REVIEW: Immortal Hearts by Ellen Schreiber

Title: IMMORTAL HEARTS

by Ellen Schreiber

 

Pages: 260

Publisher: Katherine Tegan

Release Date: May 15^th, 2012

ISBN: 0062070088
Rating: *4 stars*
Buy: [ B&N | Amazon | Depository ]

Athena "Stormy" Sterling is coming to Dullsville, and Raven is both excited and panicked in anticipation of Alexander's little sister's visit. Alexander tells Raven that she and his sister have a lot in common, but can the mini-Raven be everything she hopes for? Alexander calls her Stormy for a reason...
(click here to read the full summary) 

To be perfectly honest…

The Vampire Kisses novels aren’t the best of books. They don’t have the best quality of writing, especially in the department of showing vs. telling. The dialogue is cheesy—the whole book is really. BUT, despite all this—I love it to death. This is the only book I can read for pure enjoyment without caring about how cheesy it is. It reads almost like a middle grade novel even though it’s YA so it’s easy for me not to take it the cheesiness too seriously.

 Why have I followed this series for years till this very last 9^th installment?

Because once upon a time in middle school I picked up this book and lost myself completely in its pages. It’s a quick read and Raven and Alexander were unapologetically dark, quirky, and different. I couldn’t get enough of them. The town called Dullsville was a place where being anything other than normal was almost taboo. Raven stood out like a sore thumb with her unconventional clothing and obsession with vampires. Then Alexander Sterling moves into Dullsville and completely shakes her world. I somehow expected to fall out of love with this series as I grew older and the time spans between the novels release dates grew wider apart (way longer than usual), but I never did. Reading Immortal Hearts is like jumping back into my middle grader mind for awhile and reminiscing about a time where books turned from instruments of torture to something wonderful and exciting, and a much needed escape from the real world. That is my reason for loving this series despite its many fault, and why I continue to love it. I am so sad to see this series come to an end.

What went wrong, and what went right.

Immortal Hearts didn’t have the momentum of previous books. Conflict in Immortal Hearts only lasted for a chapter (barely) before it was resolved. At times I felt like the author just gave up and decided to make all the bad characters good and let everyone have their happy ending just to get it over with; which is pretty much how the story went. A lot of the plot are candy bar scenes with mini surprises every once in awhile that weren’t really surprises. Despite how predictable the whole thing was I’m extremely glad I finally got to see the happily-ever-after of Alexander and Raven.

New York bestselling author, Ellen Schreiber wrote her first novel after reading a young adult novel on a plane ride to Los Angeles. First published in Europe, her books were then published by HarperCollins. Schreiber has been busy writing ever since—the Vampire Kisses series, Blood Relatives manga, Teenage Mermaid, and Comedy Girl .

Find Ellen on: http://www.ellenschreiber.com/

REVIEW: Immortal Hearts by Ellen Schreiber

REVIEW: Insurgent by Veronica Roth

Title: Insurgent (Divergent #2)
Author: Veronica Roth
Genre: Dystopian
Pages: 525
Publisher: Harper Teen
Release Date: May 1st, 2012
ISBN: 0373210515
Buy Links: B&N | Amazon | The Book Depository

One choice can transform you--or it can destroy you. But every choice has consequences, and as unrest surges in the factions all around her, Tris Prior must continue trying to save those she loves--and herself--while grappling with haunting questions of grief and forgiveness, identity and loyalty, politics and love.

Why I loved Divergent...

I think it’s best to start off this review with some of my thoughts on Divergent. Refreshingly different. Downright exhilarating. It was the most memorable novel I read that year amongst the hundred or so books I was also reading at the time. Reading Insurgent brought back my ardent feelings for Divergent but left me feeling a somewhat…dry in the aftermath. I realize that this is a sophomore novel and that most of the time they end up becoming filler spaces for the third book, but I was not expecting it to happen with Divergent. I guess I was expecting a little bit more…? That lack of that extra “something” is my reason for this being a 4 star.

Girl power at it's finest = Trice

Trice is the same firecracker she was in the first book. An impulsive risk-taker with her adrenaline where her brain should be half of the time. I enjoyed every bit of her risk-taking moments even though they were discouraged in the book. I know Trice is not supposed to be too impulsive, but after awhile I got tired of seeing female protagonists in YA novels being left out of fights for their protection. It’s way too common and I’m sick of it. If there’s an important battle/fight going on Trice is in it. I’m glad I do not have to read through some angst-filled monologue of how the protagonist wishes she was strong enough to go. Good for you Trice!

