In My Mailbox (13)

'In My Mailbox' 

is a weekly recurring meme hosted by The Story Siren. 

Every Sunday, Kristi shares her mailbox contents 

and gives us bloggers the opportunity to leave a link 

sharing our own mail!
~






Hey everyone!

Once more I've been a bad blogger, and reader! I am sorry for not stopping by your blogs as well, can you ever forgive me?
I didn't order many new books lately, since I'm having trouble reading the ones I have already. Occasionally a pre-order makes it to my doorstep, though. And a book with an interesting premise slips through the cracks of my I'm-not-buying-any-more-books-for-a-while intentions...

'A Temptation of Angels' by Michelle Zink
has been on my wish-list for a while, ever since I found out about it. The blurb sounds amazing! And the cover is even more gorgeous in real life!










'The Vampire Stalker' by Allison van Diepen
popped up somewhere on Goodreads recently and the premise sounded intriguing.

What if the characters in a vampire novel left their world--and came into yours?

So I caved in and ordered it. I actually finished it already, in one short sitting! You can find my review here.



So, was the mailman nice to you as well? Leave a comment and I solemnly promise I'll repay you with a visit. Pinky swear! ;)

Happy reading! :)

Review: Hallowed

'Hallowed' by Cynthia Hand

Series: ‘Unearthly’ #2

Genre: YA, Fantasy, Paranormal, Supernatural, Romance

Published:  January 2012

Pages: 403

My rating:  

The Blurb: For months part-angel Clara Gardner trained to face the raging forest fire from her visions and rescue the alluring and mysterious Christian Prescott from the blaze. But nothing could prepare her for the fateful decisions she would be forced to make that day, or the startling revelation that her purpose—the task she was put on earth to accomplish—is not as straightforward as she thought.

Now, torn between her increasingly complicated feelings for Christian and her love for her boyfriend, Tucker, Clara struggles to make sense of what she was supposed to do the day of the fire. And, as she is drawn further into the world of part angels and the growing conflict between White Wings and Black Wings, Clara learns of the terrifying new reality that she must face: Someone close to her will die in a matter of months. With her future uncertain, the only thing Clara knows for sure is that the fire was just the beginning. 

So, I just finished reading this, the tears are still on my cheeks, but I don’t want it to end. I want to read it again, now. Always. Somehow, Cynthia Hand was able to look straight into my heart. How is it possible she used the (almost) exact same words in her book, as my (now dearly departed) mother told me…?

'You and I have a connection that nothing, not on heaven or earth, or even hell, could ever break. If you want to talk to me, talk to me. I’ll hear you…'

Yes, this book touched me in a personal way because I have been through some of the things Clara Gardner went through. Which wouldn’t have been possible if Clara wasn’t such a strongly written character.

And characters are indeed one of the many strong aspects of this book (and its predecessor). More specifically: Clara Gardner. She’s a real teenage girl who makes mistakes, even if she is part angel.

She thinks for herself, tries to find the answers her mother won’t / can’t give her and she’s strong-willed (or stubborn, depending on which way you look at it…), for she’s willing to go against her purpose because of the love she feels for Tucker. Which may come across as selfish –you know, going against the Grand Design and all- but the way Cynthia Hand has written Clara, makes that choice totally understandable. 
The feelings she has for Tucker are so realistic, so pure, so natural you can actually feel them yourself. It's hard not to love a guy like Tucker, who is the perfect boyfriend, without being too good to be true. Still, Clara doubts herself, knowing it’s not right. Knowing Tucker should have died in that forest fire. When the moment comes that Clara realises her new vision is about the death of someone close to her, I myself could almost feel the slap she got in her face. Later on, when she finds out (through the ever curious Angela Zerbino) that she was wrong and someone else’s life is at stake, it broke my heart even more. The way she felt was painfully lifelike, the zombie-state she went in, because I have been in that place myself, alas. (Here, the staccato-writing style works marvellous.)

‘The absence of certainty’ could be the motto of Clara’s life, she thinks, when she hears Christian say those words. But amidst the craziness that is her life, Clara still manages to maintain her wits:

‘I’m having an argument with myself. And I’m losing. So not a good sign.’

Slowly, the mystery surrounding Christian Prescott, (the part-angel boy who apparently shared Clara’s initial vision) gets resolved. Again, naturally paced, because of Clara’s aversion of being in his presence at first, and the awkward conversations they have. Finally a sensible (okay, that fact is open for discussion when it comes to many other things, but in this case…) girl who admits memorizing the facts and physique of some boy doesn’t mean you know him.

‘Every time I see him I’m struck by the fact that I don’t know actually know him. In spite of all the conversations we’ve had, the time we’ve spent in Angel Club together, the way I memorized practically every detail about him last year like some obsessed little Mary Sue, he’s still a mystery to me. He’s still that stranger who I only get glimpses of.’ 

As time goes by, Clara and Christian do become closer, forced by circumstances, based on friendship, the chemistry (still) existing between them and their joined purposes.

And finally Jeffrey, Clara’s younger brother, gets a bigger part. You can feel his change throughout the book, it makes you wonder what’s going with him and why. (Besides the obvious.) He’s been  written incredibly life-like, the way he copes with life: his anger and his denial, the way he takes off; they’re all things I recognize from my own brother. Once his purpose is revealed, it all starts to make more sense.

