What it's about: Shadow's Claim is a spinoff series of Kresley's amazing Immortals After Dark, and is in paperback (yay for those of us on a budget!)....more What it's about: Shadow's Claim is a spinoff series of Kresley's amazing Immortals After Dark, and is in paperback (yay for those of us on a budget!). Shadow's Claim is the first book that deals with the Dacians (we met then in the last installment of IAD: Lothaire). They live in a land of Blood and Mist and are a type of vampire. The prince of the Dacians is Trehan, who is not only brutal and ruthless, but longs for Bettina, his mate and Bride, who is also a sorceress. Bettina once made a mistake that cost her everything. Now, she's meeker and agrees to allow her guardians to choose her suitor through a bloodsport tournament. Her guardians, though, are two of the most feared and dangerous Lore members … but Trehan is old and more than that … Bettina is his Bride.
Why you should read it: First, it's a Kresley Cole novel, so those of you who know my tastes know that I'm a bit biased when it comes to her books. I've literally rated her entire IAD series at 4 to 5 stars. I must warn IAD fans, though, that this book (and maybe the entire series) is darker than her IAD novels. They aren't horrifying or even scary dark, but the writing has a different tone than what I'm used to with her. That could be why she gave the Dacians a separate series. Now, having gotten that out of the way, I love, love, love dark books … and Trehan? He's my new book boyfriend. He's devoted, sexy and utterly single-minded in his quest to gain Bettina. Ah, Bettina … she was a bit of a whiner and, dang, did she do some dumb stuff, but even if she's not my favorite heroine, Trehan more than made up for her.
For those of you looking for an enticing paranormal romance, this is a fantastic choice. Go grab it and read it now! For those of you looking to compare this with the IAD series, you might be disappointed. It was a great book, I'd give it 5 stars, but you can't compare the two series.
I look forward to McRieve's book (yup, Uilleam's next in the IAD lineup) and the next Royal sibling in the Dacians.
What it's about: Iced is part of Karen's Fever World but takes a different perspective, that of Mac's young friend, 14-year-old Dani O'Malley. It's be...moreWhat it's about: Iced is part of Karen's Fever World but takes a different perspective, that of Mac's young friend, 14-year-old Dani O'Malley. It's been a year since the wall between the realm of Faery and our own world fell. Dani loves it. She's superfast, supersmart and has a sword that can actually kill the Fae. The problem: She's signed a blood contract with one of Jericho Barrons' buddies Ryodan (under duress!); Christian MacKeltar is turning into an Unseelie prince and thinks Dani is "worth the wait"; and there's a giant sentient being that is icing the entire town of Dublin … oh, wait, and let's not forget that Mac wants to kill Dani after she revealed that she was the one who led Alina to her death -- never mind that she didn't know the basics or was forced. Dani O'Malley seems to be ticking off everyone and everything, and running short on allies.
Why you should read it: I have to admit it I was nervous to read it. I mean, I was 100% excited, read it until 4 in the morning to finish it, but still nervous. The Fever series was so dark, so sexy. How could Karen tell all that in a 14-year-old voice? I always loved Dani's POV in the Fever books. I found her enchanting and knew one day she was going to be the Mega. Karen had a tricky task of a first-person POV with a child who isn't a child and who hasn't been in a long time. How do you express sexuality (especially the sex-by-death Fae) and her "attractiveness" as seen through Christian's eyes?
Well, I have to say she did a phenomenal job. It was realistic; Dani is 14 but has been killing since she was 9. She understands the ways of the new world and fights back, yet still realizes she's not fully grown. There were no sex scenes, just a lot of posturing between the three guys who are interested in her and who she will become. I have to say this is one of my favorite 2012 reads, and I'm ticked I have to wait a full year until the next book comes out. Karen, of course, packs so much action into the story line that you have to keep up or get frozen. And then there's her customary cliffhanger … this woman writes a cliffhanger unlike any I've ever known. You want to alternate between squealing, shaking your head, throwing the book, and immediately pre-ordering the next one. If you're on the fence, pick it up. If you loved Dani's POVs in the Fever series, pick it up. I\f you want to know whether Mac is still ticked … pick it up! It's engaging, hilarious, amazing and Dani is going to be one heck of a woman.
