Review - Angelfire by Courtney Allison Moulton

Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Release Date: February 15, 2011
Series/Standalone: Book 1 in trilogy
Source: Purchased
Format: Hardcover

Summary from Amazon.com: First there are nightmares.


Every night Ellie is haunted by terrifying dreams of monstrous creatures that are hunting her, killing her.


Then come the memories.


When Ellie meets Will, she feels on the verge of remembering something just beyond her grasp. His attention is intense and romantic, and Ellie feels like her soul has known him for centuries. On her seventeenth birthday, on a dark street at midnight, Will awakens Ellie's power, and she knows that she can fight the creatures that stalk her in the grim darkness. Only Will holds the key to Ellie's memories, whole lifetimes of them, and when she looks at him, she can no longer pretend anything was just a dream.


Now she must hunt.


Ellie has power that no one can match, and her role is to hunt and kill the reapers that prey on human souls. But in order to survive the dangerous and ancient battle of the angels and the Fallen, she must also hunt for the secrets of her past lives and truths that may be too frightening to remember.


My Review:


Angelfire was one of those books that I bought on the day it was released a year ago, but just got around to reading recently. This is actually a good thing because I don't have to wait a year to get my hands on the sequel now! 


In many ways, this book follows many of the stereotypical paranormal YA book patterns. Ellie is a typical teenage girl who finds out from a mysterious and hot boy named Will that she is not really a normal human, but rather is the Preliator, meaning that she has the power to kill creatures called reapers by using angelfire. Oh, and by the way, Will has been in love with her various reincarnated souls for the past 500 years while serving as her Guardian. While perhaps not exactly the most original plot line, Angelfire still held my interest because I was eager to rediscover Ellie's past lives along with her and watch her relationship with Will develop again.


This might sound strange, but I was kind of bored during all of the fight and action scenes in which they fend off attacks from reapers. I much preferred all of the scenes where Ellie and Will interact as she learns about her role as Preliator and as she rediscovers her love for Will. I thought it was funny how Ellie wasn't afraid to point out when Will was kind of acting like a creeper, such how he liked to sit on her rooftop to keep watch for reapers. Will was loyal and completely devoted to Ellie as her guardian, and I thought it was so very endearing how he was uncomfortable when Ellie dragged him to a party or movie with her friends as well as the fact that his favorite drink was a root beer float! 


I plan on reading Wings of the Wicked soon because I need to know what happens next with Ellie and Will's relationship. I am so happy to see that the sequel is a long book at over 500 pages because there is nothing better than having a big, thick book with a story that I know I'll enjoy waiting for me to read! 


Rating: 8/10

Review - Incarnate by Jodi Meadows

Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Release Date: January 31, 2012
Series/Standalone: Book 1 in Newsoul trilogy
Source: Purchased
Format: Kindle and Audiobook

Summary from Amazon.com: NEWSOUL 
Ana is new. For thousands of years in Range, a million souls have been reincarnated over and over, keeping their memories and experiences from previous lifetimes. When Ana was born, another soul vanished, and no one knows why.  
NOSOUL 
Even Ana's own mother thinks she's a nosoul, an omen of worse things to come, and has kept her away from society. To escape her seclusion and learn whether she'll be reincarnated, Ana travels to the city of Heart, but its citizens are suspicious and afraid of what her presence means. When dragons and sylph attack the city, is Ana to blame?  
HEART 
Sam believes Ana's new soul is good and worthwhile. When he stands up for her, their relationship blooms. But can he love someone who may live only once, and will Ana's enemies--human and creature alike--let them be together? Ana needs to uncover the mistake that gave her someone else's life, but will her quest threaten the peace of Heart and destroy the promise of reincarnation for all?  
Jodi Meadows expertly weaves soul-deep romance, fantasy, and danger into an extraordinary tale of new life.


My Review:


Reincarnation is a popular theme in many recently published YA books, but this book pleasantly surprised me with its originality, as it has a very different storyline than all of the other books I've read that involve reincarnation. 


