Back When You Were Easier to Love by Emily Wing Smith

I'd read such great reviews of this book that, when I saw it on the Coming Soon list on the library website, I immediately placed a hold on it.  I was so excited when it finally came in.

WHO ZAN IS: Blow-your-mind brilliant. Stop-your-heart gorgeous. Hold-your-breath clever.

WHO ZAN WAS: Joy’s boyfriend.
WHY JOY NEEDS HIM BACK: So she can breathe again.
WHAT THAT MEANS: An elaborate road trip involving a SAAB 900, Sprite, and Barry Manilow. Oh, and Noah, Zan’s irritating-but-almost-charming ex-best friend. Original and insightful, quirky and crushing, Joy’s story is told in surprising and artfully shifting flashbacks between her life then and her life now. (Goodreads)

In Back When You Were Easier to Love, Joy attempts to find closure after her boyfriend, Zan, leaves without telling her goodbye.  She'd thought things between her and Zan were perfect, but maybe Zan didn't feel the same way.  There were clues that he needed to get away, but Joy didn't pay attention to them until it was too late.  And now that Zan's gone, his best friend, Noah, is practically stalking Joy for reasons unknown to her.  Joy really just wants to be left alone, but maybe she can find a way to use Noah's interest to her advantage.  Maybe she and Noah can take his car on a roadtrip from sleepy Haven, Utah to California to find Zan.

I expected to love this book.  I didn't, but I thought it was cute.  Joy kind of drove me nuts because she was so hung-up on Zan, who I didn't even like.  I preferred Noah, hands down.  I'm glad that Joy grew to discover just what a jerk Zan is and what a great guy Noah is.  I love that their relationship developed slowly, and that they really grew to appreciate things about each other.

Joy and Noah, and just about everyone else in Haven, are Mormons, and their faith plays a role in the book.  I didn't know this going in, but being LDS myself, I could appreciate it.  Their religion wasn't in-your-face or anything, it was simply a part of them.  And I really liked that.

3/5

Die For Me by Amy Plum

My life had always been blissfully, wonderfully normal. But it only took one moment to change everything.

Suddenly, my sister, Georgia, and I were orphans. We put our lives into storage and moved to Paris to live with my grandparents. And I knew my shattered heart, my shattered life, would never feel normal again. Then I met Vincent.

Mysterious, sexy, and unnervingly charming, Vincent Delacroix appeared out of nowhere and swept me off my feet. Just like that, I was in danger of losing my heart all over again. But I was ready to let it happen.

Of course, nothing is ever that easy. Because Vincent is no normal human. He has a terrifying destiny, one that puts his life at risk every day. He also has enemies . . . immortal, murderous enemies who are determined to destroy him and all of his kind.

While I'm fighting to piece together the remnants of my life, can I risk putting my heart—as well as my life and my family's—in jeopardy for a chance at love? (blurb from inside cover)

I wasn't sure what to expect with this book, or even what it was really about.  Sometimes I think it's best to go in not knowing too much, and I think that worked for me with Die For Me.  Having now read the summary on Goodreads, I'm glad I hadn't read it before reading the book...boy, is it spoilery!

I found that I was immediately pulled in by Kate's voice, which made the first quarter of the book really interesting.  As she met Vincent, though, I felt like things really started slowing down.  I'd hoped that upon discovery of what Vincent is, my interest would increase again, but I never really felt like that happened until close to the end of the book.

Amy Plum created a unique world with unique characters.  I can honestly say that I've never read a book with characters quite like Vincent and his family before, and I liked that.  I came to really enjoy Vincent and his friends.  Their banter with Kate was engaging and funny.  The Parisian setting was also something I enjoyed.  I loved reading about all the Parisian sites, and I felt like a tourist of sorts, just as I had while reading Anna and the French Kiss.  Overall, I found Die For Me to be a pretty good read.

3.5/5

Everlasting by Alyson Noël

Their darkest enemies now defeated, Damen and Ever are free to embark upon their final quest—to free Damen from the poison lingering in his body. If they can just find the antidote, they’ll finally be able to feel each other’s touch—and experience the passionate night they’ve been longing for. But their fight to be together will lead them into the most formidable terrain yet…into the dark heart of Summerland.

Here in a land of scorched earth and endless rain, Ever and Damen will discover their relationship’s hidden origins, expose a secret history they never imagined…and come face to face with the true reason fate keeps tearing them apart. Only then, when the final mystery is unraveled and the last secret revealed, Ever and Damen’s future will hinge on one ultimate decision that will put everything at stake….even eternity. (Goodreads)

This is the sixth book in The Immortals series, and am I glad this series is finally over!  Dragging a story out over six books just seems like too much to me, especially when most of the things that happened with these characters easily could have been condensed into three or four books at most.

