Of Metal and Wishes ~ Review

Title: Of Metal and Wishes
Author: Sarah Fine

Publication Date: August 5, 2014

Pages: 320

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Retelling

Rating: 5 stars

Summary: There are whispers of a ghost in the slaughterhouse where sixteen-year-old Wen assists her father in his medical clinic—a ghost who grants wishes to those who need them most. When one of the Noor, men hired as cheap factory labor, humiliates Wen, she makes an impulsive wish of her own, and the Ghost grants it. Brutally.
Guilt-ridden, Wen befriends the Noor, including their outspoken leader, a young man named Melik. At the same time, she is lured by the mystery of the Ghost and learns he has been watching her … for a very long time.
As deadly accidents fuel tensions within the factory, Wen must confront her growing feelings for Melik, who is enraged at the sadistic factory bosses and the prejudice faced by his people at the hand of Wen’s, and her need to appease the Ghost, who is determined to protect her against any threat—real or imagined. She must decide whom she can trust, because as her heart is torn, the factory is exploding around her … and she might go down with it.

Have you ever just sighed in content while reading a book? That's what happened to me with this one. The language, the writing, ah, I got chills! It is beautiful. Truly gorgeous writing.

Plus it's a reimagined telling of The Phantom of the Opera. How does one simply resist?! While the Ghost isn't nearly as suave as my dear Phantom, he doesn't shy away from his "job." Especially when our MC practically double dog dares him to prove his existence.

I will admit that some of the scenes are grisly. Tastefully done, but still bloody. If Phantom had a warehouse full of meat hooks and dangerous machinery, I shudder to think of what would happen. Ghost was mild compared to the viscousness of Phantom. Even in the beginning, before we really know about Wen's Ghost, I felt that he was a lot more immature than Phantom, and I found the difference lacking. Don't get me wrong, I loved this story's Ghost! Once we learn more about him, he pulled at my heart strings. Just not as much as Phantom.

Now you cannot have a Phantom retelling without Raoul de Chagny. Wen's love triangle (if you can call it that. It's pretty much a given in this one.) involves a foreign red head called Melik. Red heads for the win! (Ayyy, talk about that pun. Go on, say it aloud. Get it? Knew you would, you're a smart cookie.)

Melik is not your typical love interest. For one, red hair. How often do we see a love interest that doesn't have brown or black hair?! My first crush had red hair, I loved my carrot top crush. If he were anything like Melik, I might have married him. Too bad we were in the 2nd grade…

Where was I? Oh yes. Melik. Not typical. Right.

Melik is also highly responsible, and is the unofficial leader of the Noors, the "barbaric" foreigners who come to work at the factory. Wen, the MC, falls for him gradually (thank goodness) and I love the development of their relationship. It's complex (different social classes), real (there are trust issues), and stunningly written. (Did I already mention the writing? I think I did.) The ending is what kills me though. --heart breaks--

Now I'm not saying that this is the kind of book that the relationship is the central thing and other elements like plot and all the other parts of people's lives fall by the wayside. Nooooo my friends, I will not steer you wrong. There are so many aspects to this book, and I think because we get to see so much of their lives outside of the romance, it made it all the sweeter for me.

It's not as often an occurrence that I get wrapped up in a book. So glad that I was able to get my hands on this one!!!!

Pretty Girl ~ Review

Title: Pretty Girl

Author: Amy Heugh

Publication Date: July 29, 2014

Pages: 393

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Trigger warning

Rating: 1 star

Summary: If there were one day that she could change it would be the day she was taken. 

After her parents’ divorce, seventeen-year-old Izzy Scott and her mother move to the old town of St. Augustine to begin a new life, a life beyond the media attention and the memories of the traumatic experiences that left an everlasting affect on their family. 
The former ballerina is trying to adjust to the outside world without suffering a panic attack and exposing who she is - all while getting through her senior year at a new school. That’s easy to say until she meets local boy Mason Winchester, a boy with a tragic past. 

Mason has a reputation for violence, but a love for motorcycles. At the age of eleven he lost his mother to cancer and from then he has been running from something, but could never really get away.  