Another surprise is the truth concerning Clara’s dad… Which, I won’t spoil of course. But the feelings surrounding him…

I want to mention a passage/ ‘event’ which surprised me enormously and filled me with joy, awe and warmth, it made me feel a bit overwhelmed even, like the time when Harry Potter visited the International Quidditch Finals. An original idea, totally fitting the story, adding more atmosphere to it. ‘Glorious’. The angelic details are certainly present, but not overwhelming. There's room for a real story, but still room for the supernatural background. Cynthia Hand found a way to create a perfect balance between all the elements in this book: plot/story, paranormal elements, romance, humor, character depth and growth: every ingredient is mixed together in this perfect 'Hallowed' blend. 

There are some fun references to popular things happening nowadays, which will no doubt make this now-contemporary read, a fun retro book to read many years from now. For example, there’s an amusing comparison to Edward’s midnight gawk/stalk sleeping Bella sessions.

Also there’s a comparison of which I kinda assume it’s an ‘ode’ to one of the best TV-shows ever, where Clara borrows the epic words Angela Chase in ‘My So-called Life’ once uttered as the words she would want to hear when having sex for the first time:

‘He’s beautiful, so crazy beautiful it almost hurts to look at him--’

The initial pace of the book is slow-(ish). Yes, there are many things happening, but they are all easy to follow. The writing style is mostly fluent, though sometimes a bit too staccato to my liking. A bit childish perhaps. Not very poetic. Sometimes I’m annoyed by the lack in sentence variation, other times I’m pleasantly surprised by lengthy sentences.

That is, however, the only negative thing I have to say about ‘Hallowed’. It was better and more intense than ‘Unearthly’. It started out sweetly and slowly, but got so much deeper in an emotional way. The story swallows and envelopes you, in a bitter sweet embrace. Much like the moment you know you’re sharing your last painful kiss with a lover you don’t want to leave, but have to anyway. Crushing.

Heart-breaking.

I want more.

Now.

(Somehow, 'Happy Reading' doesn't fit now...)

In My Mailbox (9)

'In My Mailbox' 
is a weekly recurring meme hosted by The Story Siren. 
Every Sunday, Kristi shares her mailbox contents 
and gives us bloggers the opportunity to leave a link 
sharing our own mail!
~

Hey there!

So, it's that time again, to share the contents of my mailbox! It's very modest this time and didn't even come through the mail... Technically this should be known as 'In My Saddlebag'. (In Holland it's very normal to own a bicycle and have bags hanging over the rear luggage rack from it. Whereas the trouble I'm having now in finding the right translation for the words 'fietstas' and 'bagagedrager' leads me to believe it's not as common elsewhere!)

Anyway, here's my loot for the week (and now first on my TBR list!):

Fallen in Love ('Fallen' #3.5) by Lauren Kate

What did you get in your mailbox this week? Care to share with me?

Have a nice day! :)

In My Mailbox (5)

'In My Mailbox' 

is a weekly recurring meme hosted by The Story Siren. 

Every Sunday, Kristi shares her mailbox contents 

and gives us bloggers the opportunity to leave a link 

sharing our own mail!

~

Hey there,

During these last few hours of 2011 the mailman rung my doorbell with a gift, AND I scored a hardcover version of 'The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner' (a 'Twilight' novel) (in Dutch) in a budget-store near us for only €0.99!!!

When she read about my offer to review YA novels, Patti Roberts asked me to review her book 'Paradox' -in exchange for a free paperback version (of her first and second book!).
Which means 'The Angels Are Here' & 'Progeny of Innocence' are on my To-Be-Read-Soon list, right along with the other books I would've hoped to have tackled during my Holidays, but will now be the first ones I read in 2011.

What books are you planning to read in 2012? Drop me a line, leave me a comment!
Have yourself a wonderful and safe New Year's Eve & see you around Next Year!

Book Review: When Copper Suns Fall

When Copper Suns Fall, by KaSonndra Leigh (e-ARC provided by the author)

Series: Copper Suns book 1

Genre: YA, Urban Fantasy, Supernatural, Paranormal, Dystopia

Published:  November 2011

Pages: 381

My rating: 

In fifteen-year-old Chela Prizeon’s city, alchemy is forbidden and angels hide among the mortal. With a deadly virus ravaging the globe, Chela’s nightmarish memories compels her to experience a past riddled with gloom, and now her brother is infected.

Chela’s only hope is the Caduceans, slayers sworn to protect the last seven Light Keepers and the ancient memories they share. A group led by the sometimes elusive, sometimes infuriating boy who intrigues Chela. But can she trust this boy with the mysterious past, someone who can influence her memories?

With the Caduceans aid, Chela races to defeat her rivals, to unearth dark family secrets, desperate to find a cure…only to discover the glutovirus is far more than a simple disease.

After eyeballing this book for its gorgeous cover and appealing contents, becoming Facebook-buddies to KaSonndra Leigh and shamelessly offering her my review in return for a free copy of ‘When Copper Suns Fall’, KaSonndra was kind enough to indulge me with an e-version of her book! THANK YOU once more for that, KaSonndra. And good luck on the book sales!

Let me start off by saying that digital reading and I will never, ever become friends. I find it harder to feel a connection with characters, kind of like the same way chatting to someone on your computer makes you feel. You know it’s them you’re talking to, but it’s not as good as the real thing. Something personal is seriously lacking.

Maybe that’s why it took me a little time to get into the story, but once I did, I really did! KaSonndra’s writing strengths truly lie with action sequences, because these happen fluently and believable. Her story-telling skills are great. Exciting plot turns, fencing scenes which made me hold by breath (unbeknownst to me) and mysterious boys slowly being unravelled. The plot has been given much thought and the story has a good build-up towards the climax. Great potential exists to develop this whole world even more in further books. I was confused many times though, about who the good guys were, and the bad guys. Which in my opinion does make things even more realistic: in real life there (usually) isn’t ‘just’ good or evil, there are so many shades of grey in between!