In Everlasting, Damen and Ever are finally free to be together, but the curse that Roman placed on them, which doesn't allow them to ever physically touch, is still in place.  And Ever and Damen are still searching for the antidote.  While Ever wants to find the antidote, she feels that there's more expected of her, only she's not sure what that might be.  While in the dark part of Summerland, Ever and Damen come across an old woman named Lotus, who tells them that they need to journey back to where it all started, into a life that the two don't remember having ever lived.

Honestly, I thought the first part of this book was pretty good, but as the pages kept coming and coming I started to feel burned out.  Overall, the series was tied up nicely, and I enjoyed being able to see how the journey for other characters in the series ended.  It was a good read, but I'm glad it's done!

3/5

Between the Lines by Tammara Webber

Reid Alexander is hot, hot, hot in Hollywood.  He signs up to play the role of Will Darcy in a modernized  high school version of Pride & Prejudice, and it is during auditions to find 'Lizbeth' that he meets Emma Pierce.  The chemistry between Reid and Emma is almost as hot as Reid himself, and Emma gets the part.  This is Emma's first major role; she's done plenty of commercials, but has never landed a leading role in an actual Hollywood adaptation.

During filming, Emma meets Graham Douglas, who plays bumbling Will Collins.  Graham and Emma begin running together each morning, and they develop a special camaraderie.  Where Reid will be happy acting for the rest of his life, Emma wants more out of life, and Graham encourages her to seek bigger and brighter opportunities.

Emma falls for both boys, but all three of them have major issues and problems to resolve.

My husband gave me a Kindle for my birthday, and I've mostly downloaded free books onto it (though I have bought a few of the cheaper YA books, like the Trylle Trilogy by Amanda Hocking).  After reading some reviews of this book, I decided to spend the 99 cents to buy it.  And, I enjoyed it.  The story and characters were engaging, and I liked the alternating points-of-view between Reid and Emma

I guess I should really say that I enjoyed most of the characters.  Reid was an exception.  I started out really liking him and thinking that perhaps he wasn't such a bad boy, but by the end of the book I was completely disgusted with him.  Graham, on the other hand, was adorable and I found myself wishing the book had been told from his point-of-view alongside Emma's.

I never once felt like I didn't want to be reading this book.  It was cute, engaging, and well-written.  My real main problem (besides Reid, but my aversion to him shows that Ms. Webber did a fantastic job writing his character) was with the large amounts of underage drinking and the foul language which was so prevalent throughout the book.  Plus, Reid kept pressuring Emma to be intimate with him.

A cute story, but there was just too much questionable behavior for my tastes.  Still, there is a sequel coming out later this year, and I'm pretty sure I'll read it.  I'd like more of Graham's story.

3.5/5

The Iron Fey series

Last week I read The Iron Fey series (The Iron King, The Iron Daughter, The Iron Queen)  by Julie Kagawa.  I figured I'd do mini reviews of each, since I can't remember a lot of the details now (I have a horrible memory!).  So, here goes...

In The Iron King, Meghan Chase learns she is a faery princess, daughter of King Oberon, the ruler of the Summer Court.  She journeys to the Nevernever (the land of fae) to rescue her kidnapped brother, and discovers that her best friend, Robbie, is really Robin Goodfellow, otherwise known as Puck.  Meghan also learns of a centuries-long war between the Summer and Winter Courts, but she can't help the feelings she's having for the Winter Prince, Ash.

I was immediately pulled into The Iron King, and I thought for sure that I'd love the book.  The beginning of the book was amazing, but Meghan's journey through the faery lands really dragged for me.  The ending made me like the book a bit more, but I was still somewhat disappointed overall, considering the excellent reviews the book has received.  3/5

The Iron Daughter finds Meghan in Queen Mab's Winter Court.  In The Iron King, Ash helped Meghan defeat Machina, the Iron King, and part of the deal between them was that Meghan would willingly accompany Ash to his mother's court.  Things between Meghan and Ash had been wonderful, so Meghan is surprised when Ash turns a cold shoulder to her in Tir Na Nog.  Following the changing of the seasons, the Scepter of Seasons is stolen, and fingers are pointed at King Oberon and the Winter Court.  Meghan and Ash know the real thieves are the Iron Fey, and Meghan is determined to prove that the Iron Fey are a real threat to the Nevernever.  Meghan and Ash once again join forces, this time to retrieve the stolen Scepter of Seasons.

I LOVED this book!  It was my favorite of the series, and there wasn't a moment that bored me.  I loved the characters, especially Grimalkin and Ironhorse, not to mention Prince Ash.  My goodness, is he ever swoon-worthy!  The love triangle grated on me a bit because, really, there's no way Meghan would choose Puck over Ash, but every book has to have a love triangle these days.  If that's the only bad thing I can say about the book, then that shows you how amazing this book really is.  I loved the decisions both Ash and Meghan made in the end, and I couldn't wait to begin The Iron Queen.  4.5/5

The Iron Queen was originally the end of the Iron Fey trilogy, but there is a 4th book in the works now.  Meghan and Ash find themselves pulled into an all-out war between the Summer and Winter Courts and the Iron Fey.  A new Iron King has taken over, and his influence is spreading over the Nevernever.  King Oberon and Queen Mab tell Meghan that she is the only person who can defeat the false Iron King, since iron doesn't affect her the way it does the faeries.  Meghan sets out to destroy him, knowing it's the only way the Nevernever and those she loves will be saved.

