Book Review: Fallen

Synopsis: Seventeen-Year-Old Luce is a new student at Sword & Cross, an unwelcoming boarding/reform school in Savannah, Georgia. Luce’s boyfriend died under suspicious circumstances, and now she carries the guilt over his death with her as she navigates the unfriendly halls at Sword & Cross, where every student seems to have an unpleasant—even evil—history.
It’s only when she sees Daniel, a gorgeous fellow student, that Luce feels there’s a reason to be here—though she doesn’t know what it is. And Daniel’s frosty cold demeanor toward her? It’s really a protective device that he’s used again . . . and again. For Daniel is a fallen angel, doomed to fall in love with the same girl every 17 years . . . and watch her die. And Luce is a fellow immortal, cursed to be reincarnated again and again as a mortal girl who has no idea of who she really is. (Courtesy of B&N.com)

I finally jumped on the Fallen train. I'd heard it was a good book and the cover always caught my attention, but I hadn't persued it until recently.

I liked the storyline of a reincarnated angel that never remembered her past lives, even though her lover did. There were some great twists and turns in the story that kept it interesting.

The characters were well described and likeable. The writing evoked emotions and the plot was captivating.

I will continue to read this series, and I would recommend this book. It just didn't have that great grasp for me that some other books have.

I give Fallen a 4 on the beam scale.

Procrastinators Unite!...Tomorrow

I'm still alive.

In fact, I've read 3 books since my last book review, but I have been a complete slacker on updating the blog.

On the upside, I did invest in even more books! Because the 47 I already owned and haven't read yet weren't enough, I added another 14 to the shelf.

Yes, I did just sit there and count them all.

A few of the books I got don't really fall into the "teen fiction" category. Which, I think is nice every once in a while.

One is 101 Things You Should Know How to Do. This includes things like knitting, folding clothes, and even sitting in a chair!

I don't think surviving a zombie apocalypse is covered though. Bummer.

The other two are I Don't Want to be Crazy and Med Head which are both about mental disorders.

I'm reading IDWtbC right now, and I'm enjoying it so far. It's interesting to see into the lives of other people, especially when it's an open struggle.

I have a tendancy to immerse myself in my readings and put myself in characters places. It's not as mystical when it's coming from reality, but it is more humbling.

Anyway, just posting this little update for funsies. And to remind myself to hurry up with the book reviews.

Book Review: Peeps

Synopsis: A year ago, Cal Thompson was a college freshman more interested in meeting girls and partying than in attending biology class. Now, after a fateful encounter with a mysterious woman named Morgan, biology has become, literally, Cal's life.

Cal was infected by a parasite that has a truly horrifying effect on its host. Cal himself is a carrier, unchanged by the parasite, but he's infected the girlfriends he's had since Morgan. All three have turned into the ravening ghouls Cal calls Peeps. The rest of us know them as vampires.

It's Cal's job to hunt them down before they can create more of their kind. (Courtesy of B&N.com)

I started reading Scott Westerfeld back in my highschool days. People were raving about the Uglies series and I finally decided to check it out. I fell in love with that series, and Peeps wasn't too far behind.

The book is about Cal, a guy in New York that has been infected by a parasite from losing his virginity to Morgan. He has since infected girlfriends he had after Morgan, but unlike Cal, who is simply a carrier, these girls turned into Peeps.

I liked this book quite a bit. The storyline was intriguing and I learned a lot from it. Every other chapter or so was about a true parasite, things that I'd never heard of. It was interesting to have a different outlook on vampirism, why the Peeps did things like hide from the light, eat people and shy away from crucifixes.

Westerfeld did a great job of making the story seem believeable and his characters relateable.

Overall, I liked the book and plan on reading the sequel, but it wasn't utterly amazing.

I give Peeps a 4 on the beam scale.

Book Review: Beastly

Synopsis: A beast. Not quite wolf or bear, gorilla or dog but a horrible new creature who walks upright—a creature with fangs and claws and hair springing from every pore. I am a monster.
You think I'm talking fairy tales? No way. The place is New York City. The time is now. It's no deformity, no disease. And I'll stay this way forever—ruined—unless I can break the spell.
Yes, the spell, the one the witch in my English class cast on me. Why did she turn me into a beast who hides by day and prowls by night? I'll tell you. I'll tell you how I used to be Kyle Kingsbury, the guy you wished you were, with money, perfect looks, and the perfect life. And then, I'll tell you how I became perfectly . . . beastly. (courtesy of b&n.com)

I had pretty high expectations for this book, and was not in the least bit disappointed.

It's a modern retelling of Beauty and the Beast, only the Beauty isn't quite the Belle of the Disney movie. The story is set in New York, where modern day monsters roam freely. After Kyle, the resident prep school jock is turned into a monstorous beast, his news-caster father sends him away to live with a house keeper and blind tutor.

