opinion of this book is. It's a lot like Twilight—e.g. hot, new guy in school who just happened to be sitting right next t...moreI really don't know what my opinion of this book is. It's a lot like Twilight—e.g. hot, new guy in school who just happened to be sitting right next to you—and I'm not sure how I feel about that. There were a lot of over-used words regarding Damen's physical beauty. Words like: gorgeous, amazing sexy. Actually, these were the only words describing Damen and I couldn't form a picture of how he really looked, despite how the author described his "gorgeous" looks in ever single page. And then Damen seemed a little creepy in some parts of the book. One minute he's disappearing and the next harassing Ever. And how did Ever get all the psychic powers? How did Damen bring her back without turning her into an immortal? How the hell did Ever come back every single time after Drina killed her? And how was Damen so oblivious to his ex-wife killing Ever every time?
There was no plot at all. Or romance. I picked this book up because I read a lot of good reviews about how romantic it is, but there were also a lot of readers who thought it was very similar to Twilight. That was totally fine by me. But the similarities are just astounding. She might as well have written Twilight all over. And there was no romance at all. I was so disappointed by this book. Every part ended up in Damen disappearing to do whatever it was he was doing. And what was with the red drink? At first I thought it was blood. But Damen explained later to Ever that it wasn't. Period. That's it? There was no mentioning what it was. I mean I do get that this book has sequels, but couldn't there be at least one answered question in this book?
Despite all the things Ever's been through…I just couldn't sympathize. And then Damen is worse than Edward Cullen. He's more perfect, apparently. Who happened to have signed copies of Shakespeare's plays and the Bronte sisters and Jane Austen's books. Not to mention that he had pictures of him drawn by every famous artist of the past there is (Leonardo Da Vinci, Van Gogh, etc…). I mean come one! That's a little too much. Too childish and shallow. Admittedly, though, it did make me laugh.
The only thing—or character, I suppose—I did enjoy, though, was Ever's little sister, Riley. She was a funny character. I didn't like that she passed over in the end. And that brings another question. What bridge was the author talking about? I thought Summerland was the land in between the ones who are dead and the ones that are alive…or was it? If it was, then why couldn't Damen bring back Riley like he brought back Ever? Ugh. It's all so very confusing.
I'm not sure if I would be reading the other books, because seriously, it was like it was written for children, not teenagers. And the writing and dialogue was too shallow, too fast, too confusing in my opinion; but there was something about the books that made me want to finish it. Now I don't know why. I don't even know how this book got published. I highly doubt I'm going to read the rest of the series.(less)
Mia Thermopolis is a girl who lives in Manhattan with her mother Helen. She's the "freak" of the school. As if being a teenager wasn't hard enough, sh...moreMia Thermopolis is a girl who lives in Manhattan with her mother Helen. She's the "freak" of the school. As if being a teenager wasn't hard enough, she's flunking Algebra and her mother and Algebra teacher start going out. Worse: she has no breasts, her hair looks like a yield sign, and her feet are like surfboards. Even worse: she and her best friend, Lilly, are no longer on speaking terms. WORST: her dad just told her she's a princess. EVEN WORST: she has to take princess lessons with her much-dreaded grandmere every day.
Mia does not put up with all of that. So her father makes a compromise with her; if she agreed to be a princess and someday rule Genovia, he would give $100 dollars everyday to her dream-career, Greenpeace. I kind of liked her obsession of joining Greenpeace and saving whales and the fact that she was doing everything she hated for that. "Those baby seals better be grateful, that’s all I have to say."