I wanted to love this book, especially since I loved The Iron Daughter so much.  I really liked this third installment, but it didn't affect me as much as The Iron Daughter did.  I do have to say that Ash was absolutely amazing in this one, and I loved every minute spent reading about him.  He and Meghan both changed so much, and I loved the way they worked so hard to set things right.  The ending was a bit disappointing, though, and I was left feeling a bit devastated.  It wasn't at all how I'd envisioned things ending, but it definitely left things hanging so that a 4th book, The Iron Knight, could be published.  The Iron Knight is Ash's story, and I am soooo excited to read it when it's released!  4/5

Across the Universe by Beth Revis

Not wanting to leave her life - or boyfriend - behind on Earth, but not able to face a life without her parents, seventeen-year-old Amy follows her parents and is cryogenically frozen for a 300-year journey across the universe.  Her parents are specialists who have been asked to help colonize a new planet, Centauri-Earth.  By a mysterious turn of events, Amy is reawakened 50 years too early.  She quickly realizes that her awakening wasn't an accident; someone tried to kill her.  With the help of Elder, the future leader of the ship, Amy goes on a quest to find who attempted to kill her, and who has been murdering the other frozen people.  She desperately wants to protect her parents from the same fate that awaited her.

 

I really wanted to love this book.  It sounded so amazing.  Unfortunately, I can only say that I liked it.  The premise was fascinating, but there was just something about the book that turned me off.  The alternating chapters between Amy and Elder were interesting (I love being privy to both points of view in a book), but I'd sometimes forget who was speaking and then have to re-read entire excerpts.  The characters weren't unlikeable, but I found that I didn't ever really care what happened to them.  I wasn't really cheering them on, though I was hoping that Amy would be able to save her parents.  I just wasn't as invested in the characters as I wanted to be.  Another problem I had was with "The Season".  Way too much time was spent on that particular plot point.  Eww.  I also sometimes felt like there was too much detail given.  Some parts of the book really dragged for me, and I couldn't help but wish that the book would end already.  Definitely not a feeling I want when reading a book.

Overall, it was a good read, but I don't know that I'll read the sequels when they're released.

3/5

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder - much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Then the body disappears into thin air. It's hard to call the police when the murderers are invisible to everyone else and when there is nothing - not even a smear of blood - to show that a boy has died. Or was he a boy?

This is Clary's first meeting with the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. It's also her first encounter with Jace, a Shadowhunter who looks a little like an angel and acts a lot like a jerk. Within twenty-four hours Clary is pulled into Jace's world with a vengeance, when her mother disappears and Clary herself is attacked by a demon. But why would demons be interested in ordinary mundanes like Clary and her mother? And how did Clary suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know....

I tried reading this book about a year ago, and just could not get into it.  I made it to page 170, and then decided I couldn't go any further and returned the book to the library.  I told myself I'd try it again sometime.  When my sister, Kira, told me that she planned on reading this series, I decided that the time had come to give City of Bones another try.  But, where Kira has now read all 3 in the series (the fourth book - of six - is due out this spring), I only finished this first book a couple of days ago.

So, what did I think this time around?  I definitely enjoyed it more.  I didn't have a difficult time getting into the story at all, which was a relief.  I was actually worried that I would get stuck at the same spot and not want to read on.  I'm glad that didn't happen, because I ended up liking the story quite a bit.  Jace definitely intrigues me (I may have a teeny crush on him, too), and I'm interested in seeing what Clary can make of herself.  (I have to say, though, that the name 'Clary Fray' annoyed me the entire time.  Not a name that really flows well off the tongue.)  What kind of Shadowhunter will Clary be?  And what does the future hold for Clary, Jace, and Simon?  Simon is a cool character, too, and I'm already wondering what will be in store for him.

One thing that kind of bothers me about YA books these days is that almost all of the main characters seem much too young to be in some of the situations they're placed in.  I just can't wrap my head around a 14- or 15-year-old doing some of the things authors have them doing these days.  I felt that way with Clary.  She seemed a bit too naive and young to be a Shadowhunter.  I know she had a completely different upbringing than Jace, Isabelle, and Alec did, but a part of me still can't accept that someone so young (barely 15 years old) can do the sorts of things a Shadowhunter does.  And reading about Clary and a certain someone kissing in the hallway kind of shocked me, too.  Don't get me wrong - I wanted her to kiss this certain someone, but at the same time I was thinking how young she still is.  Maybe it's just me, and it's been too long since I was a teenager and felt urges like that. ;)

Anyway, I look forward to continuing with this series.  I really thought there were only 4 books in the series, and knowing that there are really SIX and that I'll have to wait until 2013 to finish the series is depressing.