Like any other angry teenager, he just wants to be left alone and to have nothing to do with anyone else because he believed that he had nothing to offer. That changes the moment he saw what was in the new girl eyes. 

Tragedy wasn't new to either of their lives but among the secrets and the memories the one thing they both never excepted was to find hope. 

Did you read that summary? That's the book. There it is, pretty much all of it. Do you notice the way that it's written? That's also how the book reads. I'm sure you're thinking "well, it can't be that bad." Oh how naive you are, my dear. 

Page after page of this nonsense drove me insane. If it weren't for my book resolution to not have one book end up on my DNF shelf this year, this book would be on it. In the span of two chapters I was completely bored, already knew what the big "mystery" was behind Izzy's scarred past, and found the thoughts of both our MC's to be completely unrealistic. 

After informing our coquettish waiter of my unwelcomed filamentous biomaterial...

And that's both the characters "voice." An unending stream of thought vomit with SAT words thrown in for funsies I guess. 

I can get over all the typos, past/present tense inconsistencies, and ridiculous word choices if the story is good. Unfortunately for this error-riddled book, I found it lacking in all aspects. There was a lot of telling, and not enough showing. There was also this really bad habit of bringing up an aspect of Izzy right before it affected the story and characters. Like really? Her brother, for instance, there is absolutely no mention of him for pretty much the first 70% of the story. I thought he was dead. No really, I though he died tragically. All of the sudden we find out that she talks to him every day. Excuse me? Oh wait, five pages later and he shows up for a surprise visit. Well that's super nice of him! It's also really convenient that we learned  more about him five pages ago.

I wish I had more positive things to say about Pretty Girl. The story is there, but it's deeply buried under a lot of other sub-plots (which do nothing for the story), unneeded commentary, and ridiculous characterization. I did put a trigger warning under genre as it does contain sexual abuse, violence, profanity and psycho-babble.

Endless Knight ~ Review

Title: Endless Knight

Author: Kresley Cole

Publication Date: October 1, 2013

Pages: 320

Genre: Young Adult, Dystopian, Fantasy

Rating: 4.5 stars

Summary: Shocking secrets.

Evie has fully come into her powers as the Tarot Empress, and Jack was there to see it all. She now knows that the teens who’ve been reincarnated as the Tarot are in the throes of an epic battle. It’s kill or be killed, and the future of mankind hangs in the balance.

Unexpected allies.  

With threats lurking around every corner, Evie is forced to trust her newfound alliance. Together they must fight not only other Arcana, but also Bagmen zombies, post-apocalyptic storms, and cannibals.
Gut-wrenching treachery.  

When Evie meets Death, things get even more complicated. Though falling for Jack, she’s drawn to the dangerous Endless Knight as well. Somehow the Empress and Death share a history, one that Evie can’t remember—but Death can’t forget…

Oh man, oh man. How to even begin with this one… How Kresley Cole managed to pull this one off is just beyond me. A love triangle that I actually enjoy?! 

Better yet, a love triangle where I don't know who I want the MC to end up with?!

Aric, a.k.a Death, takes center stage in the second installment of the Arcana series, and I am over the moon in bliss. (well, you know, I was until I read the last page… Cliff-fricking-hanger!)

But then what about Jackson? Unfortunately, there is very little about ole Jack. I may be going through withdrawals. But there is one very important question that readers need to ask themselves before reading the next book, Dead of Winter. (due out in a few weeks, might I add!!!!)

Team Jack or Team Aric?

Ah yes, I knew I liked you for a reason wise, taco shell girl. There is just one small problem with this scenario.

We're in a YA fictional novel. Dammit.

So obviously that fantasy of mine will never come to light. -le sigh-

Welp, nothing like rereading until the next book comes out right? Right.

I must admit that I was a bit peeved at Jackson for the little time we did have with him. I mean, come on man, stop invading Evie's privacy!! Some thoughts should remain private! Evie recounted her entire story into Arthur's (The Hermit) recorder. Well guess who naturally snatched that up and listened to it. Yup, Jack. Do you remember everything that Evie said about Jackson? Well, I didn't. So naturally I reread the first book and whoaaa, buddy! There are quite a few things that Evie should really be mortified over.