For the biggest part this a very fluently written story, it reads away easily in an agreeable, but sort of poetic prose. Some beautifully written, poetic comparisons are easily woven throughout the entire story:

Or maybe they thought I was a little bird waiting to be given an award for staying quiet.

Feelings however, are kind of suppressed -or get repeated in words (‘telling rather than showing’) several times. Also, sometimes there are (tiny) jumps leaving me confused and wondering whether I missed a bit. Then there were times descriptions of some things were lacking, like the depiction of the other world beyond the graveyard. Also, I stumbled across some wrongly written referrals which made me wonder who edited the book before it was published.

The romance between Chela and Faris, much like the time they spend in the other world, evolves rather quickly. Too quickly. They share some time and memories together and somehow out of the blue, a kiss happens. Without really reading about Chela’s change in feelings. It felt shallow somehow. 

Overall Chela is an easy-to-sympathize-with-character, as are the other characters. There’s some growth, some struggle. They’re not cardboard cut-outs, but they’re not the best-written characters I’ve encountered either.

I realize how hard it is to write something original, something nobody has thought off yet. Everything has been done already. And most of this story was very original in its plot, setting and time. But there were many details that felt familiar to me (you can play a guess-game if you’d like), like the fencing, body-tattoos, paintings that come to live, the mansion where kids with special abilities are being trained, the other world not susceptible to normal persons’ eyes, etc.  

Of course, no author owns the rights to any setting unless it’s a world they created themselves, so there’s nothing actually wrong with KaSonndra’s choice of having an important part of this book take place in an amusement park… So what if it happened to play a big role in the 'Hush, Hush' books too? (Which, by the way, dealt with angels also...) Mind you: since ‘When Copper Suns Fall’ trumps ‘Hush, Hush’ on various levels, there’s no loss here, only gain.

All in all I enjoyed the story in itself, but it felt like a draft version, still rough around the edges. It definitely has potential, it’s a promising story, but it needs some more editing and tweaking. ‘When Copper Suns Fall’ deserves those extra pages to improve the story, in my opinion! So it can truly shine like a copper sun, not fall...

~Have a nice 2nd day of X-Mas (and nice Holidays maybe?)~

P.S. By finishing this book, I finished my Goodreads Reading Challenge! I read 20 books this year. It may not seem much, but I only started counting from July, so... ;) How about your 2011 reading list, and 2012 Reading Challenge?

In My Mailbox! (4)

'In My Mailbox' 

is a weekly recurring meme hosted by The Story Siren. 

Every Sunday, Kristi shares her mailbox contents 

and gives us bloggers the opportunity to leave a link 

sharing our own mail!

~

Hey there!

It was quite the well-timed coincidence that I ran into the delivery guy today, while walking around the block with my recently hernia-operated-on neighbor lady. I already knew 'Hallowed' was being released (and thus sent to me) earlier than planned, but with the Holidays coming up I hadn't expected my book(s) to arrive this early! I've been very excited for the sequel of  'Unearthly' by Cynthia Hand, especially after reading many good reviews!

Also 'Miss peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children' made it to my doorstep today. Earlier this week I already received 'Shattered Souls' but since I posted a couple of times already I figured I'd wait till the end of the week. Also because I hoped to have some more time on my hands now my vacation has officially begun!

~Once again I wish you Happy Holidays!~

Release Day Blitz 'When Copper Suns Fall'

As promised, I'm sharing the cover of the upcoming novel 'When Copper Suns Fall', by KaSonndra Leigh. I for one can't wait to get my hands on this book, because it sounds very promising!

In fifteen-year-old Chela Prizeon’s city, alchemy is forbidden and angels hide among the mortal. With a deadly virus ravaging the globe, Chela’s nightmarish memories compels her to experience a past riddled with gloom, and now her brother is infected.  
Chela’s only hope is the Caduceans, slayers sworn to protect the last seven Light Keepers and the ancient memories they share. A group led by the sometimes elusive, sometimes infuriating boy who intrigues Chela. But can she trust this boy with the mysterious past, someone who can influence her memories? 
With the Caduceans aid, Chela races to defeat her rivals, to unearth dark family secrets, desperate to find a cure…only to discover the glutovirus is far more than a simple disease. 
In this haunting debut, KaSonndra Leigh offers an escape into a world as intriguing as The Mortal Instruments and a story as chilling as Enclave. Full of celestial creatures, fascinating villainy, high-stake choices, and a secret romance, When Copper Suns Fall, is a fresh and original urban fantasy—with a dystopian twist—that will take readers on an unforgettable adventure.

Have a good day! :)

In My Mailbox! (1)

'In My Mailbox' 

is a weekly recurring meme hosted by The Story Siren. 

Every Sunday, Kristi shares her mailbox contents 

and gives us bloggers the opportunity to leave a link 

sharing our own mail!

~

Hey,

Sooo, here's my first (but certainly not last!) post about which book-related (self-paid) 'prezzies' the mailman brought me last week!

'The Space Between' by Brenna Yovanoff

'Mercy', 'Exile' & 'Muse' by Rebecca Lim

'Inkheart', 'Inkspell' & 'Inkdeath' by Cornelia Funke

When the 'Inkheart' movie was on TV again last week, I was smitten with it once more. The concept of a world where all kinds of characters from all sorts of books live together in perfect disharmony is very original. The whole idea has much potential. So, I finally decided to order the trilogy in order to find out what happened to all the characters... 