3.5 out of 5 stars

Also in the series: City of Ashes, City of Glass, City of Fallen Angels (April 2011), City of Lost Souls (2012), City of Heavenly Fire (2013)

Night Star by Alyson Noël

Haven blames former best friend, Ever, for everything that has gone wrong in her life since becoming an Immortal.  She's determined to make Ever pay, by killing her and sending her to the Shadowland.  And if Jude and Damen are destroyed along the way, all the better.  Haven tells Ever that Damen is not what he seems, and when Ever sees proof of that with her own eyes she again wonders if she and Damen really are destined to be together.

Meanwhile, Haven is out of control.  She's chugging elixir like no one's business, and refining her powers so that she'll be ready for the showdown with Ever.  It's only a matter of time before best friend is pitted against best friend in a fight to the finish.

Night Star is the fifth book in the Immortals series, and I am really hoping that the sixth book, Everlasting, is the final book.  The title implies that it probably will be.  I can't wait to be done with this series.  This fifth book just dragged the story on.  Not much happened until the final pages.  I'm sick of reading series books where nothing happens, where the story drags and I want to pull my hair out.  I tell myself that I've come this far...I have to continue.

I hate Haven (I've said that with every book), and I'll be glad the series is over if only to bid farewell to her.  She gets more and more annoying with every book, if that's possible.

Ever finally realized who she's meant to be with in this installment, so that was at least something good.

This series has been like a roller coaster ride for me.  Books 1 and 3 received 3 stars from me, while books 2 and 4 received 4 stars.  It's only fitting that book 5 be given 3 stars then, right?  (Honestly, I was tempted to give it 2, but the ending was so much better than the rest of the book.)

3/5 stars

Also in the series: Evermore, Blue Moon, Shadowland, Dark Flame

Misguided Angel by Melissa de la Cruz

After inheriting the dark Van Alen Legacy, Schuyler fled to Florence with her forbidden love, Jack. Now the two of them must embark on the mission Schuyler was destined to complete: to find and protect the five remaining gates that guard the earth from Lucifer, lord of the Silver Bloods.

Back in New York, Mimi has been elected Regent of a crumbling coven. Struggling with her heartache over the loss of Kingsley and with her overwhelming desire to destroy Jack, she must focus all of her energy on a perilous new threat. Vampires are being abducted and their captors are planning to burn them alive online…for all the world to see. Help arrives in the form of Deming Chen, a Venator from Shanghai, who must untangle the web of deceptions before the killers strike again.

As the young vampires struggle for the survival of the coven, they uncover a deadly secret, a truth first discovered by Schuyler’s mother during the Renaissance but kept buried for centuries. And as the Blue Blood enclave weakens yet further, fate leads Schuyler to a terrible choice that will ultimately map the destiny of her heart.

Boy, did I have mixed feelings about this latest Blue Bloods novel.  I wanted to love it because, really, I've loved them all.  (Okay, maybe not the first book, but it was still pretty entertaining.)  After reading about these characters for five books now, I feel completely invested in their lives, so it's disappointing when an entire book goes by without anything really happening.  The story that had been built up over the four previous books went almost nowhere in this fifth installment, which seemed like it was written simply as a filler to tide us over until the next book comes out.  And why is it that authors feel they have to write so many books in a series?  The story could have ended with this fifth book, but I'm left waiting for a sixth book to be published.

I really like reading about Schuyler, Jack, Mimi and the gang.  There were two very noticeable missing characters this time around, though: Kingsley (for obvious reasons) and Bliss.  Where was Bliss?  She's been a major character through four books now, and not even one mention of her in book 5?  What?  I did enjoy the interactions between Mimi and Oliver.  Mimi has really grown on me over the series, and I enjoy reading her side of the story just as much as Schuyler and Jack's side.

As disappointed as I am with this book - it is, by far, the weakest book in the series - I can't find it in me to rate it lower than a 3.  I really can't believe I have to wait until October to read the next book.

3/5

Also in the series: Blue Bloods, Masquerade, Revelations, The Van Alen Legacy

Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

Is that a cheesy book cover, or what?

I first read the VA books over the summer, thinking that all five had been published and I could just read them all in a row, not having to wait for new books to be released.  Well, after finishing the fifth book, I discovered that a sixth book was set to be released.  So, I've been waiting since July to get my hands on book 6, Last Sacrifice, which was released today.  I ordered it from Amazon, so I'll probably have it in my hands tomorrow or Thursday, but before I read it, I'm rereading the others in the series so that I can jump right into Last Sacrifice.  And since I never reviewed the VA books when I read them the first time around (I was on a blog hiatus), I decided to review them as I reread them.  (Mostly for you, Kira, since you were so disappointed that I hadn't reviewed them.)