Pair that with the shocking revelations about Jack (which come from Death! Whaaat?!) and there is a fine heated argument due for the tarot-crossed lovers. Unfortunately, I doubt that this exchange will ever take place thanks to the cliffhanger Kresley leaves us with. (Thanks for that btw. -pouts-)

I wish I could have a much more coherent thought process about Endless Knight. I feel like I am all over the place. But that's how I am feeling!

P.S. Kresley Cole, this is probably not an important literary question about Endless Knight, but it is so very important that it's answered in some way. If Evie smells like honeysuckle when she's turned on with Jack, then how does she smell to Aric?
I NEED TO KNOW THIS! Thaaaanks. :)

The Fifth Vertex ~ Review

Title: The Fifth Vertex
Author: Kevin Hoffman

Publication Date: August 2, 2014

Pages: 290

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy

Rating: 3.5 stars

Summary: Urus Noellor--a boy born deaf who is about to be publicly branded as a burden, incapable of being the warrior his people demand--stands upon a rooftop, poised to throw himself over the edge. His failed attempt at suicide unlocks within him a long-dormant form of magic thought to have died out thousands of years before, a power that may be the key to saving the world from an equally ancient enemy. 
Urus and his companions--Goodwyn, the greatest warrior in Kest, and Cailix, a mysterious orphan--must find a way to stop a powerful group of sorcerers from destroying the five long-hidden vertices that ward the world against threats from beyond, while fighting off threats from within. They soon learn that the scope of the coming danger may be more dire than any of them could have imagined. As the battle for the vertices spreads to the neighboring realms, Goodwyn must face the realities of war and death; Cailix discovers a devastating truth that could change everything; and Urus discovers his uncanny gifts and courage as he peels away clues to his true identity. But even as Urus gains the power he has always craved, he experiences it all in profound, lonely silence.

First off, this cover. Wow. I'm sorry, but if I saw this in a book store, there is no way I'd pick it up. And that sucks, you know, to be judging books by their cover. But it is a very real, very sad truth that authors and illustrators and whoever else need to come to grips with. I really hope that this isn't the final artwork for this.

Moving on though, I really enjoyed this book! There were a variety of fantastically diverse characters that I loved!!! Our main character, Urus is deaf. His best friend, Goodwyn is gay (although we don't see a lot of this in the book, just snatches here and there. But one part of this relationship is shown wonderfully and I was very smiley throughout it.) I felt the stirrings of love between two of the main characters but there is no insta-love, and in reality the story only shows that the two are beginning to care for each other. It doesn't delve into the romantic tension/omg he touched me/omg she smells like strawberries ridiculousness found in YA nowadays. So thank you for that! Show me real characters, and real emotions, and fricking a healthy growth into a relationship. (I mean as healthy as it can be with Cailix, granted.)
While the world building was incredibly complex (maybe a little too complex), I still think it was strong. Definitely have to pay attention however, as this does jump between characters and each are in an exotic setting.

Now there were some disappointments with this book, I won't lie. Throughout this whole story, it's gearing towards this huge climax of two forces battling out to save the world. We're talking epic-sized proportions in regards to this battle. Yeaaaa, that didn't really happen like I thought it would. There was so much build up to this moment that I thought it would be huge. It's all the characters would speak about. Yet, it felt like a big flop to me. Does anyone know of a fantasy that has GREAT battle scenes? Because that would be awesome to read.
It also took me forever to get to this not-so-awesome battle scene. I'm sure this is just me, but the writing didn't suck me in. I wasn't drawn to it. Those times when I had to put the book down (you know to walk my dogs or make some food, what have you), it wasn't like I just HAD to come back and read this. I wasn't dying to know what happens next. This despite having some really great characters!

So in actuality, the only thing this book really has going for it is wonderful characters. The rest, welll, not my cup of tea unfortunately.

 Provided by the publisher via NetGalley for an honest review. Thank you!

