Afterlife by Claudia Gray

So, Hourglass left off with star-crossed lovers Bianca and Lucas facing very different futures than they'd originally thought.  Bianca turned into a wraith and Lucas became a vampire.  Honestly, I don't remember the exact details that brought us to that point, but that doesn't really matter.  Since Lucas is now one of the vampires he used to kill as a member of Black Cross, he seeks refuge at Evernight Academy after a battle with his own mother.  Bianca hides out at Evernight with Lucas, and since no one can see her unless she becomes solid and allows them to, she's free to do as she wants.  Mostly, she wants to help free Lucas from the horrible nightmares of Charity that have been plaguing him.  And she wants to know why Mrs. Bethany is hiding wraith traps all over the school.  What is Mrs. Bethany planning, and does Bianca have anything to fear from her former headmistress?

I had planned on reading this book because I read the three previous books, but when I went to pick it up I discovered that I just didn't care.  I wanted to skip it, but I gave in to my sister's request that I read it.  I can't say that I enjoyed it.  I thought it was okay, but I can't give it higher praise than that.  Honestly, I was pretty bored most of the time I was reading.

I discovered some things about Mrs. Bethany's past life that should have been interesting, but really just did nothing for me.  The fate of Bianca and Lucas was somewhat interesting, but by the time that all came about at the very end of the book I just didn't care.

There's a book about Balthazar in the works, but I am so done with this series and these characters.  I won't be reading it.

2/5

Demonglass by Rachel Hawkins

I loved Hex Hall, and I literally couldn't wait to read Demonglass.  My sister Kira was visiting over the weekend, and she had her copy of Demonglass with her.  I ended up reading the first 16 chapters of it while she was out running an errand, and I texted my husband and told him to buy me a copy because I just HAD to finish it, and the library hadn't gotten it in yet.  That's how much I love this series.

Demonglass picks up right where Hex Hall left off, with Sophie wanting to go through the Removal.  You won't know what that is until you've read Hex Hall, so do go and pick up a copy...you'll love it.  Sophie travels to England to spend the summer with her dad, the head of The Council, and makes some surprising discoveries. 

Sophie is such a smart aleck, she cracks me up.  I laughed out loud so many times while reading DG.  And the boys....*sigh*....oh, those boys.  I'm a 31-year-old woman who's been married for almost 11 years, and I found myself swooning big-time...over a 17-year-old and a 19-year-old.  Seriously.  Archer Cross has stolen my heart.  But Cal is really amazing, too.

I love that the action and heart-pounding started almost immediately.  Page 18 confirmed a suspicion I'd had, and really, I wasn't as upset as I thought I'd be because by that point I'd already overcome any qualms I'd had.  So much happened, and none of it bored me.  On the contrary - I was hooked from page one, and flipped those pages as fast as I could.  And that ending.  Oh, my.

I loved the interactions between Sophie, Cal, and Archer, and I enjoyed learning more about all three of them, especially Cal and Archer.  Their stories and the reasoning behind their actions were really interesting.  Rachel Hawkins has created the perfect love triangle.  I'm not really sure who I want Sophie to end up with, because I know either guy would be great.  It's hard for me to choose between Team Archer and Team Cal, and that's not usually the case with me.  Okay, okay, I admit that I'm more Team Archer, but Cal is such a close second.

I am totally enamored with these books.  This series has easily become a new favorite of mine, and the wait for the next book is going to be far too long.  I. Want. It. NOW.

5/5

Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins

Sophie Mercer gets into quite a scrape when a prom night spell goes awry.  Her father, a powerful European warlock, and her non-magical mother decide to send her to Hecate Hall, affectionately called Hex Hall, a reform school for Prodigium (witches, faeries, and shapeshifters) like herself.   Her first day, she's asked by three black witches to join their coven, since she's a black witch herself.  The three witches are snobs with a capital S, though, and Sophie has no desire to join their coven.  What does interest her is Archer Cross, a devastatingly handsome teen warlock.  Unfortunately, he's taken...by snotty black witch leader, Elodie.  When members of the black witch coven begin turning up with holes in their necks and their blood drained, all fingers point to Sophie's vampire roommate, Jenna.  Sophie defends Jenna, and a mystery from Sophie's past may prove Jenna's innocence.