I came in late to the game and just read Anna Dressed in Blood last week. I don’t have any excuse as to why it took me so long except that my TBR pile...moreI came in late to the game and just read Anna Dressed in Blood last week. I don’t have any excuse as to why it took me so long except that my TBR pile is abnormally large. Having read Anna I immediately ran out and grabbed Girl of Nightmares (so I guess there is one perk to waiting until the sequel came out) and devoured it in one night.
Kendare Blake is now one of my favorite authors and Anna is on my top 2012 (or would that be 2011) book pick list. I really enjoyed that the main characters was a guy and it was the girl, Anna, who was basically the crazy making, wall smashing, limb tearing butt kicker. There wasn’t even a real romance in Anna, just two souls meeting and a few chaste kisses exchanged. Both knew it wouldn’t… couldn’t go anywhere as Anna is dead, and has been for 50+ years. SPOILER ALERT FOR ANNA: At the end of the book she even sacrificed herself to save Cas since she knew he still could live and love.
Girl of Nightmares takes place after Anna’s sacrifice. Cas can’t get her out of his head or dreams/nightmares. I anticipated her as an absent character because she was in Hell. Knowing that her lack of entrances didn’t disappoint only reaffirmed that this was all about Cas, Carmel and Thomas and a new one Jestine.
I feel like Girl of Nightmares out did Anna Dressed in Blood and I loved Anna. GoN answered everything, Cas learned all, and frankly things were settled in a way that few authors do for readers. The creepy writing, the eerie setting… all of this is why I know adore Blake. I will continue to auto buy anything that the author writes and will happily add that there is a perfect ending. (less)
Wow, I can't believe it took me a year to finally pick up this book. The author is brilliant, I adore violent heroines and damn Anna is the best.
One...moreWow, I can't believe it took me a year to finally pick up this book. The author is brilliant, I adore violent heroines and damn Anna is the best.
One good part about being late to the game is that I can now run to the store and pick up the second one.
Meg Cabot is a fabulous author. She connects with her readers through humor and romance and, wow, does she do it well. If you haven't seen her in action, HEA featured a hilarious book trailer that she created for her book Insatiable.
In true Cabot fashion, the Abandon books are intense, fast-paced and seriously funny, and her hero makes me want to find a death deity of my own. Underworld is the second book in the Abandon trilogy and delves deeper into John's world. John is a death deity and has been for the last hundred years-plus. When Pierce was 15 (in book one, Abandon), she died and ended up accidentally agreeing to stay with John in the Underworld. Long story short … she threw tea in his face and escaped back into the human world and is now living with her mother, who divorced Pierce's dad for "letting" Pierce drown.
A lot is going down, and Pierce is having trouble tracking it all. Her grandmother seems to be seriously demented. John is alternating between hot and cold. Her cousin is acting extremely weird. When the furies strike Pierce in the human world, John, of course, does the one thing he's wanted to do since she fled: bring her back to the Underworld, this time with the door to the human realm locked behind her.
Cabot has given us more of the inner workings of John, which makes him much more desirable than the John we meet in Abandon. Pierce also sees the complexity of the Underworld and realizes how much John actually listens to her. Their romance is soft, and perfect, especially for young adults who long for a serious relationship without having to read all the steamy details.
Pierce is also smarter and a little fiercer in Underworld. She understands John's lies and motives and is able to manipulate the world to work for her. The secondary characters are interesting but vague. I also didn't like the villains in this one (not the furies, but the popular and evil high school crowd).
One thing that stood out for me was the Persephone myth. I studied Greek mythology in school, and even I didn't know what the lesser-known symbol the pomegranate represents. Pierce didn't know, either, so I'm not in the slightly dumb heroine category alone.
