Review: Summer's Crossing (Iron Fey #3.5)

Title: Summer's Crossing by Julie Kagawa
Published: June 1st, 2011 by Harlequin Teen
Source: Bought for Kindle

A Midsummer's Nightmare? Robin Goodfellow. Puck. Summer Court prankster, King Oberon's right hand, bane of many a faery queen's existence—and secret friend to Prince Ash of the Winter Court. Until one girl's death came between them, and another girl stole both their hearts.

Now Ash has granted one favor too many and someone's come to collect, forcing the prince to a place he cannot go without Puck's help—into the heart of the Summer Court. And Puck faces the ultimate choice—betray Ash and possibly win the girl they both love, or help his former friend turned bitter enemy pull off a deception that no true faery prankster could possibly resist.

Review
I really don't know if Ms. Kagawa is trying to be nice and merciful by providing us with this short novella or being cruel and evil for enticing us with such a good story AND then making us wait for The Iron Knight. 

I love Puck's inventiveness, intelligence, sense of humor and loyalty (don't get confused people, I'm still Team Ash!) and it was so nice to read this story from Puck's point of view.  The story begins where The Iron Queen ended, and Puck and Ash need to change their plans to fulfill a promise made by Ash (you might remember why.)  Puck is brilliant in this story and you can see how each of our heroes handles Megan's absence.  I cannot wait to read The Iron Knight and I am so curious to get inside Ash's mind.  His loyalty and his absolute love for Megan is so touching and beautiful.  Below find the gorgeous cover for the Iron Knight, in my humble opinion the best cover yet!

Review: A Blue so Dark

Tittle: A Blue so Dark by Holly Schindler
Published: May 1st, 2010 by Flux
Source: Library

Fifteen-year-old Aura Ambrose has been hiding a secret. Her mother, a talented artist and art teacher, is slowly being consumed by schizophrenia, and Aura has been her sole caretaker ever since Aura's dad left them. Convinced that "creative" equals crazy, Aura shuns her own artistic talent. But as her mother sinks deeper into the darkness of mental illness, the hunger for a creative outlet draws Aura toward the depths of her imagination. Just as desperation threatens to swallow her whole, Aura discovers that art, love, and family are profoundly linked—and together may offer an escape from her fears.

Review
This novel was very good.  It is difficult to put into words how beautifully written it is.  The novel follows Aura's struggle as she is the sole caretaker of her mother, who is struggling with schizophrenia.  Aura makes herself believe that the reason her family is cursed with this condition is because they are artists, therefore she tries to avoid anything that is remotely creative.

I was so mad because not only did Aura felt (and was made) responsible for her mother, but because there were adults in the picture that didn't care enough.  I felt like kicking her father into action.  I mean, why would you leave your child with a person that cannot take care of her?  The story is filled with angst, self-doubt, pain, guilt, I have to confess that it was difficult to read at times.

Aura made difficult and not so wise choices, but she was only 15-16, what else could be expected or her?  I am really glad that the ending was so poetic, so nice and that everything turned in for the best.

This is a must read.

About the cover: A beautiful cover and very representative of the story. After you read it it you will get the symbolism of the title, and blue colors, being underwater and mermaids.

Review: Mostly Good Girls

Title: Mostly Good Girls by Leila Sales
Published: October 5, 2010 by Simon Pulse
Source: Bought for Kindle

The higher you aim, the farther you fall….

It’s Violet’s junior year at the Westfield School. She thought she’d be focusing on getting straight As, editing the lit mag, and figuring out how to talk to boys without choking on her own saliva. Instead, she’s just trying to hold it together in the face of cutthroat academics, her crush’s new girlfriend, and the sense that things are going irreversibly wrong with her best friend, Katie.
When Katie starts making choices that Violet can’t even begin to fathom, Violet has no idea how to set things right between them. Westfield girls are trained for success—but how can Violet keep her junior year from being one huge, epic failure?

Review

I have heard great things about this novel and I was a little disappointed by it.  Maybe I am used to big drama in books about high school and 'Mostly Good Girls' was not about big drama.  This novel is a come-of-age tale of Violet and how she deals with change. 