I wasn't sure what to expect with this book.  I was blown away by how much I enjoyed it.  Sophie kept me cracking up, and the slowly building romance between she and Archer was sweet.  The characters were all engaging and the mystery of the book kept me guessing.  There were a couple of parts in the book that had me gasping in disbelief and surprise.  The ending was somewhat of a shock as well.  Who knows what the future holds for Sophie and Archer, but I'm hoping it's something grand!  (And please don't let Cal the groundskeeper be Sophie's secret betrothed!  I don't know why I keep thinking he may be, but there has to be a reason Archer introduced the topic of betrothals.  Right?)

I loved this book, and I can't wait to get the sequel, Demonglass, in my hands!

4.5/5

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

Unearthly by Cynthia Hand

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?

Let me start off by saying that I LOVED this book!  I had no expectations going in, but hoped for a good, entertaining read.  I was not disappointed.  Cynthia Hand has written an exceptional story.

I loved Clara, Christian, and Tucker.  They seemed so real, so likeable.  Ms Hand allowed their relationships with each other to develop over time, as real relationships do.  That in itself was a breath of fresh air.  I love that I initially didn't know whether or not to like Tucker.  I didn't know if he'd get in the way of Clara and Christian, or if he'd end up being the love interest.  Clara's two friends, Wendy and Angela, were so very likeable as well.  I simply adored everyone in this book.

The story was well-paced and very well-written; it was so easy and fun to read.  Details about Clara's purpose were given a bit at a time, and I loved the mystery of it.  I loved that Clara was so realistic.  She had struggles, and like any teenager, she wanted a normal life, all the while knowing that she had a greater purpose to fulfill.

I was sucked in to the story immediately, and couldn't put the book down.  And, wow, was there a big twist!  I CAN'T WAIT for the next one to be released!

5/5

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 Glass by Cassandra Clare

Oh my goodness, was this book awesome or what?  The following summary contains spoilers from the first and second books, so read at your own risk:

To save her mother's life, Clary must travel to the City of Glass, the ancestral home of the Shadowhunters -- never mind that entering the city without permission is against the Law, and breaking the Law could mean death. To make things worse, she learns that Jace does not want her there, and Simon has been thrown in prison by the Shadowhunters, who are deeply suspicious of a vampire who can withstand sunlight.

As Clary uncovers more about her family's past, she finds an ally in mysterious Shadowhunter Sebastian. With Valentine mustering the full force of his power to destroy all Shadowhunters forever, their only chance to defeat him is to fight alongside their eternal enemies. But can Downworlders and Shadowhunters put aside their hatred to work together? While Jace realizes exactly how much he's willing to risk for Clary, can she harness her new found powers to help save the Glass City -- whatever the cost?

Even better than City of Ashes, City of Glass had me setting everything aside so that I could read.  I was on pins and needles, waiting to see what would become of the Shadowhunters and the Downworlders, and when Clary and Jace would realize that their relationship wasn't what they thought.  I had a lot figured out, but that didn't stop me from enjoying the reactions of the characters as certain things were revealed.

I was so happy that the Shadowhunters and Downworlders formed an alliance.  Clary's growth amazed me.  She went from a know-nothing Mundane to someone capable of defeating Valentine.  And Jace... oh, Jace.  His inner torment over his feelings for Clary was delicious.  He has some of the most swoon-worthy lines in this book, and I loved it, just as I loved getting to see Alec, Isabelle, and Simon grow and mature throughout the series.

I'm actually surprised that this 'trilogy' has been turned into a series of six books, though I guess I shouldn't be, given the success of the series so far.  I have to say that I thought the ending of City of Glass was perfect, though, with everything wrapped up nicely.  Even so, I'm going to have to read the next three books when they come out.

