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.