Violet goes to a very small and exclusive all-girls school where everyone knows everyone and everything about each other.  Where money and prestige talk more than grades or good behaviour.   Violet is a good student, a good friend and a good daughter and she goes through the typical teenage angst.  Her point of view had me laughing out loud more than once (*weird looks from my hubby* as I was reading in the car :) but I still found the plot a little weak.

Violet and Katie are best friends that share everything, even a crush on the same boy, without incident.  The only conflict comes when Katie starts acting up, just because she needs a way to revel against her too-perfect-life.  Violet doesn't take Katie's, or any other change for that matter, well.  The novel focuses on how she grows by accepting that nothing is stagnant.

An enjoyable and short read.  I will definitely read Ms. Sales next book.

About the cover:  I liked the cover, but I don't think this is something that neither Violet or Katie might wear :) It does look very 'teenager'

Waiting on Wednesday: Forever (The Wolves of Mercy Falls #3)

Waiting on Wednesday idea from Jill at Breaking the Spine

Title: Forever by Maggie Stiefvater
Published by: Scholastic Press
Release date: July 12, 2011

In Maggie Stiefvater's SHIVER, Grace and Sam found each other. In LINGER, they fought to be together. Now, in FOREVER, the stakes are even higher than before. Wolves are being hunted. Lives are being threatened. And love is harder and harder to hold on to as death comes closing in.

Why I want to read it: I LOVE all of Ms. Stiefvater's books so far.  She is  writer genius extraordinaire and I can't wait to see what happens to Grace and Sam.   Linger was heartbreaking for me and their love story cannot end there (please don't let it!)

Awesome Contest! Wings of the Wicked Cover Reveal

Isn't it gorgeous?!  I can't wait for the sequel.  Ms. Moulton has an awesome contest to celebrate the reveal of the cover, check it out in her blog.

Top Ten Tuesday: Favorite Book Settings

Top 10 Tuesday is a weekly meme created by The Broke and the Bookish.

1. Tara from Gone with the Wind - this is my favorite movie of all time and would love to see the pre-war Tara.

2. The Beach from Along for the Ride - leaving that close to the water, the boardwalk, a beach town paradise.

3. Hogwarts from the Harry Potter's series - I just came from Orlando and from the Wizarding World and I was ecstatic.  Imagine if I could see the real thing!



4. Camp Half Blood from the Percy Jackson series - Greek mythology, I don't have to say more.

5. Hecate Hall from Hex Hall - To be with all these different kind of supernatural beings must be very exiting.

6. St. Vladimir's Academy from Vampire Academy - I would be happy with just knowing Rose, wouldn't you?

7. Number 5 from the Bridgeton's series - I would love to know all seven Bridgetons!

8. Avonlea from Anne of Green Gables - I guess this is the first series that I fell in love with.

9. Narnia from the Chronicles of Narnia - Talking animals, castles, magic... need I say more?

10.  Paris from Anna and the French Kiss - I loved this book and I would love to visit all the places that Anna did.

Review: Spells (Wings #2)

Tittle: Spells by Aprilynne Pike
Published: May 4th, 2010 by Harper Teen
Source: Library (audio book)

Six months have passed since Laurel saved the gateway to the faerie realm of Avalon. Now she must spend her summer there, honing her skills as a Fall faerie. But her human family and friends are still in mortal danger--and the gateway to Avalon is more compromised than ever.

When it comes time to protect those she loves, will she depend on David, her human boyfriend, for help? Or will she turn to Tamani, the electrifying faerie with whom her connection is undeniable?

Review
This is the first audio book that I have tried.  I told myself that it was a good idea to try it since I spend about one hour in my car commuting to work.  How was the experience you ask?  I think I like it enough that I will be checking another audio book from my library soon.  The pros - I was able to 'read' another book (it took me about two weeks to finish it) and the actor that read the book was really good.  The cons - since this is a book about fairies, it was hard to follow certain parts and the name of the characters (I still don't know how they're spelled!)  Also you have to place close attention to the book, so if you like to plan or think as you drive, then don't listen to an audio book while driving.

