By Blood
By Tracy E. Banghart
Rating: 4.2
'Most of the other passengers were turned away now, sleeping while the baby was quiet. The cabin lights were dimmed and the flight attendants had disappeared. I wondered if Vermin and I were the only ones who’d never flown across an ocean before. I wondered if anyone else was wishing they were heading in the opposite direction.'
Diapers, accents and blooming powers - the things that summer vacations are made of.
At least, they are for 17-year-old Emma Wong. Emma's mother wants them to 'bond' over in England, where she, 'Dr Mike' (a.k.a The Stepdad), Emma and baby Fermin Vermin will get in some family time.
Travel?
Emma likes.
Cute British guys?
She likes even more.
Shopping opportunities?
No girl could refuse.
Puking infants, awkward 'family dinners, babysitting and your friends on the other side of the world?
No thanks.
But Emma takes the new challenge with a grain of salt, finding an ally in Dr Mike's cute research assistant Josh and a friend in the elfish wisp of a girl Ash Gardner - between them providing enough sight-seeing, laughs and good times to counteract her family's dysfunctional antics.
Do you believe in magic?
A group of New Age Druids - teenagers with a penchant for late night rituals, giddy dancing and downing mystical drink - crosses Emma's path. Drawn to the sense of freedom they seem to bring with them, Emma beings her descent into the 'rabbit hole' of Druid doings, Celtic lunacy and beautiful boys named Simon whose very presence is bewitching.
But it's all for fun...isn't it?
Get ready to be in way over your head.
A summer vacation with a sinister twist, with undertones of paranormal energy, By Blood is a story of how the irresistible nature of power and freedom can intoxicate even the most strong-willed of human heads - and how magic is never truly dormant...
...And awakening it could be a messier ordeal than a family dinner!
Emma's sarcastic, biting narrative and the lure of Celtic myth and magic constructs a brilliant book to cosy up with...if you dare!
Gameboard of the Gods (Age of X #1)
By Richelle Mead
Rating: 4.5
'I am a soldier of the Republic. I do not serve my own will but that of my country. Those words were echoed by her mother's, spoken so many years ago: You can ignore the rest because you're better than them. Empty yourself of all feeling because if they can't see it, then they can't use it against you.'
Richelle Mead's story-weaving genius comes to life in her new series Age of X. Be prepared to fall head first into her futuristic world, filled with mystery, violence, stunning technology and tension bubbling just below the surface - be prepared to fall in love with a story, and a cast of characters, you will never forget.
'"We're all pieces on a game board, Dr. March, and some of us are more powerful than others. You. Me. Her. We're the ones the gods want. We're the ones they're fighting over."
"And I supposed you consider yourself the king on this board?"
"You must not have played chess in a while. The king is the weakest piece in the game." He gave Justin a level look. "The queen's the strongest."'
Meet Justin March: exile, genius, former investigator of religious groups and supernatural claims, notorious wine drinker, and charmer of the female demographic.
Meet Mae Koskinen: Nordic, beautiful, deadly and dedicated praetorian - a member of the military’s most elite and intimidating tier...a soldier with enhanced reflexes and skills.
Neither, upon meeting the other, ever suspected how tightly bound their fates would become.
Mae, currently relieved of her duties, is sent to bring Justin back to RUNA - the Republic of United North America. But the chance to go back isn't as golden as it seems. There's a catch. Justin is assigned a difficult and dangerous task, to solve a string of ritualistic murders. To keep Justin safe, he is assigned a guard...who turns out to be none other than Mae. The girl who Justin has been told about - the girl involved in a strange prophecy of sorts.
A girl coveted by the gods. A girl he can never have.
'"The old guy said I'd only need on woman, and that the one he'd send me would mirror me in light and shadow, that I'd know her by a crown of flowers...He said she'd be carved of fire and ice, that she'd scorch me in my bed and live and die for me outside of it."
But solving the murders is no easy task. The clues are an incoherent jumble, no connections visible in the tangle of deaths, religious oddities and supernatural occurrences. Every lead seems to stop at an abrupt dead end. The deeper the duo delve into the mystery, the more exposed to danger they become.
And they only have four weeks to find the murderer and solve the case.