Vampire Academy revolves around dhampir Rose Hathaway, who is a bodyguard to Moroi princess Lissa Dragomir.  They'd run away from St. Vladimir's Academy, but have been captured and returned.  Now Lissa continues her schooling and Rose is back to guardian training.  Guardians are protectors of the Moroi, the good vampires, and mostly guard them from Strigoi - evil and highly dangerous vampires.  Rose is in training to hopefully become Lissa's guardian.  She takes her lessons from Dimitri Belikov, who's known as a "god" on campus.  Rose enjoys her time with Dimitri, and soon her feelings turn into more than just admiration for the skills he can teach her.  She falls in love with Dimitri, but knows that she must push those feelings aside and concentrate on protecting Lissa, for she and Lissa share a special bond and no one can protect Lissa like Rose can.

I feel the same way I did when I first read Vampire Academy: it started out a bit slowly, but the action grew and by the time the book ended I was ready for more.  Like Rose, I fell in love with Dimitri, and I can't wait to read more about him in the upcoming books.  Yes, I've read the other books before, but I'm giddy and excited all over again.  The scenes with Dimitri are hot.

I did find all the foreshadowing interesting this time around.  I already know the story, so it was fun to pick up on all the little details I'd missed before or not known to pay attention to, like all the talk about St. Vladimir's "spirit".

3.5/5

Head in the Clouds by Karen Witemeyer

Adelaide Proctor, a teacher, quits her job to follow Henry Belcher to Fort Worth, Texas.  She is surprised to discover that the man who's been courting her is married and has a child.  Humiliated and eager to leave her fairy-tale daydreams behind her, Adelaide interviews to be a governess to the daughter of a sheep rancher.

Gideon Westcott left a privileged life behind in England to make a life of his own in the American West.  On the ship to America, he becomes a father overnight, promising the dying mother of young Isabella that he'll care for Isabella and protect her from the uncle who wants her inheritance.

As Adelaide and Gideon work together to care for Isabella, they find themselves experiencing feelings they didn't think possible.  But they may never get their happily ever after, not if Reginald Petchey, Isabella's uncle, has anything to do with it.  He'll stop at nothing - not even murder is beneath him - to get his hands on Isabella's fortune.

Head in the Clouds is a cute story, with very likeable characters in Adelaide, Gideon, and Bella.  Adelaide is spunky and knows how to stick up for herself and for those she loves.  Gideon is the dreamy Englishman that any woman would be crazy not to fall in love with.  But he's also willing to do whatever it takes to protect his daughter, and determined to do what is right.  Being a Christian romance novel, the characters had strong affinities for God, and tried to put His will above their own wants.

I enjoyed this book.  It had a good message, and the romance was sweet.

My rating: 3.5/5

Nevermore by Kelly Creagh

When Isobel Lanley and Varen Nethers are paired for an English project, neither is very happy.  They are total opposites: Isobel a popular cheerleader, Varen a goth loner.  At first, Isobel wants nothing to do with Varen.  She grudgingly agrees to meet up with him to discuss the project and comes to the realization that he's not what he seems.  Isobel's football-playing boyfriend and her friends turn their backs on Isobel, which hurts at first.  But the more time she spends with Varen, the less she cares what her so-called 'friends' think.

While working on the project, about Edgar Allan Poe, Isobel comes across strange writings in Varen's notebook.  Soon after, she begins seeing scary creatures and discovers that Varen's writings have trapped him in a dreamworld of his own creation.  Only Isobel can save Varen and prevent the creatures from taking over the real world.

I'm not a fan of Edgar Allan Poe, but I think a series based on his writings is a cool idea.  I admit that I only skimmed the poems that were included in the book, because Poe's works aren't what interested me about the story.  I was more interested in the connection between Isobel and Varen.  (Did you know that Varen is an anagram for 'raven'?)  Usually, goth boys don't interest me in the least, but there was something about Varen that pulled me in.  He's a very deep and unique character, and he keeps many things hidden.  And Isobel isn't your ordinary cheerleader.  There's a real depth to her, as well.  I love that the relationship between Varen and Isobel wasn't rushed.  It developed slowly, like any real relationship does.

I hated the way Isobel's friends treated her, and Varen.  I really couldn't believe that they would be so cruel to her simply because she was hanging out with Varen.  I'm glad she dumped her possessive boyfriend and defended Varen.  Her actions were very admirable.  Not many high school cheerleaders would befriend and stand up for a goth kid the way Isobel did.

I have an admission to make:  I skimmed the last third of the book because it was so drawn-out and all the details about the dream realm bored me.  The funny thing is, though, that after finishing the book, I wanted to get my hands on book 2 right away.  I may not care about all the details of Varen's dream world, but I want to know how Isobel is going to rescue him.  Varen as a character fascinates me, and I'm looking forward to learning more about him.