I can honestly say that the Abandon trilogy will tickle your fancy if you love the YA genre, adore paranormal romance and really enjoy a fast-paced, adventurous read with a cliffhanger that will have you pulling out your hair(less)
The Iron Wyrm Affair is one of the best steampunk books I've read in a long time. Steampunk is a ridiculously hard genre to write, because oftentimes...moreThe Iron Wyrm Affair is one of the best steampunk books I've read in a long time. Steampunk is a ridiculously hard genre to write, because oftentimes authors will overuse words such as gears, clockwork, corsets, mechanical contraptions, etc. I felt that The Iron Wyrm Affair was this fantastical adventure book that happened to be set in an alternate history where steam and clockworks just happened to exist. Lilith Saintcrow has many books in many genres under her belt, but this was her first steampunk magic one, and in true Saintcrow fashion, there was adventure, miscalculations, romance on the side and quite a bit of action!
In the Bannon and Clare series, Emma Bannon is our heroine, and Archibald Clare is one of the heroes. What I found interesting is that Bannon and Clare become colleagues and then sort of friends, but there was no romance between the two. Bannon has a small thing going on with her Shield Mikal (I'll explain Shield later), and Clare seems to just genuinely like her, at the end at least. OK, so let's dive into the excellent plot and the crazy plot threads Saintcrow has tangled …
Emma Bannon is a Prime, the highest designation of sorcery. She is also of the Black side, not the White, nor Grey … which makes her interesting, unusual and extremely powerful. She is also loyal to Queen Victrix and, of course, the ancient spirit Britannia (who sort of possesses the queen from time to time). It's a good thing that Emma is loyal because there is foul play afoot. Mentaths (think extreme geniuses who are able to deduce logically and spin equations in their heads) have turned up dead with certain body parts missing. The queen's mother wants Queen Victrix under her control, and evil is on the horizon. Emma enlists the help of one of the last remaining Mentaths, Clare, to help solve the conspiracy.
Emma has a troubled past, and readers are given only morsels along the way. She used to have four shields, but they were killed by Mikal's previous Prime. Shields are the physical protection to the Primes they serve. Mikal killed his own Prime to free Emma … which is unheard of and means that, although she owes Mikal, she also can't trust him completely. Clare, on the other hand, has a problem around sorcery and mechanically altered things: They just aren't logical, and logic is all that keeps Mentaths going.
There is an incredible amount of plot in the book. I simply can't go over everything, though it's all interconnected. The name of the book refers to dragons who are part-clockwork and part-magic. The Wyrms are dangerous and deadly, and if a Prime ever decides to work with one (though the Wyrms don't usually take sides) it could be a fatal combination.
Bannon and Clare both are phenomenal characters, and I simply adored their interactions together. The only thing I wanted was more of Mikal. He is a secondary character who we only get to know through Emma's and Clare's eyes and interactions, yet I know he's so, so much more. I hope the next book, The Red Plague Affair, will have Emma learning more about Mikal. If you enjoy action, steampunk, heat and a wee bit of spice, I highly recommend this book!
This was really awesome. On my iPad the artwork was perfect and the story was intense and the beginning of a great plot. A little young (for me!) but...moreThis was really awesome. On my iPad the artwork was perfect and the story was intense and the beginning of a great plot. A little young (for me!) but overall it was a great find for the $ and I will be reading all the next installments!(less)
Scarlet by Marissa Meyer is the long-awaited sequel to Cinder, a tale about a girl who is also a cyborg. Marissa decided to put a twist on fairy tales...moreScarlet by Marissa Meyer is the long-awaited sequel to Cinder, a tale about a girl who is also a cyborg. Marissa decided to put a twist on fairy tales, starting off, obviously, with Cinderella. Scarlet is about Little Red Riding Hood with a huge twist: The big bad wolf is actually a Lunar genetically modified hero who has wolf qualities. You definitely need to read Cinder first, and for those of you who haven't gotten your hands on Scarlet, here's what you have to look forward to:
Scarlet's grandmother is missing, and her dad turns up at the farm screaming insanely about Lunars and being captured and how her grandmother's been captured too. It seems the Lunars want something and released her father to see if he knew where it was. Scarlet also meets a boy in town who is not like anyone she's ever known. His name is Wolf and he's a street fighter whose interest in her is deeper than even she knows. They end up meeting Cinder, a war breaks out, The Lunar Queen is marrying Emperor Kai and Wolf is so much more than even he knew. Cinder is in this book a lot, which makes it a perfect sequel. Scarlet isn't told from her perspective, but readers and Cinder alike will travel deeper down the rabbit hole. Marissa also wrote two shorts, Glitches about Cinder's past, and The Queen's Army, about a young boy chosen to be a part of the Lunar Queen's Army.