The book starts about six months after the end of 'Wings'.  You really have to read the fist book to understand 'Spells'.  I was a little disappointed with the novel.  There was not a lot of action (only two scenes,) as this book concentrated more around Laurel's struggle to balance her human and fairy lives.  I found the love story between David and Laurel very well developed, but while I like David, I like Tamani even more.  The last scene of the book was quite heartbreaking.  I don't understand what Laurel is supposed to do when it is obvious to every human that she will not age, I think it would be easier to transition to her fairy life sooner rather than later (but that is just my opinion.)

The descriptions of Avalon where very well done, although I cannot help but share Laurel's opinion about the obvious class division and discrimination that all fairies take for granted.  I hope that 'Illussions' turns out better than Spells.

About the cover: I am not impressed with the cover.  I understand why there is a flower on the cover, but the dark colors don't reflect the mood of the story at all.

Review: Angelfire (Angelfire #1)

Title: Angelfire by Courtney Allison Moulton
Published: February 15,  2011 by Harper Collins / Katherine Tegen Books
Source: Library


When seventeen-year-old Ellie starts seeing reapers - monstrous creatures who devour humans and send their souls to Hell - she finds herself on the front lines of a supernatural war between archangels and the Fallen and faced with the possible destruction of her soul.

A mysterious boy named Will reveals she is the reincarnation of an ancient warrior, the only one capable of wielding swords of angelfire to fight the reapers, and he is an immortal sworn to protect her in battle. Now that Ellie's powers have been awakened, a powerful reaper called Bastian has come forward to challenge her. He has employed a fierce assassin to eliminate her - an assassin who has already killed her once.

While balancing her dwindling social life and reaper-hunting duties, she and Will discover Bastian is searching for a dormant creature believed to be a true soul reaper. Bastian plans to use this weapon to ignite the End of Days and to destroy Ellie's soul, ending her rebirth cycle forever. Now, she must face an army of Bastian's most frightening reapers, prevent the soul reaper from consuming her soul, and uncover the secrets of her past lives - including truths that may be too frightening to remember.

Review
What a debut!  This is the best book I have read so far this year.  It has romance, action, angels and reapers (sort of demons.)   Ellie is our kick-ass heroine.  Initially it takes her a while to believe what Will tells her, but I admire her make-lemonade-with-lemons attitude, even when she is scared witless.  I found infuriating that Ellie can't remember what she is, why she is that way, and most of her past.  I mean, how can anyone forget Will.  Another thing is that she is constantly trying to balance her school, and social life from what is really important (saving the world, duh!)  Since she can't remember what she did before, I honestly don't know why this 'awakening' can't happen when she is 18 and has more freedom and is out of high school.
Ah, Will (*sigh*) I love Will and I really understand and appreciate his pain, his struggle, his impossible love and his complete devotion to his beliefs, and to the cause .  All I can hope for is that Ms. Moulton is not cruel enough to make their love truly impossible.  I have my suspicions about Ellie's dad, but will see soon.
I can say that I didn't see this ending coming and that is is a bit of a cliffhanger.  I will eagerly (and not too patiently) await for 'Wings of the Wicked', sadly due next year.
About the cover:  I like the cover, although I am not in love with it.  There is something off-putting by the girl in the cover, but I can see Ellie's spirit of awesomeness too.  For a trully amazing art check Ms. Moulton's website  (see sample below :)

In My Mailbox (3)

IMM is a weekly meme inspired by Alea at the Pop Culture Junkie and hosted by the wonderful Kristi at The Story Siren.  All links are to Amazon.
I am doing IMM from a hotel in North Carolina (with a good Internet Connection!) where we stopped overnight on our way back from Orlando. 

Bought

Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys - I heard great things about this novel, I can't wait to read it.
The Twilight Saga: The Official Illustrated Guide by Sephenie Meyer - Need I say more?
Dead Reckoning by Charlaine Harris - This is book 11 of the Southern Vampires series.  Although the last book was not great, I still love this series (NOT YA)