Overall, I think the book was a bit too long (over 500 pages), but I enjoyed it more than I thought I would.

My rating: 3.5/5

Paranormalcy by Kiersten White

At eight years of age, Evie discovers that she has a special gift... she sees through the glamours of paranormals.  With no family of her own, Evie is taken in by the International Paranormal Containment Agency (IPCA), a group charged with tracking and containing paranormal beings.  Eight years later, Evie has become somewhat bored with the usual "bag and tag" at work, but while she knows her gift is indispensable to the IPCA, she longs for a normal teenage life.  When Evie's superior, Raquel, is attacked by a shape-shifting -- and extremely cute -- teenage boy named Lend, Evie finds herself strangely drawn to him.  Lend is drawn to Evie, too, and wonders if she may be the person at the center of a dark faerie prophecy.  As Lend and Evie form a friendship, paranormals begin dying and Reth, a faerie obsessed with Evie, gives odd clues that may lead Evie to discover who she really is.

Prior to reading Paranormalcy, I'd read nothing but glowing reviews about the book.  Maybe the high praise is to blame for my less-than-stellar reaction to Evie's story.  Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed it.  I just didn't love it.  Evie is a fun, spunky, likable character (although I never could understand her fascination with lockers, of all things), and Lend is the kind of guy teenage girls dream about.  I think the whole idea behind Paranormalcy and the IPCA is intriguing, and the story held my interest throughout.  I really had no clue where the story was going, but even so, in the end, it took a completely different turn than I had expected and I felt like things weren't quite as fleshed out as they could have been.  And what's up with Reth?  He remains a big mystery to me, even after all the interaction he and Evie had.

While I didn't love it, I still found Paranormalcy to be an entertaining read.  I'll definitely read the second book, Supernaturally.  I'm eager to know Reth better, and to see where life leads Evie and Lend.

My rating: 3.5/5

Crescendo by Becca Fitzpatrick

Just when Nora thought things couldn't get any better, she tells her guardian angel boyfriend, Patch, that she loves him and he runs off without replying.  The next day at school, Nora's archenemy, Marcie Millar, tells Nora that she spotted Patch staring into her window the night before.  Nora confronts Patch, who tells her that his business with Marcie doesn't concern her.  He also tells her that the archangels are keeping a close eye on them, waiting for any excuse to get rid of Patch.  Patch knows that his relationship with Nora may be cause enough for the archangels to send him to hell.  Nora, thinking she's doing what is best for the both of them, breaks up with Patch and tells him she doesn't want him to be her guardian angel anymore.  Patch runs straight into Marcie Millar's arms.  To numb the hurt, Nora begins spending time with Scott Parnell, a childhood friend who has moved back to town.  But she can't keep her mind off Patch, even though she thinks he's hiding something from her.  If things with Patch and Scott weren't complicated enough, Nora begins seeing her dead father around town.  She becomes obsessed with finding out what really happened to him, to the point of putting her own life in danger.

I loved Hush, Hush, and I was so excited to read Crescendo.  Unfortunately, Crescendo fell a bit short for me.  It wasn't as compelling as HH, and there definitely wasn't enough Patch to satisfy me.  Nora annoyed me to no end, and I couldn't believe she willingly chose to place herself in some of the situations she did.  She seemed so pigheaded, thinking her way was always the right way.  And I could have slapped her for breaking up with Patch, who is, by far, my favorite character in the series.  I wish Nora would have really thought things through, instead of making decisions on the spur-of-the-moment.  If she'd taken a step back, she would have realized that Patch always had her best interests at heart.  I love that he never gave up on her.  (I have such a huuuuge crush on him right now!  Even more so than before.)

Scott landed at both spectrums with me... sometimes I thought he was okay, sometimes I hated him.  And Marcie was as evil and skanky as ever.  I had the "bad guy" figured out, but the ending totally threw me for a loop.  Happily ever after seems to be eluding Patch and Nora yet again.

Overall, I enjoyed Crescendo, and I look forward to reading Tempest.  Wish I didn't have to wait a year, though!

My rating: 3.5/5

Torment by Lauren Kate

In this second book of the Fallen series, Luce finds herself uprooted from Sword & Cross, only to be dumped at Shoreline, a school in California for Nephilim, the offspring of fallen angels and humans.  Daniel thinks Shoreline will be a good place for Luce to hide out, while he, Cam, and the other angels and demons hunt down the Outcasts - immortals who are after Luce.

Luce resents Daniel's interference in her life.  She loves him deeply - how can she not, when he's all she's ever known, throughout every life she's ever lived? - but wonders if maybe her life wouldn't be so screwed up if she'd fallen in love with someone else.  Maybe someone dependable, like Miles, who is so charming... and normal.  As Luce learns what the shadows are and how to manipulate them, she realizes that Daniel hasn't been very forthcoming; he's hiding something, and she's losing her faith in him.