Zeus ~ Review

Title: Zeus

Author: Kamery Solomon

Publication Date: February 23, 2013

Pages: 432

Genre: Young Adult,  Mythology, Fantasy

Rating: 2 stars

Summary: Vegas is not where Karly had imagined herself to be at this point in her life.She was supposed to be living in California, soaking up the sun and enjoying the life of an artist. Instead, she's just moving out of her parent's house and going to a school that could loosely be called her second choice. When she meets Zeus Drakos, owner of the new hit casino and resort in town, he seems just like every other jerk guy out there. How was she supposed to know who he really was?

So I recently did something either a little stupid or absolutely brilliant. I decided to go through all the pages of Amazon and download any "free" book that looked promising. And out of 400 pages (20 books a page, you can do the math), I ended up with a total of 96 new books in my Kindle. Not too shabby if I say so myself. Zeus is one of the first of these new novels. And I have to say, I'm glad it was free.

The story wasn't terrible, overall. I'm sure I can think of a book here and there that is much, much worse.

So I'm going to go over what I did like: 

Karly. I really liked the MC. She was spunky, naive, and she didn't take Zeus' shit. I think I loved this the most. She moves to Las Vegas to go to college. (Why didn't I think of this??) She moves in with triplets… awkward, and shortly after this goes out to the strip with the triplets. Cue the God of all gods. Zeus. He's sexy and charming, until he suggests that Karly and him go upstairs for a little "fun."
So what does Karly do?
She shoots him down like the queen she is, and leaves. Good for you, honey!

Sad to say I think that's all I have for the good points. While this book tried really hard not to be an insta-love story, tragically it was. One second she is hating his guts and mildly concerned for her safety. The next, she agrees to go out with him and she "falls so hard." Great. Not like Zeus stalked you to your house, waited all. friggen. day for you to come out. And when you do, and forgo his apologetic flowers, he throws the biggest tantrum. And I mean it, a psychotic meltdown tantrum. I'm sorry, was I really reading about the God of thunder, or a sociopath? 

That's something else that I'm totally bummed about. Like, can the real Zeus please stand up? I wanted the wrath and power of Zeus, not some crazy, puppy love-sick, baby of a Zeus. Some other gods showed up in this novel and I thought their performances were spot on. Hera? Yes, I loved her (in that I love to hate her kind of love). But she was perfectly acidic towards Karly. (This is not the Disney version of Hera. I mean, the myth has Hera as a truly jealous, even spiteful goddess.) So yes, Hear was good. Zeus, yeah no.

So there you have it. The first review of the 94 new books that I get to read is finished. *flails* Has anyone else read this thing? What's you thoughts?

Feuds ~ Review

Title: Feuds

Author: Avery Hastings

Publication Date: June 24, 2014

Pages: 272

Genre: Young Adult, Science Fiction

Rating: 2 stars

Summary: In this breathless story of impossible love, perfection comes at a deadly cost.
For Davis Morrow, perfection is a daily reality. Like all Priors, Davis has spent her whole life primed to be smarter, stronger, and more graceful than the lowly Imperfects, or “Imps.” A fiercely ambitious ballerina, Davis is only a few weeks away from qualifying for the Olympiads and finally living up to her mother’s legacy when she meets Cole, a mysterious boy who leaves her with more questions each time he disappears.
Davis has no idea that Cole has his own agenda, or that he’s a rising star in the FEUDS, an underground fighting ring where Priors gamble on Imps. Cole has every reason to hate Davis—her father’s campaign hinges on the total segregation of the Imps and Priors—but despite his best efforts, Cole finds himself as drawn to Davis as she is to him.
Then Narxis, a deadly virus, takes its hold--and Davis’s friends start dying. When the Priors refuse to acknowledge the epidemic, Davis has no one to turn to but Cole. Falling in love was never part of their plan, but their love may be the only thing that can save her world...

So with most of my reviews I do not read other's reviews before writing my own. I don't want their views to impact what I think and/or write. However with Feuds, I just couldn't. I had to know what people thought of this little story. The reviews I read were mixed, like most books. You either get it or you don't. This happens to be one of those books where I don't get it.