REVIEW: Insurgent by Veronica Roth

TRAILER: Hemlock by Kathleen Peacock

The trailer of Hemlock (Hemlock #1) by Kathleen Peacock was released yesterday. I'm a real big fan of the book! It's one of the only werewolf novels that really managed to WOW me. You can my read my review of Hemlock here.

Watch the trailer:

TRAILER: Hemlock by Kathleen Peacock

ARC Review: Hemlock by Kathleen Peacock

Title: Hemlock (Hemlock # 1)
Author: Kathleen Peacock
Release Date: 08 May 2012
Pages: 400
Publisher: Katherine Tegan / HarperCollins
Source: Publisher
Status: On Tour
Pre-Order: Amazon | The Book Depository

I went into reading HEMLOCK not knowing what to expect. All I knew was that I didn't care much for novels with werewolves; in fact, I'd stopped reading them altogether after a particularly bad one about a year ago. I read the back and wondered if the author could pull off writing a story like this and still be able to make it unique and original. At first I had my doubts, but sooner than later I found myself completely engrossed in this book. What I find the most intriguing about this book is the characters. They all have their strengths and their weaknesses; none of them are perfect. I know firsthand how terrible it can be to deal with someone's death, especially a person who was very close to you. People have different ways of handling their grief. For Mac, Jason, and Kyle that's finding Amy's werewolf murderer.

In the world of HEMLOCK those who are infected with Lupine Syndrome are turned into lethal werewolves. When found, turned werewolves are sent away into a government run facility that no one has any clue what goes on in. Then in comes the Trackers; people who have dedicated their lives to finding hidden werewolves, hunting them down, and killing them. Mac has a bad feeling about these people, and for good reason. But for Jason this means a possible chance at avenging the death of his girlfriend who was killed by a werewolf; one that's still on the loose. Throughout the book Mac gradually begins to lose Jason to the trackers, and their intimidating leader.

The pacing of this book kept me on edge. There were times when I felt like punching Jason in the face. And then there were other times where I felt like hugging him. Kyle was a very sweet throughout the book, and I think he might be my second favorite character in the book. The ending and the way things left off between these three was cliff-hanger-rific! I was literally crushed when I got to the last page and realized there weren't any more pages left. Overall, HEMLOCK is a head-spinning novel that you don't want to miss! I highly recommend paranormal readers, especially those like me who had given up on the werewolf genre.
 

ABOUT KATHLEEN

Kathleen spent most of her teen years writing short stories. She put her writing dreams on hold while attending college but rediscovered them when office life started leaving her with an allergy to cubicles. Hemlock, her first novel, will be released on May 8th by Katherine Tegen Books/HarperCollins

Find Kathleen on:

GOODREADS | TWITTER | WEBSITE

ARC Review: Hemlock by Kathleen Peacock

TRAILER: Sweet Evil by Wendy Higgins

What if there were teens whose lives depended on being bad influences? This is life for sons and daughters of fallen angels in Sweet Evil...

Tenderhearted Southern girl, Anna Whitt, was born with the sixth sense to see and feel emotions of other people. She’s aware of a struggle within herself, an inexplicable pull toward danger, but it isn’t until she turns sixteen and meets the alluring Kaidan Rowe that she discovers her terrifying heritage, and her will-power is put to the test. He’s the boy your daddy warned you about. If only someone had warned Anna.

A cross-country trip to meet her father forces Anna to face the reality that hope and love are not options for her kind. When she confronts her destiny, will Anna embrace her halo or her horns?

 ~ ~ ~

BELOW is the trailer of Sweet Evil by Wendy Higgins to be released May 1st, 2012. This was my first time imagining Anna with a southern accent; when I imagined her talking in my head she didn't really have much of one.

If you read my review of Sweet Evil, you know how much I utterly adored this book!

TRAILER: Sweet Evil by Wendy Higgins

Review: DESTINED by Aprilynne Pike

D E S T I N E D 
Author: Aprilynne Pike

Publisher: Harper Teen

Pages: 320

Release Date: May 1^st 2012

Source: Publisher

Where to buy: Amazon | The Book Depository

Laurel now knows the truth: Yuki is a rare Winter faerie, the most powerful—and deadly—of all, and she is working with Klea to conquer and destroy Avalon. With Tamani, David, and Chelsea by her side, Laurel prepares for a fight she never thought she would have to face.