Mundane murderers and cults aren't Mae and Justin's only problems, though. Other forces are at work...old forces. Powerful forces. Ones that will do anything and everything to claim what is rightfully theirs, be that the world, or those upon it. Playing with fire may be dangerous, but playing on the chessboard of the gods is a whole other game...one that could cost them their lives.
What will the 'Age of X' entail for humankind? And are the gods closer than you think?
Mythology, romance and kick-ass adventure combine to create a vivid dystopian world that will sweep you away and have you hooked from the first page to the very last
word.
Be sure to grab a copy when it comes out in JUNE 2013!!
*A big thanks to PENGUIN GROUP Dutton and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review the ARC.*
The Eternity Cure (Blood of Eden #2)
By Julie Kagawa
Rating: 4.2
You are a monster. His voice was always so clear in my head, as if he was standing right next to me, his dark eyes boring into my skull. You will always be a monster - there is no turning back from it. But what kind of monster you become is entirely up to you.That was the lesson I clung to most, the one I swore I'd never forget.
The reason I chose the above quote to begin this review with, is because I think it puts into words perfectly the main idea explored in The Eternity Cure.
What makes a monster?
What makes us human - our biological make up, or our actions?
What does it take to become unredeemable?
And in times of trouble - in our darkest moments - can humanity still be found?
Allison Sekemoto has left her motley group of humans - her new friends, and her new love Zeke - behind in Eden. Eden is no place for a vampire, let alone one with unfinished business. Allison knows that she owes her life (or, at least, her undead one) to Kanin, her sire. Using their blood bond to track him down, each night she dreams through Kanin's eyes, experiencing the torture he undergoes at the hands of Sarren, the psychotic vampire who is out to destroy not only Kanin, but the world. The dreams, if anything, cement Allison's resolve to rescue Kanin - at any cost.
Fragile alliances are formed, deadly secrets arise from the depths of forgotten laboratories, enemies slain and loved ones return. But when a new strain of the Red Lung virus ends up in the hands of none other than Sarren, the race is on to save the them all...vampires and humans. Swords must be drawn, limits pushed and Allison's Hunger put to the test if she is to work as a team with those closest to her to bring Sarren's lunacy to an end.
"There are no good choices, Allison," Kanin offered in a quiet voice."There are only those you can live with, and those you can work to change."
Hey everyone! Here are some of the titles I will be chomping through this week:
- Scarlet by Marissa Meyer
- The Eternity Cure by Julie Kagawa
- The Diviners by Libbra Bray
- The Goddess Inheritance by Aimee Carter
- Wicked Kiss by Michelle Rowen
- Painted Faces by L.H. Cosway
- The Hunt by Andrew Fukuda
Cracked Up To Be
By Courtney Summers
Rating: 5
“The sooner you make a mistake and learn to live with it, the better. You're not responsible for everything. You can't control the way things end up.”
I'm going to stray a little from my normally cohesive review format, to discuss this roller coaster ride of a book.
Some books - well, most books - have a way about them. They have this format where it's almost like the author has managed to zap themselves between the pages, luring you inside and whispering the words into your awaiting mind and holding your hand as they lead you along the story's path.
But Cracked Up to Be was different. The author was barely noticeable. I lost myself in the thoughts, mind and unravelling of a girl whose sole mission in life was to ruin it for herself - drowning her past of perfection and popularity in demons, delinquent behaviour and a flippancy that at first glance seems like a facade, but is really her. 100% broken and 100% knowledgeable of the fact.
Machiavellian principals have been utilised in books for years. The word 'Machiavellian' means cunning, scheming - the end justifying the means. Our main protagonist, Parker, tends to be a little Machiavellian in nature. Manipulating the sessions with her school counsellor, she is quite like the hero of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest - you don't know whether she is insane or not. Is it an act? And why she is so satisfied by the distress she causes others? When they believe her lies? One moment she is arguing that, no, she didn't do such-and-such, but the next moment she is neither confirming nor denying the accusation - smirking and perfectly calm, perhaps snapping her fingers quickly...a bad habit of hers.