The story is told from Kyle's point of view, which is quite refreshing. It is more relateable, with Kyle joining online chats and his quest for true love.

I got very immersed in the lonliness and hunt for a girl, along with the magic of the enchanted mirror. The books emotions sucked me in so that I felt them too.

I like this book better than any retelling I've read before, and plan on reading more of Alex Flinn's books.

Beastly has climbed the ranks and recieved a 5 on the beam scale.

I'm glad to have read such a wonderful book after the let down of my previous read.

Highly recommended! I think I'll even have to check out the movie.

Book Review: I Am Number Four

Synopsis: We may be walking past you right now. We are watching as you read this. We may be in your city, your town. We are living anonymously.
We are waiting for the day when We will find each other. We will make our last stand together—if We win, We are saved, and You are saved as well. If we lose, all is lost. (Courtesy of b&n.com)


I have to say that this book had too much hype that was not lived up to, in my opinion. I mean, what other book is so cool that it has it's own movie in production practically as the book come out? Plus it's, like, about superheros. It must be an awesome read, right?

Wrong.

I don't think I have ever before had a book I was reading for fun that I couldn't wait to be done with. Not because I wanted to see how the story ended or get to the sequel, but because I was so unimpressed that my only desire was to push through it so I could move on to read something hopefully better. I think I actually got this book around the same time I got Switched by Amanda Hocking, and obviously I had wanted to finished out the entire Trylle series before coming back to this book.

I've never been one for aliens, but I figured I'd give this book a shot - mainly to help in my pursuit of the A-Z Challenge.

One of the things I really dislike is over powered/god mode characters, and this book had it. Any fight that John gets involved in, he wins without breaking a sweat. Half of the time, the book is about how much better Lorien's are than humans and a fourth is talking about this terrible enemy that you're just waiting to show up.

The story did eventually pick up and peak a bit of interest...around chapter 28. That means that the last 100 or so pages were intriguing, but I could barely get through the first 300 to get to the good stuff.

There are a couple of mysteries revealed and cliffhangers left to make room for another book, but I don't think I'll bother picking up a sequel.

Even though I Am Number Four did get a bit of emotion out of me at the end, I still have to give this book a 1 on the beam scale. There was just too little desire to read this book for me to give it anything higher.

Book Review: Ascend (Trylle Trilogy #3)

Synopsis: With a war looming on the horizon, Wendy’s fate seems sealed. But everything she sacrificed might be in vain if she can’t save the ones she loves. Her whole life has been leading up to this, and it’s all coming to an end. (Courtesy of b&n.com)

The end has come. Arguably, the Trylle series has become one of my favorites, and it's upsetting to see it end. Through all of the fights, relationships and tough decisions, it is over.

With Elora so sick, Wendy has to prepare even harder for when she becomes Queen. The peace treaty with the Vittra lasts only until she is crowned, so she needs to move fast.

The truth comes out about Loki's interest in Wendy but, despite that, he is probably my favorite character. His cool demeanor and caring heart reflect him beautifully.

I was sad that Rhys didn't make much of an appearance in this book, because he always lightened the mood and made me smile. Matt seemed to be around a bit more, which was nice.

The book ended the series well. Although I wish it didn't end just because I had fallen in love with the characters, it didn't leave a cliffhanger or plot holes.

The characters and situations are well written, believable in the context and have become friends that I'm sad to currently say goodbye to.

It's nice to have a series written well enough that every book in it is a winner. So, of course, the final chapter of this wonderful series gets a 5 on the beam scale.

May the Trylle have peace for years to come, and Long Live the Queen.

Book Review: Torn (Trylle Trilogy #2)

Synopsis: Wendy thought she finally understood who she was and what she wanted, but everything changes when the rival Vittra come after her. She's caught between two worlds, torn between love and duty, and she must decide what life she is going to lead. (Courtesy of barnesandnoble.com)


As the story continues, Wendy is having an even tougher time in the world of the Trylle. She gets beat up by Kyra, a Vittra tracker, thrown into prison with Matt and Rhys, and meets her very first hobogoblin. But that's just the beginning! Wendy finds out the truth about her Father, sees a more humane side of her Mother, and has another romantic encounter with Finn. Of course, there are plenty of other things happening that you won't want to miss out on!

I love this series, but the fact that Wendy has so many possible romantic interests kind of reminds me of Bella in Twilight. Although I think Wendy is less whiny about it.

Wendy begins to understand that doing things for yourself and doing things for your people do not always coincide. She must choose between love or duty and figure out what sacrifice really means.

Overall, another great story filled with intriguing characters.

I give Torn a 5 out of 5 on the beam scale.