Check out the HEA Blog for an interview with Marissa!(less)
One of the best books I've read.... I can't remember laughing so hard at the titles and Austin's smart ass mouth. seriously if you're on the fence thi...moreOne of the best books I've read.... I can't remember laughing so hard at the titles and Austin's smart ass mouth. seriously if you're on the fence this is so worth more than the 2.99 price tag.
I'm now looking to see what else this author has to offer(less)
Fever is one of those rare books that makes you work hard. Joan Swan has given us a book with bigotry and racial slurs. She has made her characters th...moreFever is one of those rare books that makes you work hard. Joan Swan has given us a book with bigotry and racial slurs. She has made her characters three-dimensional and realistic and makes no apologies that they might offend some. Her writing is truthful and accurate, and her characters are some of the most realistic I've read. With that in mind, if racial slurs and ethnic jabs, however authentic, bother you, I would pass on this book. You'll miss a phenomenal story and plot, but you could feel uneasy getting there.
For those of you ready to take a step off the deep end: Fever is brilliant.
Hero Teague is an escaped convict, yet Swan creates such sympathy for him that readers will be rushing to his defense. And when all the plot threads are tied up, everything you thought you knew turned out to be wrong! Teague takes heroine Alyssa hostage, and you can feel her scorn at the beginning as well as the chemistry between the two. Alyssa finds out she has a thing for bad boys, though she's hoping deep down that Teague is one of the good guys. The romance between the two scorches the pages – and will have your cheeks heating up.
The rest of the review can be found on USA Today's HEA Blog
As most know who read my reviews Shane has been my favorite shifter since he was introduced in Andrew and Vapor's story. He's so dark and hurt and I l...moreAs most know who read my reviews Shane has been my favorite shifter since he was introduced in Andrew and Vapor's story. He's so dark and hurt and I love the tormented hero. The fact that Shane and Trevor's story got two books just made my day, and I love seeing him peek out in other couple's stories. Thank you for giving him another installment all his own! The $2.99 price tag gave me no guilt and the story was much much better than even I anticipated.
First, I've been worried about Riley. It seems that he's gotten worse not better. In Gage's book we see him telling people that the spider was the one who did it, or that the spider said this or that. Everyone, including readers, assumed he was having a manic episode and the spider was all in his head. We also see Shane softening from the hard leopard image even more. Hecht decided that it was time to address Riley's problem, give Shane more heart, introduce more 'resident psychos' besides Shane (may I say I love the two new characters) and to give the Coalition a new enemy.
Tomorrow is Valentine's day and Shane has no idea what to get Trevor... how do you pick something out that embodies all that Trevor has done for Shane? Mitchell also has given him a new assignment... twin Hawk shifters who have scared off everyone else, seems like they've had a similar childhood to Shane, and even though they aren't leopards, they have that scary psycho vibe going on that Shane's owned since walking in the felines' lives. Riley's also been put in the infirmary because everyone assumes that he was trying to jump off the roof again... they aren't buying the whole 'the spider told me someone was in trouble' excuse. Shane knows better, just because you're crazy doesn't mean you're crazy all the time. He does something not even Collin has done; asks Riley to introduce him to the spider. Turns out the spider is a defective shifter. Instead of shifting into the full size spider, he shifts into his tiny animal counterpart. And it also turns out there really is a girl in trouble and Shane, Riley, and the Hawk Twins: Tatum and Ackley decide it's up to them to save the day, and of course bust Riley out of the infirmary.