In the world of Incarnate, souls have reincarnated over and over for thousands of years, but when Ana was born, she was a new soul in the world and one of the other souls disappeared. She is an outcast and has little confidence in herself because Li, her mother, always called Ana a "nosoul" and told her she should not have been born. 


Enter Sam, who rescues Ana from drowning and tells her that she is a "newsoul" (not a "nosoul"). Sam is caring, thoughtful, musically talented, and protective of Ana. The romance in the story is very sweet once you got past the strangeness of the idea that Sam is five thousand years old and has been in various bodies--both male and female, old and young, attractive and unattractive--in his past lives. Luckily for Ana, in the present time when they meet, Sam is an attractive male teenager. I enjoyed seeing their relationship develop, and we are rewarded with a very steamy masquerade ball scene (be on the lookout for that!). 


This book is a fantasy story containing dragons and creatures called sylph that add action to the story. I had trouble putting this book down because I liked the characters and thought that the world was built well. I appreciated that this book had a satisfying ending (which is a rare find these days!), and I plan on reading the next book in the trilogy when it comes out.


Rating: 8/10

In My Mailbox (19)

In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren.

Bought:

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green - I have been hearing so many wonderful things about this book, so I had to pick up a copy at my local indie bookstore. I love the signature (the colors and the fish)! 

Bought (E-Books):

Incarnate by Jodi Meadows - I bought this for my Kindle on Friday morning and raced through the book, finishing it early on Saturday morning.

Article 5 by Kristen Simmons - I just started this book yesterday evening and can tell that I'm going to love it.

Endless Summer by Jennifer Echols - I read the first book of this bind-up earlier this week and it was a disappointment, especially because I love some of the author's other books (Going Too Far in particular). I'm putting the second book on hold for now and might come back to it later.





Audiobook Purchases (from Audible): I often like to get the audiobooks of books I'm reading so I can continue to "read" while doing chores or other mindless tasks (and it helps me get through books faster). This week I got:

Incarnate by Jodi Meadows
Article 5 by Kristen Simmons

Review - The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-TIme Indian by Sherman Alexie

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Release Date: September 12, 2007
Series/Standalone: Standalone
Source: Purchased
Format: Hardcover

Summary from Amazon.com: In his first book for young adults, bestselling author Sherman Alexie tells the story of Junior, a budding cartoonist growing up on the Spokane Indian Reservation. Determined to take his future into his own hands, Junior leaves his troubled school on the rez to attend an all-white farm town high school where the only other Indian is the school mascot. Heartbreaking, funny, and beautifully written, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, which is based on the author's own experiences, coupled with poignant drawings by acclaimed artist Ellen Forney, that reflect the character's art, chronicles the contemporary adolescence of one Native American boy as he attempts to break away from the life he was destined to live.


My Review:


This book is not at all the type of book that I normally read---let's be honest here: I'm a fan of YA romances with cute boys in them. However, I am so glad I decided to branch out and give this book a shot after picking it up from a library book sale for a dollar because it was wonderful and very memorable. 


The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian is one of the most honest and hilarious books I've ever read, but beneath the humor is a harsh reality that can be both sad and incredibly heartbreaking. Junior (also named Arnold Spirit) lives on an Indian reservation, but decides to enroll in the school in the nearest white town, a choice that is seen as a betrayal by the others on the reservation. He's in a very awkward position because he is no longer completely accepted on the reservation, nor does he fit in easily at his new school.


One of the first things you notice about this book as you flip through the pages is all of the drawings and cartoons. All of these pictures really enhanced the story and contributed to the book's humor. Many of the drawings made me laugh out loud, and they were expertly placed throughout the story. 


Junior's "voice" is incredibly unique and one of the best male narrations I've ever encountered. Going into this book, I knew almost nothing about Native Americans and their lives. Due to this lack of knowledge, I can't exactly say whether this story is an accurate portrayal of the life of a Native American teenager, but it felt genuine. I think everyone can easily relate to Junior and his desire to fit in with others. 