I have been wondering about reading the 'Golden Compass' books also, because I enjoyed the movie very much!

Did you read some of these books already, or are you dying to? Did you see the movie 'Inkheart' and/or 'The Golden Compass' already? In general, how do you feel about books turned into movies/TV-shows? You're welcome to share your thoughts on the subject with me!

Have a good weekend! :)

Cover Reveal: Rapture & Fallen in Love

Greetings my fellow Lauren Kate fans!

While surfing, I accidentally I stumbled accross the covers for Lauren Kate's 2 upcoming books! Which is kinda funny because I already stumbled accross Lauren Kate's 'Fallen in Love' by accident as well. But from what I gather, everybody was taken by surprise by this unexpected publication from Lauren Kate!
'Fallen in Love' is going to be a collection of romantic stories starring some of the characters from the 'Fallen' series, not just limited to Lucinda and Daniel. Could be romantic, could be cheesy, could be very funny too. It'll hit the stores January 24th! (I pre-ordered mine already. Since it has to travel to The Netherlands I hope to receive it around the 31st of January...)

Cleverly created to keep the fans happy no doubt, I'm sure 'Fallen in Love' will be a lovely read, but I am ofcourse still anxiously awaiting 'Rapture', the 4th and final instalment in the 'Fallen' series. Which is gonna be released June 12th next year!


The cover of 'Rapture' fits the other ones perfectly. (I actually disliked 'Passion's cover for some reason, there were too many colours in it and Lucinda's dress was too 'simple' in comparison.)



One detail that immediately stands out when you see the cover of 'Rapture' is the colour of Lucinda's dress. It's actually white, instead of the usual black... What does it mean? Will Lucinda and Daniel get married, perhaps?

What are your thoughts on the subject? Drop me a line! Oh...and have a nice day while you're at it ;)

Review: Unearthly

Unearthly, by Cynthia Hand
Series: Unearthly, book 1
Genre: Ya, Paranormal Romance
Published: January 2011
Pages: 435
My Rating: 

Angels are some of my favourite ‘things’. I simply adore these divine beings with their majestic wings. Their pure, untouched souls vibrating with untainted love. Ergo, reading about them is wonderful to me. I enjoy(ed) the 'Fallen' series by Lauren Kate very much, but was very disappointed by 'Hush, Hush' and its sequel. So I was hoping ‘Unearthly’ would be better. It was actually, being good and sweet, but not as epic I hoped it would be. It was, however, the story I expected 'Hush, Hush' to be. The way 'Hush, Hush' could and should have been had it been about 'good' angels and had it been written properly...

The beginning of the book did not draw me in immediately though. The vision Clara had, wasn’t written very strongly; it’s more telling than showing what the author does.
The rather simple writing style in the present tense even appalled me at first. (To me, writing a book in present tense feels like a beginner’s mistake.) Too many sentences are short and start with ‘I...’ or ‘He...’, another indication pointing towards the author’s lack of writing experience. But the storyline takes the focus off these flaws, fortunately.

Lately, I find myself becoming tired of 16-year old heroines. However, the concept of ‘Unearthly’ is original enough to grab ones attention and it makes one wanna read on. Being a normal, modern, school-going girl who happens to be part-angel, Clara receives a vision which becomes her life’s purpose. Bit by bit the vision becomes clearer, until Clara knows where to find the mysterious boy she is supposed to save from a forest fire. The author wrote in some lovely and believable details and explanations on angels, which were new to me. Everything is clear and simple, and explained rather than expected to be common knowledge.

Slowly, the story develops once Clara moves across the country with her half-angel mother and demi-angel brother and meets Christian, the mystery boy from her visions. Clara makes new friends and learns more about angels from an unexpected source. Because she is still uncertain about her purpose, Clara tries to get to know as much about Christian as she possibly can. This involves a mild form of stalking, not like some of the unhealthy stalking we’ve read about in a lot of YA books lately. Wink, nudge…
Nothing epic happening at first, asides from the knowledge Clara has angel blood flowing through her veins and feathers growing out of her back (when needed/forced). Through the major part of the book, the story seems to focus more on Clara’s adjustment to her new life. Towards the end and Clara’s supposed purpose-fulfilment the story picks up speed. Still the plot isn’t huge but more subtle and not entirely exposed during this first instalment of the trilogy.

Because of the simple writing style, ‘Unearthly’ reads away quickly, easily and understandably, without the ridiculous plot twists or over-the-top paranoia we encountered in ‘Hush, Hush’. Actually, for a book on angels with meaningful purposes the pace is very slow. Clearly ‘Unearthly’ puts the emphasis on romance rather than action. The story itself is endearing enough to make you forget about the lack in sentence variation or non-descriptiveness.

The romance part flows very naturally, it doesn’t feel forced on in any way. I had expected things to go slightly different, knowing Clara’s destiny was somehow entwined with Christian’s. Then again, that’s not how these stories usually turn out. The story is incredibly sweet and realistic, and like Clara, you forget she’s part-angel sometimes. Sure, there almost isn’t anything she isn’t good at, but most of the time her human side prevails. She’s a normal teen trying to find out her purpose in life, not just an angel-blood trying to live up to her purpose. Her angelic-ness makes it even harder for her to be herself, having to hide her true self most of the time.
The choices she makes are very understandable, Clara is easy to relate to. It’s hard to act divine and put yourself last, when you feel like a normal girl who wants to live a normal life and put herself first. I was left as confused as she was, in the end. Which is a sign of good penmanship after all. I truely was Clara...