Filled with heart-pounding action, sweeping romance, and higher stakes at every turn, Destined is the series conclusion that readers have been clamoring for—with a twist that will leave them breathless.

I thought I’d start off this review by saying that I loved the three previous books WINGS, SPELLS, and ILLUSIONS because of how well all three managed to pull off 3^rd POV while still focusing on the characters enough so that you never felt distanced from them.  Although I felt like a lot of the things that happened in the book were slightly predictable, DESTINED was a great end to a series I loved and I’m so sad to see it end.

Tamani. Gosh, I loved Tamani. His thoughts and personality light up the pages of the book. His situation with Laurel picks up right where ILLUSIONS left off. And let me say, those two are absolutely adorable together. David wasn’t as present in this book until more toward the end, but he played a huge role in saving Avalon and I enjoyed the parts of the book where he finally got his shining moment.

I do really wish that this book ended with a bigger bang rather than the way it did. There were a few poignant instances in which DESTINED pulls a Deathly Hollows over on us, but I felt like I knew it was going to happen way before I was supposed to.  I loved that we all finally get to learn all about the evil villainous Klea in this book. She’s a cold hearted murderer and I have absolutely no sympathy for what happened to her. At all. I was actually kind of shocked by how reluctant they were to do away with her after all the horrible things that she did throughout the course of the book.  

As a fair warning if you want a truly happy ending then don’t read the epilogue.  But if you’re more into the bittersweet type endings (like me) you’ll read on and find out what happens to all the characters. I’ve been following this series for years, and now that it’s the last book it’s like saying goodbye to an old friend. I highly recommend this last installment to all those who loved the WINGS series.

 / 5 stars

It's great, but not as AMAZING as I thought it would be.

Review: DESTINED by Aprilynne Pike

SWEET EVIL by Wendy Higgins Review!

S W E E T   E V I L

Author: Wendy Higgins
Publisher: HarperTeen
Pages: 464
Release Date: May 1st, 2012
Pre-order: Amazon | The Book Depository

What if there were teens whose lives literally depended on being bad influences? This is life for sons and daughters of fallen angels in Sweet Evil.

Tenderhearted Southern girl, Anna Whitt, was born with the sixth sense to see and feel emotions of other people. She’s aware of a struggle within herself, an inexplicable pull toward danger, but it isn’t until she turns sixteen and meets the alluring Kaidan Rowe that she discovers her terrifying heritage, and her will-power is put to the test. He’s the boy your daddy warned you about. If only someone had warned Anna.

A cross-country trip forces Anna to face the reality that hope and love are not options for her kind. Forced to face her destiny, will Anna embrace her halo or her horns.

    



I'm going to be upfront with you about this book—Sweet Evil tops the books coming out in 2012 easily. There's no way I can tell you how much I utterly adore this book, which is why I took me forever to write a proper review for it. I'll start off with why I love this book so much. Originality—finally someone who gets it right! Among all the books out there about angels and demons Sweet Evil has the most original take on them that I've read. The whole badge concept and the fact that the Nephilim's sole purpose is being bad influences to humans is pure genius!


  The characters. If there's any YA character that is swoon-worthy than Kaidan Rowe is exactly that. Every time he's in a scene of the book I'm practically bouncing up and down with excitement. There isn't a thing I don't like about him. Kaidan is my man. ;) Anna is an amazing female protagonist,  and I felt even the side characters were all very well developed. The plot's pacing is perfect. I never felt bored anywhere or felt the need to stop. There was always something interesting to keep my attention. Which brings me to my 3rd reason for loving this—high stakes. The higher the stakes are in a book the more I want to read it. Sweet Evil does not fail in making that happen.


I am completely enamored with Sweet Evil. It's one of those books you're only expecting to read for about a half hour or so (because you're busy and have other work you should probably be attending to) and end up reading the whole thing in one sitting, forgetting all the things you had to do that day (Spoken from true experience!). So yeah, even though I've already read this I'm going straight to the bookstore in May to get a shiny brand new copy and will probably re-read it several times until the next one comes out. :)

A B O U T  W E N D Y :

After earning a B.A. in Creative Writing from George Mason University and a M.S. in Curriculum and Instruction from Radford, I taught high school English until becoming a mommy. Writing Young Adult (YA) stories gives me the opportunity to delve into the ambiguities of those pivotal, daunting, and exciting years before adulthood. I live in Northern Virginia with my husband, daughter, and son.Visit Wendy at her Website and Twitter.

SWEET EVIL by Wendy Higgins Review!