This book is fully deserving of the National Book Award sticker you see on its cover. I really recommend for you to give this story a shot, even if it's not something you would normally consider reading. As I mentioned earlier, it's not the type of book that I would generally pick up either, but it was definitely one of the most thought provoking books that I've read in awhile. 


Rating: 9/10

In My Mailbox (18)

IMM is hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren.

I got a ton of good stuff this week, and I'm going to be very busy reading and listening to all of these great books!

Swapped (thanks, Lyndsey!):
Unraveling by Elizabeth Norris
Of Poseidon by Anna Banks - Super, super excited for this one!

Bought:
Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood - It's SIGNED!!! Signed books make me oh-so-happy!
Juliet Immortal by Stacey Jay (audiobook)

For Review:

Wonder by R.J. Palacio - This is a middle grade novel, and I don't read many MG books, but it sounds like a great story and I've seen some really good reviews of it. (Thank you, Netgalley and Random House!)


Bought (from Google eBooks):


Sirensong by Jenna Black - I finished this conclusion to the Faeriewalker series this week. It was good, but I greatly preferred the boy who was not chosen (even though I was pretty sure he didn't really have a chance, anyway).


Bought (from Audible):


I went a little bit crazy at Audible again this week stocking up on more audiobooks, but they were having another great sale!

Succubus Shadows by Richelle Mead - I listened to this one this week and the narrator was so perfect for the character. I couldn't stop listening to it!

Succubus on Top by Richelle Mead - I've read this one before (it's the second book in the series), but bought the audiobook as part of the sale because the narrator is awesome and I'm sure I'll want to re-read the entire series in the future. I was thinking that listening to the series the second time around would be a fun experience.

Thorn Queen by Richelle Mead - This is the only series by Richelle Mead that I haven't tried yet.

Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder - I loved this book when I read it a couple of years ago. (I love you, Valek!) The narrator also performed the author's Touch of Power audiobook and did a wonderful job, so I thought the audiobook would be a great way for me to "re-read" this favorite of mine.

Review - Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi

Publisher: HarperCollins
Release Date: January 3, 2012
Series/Standalone: Book 1 in a trilogy
Source: Purchased
Format: Kindle and Audiobook

Summary from Amazon.com: 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.


In her enthralling debut, Veronica Rossi sends readers on an unforgettable adventure set in a world brimming with harshness and beauty.

Review:

I initially started this book several weeks ago and put it down after about 35 pages because I couldn't get into it. A couple of weeks later, I decided to give it another chance, went back to page 1, and started it again. I'm so glad that I gave Under the Never Sky a second chance because once I hit page 75, I couldn't put it down. 

I'll be the first to admit that the dystopian genre is not exactly my thing, but I keep reading books in the genre because it's a popular genre in YA fiction right now and I do like some dystopian books (I'm just picky about which ones). I thought this book was one of the better dystopian stories I've read because the world building was very strong and I felt like I was a part of the new world.

I cared about the characters and was a fan of the switching perspectives between Aria and Perry because this format gave depth to the characters. For example, early on in the book, there is a scene with Perry and his nephew, Talon, and the reader sees just how much Perry cares for the young boy, which melted my heart and made me know that Perry would be an excellent love interest later on. Aria and Perry's romance was definitely not instant love, but once they got together, their relationship developed quickly.

Even though this book is dystopian fiction, it reminded me of two of my favorite books in the fantasy genre: Graceling by Kristin Cashore and Touch of Power by Maria V. Snyder. There's a "journey" aspect and awesome side characters in Under the Never Sky, just like with these two titles. If you liked either of those books, I think you will also like this one, but be patient with the beginning.

(Note for audiobook lovers: I also purchased the audiobook of this so I could continue "reading" the story at times when I would be unable to pick up the book. The narrator of the audiobook was very old, or at least her voice sounded very old, and didn't really fit the characters or story. I'd recommend to pass on the audio version and stick with the paper copy or ebook if you decide to read Under the Never Sky.)