Tucker seems like the kind of guy any girl would be lucky to have: an attractive, spirited cowboy with a golden heart.
Christian is still too much of a mystery to me to make up my mind about him.
My initial thoughts that something was ‘up’ with Angela were right. Gotta admire a girl with so much enthusiasm, whose mother owns one of the coolest places in town.
Wendy shares most qualities her twin brother Tucker; she’s steady, trustworthy, loyal and down-to-earth.
I know Clara's mother Maggie deliberately let her daughter find out things, but it pained me to actually feel her shutting Clara out at times.

The way things were going I should have expected the book’s ending. But the way things were supposed to be going, allowed the ending to surprise me. Thankfully Hallowed (the sequel to ‘Unearthly’) is already written and I’m glad I pre-ordered it. Because this book was clearly a set-up for a longer story, a (albeit very long) introduction for more to come; leaving some serious issues to be resolved, questions to be answered and mess to be cleaned up. A task I am willing to take on, because this book was a very lovely read. A feel-good book if you will, with its darker passages, humour, endearing characters, very promising concept and somewhat gloomy ending.

P.S. Alas, I own the book with the *least* attractive cover option out of the 3 different versions. It's hideous in my opinion even; the girl dressed in white with her 'computerized' hair, against the blue forest background. I sooo don't get this cover, as opposed to the other beautiful ones!

Review: Crescendo

Crescendo (Hush, Hush #2), by Becca Fitzpatrick
Series: Hush, Hush, book 2
Genre: YA, Fantasy, Paranormal, Romance, Mystery
Published: October 2010
Pages: 427
My Rating:



** SPOILER ALERT **

In some ways 'Crescendo' was an improvement to 'Hush, Hush', in other ways it was just as... bad. I'm sticking to 2 stars for this one too. There were parts I liked, there were other parts that seemed entirely out of place and there was too much confusing information. Way too much going on again.

The beginning is more hopeful than 'Hush, Hush'. It starts out with more action, some flashbacks in which we learn more about Nora's dads death. And at least now Nora knows what she wants from Patch. She's not afraid of him anymore, doesn't suspect him anymore and can feel free to love him. He's proven his love to her by denying her sacrifice, thus giving up his chance to become human. (Despite this, Nora still doubts his feelings for her, silly girl!!!) Patch's reward is: being Nora's guardian angel. Only when Nora finds out Patch can't be 'with' her as her lover, at penalty of hell, she decides it's better for both of them to dump him. (Not so selfish anymore: she chooses Patch's happiness over her own.)

Nora didn't give up her old paranoid habits: she still suspects everyone, Scott being her next victim. She follows him around, manoeuvres herself in his bedroom while she doesn't trust the guy, even fears for her life... Doesn't she EVER learn? I find the whole thing pretty juvenile, the suspicions, the stalking, the snooping. Get a life, Nora!

As pointed out by both girls, they're each others only friends. So WHY does Nora neglect to fill Vee in on earth-shattering news when she finds it out, like the fact Marcie's dad could be her dad? Is it because she's afraid that telling one thing may lead to having to tell her more? Or does she simply 'forget' these things because of all the other stuff that's going on in her life? Not raining down on her, no pouring down!

Vee remains a flat character to me though, all I really know about the girl is that she's a little overweight and tries to diet all the time, in her own way. Oh yeah, she's got a big mouth. And she drives Nora around when Nora doesn't have her own car anymore. (Again, what mother in her right mind would sell her daughters car to pay off stuff? Especially if her daughter is stuck in an abandoned farmhouse, all alone!)

Vee's willingness to be Nora's private driver for so long, is no reason to begin several chapters in a row with the same statement that Vee dropped Nora off somewere. Seriously missing variation in writing here... (I read the sentence about 'favouring the stairs over the elevator' twice already.)
And what happened to Nora's black eye? One minute it's prominently there, the next chapter it's already gone. It takes most HUMANS longer to heal, Nora. Euhm, Becca.

And Patch can't feel, physically? That's like sparkly vampires all over again. As is the being sucked into his memories upon touching his scars... There's nothing wrong with a little imagination, but this is very unbelievable.

Also, I still don't get what's up with Marcie and Nora. Patch can't have true love, but he can screw around? And since he can't have Nora, he's just 'doing' the girl he already knows is her biological sister? WHAT AN ASSHOLE! The whole book makes noooo sense, I'm telling you...

Things seemed to happen randomly, the book was going nowhere for some passages, then when things finally sped up, an information overload rained down on me. I had a hard time finding order in the chaos. All the clues that had to be figured out by Nora are chaotic, the whole book reads like a detective for kiddies. It actually reads like it's written by a twelve-year old, for twelve-year olds. (Which is why the sex never goes any further, obviously...)

I had to grin when I read about the 'Black Hand'. I'm assuming Becca never read any Dutch children's books, but there's an old famous book about 'Pietje Bell' and his 'gang'. Pietje Bell was a naughty boy who lived on the streets, he was a poor boy and along with his 'gang' (guess what it's called? The Black Hand!) they were the little menaces of society with golden hearts, you know the kind. This 'coincidence' made me feel even stronger that this book is written for a very young audience.

And WHY was the Amusement Park built by fallen angels? Why on earth 9pun intended) do fallen angels build amusement parks in their spare time? Are we going to get an answer to that question in the next book? WHY won’t archangels go there? Because of all the noise and thoughts they can't tune in on the fallen angels' thoughts? Or was it purely because it makes a nice, creepy setting? (It does do that. Especially Funhouses are freaking me out!)