At first I was a little apprehensive of reading this, well not really I adore all the lost shifter books, but nervous because Shane is no longer the 'resident psycho'. He seems to be softening in ways I hadn't even anticipated. But the truth is, I'm glad he's changing. While I miss the leopard that dropped heads on keyboards and cafeteria tables, he's getting older and Trevor's love was bound to help him grow. He's taken care of Dalton and now someone new (won't spoil it!) and while I'll miss the psychopathic Shane I'm falling in love with the new one. Plus he'll always be able to gut and decapitate, that's in his skill set, he just might not laugh hysterically and bring home trophies. I really want Tatum and Ackley's (together or alone) book along with the spider and maybe a novella about inside of Riley's head. This is my guilty little pleasure and I'm so pleased that it's continued to be a strong series even 17 books later.(less)
I was so-so about This is Not a Test when I read the description in the Vine program. I love zombies, but could do without the suicidal girl dealing...more I was so-so about This is Not a Test when I read the description in the Vine program. I love zombies, but could do without the suicidal girl dealing with wanting to die, and being around people who want to live. Turns out this was so much more.
Sloane's father beat her and her sister. Methodically and aggressively. Lily (older sister) and Sloane talk about leaving. They save money, they dream of a home without their father, and more importantly... with each other. Sloane's world comes crashing down when she wakes one day to find a note from Lilly 'I'm sorry I can't do this anymore', and Lily gone. She wants to die now but doesn't know how, Lily took her sleeping pills with her and Sloane can't cut herself. It seems though that the apocalypse tears apart broken homes as well as happy ones. Zombies start rising and Slone's world continues to crash.
Fast forward a week later and Sloane is in the company of other teens who are hiding out in their high school. The zombies are relentless and tempers come to a boil. Sloane just wants to die though, maybe heroically, maybe quietly, but she has wanted to die since she read Lily's note. But the other teens are survivors and Sloane finds herself being pulled along, until she starts quietly caring for someone else... another boy Rhys.
Tragedy strikes the group again and again, and the author throws twists at readers mercilessly. Good people who do bad things. Good people who sacrifice one person for the group, wimpy people who die saving others, the list goes on and on, until the readers are left contemplating human nature and the necessity of evil.
The end of the book left me feeling like I did when I finished The Forest of Hands and Teeth... at the end of the journey is this it? Was the cost worth the sacrifices? What's left?(less)
I was interested in this book because of the Egyptian shifter concept, throw in steampunk and wow you've hooked me in. It turns out this was a great Y...moreI was interested in this book because of the Egyptian shifter concept, throw in steampunk and wow you've hooked me in. It turns out this was a great YA novel hiding in all the regular paranormal YA's out there.
Dez is one of the Shythe, or so the readers are led to believe, until we discover she's actually a half breed (experiment that mixed the Narco and Shythe races). It turns out that this makes her 'change' (think turning 17 and suddenly you have new powers and the ability to shift into your true form) volatile and she isn't sure what she'll end up like. She's a half breed alone in this world... which by the way is also a steampunk world full of gears, cogs, clocks and crystals.
Her council decides that peace between the Narco and Shythe races is the only thing that will ensure their continued survival (humans bah!). This means that two enemies will now be coming extremely close, like going to the academy to learn how to use their powers, and living next door to each other. With this peace brings new enemies and friends, and one Narco boy (Reece) who flashes his purple eyes (mark of a half breed) at her and changes everything.
This book was really exciting, the steampunk aspect wasn't 'overdone' and I liked the love triangle. I actual liked it! Jace, the best friend/older brother character or Reece the only other person who can really understand who she is? It was great, the book ended though, not really on a cliffhanger but with the knowledge that tomorrow is another day, and there is war on the horizon. I definitely recommend!