Turns out, princess lessons have BOTH homework AND tests. I found this question from a quiz she gave Mia really funny: What is the appropriate reply to make to a man who says he loves you? Thank you. You are very kind. And she wasn't supposed to say the "thank you" part. :P
Oh, and Mia's only 14. No wonder she's always so melodramatic--and her constant use of the words "or something" and "and stuff" and "I mean." I got really tired of how many time she said "I am not even kidding." Hmm...actually, she's a lot like me. Like this quote totally describes how I feel sometimes:
"Sometimes I wish I lived on a desert island. Really. With nobody else around for hundreds of miles. Just me, the ocean, the sand, and a coconut tree. And maybe a high-definition 37-inch TV with a satellite dish and a Sony PlayStation with Bandicoot, for when I get bored."
xD
Anyway, this was a really cute book. I must say, I'm a bit jealous of Mia. Her diary/journal is much more interesting than mine--though hers is a bit on the childish side. I didn't get her, really. I mean, when they told her she was a princess she just totally freaked out & actually gave me a headache because of her constant complaining. And I just wanted to shout at her "WHY IS IT SO BAD THAT YOU'RE A PRINCESS?!" Seriously, why? I mean, who wouldn't wanna be a princess? :P
There are also many differences between the books and the movies. Grandmere in the book is in no way like Grandma from the movies. here's how Mia describes her:
No wonder Grandpère died of a heart attack in bed. He probably rolled over one morning and got a real good look at his wife. Somebody ought to warn the president she’s here. I mean it; he really ought to know. Because if anybody could start World War III, it’s my grandmother.
And:
I can’t say no to my grandmother, since she’s like sixty-five years old, and she’s going to die soon, if there’s any justice at all in the world.
Also, her dad is alive, unlike in the movies.(less)
Wooo, the guy's point of view was so creepy. Honestly--if you want to read Twilight in Edward Cullen's POV, drop Midnight Sun and s...moreI liked this book.
Wooo, the guy's point of view was so creepy. Honestly--if you want to read Twilight in Edward Cullen's POV, drop Midnight Sun and start reading this book--it'll tell you exactly what stalking is (and how NOT-romantic it is) and the difference between love and obsession.
The MC was fine, though you don't get to know much about her. Or Ben, by the way. I feel like there should've been more to learn about his background (view spoiler)[and how he got his powers (hide spoiler)]. I liked him though, and the ending made me a little angry (view spoiler)[because he left. Honestly, what was the writer thinking, pulling a New Moon on us?! (hide spoiler)].
Throughout the book, you keep guessing who the stalker is, which is not easy because Camelia had a lot of boys in her life, and the author gives us little to learn about them, so it won't be obvious to the reader. (less)
I suddenly have this overwhelming urge to read this book! But I can't, for two reasons: 1) I don't have time to read ANYTHING right now, but study for...moreI suddenly have this overwhelming urge to read this book! But I can't, for two reasons: 1) I don't have time to read ANYTHING right now, but study for my mid-term exams (first exam tomorrow; math. *shudder*) 2) I'm already reading two books at once. So, NO. I am going towill finish those first, I hate leaving a book unfinished--which is something I do very often.
No, no; LAY DOWN THE BOOK, NINA!
EVERYONE is talking about this, and I feel left out! D: Plus, BEAUTIFUL covers, this and its sequel. *-*(less)
One word for this book: overrated. I honestly don't know why people like this book so much. I mean, yeah, it's good, but not that good. Some parts of...moreOne word for this book: overrated. I honestly don't know why people like this book so much. I mean, yeah, it's good, but not that good. Some parts of it were really boring. Same goes for the second installment, City of Ashes (though it was a little better than the first). I'll be checking out the 3rd book of the series to see if it gets any better.(less)
Note: This is the audio-book review of Twilight. For the book review, click here.
I listened to this a while back, when I was still obsessing over Twil...moreNote: This is the audio-book review of Twilight. For the book review, click here.
I listened to this a while back, when I was still obsessing over Twilight. I liked Ilyana Kadushin's voice.(less)
I must say, I really liked the drawings. And, creepiness aside, Edward is pretty hot in here. I didn't read the balloons though, I knew the whole chee...moreI must say, I really liked the drawings. And, creepiness aside, Edward is pretty hot in here. I didn't read the balloons though, I knew the whole cheesiness would make me stop reading...does that count as reading it?(less)
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