Another unbelievable fact: they release Nora from the hospital mere hours after she was shot, attempted to be murdered even, and allow her to stay ALONE in the farmhouse? Yeah, right…

I'd have to re-read the entire book to finally make sense of the whole thing, all the plot twists and turns, the who's related to who and who wants to kill who and why again. And the open end makes things even worse. Nora's biological dad wants to bring down the fallen angels because they posess the Nephilim's offspring bodies and doesn't like it one bit that Nora's chosen the other side. Please, don't tell me he wants to kill her as well... How many people have tried to kill Nora by now? I've lost count...

This books brings me to tears and not in a good way... I cancelled my pre-ordered for 'Silence' already, uncertain I can take anymore of this. I kept hoping things would improve, but they don't. Well, sort of. In this book there were actually more good parts than in the first book. It's the tying loose ends together that takes too long, you've lost track of the whole plot already a long time ago. Since I've hear Nora actually suffers from amnesia all through the third book, I really quit. This is going nowhere. Fast.

This book could/should have been EPIC with the battle between Nephilim offspring and fallen angels that's coming, but it's like reading a suspicious teen girl's diary. A real shame.

Have a good day! :)

Review: Hush, Hush

Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick
Series: Hush, Hush, book 1
Genre: YA, Fantasy, Romance, Paranormal, Mystery
Published: October 2009
Pages: 391
My Rating:




** SPOILER ALERT! **

Don't make the mistake of judging this book by its cover. The cover is gorgeous! But the book? We'd better 'hush, hush' about it...

Firstly, I have to ask: what's up with these names: Nora and Patch? Are they Becca Fitzpatrick's cats' names? (And I still don't know Patch's real name...!!!)

At first, I was drawn in from the first chapter. Who was this guy, knowing everything about Nora? I really liked the interaction between the two of them. Or maybe I should say the way Patch handled Nora. I had a few laughs about some things, for example when they discuss human reproduction in class, more specific body language. When Patch analyses Nora's body language in front of everyone, concluding 'she's game' I was laughing, as well as feeling Nora's shame. I love Patch's bravoure.

I thought the way Nora and Vee tried to find out things about Patch (and Elliot) was very fun. It was something I could have attempted too, at age 13 though, rather than at age 16. Dressing up like someone else and not very subtily questioning those who obviously are not interested in answering your questions and see through you rightaway may not be all that clever...

While reading, I got the 'Final Destination' vibe more and more, with all the bad things that happen (in Nora's mind, as it turns out later). 'A Hundred Ways to Die' would have been an appropiate title too. I got a bit tired of all the accidents that happened, and then seemed not to have happened. And it never occured to Nora that because Patch is able to 'speak' in her mind, he can make her 'see' things in her mind as well?
I didn't expect so much of a thriller and basically a murder mysterie (even though the subject wasn't killed, merely attempted to). I guess when I read the book was about fallen angels, I expected something like Lauren Kate's 'Fallen' books. I expected more, somehow. But it's not fair to compare I guess.

Nora's feelings and suspicions are all over the place. First, she suspects Patch. Then, when she starts to develop feelings for him, she stops to listen to her head (sometimes) and lets her heart take over. Luckily, Elliot shows up to take the blame. Looking all evil all of a sudden. And even though Patch finally admits he wanted to kill Nora, that thought gets washed away as quickly by Nora as I will have forgotten this book.
Which is a great example of how shallow/superficial this book is written. The feelings aren't going that deep. You don't get to relate to Nora('s crush) that much. You are left hanging in the midst of it all, maybe it's because Nora can't seem to make up her own mind, I blame it on lack of writing skills and lack of a consistent character.

Buildings and surroundings are described very little. I'm not even sure what Nora's room and living room look like, that's lacking for me.

When I read that Nora's mom has a job that keeps her away from her daughter for weeks at a time, only 1 year after her husband -Nora's dad- was murdered, I couldn't believe it. No mother in her right mind would leave her only daughter ALONE in an abandoned farmhouse situated in a scary location. Especially not after her husband died the way he did! Trying to hang on to memories by trying to keep the house would not have been enough reason for my mom would to go away and NOT take care of me!!!

I hated that whenever Nora and Patch were about to go beyond kissing, they were interrupted somehow. The build-up was very hot and steamy indeed, but then their intimacy was brutally ended. It got old and annoying after a few times. If you're scared to write sex-scenes, this is obviously the way to avoid them: have something happen that will break the couple up. Doing that 2, maybe 3 times is okay, but after that we have to have some resolve!!!

And what is up with Patch's inability to feel touches to his skin, being a fallen angel? I find that idea just as stupid and unbelievable as vampires' skins that sparkle in the sunlight. 'Come on, let's throw in another barrier! It's not bad enough that Patch wanted to kill Nora at first, no, once they overcome that issue, let's make him unable to feel too! You know, just to make things more interesting!'

I am kinda curious to know what happens next to Patch and Nora, the story in itself was okay and could use further deepening. Which is why I'm reading the sequel (since I've already bought it anyway and it's a quick read).

This book is okay to read, but it's not earth-shattering. It's a quick read that doesn't make you think too much. It's not heavy or action-packed in a hard-to-follow way. Maybe it's really for a younger audience. (Which I'm definately not anymore) I seriously don't understand the hype surrounding this book.

If compared to food, this would be junk-food. A quick snack which tastes good while you're at it, but makes you long for a real, decent meal to leave you satisfied afterwards.