This was a really good book..... I saw the 85+ reviews on amazon but I'm still surprised at how good it was.... I'll definitely be putting this author...moreThis was a really good book..... I saw the 85+ reviews on amazon but I'm still surprised at how good it was.... I'll definitely be putting this author in my favorite pile.(less)
When She Woke is not a novel for the faint of heart… and I don’t mean about violence although there is some. It’s a questioning novel. It questions ou...moreWhen She Woke is not a novel for the faint of heart… and I don’t mean about violence although there is some. It’s a questioning novel. It questions our existence, good and evil, it questions humanity and God, religion and death. It also asks the biggest question that we have yet to answer, who has the right to judge? I feel like I must also warn you that there is no happy ending on the last page. While it may seem that it is happy, we forget all the lives Hannah has left behind, all the struggles and we only see this as a small battle won in a larger war…
Hannah lives in a world where there are no more jails. Each crime is ‘chromed’ into the skin of the criminal. Red for murder, blue for pedophiles, yellow for regular crimes, and so on. We are talking about color like taking a bucket of paint and dousing your skin color. It is the ultimate scarlet letter and one that can’t be taken off. While at first this seems like a good idea I started reading between the lines… red women were popular… blues didn’t last long… the business that stated ‘No Chromes Allowed’, and realized that with their sins painted for the world to see it made them that much more vulnerable. Why feel bad for a murder? Hannah got an abortion (another touchy subject that makes this a very ‘open’ book) and refused to name the father of her child, he is the Secretary of Faith, a married man, and the way to salvation for many including her family. She refuses to drag him down with her, she loves him too much and doesn’t want to wreck the faith of so many. Do you get it yet? She was marked red for choosing an abortion, and being marked has left her vulnerable to groups like the ‘Fist’ who rape, torture and kill Chromes, to being sold into sex slavery because hey no one will miss them, and to being all around tortured because no one cares what happens to a Chrome, she gets what she deserves right?
This whole book is her self discovery. She’s also 26 (I think I did the math right for a 16 year sentence) which means this self discovery will be appreciated by adults and maybe some mature young adults. She realizes her religion has held her back, held her creativity in, and suffocated her as a person. There’s so much more to the journey, but it’s too much to detail out in a review. I honestly liked this book, but it was hard to read. So many of the questions are ones I can find myself asking. Is it right to take away a woman’s right to her body? No… but is it right to kill an unborn baby? No. What about rape? Incest? Health? All issues that the unborn fetus has nothing to do with… yet everything to do with. It’s so hard taking sides. This book deals with that as well as sin, sex out of wedlock, adultery, homosexuality, rape, torture, redemption. I recommend this book, but I do so to adults or mature young adults. If you are highly against abortion and do not believe there is another side, this book is not for you, because it deals with Hannah’s struggles against herself with that very issue. It’s painful, and the ending isn’t nearly as sweet as I had hoped, but perhaps that is life.
Lothaire has been the boogie man for many Immortals in Cole's IAD series. It's only been in the last few books that we get a hint that he's working ti...moreLothaire has been the boogie man for many Immortals in Cole's IAD series. It's only been in the last few books that we get a hint that he's working tirelessly toward... something... his endgame. In Regin's book and Carrow's book we see Lothaire captured, and still laughing at his enemies as his skin peels away from his bones. We see he saves Chase and Thad, yet there's always a reason behind the reason. All I can say is that I was not in anyway expecting Lothaire the Enemy of Old, Heir to two thrones, almost as old as Nix, man who collects debts... to be paired with Ellie Anne Pierce: Hillbilly, redneck, psych student and also host for an evil Vampire Goddess, Saroya.
I won't rehash the plot, needless to say Ellie is fantastic for Lothaire, and I love that the two didn't fall in love right away, in fact Lothaire wants Elizabeth/Ellie's soul gone so his 'true bride' Saroya can keep Ellie's body and the two can be together forever taking over kingdoms. Ellie has such a sharp wit, and she hates Lothaire HATES him, but unusual for Lothaire there are times when she's two steps ahead of him. As she says 'You play offense I play defense'. And she seems to be winning.
I miss seeing Carrow and Mari, I want more of Kaderin and my two favorites of all time Rydstrom and Sabine (I love her!!) What I did love was that we get to see more into Nix's past than any other book. We also meet a new Dacian race of Vampires (who will have their own spin off series) and we really get a feel for how the chess board is placed. All in all it was a great book, while I'm not happy with the hardback price, Cole has become a strong phenomenal author and I look forward to Nix and her mate with eager anticipation!
What it's about: This is Jay Kristoff's first book in the Lotus War series. I must warn you that this is a very different book, but it's one of my top...moreWhat it's about: This is Jay Kristoff's first book in the Lotus War series. I must warn you that this is a very different book, but it's one of my top reads for 2012. Our heroine, Yukiko, faces an impossible task: catch a griffin for the Shogun with her father. Griffins are supposed to be extinct, which means there's more going on here. In a twisted turn of events Yukiko finds herself alone in the wilderness with a flightless griffin and a conspiracy that involves not only the Shogun, but her entire country.