Parker is refreshingly, beautifully damaged. Courtney Summers' creation of a main character so devoid of the natural feelings we associate with human beings, is breathtaking. Parker's way of speaking in a blunt, cutting manner that somehow not only inflicts pain but sounds genuine - almost like she is sorry to be telling the truth and what she thinks, but she's going to anyway and screw you - is the hook that pulls you in.
I've read many books where the main protagonist is 'insane' or 'depressed'...maybe even 'suicidal'. But those attempts at recreating reality pale in comparison to this book. Parker is raw, real and her obsessive compulsive nature contains so many facets that there is no way of writing her off as fake, stereotypical and exaggerated.
Parker is the real deal.
Books - good books at least - manage to evoke a response from the readers, normally an emotional one. This book was unique in the way it made me laugh sadly. Not 'laughing and crying'. No. More like laughing with a twinge of sadness for Parker who is just so wrapped up in this game she plays, with herself and others, that she can't even find herself any longer.
The jokes were great. But Courtney Summers never lets you forget that this is not a story about a highschool girl with issues, who goes to prom, has boy issues and got drunk a few times. This is a story about a girl whose search - whose drive - for perfection drove her to the brink and when she fell, no one caught her. Instead, she picked herself up - broken, shattered and traumatised - and hid herself; letting the wounds scab over.
But the people around her wouldn't let the wounds scab. They would send her to therapy, ask questions, make her 'do' things, talk, go to school complete tests...the scabs get ripped off so many times the skin becomes raw. So she pushed them away. They come on more. Raw, in pain and drowning, the girl does the only thing she can.
She pretends the wounds don't exist.
She puts on a show. The show is so good that those around her are no longer certain that the wounds are there - they begin to think she's playing up, wanting attention. The girl is appeased. She is content. Now her wounds are left alone. Now she can lose herself without the fear of being found.
I know I'm ranting a little, but bear with me! This book was amazing. And the reason I get so excited about discussing it, is I have always been fascinated with authors who can so accurately see into the human mind - especially a mind in trauma. Courtney Summers' representation of Parker is spot on. Perfect down to her very last flaw. You don't see Parker as a 'character' - like you would, with say, Becky the snotty cheerleader who dislikes Parker intensely.
And this is Courtney's genius. You see the rest of these characters as silly, fake and two-dimensional. Exactly like Parker sees them.
You become immersed in Parker's mind. You become Parker. And when a book has the ability to do that, it needs to be recognised for the sheer effort that must have gone into it.
That said, I'm sure people could find flaws. Some of the plot bits are silly. Parker is petty - about her former position as head cheerleader - and her finger snapping is annoying, her tendencies aggravating. But this is what makes it real. Parkers is screwed up. So don't expect her ways, her mind, her words or her life to make any sense. Don't expect to read a touching YA fiction story where the girl meets a guy who loves her for who she really is and they get together, complication comes, but they overcome it and they love each other forever.
Because you will be sorely disappointed - both when reading the book, and in real life :)
But what this book teaches you above all else is that perfection is subjective.
We try so hard to find perfection. Every day. Whether it's how we look, how we talk, how someone views us or how well we do in something. No one - no one at all - can look you in the eye and tell you they don't. Because we all tend to find it sometimes. Even for a moment. A split second. Because that feeling we get when we catch a glimpse of that much-sought-after perfection is exhilarating! It really is. But is perfection worth the trauma we inflict on ourselves? The constant analysis of our days? Of ourselves? Why do we inflict that kind of torture on ourselves, searching for something we can never truly get fully because we are human and flawed.
This book teaches you that getting TRUE perfection is not easy and very, very hard - as well as not worth it. But it also teaches you, through Parker's journey, that you shouldn't do the opposite. In other words, turn your life into a ruin and treat everyone like crap because hey - perfection is out of reach and you can do what you want! Not at all. You should be the best person you can be without losing yourself. Take each day as it comes. And don't fret over what you can't change.
Cracked Up to Be was twisted, raw and eye-opening. I became good friends with Parker (well...as good a friends as anyone could possibly get with someone like her!). And I think her tale will touch others for years to come.
Megan Meade's Guide to the McGowan Boys
By Kate Brian
Rating: 4.8
'TooDamn-Funky: It's a start, ok. Been thinking bout the boyz. 'member last year my bro did that immersion thing in Venezuela?