Have a good day! :)

Review: Clockwork Angel

Clockwork Angel, by Cassandra Clare
Series: The Infernal Devices, book 1 of 3
Genre: YA, Urban Fantasy, Steampunk, Sci-fi
Published: August 2010
Pages: 476
My Rating:



Wow... Cassandra Clare is an excellent writer who takes her readers seriously, for a change. Despite the more challenging use of words, the book is still an 'easy' read. Meaning: it captures you. It captures you inside a beautifully created world, a very thought-through fantasy-world. A world I would love to love in. (Steampunkian Victorian England)
It's obvious she's done her research, getting many details right. Details that make the story more realistic and alive. About the way people from different classes (not) were supposed to 'socialize', for example.
The characters are great, I like the way you get more information about them while you're reading. I like the mysterie that surrounds some characters, still. I like it in a painful way even, now I'm left to hang here waiting for the sequel 'Clockwork Prince', extremely curious about someone's intentions at the end of the book. I am DYING to know what's gonna happen next. I love most of the characters, I've begun to know them like friends and I wanna stay in their world. I'm desperate to find out the real deal about Tessa.I really lived inside Tessa's world, seeing what she saw, feeling what she felt. I regret leaving now. I really do.

The book was action-packed, everything described very well so you felt like you were participating in the action. (I for one would love to see this translated to the big screen, it truely deserves a movie!) The story was well-written and well told, the plot had some nice twists, the characters developed throughout the story and were easy to sympathize with. I loved the variations in supernatural beings residing in Tessa's world and the original ideas regarding some of those supernatural 'things'. (Unlike some authors who stray from the 'original' fantasy in a ridiculous, unbelievable manner, like the creation of sparkly vampires...)

Don't read this if you don't want to be left behind yearning to find out the truth, the lies, the past and the future. Just don't.

Enjoy your day! :)

Review: Kissed by an Angel

Kissed by an Angel (trilogy), by Elizabeth Chandler
Series: Kissed by an Angel, book 1-3 of 5
Genre: YA, Mystery, Paranormal, Romance
Published: August 1998
Pages: 690
My Rating:

The plot of this book is what attracted me. Ivy falls in love, but when her boyfriend dies in a car-crash (the same car crash Ivy survives) she's left behind. Or is she? Tristan finds himself being an angel and tries to get through to Ivy. Which is very hard because she's given up on angels when Tristan died, after once being a firm believer. Tristan believes Ivy is in terrible danger so he needs to get through to her desperately.

The book was an easy read, a page-turner in the sense of simplicity. The characters were a bit shallow, feelings not entirely believable conveyed. Some parts dragged on too long. Especially towards the ending. I had to force myself to continue reading, hoping the plot would finally reveil itself. Because as a reader I knew what danger Ivy was in, and eventhough I understood that danger couldn't be dealt with another way, I was almost desperate for it to end. It took a bit too long even if it did turn more dark and creepy towards the end. The things that happened then weren't that original, and I didn't sympathize enough with the characters to really feel their pain.

There were some humorous side aspects in the shape of Tristan's little helper who uses her powers to... confuse people.

Even if the plot idea sounded original to me, it felt like something I have seen/read before already. The story had a murder-mystery feel to it, somehow not what I expected. It was a nice book to read, but average. I already own its sequel, 'Evercrossed' but I'm not in any hurry to read it...

Enjy your day! :)

Review: Passion

'Passion' by Lauren Kate
Series: Fallen, book 3 of 4
Genre: YA, Fantasy, Paranormal, Romance, Sci-fi
Published: June 2011
Pages: 420
My Rating: 

The best book so far in the 'Fallen' series!

Again I could not wait until 'Passion' was available! The way things ended in 'Torment' led me to believe that Lucinda would embark on a journey through her past lives. Oh how I love to read about past lives and history! Luckily Lauren Kate didn't let me down,
I loved peeking into Lucinda's past lives also!

Some of those past lives did seem too good to be true though. I mean, what were the odds of being wealthy in the past? The odds of encountering someone royal? The odds you actually played an important part in history? (Besides Lucinda's link to Daniel, which I know will prove to be of great importance somehow.)
But I had a blast going through her past anyway. It was like reading all sorts of interesting and appealing books about different subjects I liked, without having to change books ;)

Russian Lucinda touched me much for example, as did the bratty Houston-based one. Every life had its charm, but of course it always had its downside: ending abruptly because of some interaction with Daniel. Somehow I had a hard time believing WHY Daniel would still fall for Luce in some life, because her behavior/character weren't that inviting or endearing. I mean, Daniel may have been attracted to the same soul over and over, but when that soul seems different in a bad way, why still the attraction?

About the whole soul thing: I get that through time, especially in different parts of the world, Lucinda's and Daniels appearances were different. That's how things go with reincarnation: the soul remains the same, it just travels from body to body. So why didn't their appearances change throughout their most recent past lives? Simply because there was no need for them to change because they still would have fitted in with their current habitat? That defies all logic...
And another thing Lauren Kate should have explained, which, apparently, isn't common knowledge to everyone, is that angels don't actually have an appearance. They are a sort of glowing energy shapes. However, does that apply to fallen angels as well? I don't know. Assuming it does, Daniel just shaped himself into something Lucinda would understand; a human shape. A manly human shape. Because angels don't have genders, either. So basically there was hardly any need for Daniel to change his appearance throughout his past lives. (Or rather, LIFE.) Unless geography required it.
Anyway, I sort of read over these aspects, not torturing myself about the 'why's' too much, maybe because I already knew some things about angels. Even if there will be a explanation in the next book, it'll be too late. Readers got lost in this installment already. I got lost in the story in a good way, but now the plot-holes are sort of gnawing on me.