There's an insta-love, which typically I don't get angsty over because you know what, insta-love does happen in real life. They're kids. Young, vulnerable, and think that they know everything. Including what love feels like. So while I may not like insta-love, it doesn't ruin a book for me. There are always exceptions though, like when the insta-love takes over the book. Or when true love = I'll die without you. I'm sorry but no, you losers. Shut your virgin mouths.

And then there's this whole forbidden aspect to their romance that I didn't understand. (Romeo meets Juliet anyone?) So the world is divided between two classes, Priors and Generations (Imps). I'm not exactly sure what I'm supposed to feel towards the Gens/Imps. Why exactly are they segregated? Besides some human engineering, what makes the Priors so special? I never got any clarification on this because oh, yea. Insta-love. While there is a lot of action going on, it never holds any real meaning because I have no idea why it's so important. 

There's one more question that is just burning me up inside. Why would you call it Feuds, where one of the main character is supposed to be some all-star fighter, when there's only two, TWO fights that take place in the whole book!!! I mean, I get it. Symbolism and all that crap like how their world is torn apart and feuding, but really? Really?! 
 
I wish I had more positive things to say about Feuds. I loved the idea, and the ending actually does keep me interested in the rest of the series. However, if the second book remains in love and doesn't give me more of the story, then I will not be able to continue.

 Provided by the publisher via NetGalley for an honest review. Thank you!

Essence ~ Review

Title: Essence

Author: A.L. Waddington

Publication Date: January 15, 2014 (first published in 2011)

Pages: 308

Genre: Young Adult,  Science Fiction

Rating: 4 stars

Summary: Jocelyn Timmons does not believe she is anything special — just an ordinary high school senior, living an ordinary life full of school-work, volleyball and friends. She’s about to find out how wrong she is.

Jackson Chandler moved in to the house across the street. His dark wavy hair, green eyes and charismatic personality draws everyone to him. Everyone, but Jocelyn. 

Whenever Jackson gets near Jocelyn she feels ill and dizzy. When he touches her, she blacks out and has visions of another life, in another time. As the odd hallucinations evolve and become clearer, she feels a strong pull towards the people she sees there. Frightened, she watches her once stable life begin to crumble around her and she begins to question her own sanity.
Could it be possible that these episodes are actually her own memories of a life she is living somehow, somewhere, some-when? Maybe this is time-travel or some other paranormal mysticism? Our minds often wander, but can our souls?

Reincarnation is one of my favorite philosophy theories ever. I'm always interested in other's stories and beliefs on how far reincarnation can go. It's too bad that this is not what I got with this book. All my theories on Essence were completely off the mark, (especially my theory that an immortal was stalking his doppelgänger love throughout the centuries. Wayyy too much Vampire Diaries.) 

But I still enjoyed this novel! The actual "thing" that was going on with Jocelyn blew my mind. No spoilers for you :p But I am highly anticipating what this revelation means for our MCs in the next installments. 

I do feel like the weird chemistry between Jocelyn and Jackson took way too long to overcome. Almost like in Angelini's Starcrossed. There's only so much posturing I can stand between any two people. Have you ever seen a fight take place, and the two combatants are just circling each other? Just circling, and circling, some more circling, and more, and more. And then the audience just SNAPS. That was me, for like three-quarters of this book. From there, events pretty much started to snowball. 

There are a lot of secondary characters that I grew to love in this, namely Jocelyn's brother. Keep an eye out for him, lovelies.

The ending though, is what really gets me. When Jocelyn becomes aware of what's happening, when Jackson and her finally seem to come to terms, and then right out of left field, THE CLIFFHANGER!! My arch-nemesis of so many series... Have at thee! Alas, I've been defeated once again, but I keep going. Because I am a book soldier, fiercely slaying trilogies and stand-alones by the hundreds. 

I might have taken that too far.

Well, if you can't tell, Essence has riled me up. I want to thank the author for allowing me to read her precious baby. Book 2 of the EVE series came out in April, so while I am seriously losing the battle, I say the war is not yet over and Enlightened will be mine!