Kciker5525: Where he learned to speak Spanish???
TooDamn-Funky: Yeah! u go for 2 weeks talk nothing but Spanish u come back fluent.
Kicker5535: ...????
TooDamn-Funky: Well this is like a guy immersion program!
Kicker5525: So...what. I'm going 2 b fluent in GUY?
TooDamn-Funky: Exactly! u will c what they talk about alone. U will c how they r with each other. U will c how they THINK!! AND WHEN IT'S DONE YOU'LL BE ABLE TO WRITE A GUY GUIDE BOOK!!
Kicker5525: U r deranged.'
It's like 'How to Lose a Guy In 10 Days' - but cuter, with SEVEN times the trouble, pranks, heartbreak and laughs!
Megan Meade's not a girly-girl. But, like any girl, she wonders...what makes guys tick? Why doesn't life comes with a 'Guide On How To Understand The Male Demographic'?
When her army-based parents want to move the whole family to South Korea, Megan puts her foot down - and is given an ultimatum. South Korea...or the McGowans. Mr McGowan - Mr Meade's friend - offers to let Megan stay with his family if she wants, and Megan recalls that the McGowan family has seven boys.
The perfect chance to get some insight on the opposite sex and start on that longed-for guide!
But the boys turn out to be a motley bunch of annoying, intelligent, hard-ass, sensitive, pranking...boys.
And Megan isn't sure how to deal with the species in their natural environment. There's Evan with his winning smile and good looks, Finn with his sweet thoughtfulness and artistic talent, Doug with his 'gangster' attitude and childish pranks, Miller with his intelligent mind, and more. Each one is different. But as Megan gets to know them better, she comes to one conclusion.
Boys. Are. Unpredictable.
And maybe - just maybe - that's the best thing about them :)
A chick-flick experience, this book is as sweet as apple pie and bound to capture the hearts of its audience - giving them a guide to boys that may just be a useful tool for every girl to have on her as she ventures into theirworld!
The Perfect Rake (The Merridew Sisters #1)
By Anne Gracie
Rating: 4.3
It's almost ingrained in us women to love books such as these.
Books with balls overflowing with music and dancing, pretty gowns, dashing men and the inevitable trading of barbed witty banter...they are simply irresistible.
But Anne Gracie takes it a step further, presenting readers with a refreshing combination of Regency etiquette and discourse, and 21st century audacity and feminine spirit!
Prudence (correctly re-named 'Imprudence' by our resident rogue and rake Gideon) has taken care of her four sisters ever since the untimely death of their parents.
Under the iron fist of their temper-driven and vile grandfather, the girls endure beatings, enraged cursing and the bleak understanding that their situation is bound to keep its horrible, cyclical nature for some time to come. Relying on one another, the girls listen to Prudence's tales of their parents - whose love for one another fosters a longing in the girls to find a love like that.
Pure. All-encompassing. Enduring.
When ten year old Grace is beaten in a rage, Prudence cannot remain silent any longer. Whilst their grandfather recovers from a slight injury, the girls pack their things and Prudence forges a letter from their grandfather to his younger brother, their Great-uncle Oswald, asking him to take on the girls.
Prudence hopes that fleeing for London will mean a second chance - to put a glow in her sisters' cheeks, to enter society and to find one of them a husband to protect them and save them from their grandfather's wrath when he discovers their escape.
But oh the web we weave when we begin to deceive!
Prudence's well meant lies to Great-uncle Oswald backfire most spectacularly. Not daring to admit that she is already betrothed secretly to Phillip Otterbury - who has been gone the past four years with barely a word - Prudence has to find a reason for her Great-uncle not finding her a match.
So she lies; stating that she is betrothed to the Duke of Dinstable.
The Duke is known for being practically a hermit, never leaving Scotland ever. Prudence thinks it a fantastic cover...until her Great-uncle informs her that the Duke has left Scotland and is in London at the present time!
Taking herself over to the Duke's, Prudence hopes to explain the entire situation.
The Duke - very handsome and very devilish - is amused by her situation and agrees to go along with the lie when her Great-uncle confronts him. But upon confrontation, a twist is revealed.
The Duke is not really the Duke!