Rating: 9/10

Review - Graffiti Moon by Cath Crowley

Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Release Date: February 14, 2012
Series/Standalone: Standalone
Source: Publisher/Netgalley
Format: E-Galley

Summary from Amazon.com: Senior year is over, and Lucy has the perfect way to celebrate: tonight, she's going to find Shadow, the mysterious graffiti artist whose work appears all over the city. He's out there somewhere—spraying color, spraying birds and blue sky on the night—and Lucy knows a guy who paints like Shadow is someone she could fall for. Really fall for. Instead, Lucy's stuck at a party with Ed, the guy she's managed to avoid since the most awkward date of her life. But when Ed tells her he knows where to find Shadow, they're suddenly on an all-night search around the city. And what Lucy can't see is the one thing that's right before her eyes.


My Review:


I am a fan of contemporary YA romance books that take place over the course of a night or within 24 hours. For example, I loved The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith and One Night That Changes Everything by Lauren Barnholdt. After reading the premise of this book, I immediately knew that it would be a story I would enjoy. 


I liked the switching perspectives between Ed and Lucy (with a few sprinklings of poems from the point of view of Leo, Ed's best friend), and this style worked really well for this type of story. Both characters were likable and had depth. One of the things I really appreciated about this book is how it shows that people are intelligent in different ways--while Ed wouldn't be considered smart if you evaluate him merely by his academic grades in reading/writing/math, he is a genius when it comes to painting and his art. 


While this book is shorter than most of the books I read, as it is under 300 pages, I felt satisfied with the conclusion and didn't feel like the story was rushed at all. Perhaps that had something to do with the lyrical writing that forces you to slow down a bit and read back over passages instead of racing through the book. 


This book makes me want to go explore the modern art wing of the art museum in my city or join a glass blowing class or something. It's a great book if you are in the mood for a contemporary fiction story with romance and gorgeous writing. I will definitely be checking out the author's previous standalone book, A Little Wanting Song, in the future. 


Rating: 8/10

In My Mailbox (17)

IMM is hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren.

Books:

Dreamless by Josephine Angelini - I was a fan of Starcrossed, so I can't wait to dive into this sequel!

I also bought one book for my Kindle this week:

Original Sin by Lisa Desrochers

Audiobooks:

I stocked up on a quite a few audiobooks through Audible's First Books in Popular Series sale (all are under $5 for members). I've already read and loved Succubus Blues, and I wanted to get the audiobook for rereading it because the reviews say that the narrator is wonderful. The rest are a mix of paranormal YA and paranormal romance books from series that I've been meaning to read for awhile. I typically stick with YA books, but I am starting to get into the adult PNR/UF genre.

Succubus Blues by Richelle Mead
Storm Born by Richelle Mead
Some Girls Bite by Chloe Neill
My Soul to Take by Rachel Vincent
Darkfever by Karen Marie Moning
Soulless by Gail Carriger

Review - City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare

Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Release Date: April 5, 2011
Series/Standalone: Book 4 in Mortal Instruments series
Source: Purchased
Format: Hardcover, Kindle, Audiobook

Summary from Amazon.com: The Mortal War is over, and sixteen-year-old Clary Fray is back home in New York, excited about all the possibilities before her. She's training to become a Shadowhunter and to use her unique power. Her mother is getting married to the love of her life. Downworlders and Shadowhunters are at peace at last. And—most importantly of all—she can finally call Jace her boyfriend.


But nothing comes without a price.


Someone is murdering Shadowhunters, provoking tensions between Downworlders and Shadowhunters that could lead to a second, bloody war. Clary's best friend, Simon, can't help her. His mother just found out that he's a vampire and now he's homeless. Everywhere he turns, someone wants him on their side—along with the power of the curse that's wrecking his life. And they're willing to do anything to get what they want. Not to mention that he's dating two beautiful, dangerous girls—neither of whom knows about the other one.


When Jace begins to pull away from her without explaining why, Clary is forced to delve into the heart of a mystery whose solution reveals her worst nightmare: she herself has set in motion a terrible chain of events that could lead to her losing everything she loves. Even Jace.


Love. Blood. Betrayal. Revenge. The stakes are higher than ever in City of Fallen Angels.


