Review of Crave by Melinda Metz & Laura J. Burns

Release Date: Sept. 21, 2010
Publisher: Simon & Shuster
Pages: 256 pages
Genre: Vampire, Paranormal Romance
Rating: 3 stars
Source: Library

Goodreads Summary: Shay has had a rare blood disorder since she was born. In fact, her mother married one of Shay’s doctors, Martin, who left his world-renowned leukemia research to try and figure out exactly what the disorder is and how to cure it. When she turns seventeen, Martin begins to give her new blood transfusions that make her feel the strongest she has ever felt. But she also has odd visions where she sees through the eyes of a vampire.

Review: This book is interesting. In some ways, it is original and different from other vampire books out there, and in other ways, it’s very similar.

Shay has been sick since birth and unable to do things that other girls her age can do and it has made her resentful and bitter. She thinks that her mom and her best friend Olivia are overbearing even though it's clear that they care about her well being. When she starts getting the new blood and the temporary health and strength (and visions) that comes with it, she wants to live life to the fullest which is understandable; her bratty behavior to her friend and her mom is not. Shay’s conduct in the first part of the book is beyond annoying. In her defense, she does mature by the end of the book.

I think how Shay and Gabriel meet, his back story and his family's history is orignal. Shay and Gabriel as a couple is less so. A lot of what Shay does seems like she is crossing things off a bucket list and unfortunately, that includes her relationship with Gabriel. Their romance, both the emotional and physical aspects of it, did not feel very romantic at all.

I still don’t get why Gabriel, a 400 year-old vampire, fell in love with a 17 year-old human girl so quickly. He did find her scent extremely appealing (sound familiar?) but their insta-relationship went against everything he was taught for hundreds of years and yet he was head over heels after a few days.

The book ends with a cliffhanger and a lot of unresolved issues but those issues aside, I will probably read the sequel as I am curious to see what will happen next.

Content: Sex, language (including the f-bomb), teenage drinking and drug use.

Blog Hop & Follow My Blog Friday - 2/25/11

Happy Friday everyone! The Follow My Book Blog Friday is hosted at Parajunkee's View.  If you're a new follower, please leave a link to your blog in the comments so that I can visit your blog.

I also have a giveaway, a copy of The Iron King by Julie Kagawa. CLICK HERE to go to the post to enter the giveaway.

This week's question from Follow My Book Blog Friday: Share your current fav television show! Tell us a bit about it...

For years, my favorite TV show has been Law & Order, the original show and the spin-offs which include Criminal Intent, Special Victims Unit and there is even a UK version that is shown on Bravo (or is it A&E?) that’s really good too. NBC stupidly cancelled the original last year and replaced it with Law & Order LA which I do not like. Fortunately for me, there are reruns all over cable so I still do see episodes often. New episodes of Criminal Intent  Special Victims are still on the air as well.

Review of The Iron King by Julie Kagawa and Giveaway

Release Date: Feb. 1, 2010
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Pages: 363 pages
Genre: Fey, Paranormal
Rating: 4.5 stars
Source: Purchased

Goodreads Summary: Meghan Chase has a secret destiny—one she could never have imagined…

Something has always felt slightly off in Meghan's life, ever since her father disappeared before her eyes when she was six. She has never quite fit in at school…or at home.

When a dark stranger begins watching her from afar, and her prankster best friend becomes strangely protective of her, Meghan senses that everything she's known is about to change.

But she could never have guessed the truth—that she is the daughter of a mythical faery king and is a pawn in a deadly war. Now Meghan will learn just how far she'll go to save someone she cares about, to stop a mysterious evil no faery creature dare face…and to find love with a young prince who might rather see her dead than let her touch his icy heart.

Review:  I can’t believe I waited so long to read this book! The Iron King is a perfect combination of a traditional fairy tale and paranormal steam punk novel. It feels like Julie Kagawa drew the novel’s elements from other beloved pieces of literature like Alice in Wonderland and a Midsummer Night’s Dream to create the characters and the fey world and it really works.

Megan, just turning 16, started out a bit whiny but I loved how her character matured as the book progressed. She grows so much and you got to love a girl who would do anything to save her little brother. There is the beginning of a love triangle which I normally don’t like, but it works in this book. I really like both Puck and Ash, but I seem to leaning towards Team Ash right now-love the whole forbidden love element of their story! The secondary characters that Megan meets while on her journey through the fey world are so interesting and funny. I especially like Gimalkin, the talking cat.

This book is action packed with the perfect amount of romantic tension to keep you turning pages. I cannot wait to read the other books in this series!

Content: Language (including one use of the f-bomb) violence, a character is almost raped (but thankfully is not).

GIVEAWAY!

Here is your chance to win my copy of this book. This is my first giveaway so I am going to keep it simple, my only requirement is that you are a follower to enter. The giveaway ends on March 18. US addresses only (sorry!). Good luck and thanks for entering!

Vanish by Sophie Jordan Cover Reveal!

The cover for Vanish, the sequel to Sophie Jordan’s Firelight, has been revealed and it’s beautiful!  I loved Firelight, so I am very excited about this! The book is scheduled for release on September 6. If you have not read Firelight, this summary contains some spoilers so read at your own risk!

Summary: To save the life of the boy she loves, Jacinda did the unthinkable: She betrayed the most closely-guarded secret of her kind. Now she must return to the protection of her pride knowing she might never see Will again—and worse, that because his mind has been shaded, Will’s memories of that fateful night and why she had to flee are gone.