No; he is Lord Gideon Carradice, the Duke's incorrigible rake of a cousin. Prudence is attracted to the insufferable man quite against her will, and Lord Carradice finds Prudence's presence addictive - she affects him like no other. Determined to resist her, he agrees to 'break' their betrothal.
But he can't get her - and her blasted reticule, with its bruising abilities - out of his mind. Consulting his cousin, the real Duke, he decides to further his acquaintance with Prudence. However, she is not an easy woman to woo.
Stubborn, fiery and fiercely protective of her sisters, it is fair to say that Lord Carradice has met his match!
Full of romance, blinding wit, tea, brandy, reticules, smelling salts and misdirected bullets, this novel is sure to have its readers hanging on for dear life.
As Prudence takes on London and discovers how, exactly, a rake can fall in love.
The Morning Star
By Tania Penn
Rating: 4.5
'There's an old saying, "I know they say that first love is the sweetest but that first cut is the deepest." Whomever came up with that, must have been a sadistic idiot. After the first cut, why would you want to punish yourself with additional cuts? You keep going down that road, eventually you'll get dismembered.'
Some people's dads fight fires. Dawn's dad starts them.
Dawn Belial's father, the one and only Lucifer, is a businessman or art collector at first glance- with his nine hundred dollar shoes, designer suits and love of fine wine. But underneath the cultured facade is a burning rage and a broken heart that yearns to be united with the love of his life, the Archangel Michaela...who is also Dawn's mother. And who Lucifer has held captive for centuries, because she refused to reciprocate his ardent love - already in love with another, Ramiel.
Some kids' chores consist of taking out the trash. Dawn's consist of recruiting souls.
When she's not thinking up ways to rescue her mother, Dawn has the life of a typical teenager - attending high school, drinking extremely hot, peppery coffee and hanging out with her incredibly wicked half-sister Venus. But unlike Venus, to whom the party-nightlife-scene never tires or loses its shine, Dawn longs for something more. Centuries have passed, scenes have changed, fads come and gone, souls recruited and fires set and left to burn...the same thing, time after time. Maybe it's her angel side, but Dawn can't help but wonder if she's doing the right thing.
Most guys fall into a succubus' traps. But not this one.
Her sister Venus - a succubus, lurer of unsuspecting men - can snag any guy she chooses to sink her perfectly manicured nails into. But when the very cute, and very British, Gabriel crosses the sisters' path, he is unaffected by Venus' powers and seems intent on pursuing Dawn. Getting to know him, Dawn finds herself feeling emotions she's never felt before...some of them way too human.
Lucifer's daughter doesn't do love...or does she?
Gabriel is a human; it can never end well. Keeping her identity a secret, Dawn steadily falls in love with him and he with her - but not everything is as it seems. Ramiel is intent on rescuing Michaela from her prison, no matter the cost. And as his plan is uncovered, piece by piece, Dawn's heart may just be shattered in the process as well as her perception of who she is and her role in the war between Heaven and Hell.
A story of love unrequited, lost, given and found, 'The Morning Star' is sure to entrap you in a battle of the heart that is as captivating as it is timeless.
Significance (Significance #1)
By Shelly Crane
Rating: 5+
“I saw something in you that I couldn't live without. I chose you, inside of me, and you chose me. It's not one sided, it only works when both people choose the other.
You are perfect for me in every way.”
A love like this comes once in a lifetime.
A love like this can consume you.
Graduation is a time for celebration for most teenagers.
There's the cap and gown.
The receiving of that paper scroll.
The flashes of cameras, the smiles of proud parents, the cheering of friends.
The future bright and full of opportunities.
But for Maggie, graduation is a reminder of everything she's lost.
Her mother got up one day, taking everything - clothes, bedding, Maggie's college money - and leaving for California, breaking Maggie's dad's heart and sending him into an almost catatonic state. Bish, her adopted brother, lives away from home. Her boyfriend of almost three years, Chad, dumped her to get his college football scholarship, three days after her mother left.
Love at first sight is just a myth. Or is it?
In a freak moment of destiny, Maggie saves the life of Caleb - stopping him from crossing the road, and from being hit by a truck. From the moment his eyes meet hers, urgent, as he asks her whether she's alright, something flares up between them. Drawing her to him. Intriguing her. Making her long to know him, to be by his side.