4.5/5

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

City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare

I really should have written this review immediately after finishing the book.  I just finished the third book in this series, City of Glass, and the plots of all three books are kind of muddled together in my brain now, and I can't really remember what happened in which book.  So I'm just going to use the summary from the book cover for this review (there are spoilers from the first book, so read at your own risk):

Clary Fray just wishes that her life would go back to normal. But what's normal when you're a demon-slaying Shadowhunter, your mother is in a magically induced coma, and you can suddenly see Downworlders like werewolves, vampires, and faeries? If Clary left the world of the Shadowhunters behind, it would mean more time with her best friend, Simon, who's becoming more than a friend. But the Shadowhunting world isn't ready to let her go -- especially her handsome, infuriating, newfound brother, Jace. And Clary's only chance to help her mother is to track down rogue Shadowhunter Valentine, who is probably insane, certainly evil -- and also her father.

To complicate matters, someone in New York City is murdering Downworlder children. Is Valentine behind the killings -- and if he is, what is he trying to do? When the second of the Mortal Instruments, the Soul-Sword, is stolen, the terrifying Inquisitor arrives to investigate and zooms right in on Jace. How can Clary stop Valentine if Jace is willing to betray everything he believes in to help their father?

After the revelations in City of Bones, I was definitely looking forward to seeing what City of Ashes had in store for Clary, Jace, Simon, and the gang.  All I can say is, wow.  I definitely didn't see some things coming (like Simon's transformation), but other storylines had some definite foreshadowing of what was to come in the third book.  I grew to love Jace even more, and felt for him and Clary with everything they had to deal with.  But I could already see where the whole Jace and Clary storyline was headed, so I had hope that things would work out (as in, be revealed) in City of Glass, even though there were more books still to come in the series.

Definitely more fast-paced than the first book.  I was left wanting more, and put everything else on hold to delve right into City of Glass.

4/5

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

The Lost Saint by Bree Despain

In The Dark Divine, Grace made the ultimate sacrifice to save her boyfriend, Daniel.  Now her brother, Jude, is missing and Grace will do whatever it takes to find him.  With each passing day, the wolf inside her is threatening to come out.  With Daniel growing distant, Grace turns to newcomer, Talbot, for help with her powers.  But a voice inside her head is urging her to give in to her dark side, and Grace isn't sure who she can trust.

I really enjoyed The Dark Divine, and I thought The Lost Saint was just as entertaining a read.  I liked the growth of Grace and Daniel throughout this book (though I felt like maybe Grace changed a bit too much; she definitely wasn't the good preacher's daughter in this one).  Their relationship hit bumps that any normal relationship does, but I thought they both needed to have more trust in each other.  New guy, Talbot, didn't help in that area, and he seems to be giving Daniel a bit of competition.  I liked the addition of Talbot, and I like what Bree Despain did with his character (can Grace trust him or not?), but personally, I remain firmly in Daniel's corner.  He's the guy for Grace, hands down.  The ending was incredible, and I can't wait to read the next book!

This was a great read.  The only thing I really dislike about these books is the font they're printed in. ;)

4/5

Also in the series: The Dark Divine

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

Anna's parents are forcing her to spend her senior year at an American boarding school in Paris.  For most kids, the thought of spending a year in Paris is exciting, but Anna just wants her normal life in Atlanta with her mom, brother, best friend, Bridge, and Toph, the boy she's interested in.  She's lucky to meet a great group of people her first day at school, and the six of them become inseparable.  As she adjusts to life in Paris, Anna realizes that she has feelings for her new best friend, Étienne St. Clair.  He's oh-so-sexy and very smart...and he also has a girlfriend.  But anything is possible in the City of Light, where wishes have a way of coming true.

This book made me giddy.  Seriously.  I felt like a teenager all over again, falling in love for the first time.  It's a really cute story, with interesting characters and believable scenarios.  St. Clair immediately stole my heart, and I swooned right along with Anna throughout the entire book.  It was such a charming little book!

I realize that this is in no way a well-written review, but I can't stop the swooning long enough to put coherent thoughts together.  (Then again, when have any of my reviews been well-written?)

J'ai adoré ce livre!  (which means, I loved this book!)

4.5/5