Why you should read it: Japanese steampunk. Kristoff is the master of unique and intense plots and huge twists. This book has it all — and a nice little bow to tie it all up with. There are swords, action, friendship, a conspiracy, grief and hope. It's going on my "Amazing Reads" shelf, and I urge you to pick it up.
To see what Kristoff says about his book check out the HEA Blog
Who balances out the world? Is there some sort of crazy checks and balance system that a higher being tallies up? Things that seem unfair to us.... ar...moreWho balances out the world? Is there some sort of crazy checks and balance system that a higher being tallies up? Things that seem unfair to us.... are they actually pre-destined?
This book is serious and dark. It's also compelling, haunting, an old melody that you remember from long ago, yet are missing notes. The lead character had me at her first conversation with a meatbag. Here's this 15 year old girl who's been surviving since she knew what a zombie was, and she still has humanity in her. I suppose that's what makes all great people, that even in times of direness, of blood and unfairness, that spark of humanity of what's right and then what should be done. That line is usually blurry and not easy to spot. Temple thinks she's evil. She kills, even for survival, taking another creature of god is evil. She kills to protect, someone dies who she fails to protect, and yet it is still killing. She knows that her organs and heart are made up of twisted bits that have grown since her brother Malcolm died. The journey she finds herself on can be one of many things. It's for survival yes, yet also an engaging one about who she is and who she kills to protect. An enemy seems to be the only other one who understands the gravity of life and death, of nature and god. Though he swears to hunt her down for killing her brother, their exchanges are philosophical and deep. I teared up at the end. It was as if my brain couldn't figure out whether the ending gave Temple what she wanted, what she needed, or nothing. She sees the strings that attach fate and miracles. Maybe she got her own.
It's really a novel that will stick with me. The type of narrative it is sort of blunts the readers to the violence, not hearing her voice from her, but from a third person, yet everything happens in real time. I think that not explaining why there are zombies actually made the novel more realistic. We were thrown in to a spot in time of Temple's life, she's not going to be thinking about how it started, for her it always was. This is one that I will pass on to a select few who I believe will appreciate it as much as I did.
*also reviewed on amazon* One of my top 2010 books (I adore this one)(less)
Shatter Me was a completely different read than anything I've had in a while. The author wrote the novel in first person, yet added a little... I'm no...moreShatter Me was a completely different read than anything I've had in a while. The author wrote the novel in first person, yet added a little... I'm not sure if you would call crazy, but crazy to her character. Even though it's in her head Juliette crosses off words (I'm guessing they're thoughts she didn't even want to think) and is constantly thinking in a stream of consciousness. At times the details were a little confusing 'the seconds fell.... eyes shattered, organs burst forth....' (Ok maybe those weren't perfect examples but..) I really enjoyed seeing inside Juliette's head. She's messed up. Not just from being locked in a type of insane asylum for the last few years, but from a lifetime of not being able to touch anyone with hurting and/or killing them. Her touch seems to draw the other person's life force in to herself. What's really different about Juliette's character is that she's good. I mean good good. She doesn't want to her hurt her parents (who locked her up) or anyone else, she just wants to be able to touch someone without killing them.
Now I have to say I'm not sure which is more action packed, inside Juliette's head or what's going on outside the world. It's a dystopian world, one where the government controls everyone and everything, there's messed up weather patterns, no animals, no plant life, it's quite bleak. At the heart of Juliette's prison is a new person, one who knows what she can do and wants to use her to torture people for information. Warner's a monster but sees a fellow monster in Juliette. He offers her a way out of the asylum and into comfortable clothes, bed, and a life without fear. All she has to do is touch people.
I can't believe this is Mafi's first novel. It is amazingly written, odd, and I love the characters. I also have a feeling that this first book was just a set up book and that we'll really see Juliette and Adam in action in the next one. This is definitely a book to read and a new author to watch out for.
Loading...