So many people have said that they've liked Torment more than Fallen, but I found my enjoyment of them about the same:  slow to start out, too drawn-out in the middle, with a really good ending that leaves me hanging and wanting more.  I was so bored as I was reading Torment that I almost gave up a couple of times.  I just wanted something to happen.  As with Fallen, I felt that there was too much buildup.  But once I got to the last 70 pages, I couldn't stop reading.  And, once again, I'm hooked.  I want more, and I have to wait until next summer for Passion to be released.  I hope it's not as drawn-out as Fallen and Torment were, but I have a feeling it will be.

My rating: 3.5/5

Shadowland by Alyson Noël

In this third installment of The Immortals series, Ever and Damen search for an antidote to the antidote (yeah, you read that right) Damen was given in Blue Moon.  Roman tricked Ever when she was saving Damen's life, and now Ever and Damen are forbidden from ever touching.

I waited a long time for something to happen in this book, but not much did until the last 100 pages.  Damen took in the twins, Romy and Rayne.  He and Ever became pseudo-parents to them, putting a bit of strain on their relationship.  Damen told Ever about the Shadowland, where immortal souls go if an Immortal dies.  Ever got a job at Mystics and Moonbeams, the shop she'd gone to for her needs in the last book.  She met the owner's grandson, Jude, and began having feelings for him that she couldn't explain.  Damen "showed" Ever that she'd had relationships with Jude in her past lives.  In the end, Ever was forced to choose between getting the antidote for Damen or saving her best friend, Haven, who fell under Roman's spell and was on the brink of death.

I had to fight boredom at times, but in the end I'm glad I finished the book.  I wasn't sure I'd want to read the fourth book, but I most likely will now so I can see where the story goes from here.  Will Damen and Ever really end up together, or is Ever destined to be with Jude?  Seeing that there are three more books in the series is a bit depressing, though!  (I wish there were more standalone books and not so many series written these days.)

My rating: 3/5

My Soul To Take by Rachel Vincent

My Soul To Take is this month's read for my church book group.  A couple of the women in my group had read it before it was suggested a couple of months ago, and their enthusiastic responses about the book were all it took for me to want to read it.  Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy the book as much as they had, and from the Goodreads reviews of other women in my book group, it appears that we have the full spectrum of opinions about the book this month.  Some loved it, some thought it was okay, and some just plain liked it.  I fall in the latter group.

Starting out, I had a difficult time getting into the book because I just didn't have much time to read, and I didn't find what I was reading all that interesting.  I read the first 50 or so pages over a span of 3 days, and had to reread pages to remember what was happening.  The story itself is intriguing:  16-year-old Kaylee Cavanaugh senses when people around her are going to die.  When the premonitions of death overcome her, she begins uncontrollably screaming at the top of her lungs.  Kaylee doesn't know why she senses death, and she's afraid to tell her aunt and uncle about it because they had her committed to the psych ward of the local hospital the last time she screamed like that.  When three teenage girls suddenly drop dead on three different days, with two of the deaths 'predicted' by Kaylee, Kaylee knows something is amiss.  She overhears her aunt and uncle talking about her, and realizes they're keeping secrets - they know why she screams.  With the help of hottie Nash Hudson - who curiously seems to know so much about her experiences - Kaylee learns the reasons why she has the screaming attacks, as well as the history behind them.

I enjoyed My Soul To Take, but it obviously wasn't a book I couldn't put down.  I truly liked the characters (there wasn't a single character I had a problem with, which is unusual), and the mythology behind the story is really interesting, but it took me a long time to get into the book.  I admit, though, that the last 35 pages left me intrigued enough to possibly want to continue with Kaylee's story.

My rating: 3.5/5 (and the extra .5 is because of the ending!)

P.S. There is a prequel novella to My Soul To Take, called My Soul To Lose.  I haven't read it yet, but I found it online, and I will most likely read it, if only to get a bit more backstory on Kaylee.

My Soul To Take is #1 in the Soul Screamers series.

The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting

Sixteen-year-old Violet Ambrose has a secret...she can sense echoes of dead people.  When she was 8, she discovered her first dead body buried in the woods near her home.  Besides the echoes of the dead, Violet can sense the imprints that are left on the killers.  Living with her "power" is difficult enough, but Violet is also struggling with new romantic feelings for her best friend, Jay.  When teenage girls begin disappearing with an alarming frequency, Violet decides to use her powers to find the killer.  She may be the only person who can stop him.  But finding him may come at a high price--the loss of her own life.

This book has such an interesting premise, and I was immediately drawn in to Violet's world.  The descriptions of how she sensed the echoes of the dead were rich, and I felt like I could sense the echoes myself.  Likewise, the chapters written in the killer's voice were deliciously creepy.  The mystery of who killed the girls seemed a bit too drawn out, but I didn't figure out who the killer was...and I like that I didn't figure it out.  It's no fun to read a book already knowing who the killer is.