Back home, Jacinda is greeted with hostility and must work to prove her loyalty for both her sake and her family’s. Among the few who will even talk to her are Cassian, the pride’s heir apparent who has always wanted her, and her sister, Tamra, who has been forever changed by a twist of fate.  Jacinda knows that she should forget Will and move on—that if he managed to remember and keep his promise to find her, it would only endanger them both. Yet she clings to the hope that someday they will be together again. When the chance arrives to follow her heart, will she risk everything for love?

Waiting on Wednesday – Supernaturally

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine, and specifically spotlights upcoming novels we can't wait to read. This week’s choice is:

Title: Supernaturally
Author: Kiersten White
Publisher: HarperTeen
Publish Date: Aug. 30, 2011
Pages: 320
Genre: YA, Paranormal

Summary: The next book of the Paranormalcy trilogy, coming Fall 2011! Evie, Lend, Reth, Arianna, Raquel, David . . . And Jack. Life's never fair when faeries are involved.

It’s not much of a summary, but I LOVED Paranormalcy and cannot wait to read Supernaturally this fall. Kiersten White is such an awesome writer, I know this is going to be good!

What books are you waiting on?

Review of The Lost Saint by Bree Despain

Release Date: Dec. 28, 2010
Publisher: EgmontUSA
Pages: 404 pages
Genre: Paranormal
Rating: 5 stars
Source: Library

This summary and review contains spoilers to The Dark Devine, the first book in this series!

Goodreads Summary: A family destroyed. A love threatened. An enemy returns. Grace Divine made the ultimate sacrifice to cure Daniel Kalbi. She was infected with the werewolf curse while trying to save him, and lost her beloved brother in the process.

Desperate to find Jude, Grace befriends Talbot, a newcomer to town. But as the two grow closer, Grace's relationship with Daniel is put in danger -- in more ways than one. Unaware of the dark path she is walking, Grace begins to give into the wolf inside of her -- not realizing that an enemy has returned and a deadly trap is about to be sprung.

Review:  Rarely do I think that that a sequel is better than the original book, but Bree Despain has done that with The Lost Saint, the darker, exciting sequel to The Dark Divine.

The Lost Saint picks up where The Dark Divine ended and is fast paced all the way through. Grace’s character is not nearly so naïve as she was in the first book, and even though she is more mature, she still makes mistakes and bad decisions. That’s not a bad thing, it makes her character more real. She is also bolder, stronger, more willing to take risks to help her family. She kicks butt and looks great doing it!

There are no perfect characters in the story, even Grace’s dad who is a pastor and her mom are just human in their intense sadness over Jude’s disappearance. There are beautiful themes in this book about love, faith, trust, and forgiveness.

I really love Grace and Daniel as a couple. Unfortunately, they do go through the sequel phase, best described by Enna at Squeaky Books as the following: “The sequel-phase is where our happy couple (who fought to be a couple in the first book) begin to drift apart. Whether from misunderstanding, change of interests, homicidal angels/werewolves/vampires, or all of the above, it doesn’t matter. The point is, our couple breaks up.” Thankfully, this is not the only point to the book and as far as sequel phrases go, this one is really good.  

There are great new characters, new mythical creatures, awesome fight scenes, and a cliffhanger ending I did not see coming. I highly recommend this series and cannot wait for the third book!

Content: Violence, demons.

Review of Unearthly by Cynthia Hand

Release Date: Jan. 4, 2011
Publisher: HarperTeen
Pages: 435 pages
Genre: Paranormal
Rating: 4.5 stars
Source: I got the copy that I read from the Library, and I also won my own copy from Yani at Secret Life of an Avid Reader. Thanks Yani!

Goodreads Summary: In the beginning, there's a boy standing in the trees . . . .

Clara Gardner has recently learned that she's part angel. Having angel blood run through her veins not only makes her smarter, stronger, and faster than humans (a word, she realizes, that no longer applies to her), but it means she has a purpose, something she was put on this earth to do. Figuring out what that is, though, isn't easy.

Her visions of a raging forest fire and an alluring stranger lead her to a new school in a new town. When she meets Christian, who turns out to be the boy of her dreams (literally), everything seems to fall into place—and out of place at the same time. Because there's another guy, Tucker, who appeals to Clara's less angelic side.

As Clara tries to find her way in a world she no longer understands, she encounters unseen dangers and choices she never thought she'd have to make—between honesty and deceit, love and duty, good and evil. When the fire from her vision finally ignites, will Clara be ready to face her destiny?

Review:  I usually don’t read angel books, just not my thing. Lately, however, I have seen great reviews of Unearthly and I decided to give this one a try. I was not disappointed. While it looks like the typical YA paranormal romance, it is much more than that with foreboding elements of good versus evil.

I love that Clara is the paranormal in this story. She is the one responsible for the saving, as opposed to the girl just waiting to get saved. She is not perfect but her character is very likable and relatable. Both Tucker and Christian are swoon worthy and even though there is a bit of a love triangle, it’s only an issue because Clara is being pushed to date one guy over the other. The actual romance between Clara and the guy she chooses is so sweet! I just love this kind of relationship, no love at first sight, but a love that is built over time by getting to know each other.

Almost all the secondary characters have secrets and their own mysteries going on which adds more dimension to the story. There are many subplots running through this book that were unresolved, leaving lots of material for the second book which will be titled Hallowed.

Unearthly is a well written and exciting novel. What didn’t I love about it? Some of those issues that were left unresolved and especially the cliffhanger ending. It was very unsatisfying! That being said, I cannot wait for Hallowed to come out, I will be running to the store to get it!

Content: A character is incapacitated and almost raped (thankfully, it does not happen), demons and a brief trip to hell.