As to Lucinda's little sidekick through the shadows: I had my suspicions... And I was right... I'm very curious what's going to happen next and whether 'Rapture' will prove to be an even better read, because the books improve with every sequel. Lauren Kate finds her voice more and more, the writing improves, the characters develop more.

Plot-wise there wasn't actually happening that much in this book, a much heard point of critique. I think of this book as sort of a break in the series as well, a breathing pause where more background info is given. Although I feel I didn't learn anything new from this book (we already knew Lucinda's still alive in this lifetime because of her non-baptism, we already knew Daniel would still choose to fall in love with her, over and over again) I enjoyed the read anyway. It wasn't until the end the set-up for the final battle was made, leaving us readers begging for more.

How is she gonna set things straight this time, on such an epic scale, with such high-ranked players involved? I'm going to have to wait until this Summer, unfortunately. Until then she leaves us (surprise!) with a kind of add-on novel in the series: 'Fallen in Love'. It features some love stories including several of 'Fallen's characters. I already pre-ordered mine, yay!

Have a nice day! :)

Review: Torment

Torment, by Lauren Kate.

Series: Fallen, book 2 of 4

Genre: YA, Fantasy, Paranormal, Sci-fi, Romance

Published: September 2010

Pages: 452

My Rating:

After what seemed like an eternity of waiting for the sequel to 'Fallen' ('Torment') to get published, I finally got to know what would happen next to Lucinda and Daniel.
What I liked about this sequel was the different setting from the first book. Even though I could totally sympathize with Luce in the dreary environment of 'Fallen', 'Torment's' setting was refreshing. The sunny school for Nephilim felt lighter somehow.

I liked reading how Luce discovered her 'powers' (don't want to give too much away) and made new friends, who didn't appear to be all that friendly at first. On one side she was pining and aching for Daniel, she still took matters in her own hands. Even if she didn't know how. Which may have been stupid, but I can relate to those kinds of actions ;)

Most of all I liked where the ending was going (again the epic battle here... amongst her poor, unsuspecting family and friends), it made me very curious for 'Passion'!

Have a good day :)

Review: Fallen

Fallen, by Lauren Kate
Series: Fallen, book 1 of 4
Genre: YA, Paranormal, Fantasy, Romance
Published: December 2009
Pages: 452
My Rating: 

In all honesty I have to admit I'm writing this review whereas I've read the book quite some time ago. (About 2 years ago even!) That's not my usual style, but 'Fallen' deserves a review, so here I go.

The original (movie-worthy!) setting of this book set the tone immediately to a dark read: the reform school 'Swords and Cross' Lucinda is being sent to is a grim, gruesome place. It wasn't even her fault she got sent there in the first place. It's not like she meant to set her boyfriend on fire, it just happened. But maybe it was for the best Lucinda was sent away, it gave her the chance to live her life without being judged by all her fellow students.
Whether the academy is the best place to have a fresh, new start is debatable. It's not very inviting with all its grey buildings, the cemetery on school grounds and the old church now harboring an Olympic size swimming pool. Most of the students seem to have adapted to their surroundings and fate and seem like they actually belong in a place like that. The mandatory all BLACK dress code doesn't do anything to add to the cheeriness. However, Luce quickly finds herself a new friend in Penn, whose father used to be the janitor. Even Arianne who seems very strange at first turns out to be a loyal friend.
And of course, then there is Daniel. Daniel who doesn't seem interested in Luce and treats her with her disrespect. That is, when he acknowledges her at all. But Luce can't stop herself from feeling attracted to him. (Although why I can't figure out: I don't like his looks and he's the wrong kind of tormented. He's a drag, actually!)
Anyhow, Luce pines for Daniel and tries to get in touch with him. This goes on for the major part of the book, nothing else of importance happens. There were times I wondered why I kept reading even, it felt rather boring to read about this seemingly unrequited love.
Luckily, we have Cam to keep things interesting, with his black hair and cat-like green eyes. And even though you can sense from a mile away he's BAD news (yes, with a capital B, A and D!) he's smoking hot. Now there's an attraction I understand!
When it comes to Cam, you can sense Daniel is jealous, or rather protective of Luce, in other ways, deeper ways. Like he knows about Cams badness. And finally things start to make sense, the romance takes off (a little, in a goody-two-shoes-way) and we find out why Daniel kept Luce away but didn't want Cam near her either. At that point there hadn't been any 'fantasy' aspect to the book, so although I knew what the book was about, I was still surprised when Daniel showed his true self. Like his angelic-ness didn't belong in the book. But I got used to it quickly. One things that kept being annoying though, was that Daniel couldn't tell Luce what the deal was about. No, she has to find out herself.

The semi-epic ending of the book was harsh in ways I did not see coming. Well written, realistic when it comes to feelings, detailed when it comes to he angels' appearances.

All in all a book with an original concept, a promising story with epic battles lurking around the corner, an endangered romance without knowing how to make sure it will last this lifetime. The writing is okay, not too hard, but detailed enough. The characters aren't that well-written and I can't really feel the chemistry beyond the fate-link Luce and Daniel share. A bit of a mediocre book perhaps, with a little extra though. It certainly  kept me engaged enough to read the sequels!

Also, I dare say it's right up there with the 'Twilight' Saga. If you liked those, you'll like these as well. I hope the movie they're planning on doing about this one will go through, because I know these books will translate beautifully onto the silver screen!

Have a nice day! :)