My favorite part of the book was when Jay and Violet finally admitted their feelings to each other.  Jay seemed like a perfect guy, and I love that he and Violet were best friends from the age of six.  They were so adorable together.  Even so, I felt like too much of the story focused on their relationship.

While I ended up not loving the book, I did like it quite a bit.

My rating: 3.5/5

Mini Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella

Becky Brandon (née Bloomwood)'s life has been anything but ordinary.  The shopaholic wooed the debonair Luke Brandon, Finance PR Extraordinaire, while devising a way to throw a certain bank manager named Derek Smeath off her track.  Then she moved to Manhattan, became host of a financial segment on a popular TV show (even though she can't handle her own finances), and shopped some more.  Then there was the fiasco of the two-weddings-on-the-same-day, one in NYC and one in England.  And of course, more shopping.  After a fairy-tale honeymoon, Becky arrived home to discover that she has a half-sister she never knew about, a sister who hates to shop!  Let's see... what else?  Becky got pregnant, scored a celebrity OB, and then hired a P.I. to follow said celebrity OB and her own husband, Luke, because she swore they were having an affair.  (All links are to my reviews of the other Shopaholic books.)

Now Becky and Luke are parents!  Mini Shopaholic takes place two years after Shopaholic and Baby left off.  'Mini Shopaholic' herself, Minnie Brandon, is now a rambunctious two-year-old, and Luke and Becky are at wits' end; they don't know what to do with little Minnie, who wreaks havoc wherever she goes.  Becky's mum is willing to help with Minnie--she's been doing it for the two years Becky and Luke have been living in her house anyway--but Becky and Luke decide to hire an "Ultimate Nanny" instead.  (After all, it'd be great if Minnie could learn Mandarin!)  Becky is less than forthcoming about Minnie's behavior, though, and said Ultimate Nanny begs off after a few hours in Minnie's presence.  Can anything go right?  Not only has their fifth try at buying a home fallen through, but there's a huge financial crisis in England because one of the major banks failed.  Luke is putting in so much extra time at work that Becky decides to throw him a surprise party for his birthday.  Of course, she has trouble staying on budget, so she accepts help from an unlikely source...Luke's birth mother, Elinor, whom Luke isn't speaking to at the moment.  As with any book featuring Becky Brandon, chaos ensues, lies are told, and shopping is done.

I was super excited to get my hands on this book.  I really enjoyed the first five Shopaholic books.  Becky makes me laugh.  She gets into so much trouble, and of course her scrapes are all a bit unbelievable and outrageous, but she's just such an amusing character to spend time with (even when I want to pull my hair out and shout at her that she better not buy that dress/purse/scarf/pair of shoes, no matter the sale price.)  Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy this latest book as much as I'd hoped to.  Sure, I still liked it and Becky still made me laugh (though not as much as in the other books), but I'm left feeling slightly disappointed.

3.5/5

Mini Shopaholic is #6 in the Shopaholic series.

Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks

Safe Haven is the 92nd book I've read this year.  Out of curiosity, I decided to check my stats from last year to see where I was at the end of September 2009.  Funnily enough, at the end of last September, I'd also made it through 92 books, with The Last Song, another Nicholas Sparks book, listed as my 92nd read.  (I actually wrote this review a couple of days ago, but didn't post it until tonight.  I managed to get a 93rd book in today.  Review coming up.)

When a mysterious young woman named Katie appears in the small North Carolina town of Southport, her sudden arrival raises questions about her past. Beautiful yet self-effacing, Katie seems determined to avoid forming personal ties until a series of events draws her into two reluctant relationships: one with Alex, a widowed store owner with a kind heart and two young children; and another with her plainspoken single neighbor, Jo. Despite her reservations, Katie slowly begins to let down her guard, putting down roots in the close-knit community and becoming increasingly attached to Alex and his family.

But even as Katie begins to fall in love, she struggles with the dark secret that still haunts and terrifies her . . . a past that set her on a fearful, shattering journey across the country, to the sheltered oasis of Southport. With Jo's empathic and stubborn support, Katie eventually realizes that she must choose between a life of transient safety and one of riskier rewards . . . and that in the darkest hour, love is the only true safe haven.

Safe Haven dealt with a very difficult subject matter and was quite difficult to read at times.  I wanted to like it more than I did, because I've really enjoyed the last two or three Nicholas Sparks books that have been released.  This one was good, but I wasn't as emotionally involved as I usually am.  I didn't even cry, which is surprising because Nicholas Sparks books are (almost always) guaranteed tearjerkers.  I did like the characters, though (Sparks' development of Kevin was incredible), and the small-town feel of the book.

By the way, I had "Jo" figured out from the very beginning.

My rating: 3.5/5