My Review:


I read the Mortal Instruments series (when it was only supposed to be a trilogy) about 2 1/2 years ago, and while I was very entertained by the books and went through each one in about a day or two, I didn't quite understand why so many people obsessed over the series. I did purchase this fourth book in the series on the day that it came out last April in both Kindle format and audiobook format (because I knew that Ed Westwick was going to be one of the narrators and his voice is very, very nice), but I didn't read or listen to it until about a couple of weeks ago.


Last December, I was able to attend a book signing with Cassandra Clare. The other readers there were so enthusiastic about her books and Cassie's answers to everyone's questions were extremely funny. Shortly thereafter, I also discovered Cassandra Clare's Tumblr, which I must say is quite awesome! The signing and her Tumblr site really made me eager to revisit her books and finally crack open Clockwork Angel and City of Fallen Angels, both of which I hadn't read prior to the signing. Over winter break, I read Clockwork Angel and loved it--much more than I enjoyed the Mortal Instruments series. I also got a copy of Clockwork Prince over the break, but I had heard that it has a cliffhanger of epic proportions so I wanted to return to the Mortal Instruments series first and try to delay reading Clockwork Prince as much as possible to reduce the waiting time until the third and final book in the Infernal Devices Trilogy. 


That was a really, really long story to finally get to my review, but provides a needed context for it. I've seen a lot of other reviews saying that this fourth book was unnecessary or pointless. While I agree that the original story arc of the trilogy felt complete and didn't need another three books, I'm glad that Clare decided to continue with the series because it has given me the chance to rediscover this world and characters, and I loved them more this time around than before. 


I groaned when I saw that this book started off with Simon's point of view because he has always annoyed me. As a new vampire, Simon is having some romantic troubles because he is dating Isabelle and Maia at the same time and neither girl knows it. I can't say that Simon still didn't annoy me in this book (read the previous sentence... ugh!), but I was glad that he has finally accepted that Clary was with and loved Jace and has backed off, so he didn't annoy me quite as much as in the previous three books. 


The side characters are still great: I've always thought that Isabelle was super cool (and I kind of want to be her!) and I love hearing about the relationship between Magnus and Alec. 


My favorite part of this book (and all of the Mortal Instruments books) are the interactions between Jace and Clary. In this book, their new relationship is strained and Jace seems to be pulling away from Clary because, unbeknownst to her, Jace is having horrible dreams where he ends up hurting her. While some readers will probably feel very frustrated by the fact that Jace won't just tell Clary what's going on instead of avoiding her, I've always been a fan of angst and hurt in fictional romantic relationships (as long as there is a happy ending sometime!). 


This story was not as action-packed as the other books, but I've always preferred books with lots of dialogue and great characters over tons of action, so it was a good fit for me, but perhaps not for someone who craves a lot of action. I think Clare's style of switching perspectives is wonderful and it makes me turn the pages quickly as the story unfolds. I really liked City of Fallen Angels, and now I am eagerly anticipating the release of City of Lost Souls like the rest of the world! 


P.S. - I also think I am becoming a fangirl for Cassie Clare's books...


Rating: 8/10

In My Mailbox (16)

In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren.

Swapped:

Timepiece by Myra McEntire - I'm so excited to read this sequel to Hourglass, especially because it's narrated by Kaleb, who was one of my favorite characters in Hourglass. (Thanks, Angela!)

Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi - I read and really enjoyed this book last fall, so I wanted to get a finished copy of it for my shelf. (Thanks, Gilly!)

Bought:


Original Sin by Lisa Desrochers (Audiobook) - I usually buy all of my audiobooks from Audible because they tend to be cheaper through my membership, but this disc set was actually a better deal. I'm listening to it right now.

Bought (for Kindle):


Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi - I finished this book earlier this week, and while it had a slow beginning, it really picked up and I ended up loving it. Review to come soon!

The Siren by Kiera Cass - This is a self-published book by the author of The Selection. I read an ARC of The Selection back in December and loved it, so I wanted to give this story a shot even though I rarely read self-published/indie books.

Jane by April Lindner - This was on sale for about $3. I already have read and liked it.