All it takes is one touch.
One touch - one simple touch - and Maggie and Caleb 'imprint' with each other. Visions whirl, their future together playing out before her in flashes. Confused and incredulous, Maggie discovers that Caleb is an Ace. Otherwise known as Virtuoso, or Charmed, they're not completely human - gaining abilities once they reach a certain age after they imprint. Imprinting is when an Ace finds his or her soul mate - they can feel each other's heartbeat in their chests, read each other's minds, find each other and even heal each other.
And Maggie and Caleb are soul mates. She is his significant and only death can keep them apart.
Imprinting, for Aces, has become rare. But to imprint with a human is even rarer.
Caleb's big family - quirky, motley and talented - welcome Maggie with open arms. They explain to her that she'll soon be experiencing supernatural changes of her own. That her soul, and Caleb's, chose each other. That she needs the touch of his skin to survive.
But not everyone is thrilled by this development. Aces are divided into clans, and a rival clan appears - enemies of Caleb and his family due to a centuries-long grudge - intent on putting a stop to Caleb and Maggie's 'ascension'. Because when the ascension completes itself, Caleb and Maggie's abilities will appear and bloom and will threaten the rival clan - not to mention that Maggie presents an enigma to them. Why her? Why a human? What is it about her that caused an imprint to occur after such a long time?
But love is worth fighting for. No matter the cost
A cross between Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout and Stephanie Perkins' Anna and the French Kiss, Significance is funny, full of adventure and with a cast of characters that will steal your heart.
Booknut's Playlist Choice: Falling For You by Nick Howard.
Sever (The Chemical Garden #3)
By Lauren DeStefano
Rating: 4.4
"Someday I'll tell you all of it," I say.
"I'd like that," he says.
"No," I say. "I promise you won't."
You can run away from the past, but what do you do if it refuses to stop chasing?
The virus is like an invisible bomb - the tension hangs in the air, on the tip of each person's tongue, swirling in the depths of their minds. No one knows when it will go off. No one knows who is next to succumb to it. It haunts Cecily. It haunts Linden. And it haunts Rhine.
Rhine, eager for answers and to get away from Vaughn's clutches, decides to go on a search for her twin brother, Rowan - to find him, let him know she's alive and to maybe even find some of the answers she is searching for. But Rowan isn't easy to find. Linden suggests that Rhine should stay with Vaughn's brother, Linden's kind and eccentric uncle Reed. She'll be away from Vaughn there. Safe. And away from Linden as well.
The truth will set you free, but those blind to it will break your heart.
Rhine and Cecily insist that Vaughn's supposed 'medical research' is evil and misguided, harming rather than curing. But Linden refuses to hear a bad word about his father; claiming that Rhine is lying. That she always lies to him. Hurt, Rhine tries to put distance between her and Linden, but Cecily refuses to leave Rhine's side. Caught between Cecily and Rhine, Linden slowly begins to waver in his convictions, his feelings in turmoil as the only life he's ever known may just turn out to be the biggest lie of them all.
Whilst some struggle with heartbreak and memories, others fight for change.
Word reaches Rhine that Rowan - still convinced of her death - is a leader of a resistance movement...violence, angry crowds and passionate speeches left in his wake wherever he goes. The news only cements Rhine's resolve to find her brother before he makes a terrible mistake. But is the resistance all that it seems?
If you want something done, do it yourself - if they let you.
But though Rhine wishes to be set free, not everyone is willing to open the cage door. Despite the peril to their own persons, Linden and Cecily accompany Rhine on her dangerous mission - Cecily, to find a cure and to save her son Bowen, and Linden, to find the truth and to sort out his feelings for Rhine; the girl who used to be his wife, with the unusual eyes who could be Rose's ghost. But Vaughn is never far behind, and he's not the only one. Ghosts from the past can inflict pain too, and Rhine is about to discover a secret about her parents that may just change everything.
But hope cannot be severed. Even in the darkest times.
Rhine will continue to hope for some kind of happiness, for some kind of cure and to find a way for all of them - Linden, Gabriel, Cecily and Rowan - to live and have a future free of fear.
No matter what it takes.
By Blood