Book Review: Switched (Trylle Trilogy #1)

Synopsis: When Wendy Everly was six-years-old, her mother was convinced she was a monster and tried to kill her. It isn't until eleven years later that Wendy finds out her mother might've been telling the truth.With the help of Finn Holmes, Wendy finds herself in a world she never knew existed - and it's one she's not sure if she wants to be a part of. (Courtesy of barnesandnoble.com)

Switched is the first book in the Trylle Trilogy by Amanda Hocking. The reader is met in the prelude with the story of Wendy's mother trying to kill her on her 6th birthday. The first sentence kicks off the rolling tide of drama, romance and wonderment that floods throughout the book.

Wendy is a picky eater, a stubborn girl and has never really felt like she fit in anywhere. She lives with her aunt and brother, and is constantly getting kicked out of school and having to move. When a guy at her new school seems unable to stop staring at her for the past 2 weeks, she finally confronts him and the plot begins to unfold. Wendy quickly finds her world and everything she has ever known flipped upside down and blended into a confusing mess.

Personally, I LOVED this book! There a few contemporary references and plenty of humor to go around. The characters are quite likeable and emotion is conveyed clearly throughout the entire novel. You can relate with Wendy's confusion, frustration and sorrow at multiple times, and there is hardly a dull moment. The seemingly minor characters have their own moments to shine, and no one is left out of the plot for too long.

I highly suggest that you take a look at this book if you want to read some Fantasy that leaves you panting for the next installment of the series: Torn.

I happily give Switched a 5 out of 5 on the beam scale!

Book Review: Soul Identity

I figured that I should start doing book reviews before they all start piling up on me. However, I have just realized how difficult reviews are, but I'll try anyway.

The first book I completed this year was Soul Identity by Dennis Batchelder. As a general rule, I stick to reading young adult/teen fiction books, but when first getting my Nook phone application, I grabbed every free e-book that I thought might be even mildly interesting. Soul Identity is an adult fiction book, and therefore it was a bit different than what I tend to devour in my reading times.

Synopsis: What if you could bank your money for your next life? Smart-aleck and computer security expert Scott Waverly is skeptical of his new client's claim that they've been tracking souls for almost twenty-six hundred years. Is it a freaky cult, or a sophisticated con job? As Scott saves Soul Identity from an insider attack, he discovers the importance of the bridges connecting people's lives. (Courtesy of Barnesandnoble.com)

Soul Identity certainly didn't fail on the realm of "interesting." The story focuses on Scott Waverly being hired by a corperation called Soul Identity. This organization provides members with a way to store treasure for their next life, which I'm sure their present-life beneficiaries really appreciate.

The theory is that eyes, like fingerprints, are different for everyone. But once a generation eyes match with a set from the past, which SI claims means these people are the same soul, just reincarnated. If previous soul holders have stored away information into SI's headquarters, it is given to the present soul holder once their eyes are matched.

The book has a lot of scenes of action, skepticism and intrigue, along with insider tension and mystery. While I liked the book in theory, I don't think I liked it enough to search for the sequel. There was some cursing throughout the book and a few vague sexual scenes, but nothing I found terribly offensive.

While the book did a great job of providing some ideas to think about, it wasn't quite what I enjoy in a book. I found nothing extremely relateable or anything that I would long for in my own life, nor did it have the humor to lighten the serious tone of the story.

I think that adults that enjoyed reading mysteries and theories on other philosophical practices would find this more interesting. But personally, it just wasn't my style.

Because of this, I give Soul Identity a 2 out of 5 on the beam scale.

The First Step is Always the Hardest

It's been a long time since I tried to seriously blog. I suppose I either felt like my life was either too lame to write about and didn't want to bore anyone, or there was so much going on that I couldn't fit it all into mere blog posts.

It had absolutely nothing to do with me being lazy. Nope. Not at all.

So instead of just having random thoughts whenever I feel the urge to share my mind with the rest of the world, this blog is completely dedicated to one of my first and most consistantly present loves: Books!

I'm the type of person that will go out and buy 11 more books that sound interesting, even though I already own 20 that I have yet to read.

My dear friend Jenny (check out her blog here) also introduced me to the joys of ebooks. While they certainly don't feel as awesome as the texture of pages under your fingers and phone screens don't smell quite as wonderful as either the fresh scent of a new book or the dusty musk of an old one, they are still books. Kind of. Ebooks make up for the lack of tangibility with the characteristic of extremely reduced prices and convinence. I simply use my Nook [shameless plug] application on my phone during lunch break to get in some extra reading. Instead of worrying about spilling food on the pages or struggling to hold the book open while eating a sandwich, I just tap my screen to turn the page. However, food spillage is still something to be careful of, regardless of reading means.

One of the major reasons I'm starting this blog is because there are some book challenges that I'm interested in trying out. Ideally I will also be reviewing the books I read, but I make no promises.

Now then, let the festivities commence!