Review: Everbound by Brodi Ashton

Everbound by Brodi Ashton
February 14th, 2013 · Simon and Schuster
Source: Publisher
Format: Paperback
Page Count: 368

Two months ago, the Tunnels of the underworld came for Nikki Beckett. That night, Nikki's boyfriend, Jack, made the ultimate sacrifice. All Nikki wants is to save Jack before it's too late. All Cole wants is to find his queen - and he thinks Nikki is the one. Both determined, both desperate, Nikki and Cole form a tense alliance, leading them on a dangerous journey to The Heart of The Everneath.

*Contains spoilers - so beware!*

After the punch Everneath packed and with how Brodi Ashton ended the book, leaving us in the lurch and desperately wanting more, I’ve been awaiting the sequel ever since. Maybe my expectations were too high because I’m sad to say, Everbound left me feeling…underwhelmed.

Everbound picks up two months from where Everneath left off, with a depressed, guilt stricken Nicky over losing Jack to the Tunnels. I'm a big fan of Jack so I totally got her behaviour but after a while it started to annoy me, as did Nicky. I liked her in Everneath, even though she managed to get on my nerves several times, but after reading Everbound, I’ve come to the conclusion that Nicky is a character that I have wishy-washy feelings for. As for Jack, he is undoubtedly one of the things I love most about the series (and was also the highlight for me of this book) so I did miss him and his loveliness but of course, it was how the story had to play out.

I didn’t get his appeal in Everneath and I still don’t – yes, I’m talking about the one and only (thank goodness), Cole. I like my fair share of bookish bad boys but that’s not how I see Cole. In my eyes, he plays the villain card and he does so, well. Sometimes I see the tiniest glimpse of a Cole that's good but 99.9% of the time is pure slap worthy-ness and so I find it hard to see his appeal. But hey, some would say Jack put's them to sleep so each to their own! *snuggles Jack*

The ending – I don’t even know what to say, except that it was like a slap in the face. There were tears, mind exploding occurred and if I didn’t already hate Cole, I now loathe him. Let’s just say, that after finishing Everbound, I was so angry that I couldn’t even stand to be in the same room with it. That’s some strong feelings, I must say!

I know a lot of people loved Everbound and though I didn’t personally, I’ll still be returning to see how it all ends in Evertrue. Here’s hoping that this was just second-book syndrome and that I’ll enjoy book #3 – I’m really hoping that’s the case!

2/5

If you’re still around after reading my crazy thoughts (you deserve a badge), let me know what YOU yourself thought of the sequel. Did you like it? Are you Team Jack? If so, virtual hi-five to you! Or maybe…you switched teams? O_o I’d love to hear from you!

Review: Finale by Becca Fitzpatrick

Finale (Hush, Hush #4) by Becca Fitzpatrick
October 1st, 2012 · Simon and Schuster
Source: Publisher
Format: Paperback
Page Count: 454

Fates unfurl in the gripping conclusion to the "New York Times" bestselling Hush, Hush saga.

Nora is more certain than ever that she is in love with Patch. Fallen angel or no, he is the one for her. Her heritage and destiny may mean they are fated to be enemies, but there is no turning her back on him. Now Nora and Patch must gather their strength to face one last, perilous trial. Old enemies return, new enemies are made, and a friend's ultimate betrayal threatens the peace Patch and Nora so desperately want. The battle lines are drawn--but which sides are they on? And in the end, are there some obstacles even love can't conquer?

I remember when I discovered Hush, Hush last year and how much I loved it. It was a guilty pleasure; addictive, creepy and utterly captivating. I started it one afternoon and by the next day had already finished it. As the series has gone on though, I’ve just found myself enjoying the series less and less, never fully admitting it and in denial but always secretly hoping that I’d get another glimpse and stumble upon what made me fall in love with the book that started it all in the first place but unfortunately, it just never happened for me.

The day I received Finale, I did a happy dance and ran off straight to my room to start it. I was running on adrenaline and excitement but once that passed, I really struggled to continue on. My heart wasn’t in it and I didn’t even really care what happened to the characters. Usually you would find me swooning over Patch but there was none of that happening this time round. He just got on my nerves, as did Nora which is a shame because once upon a time I used to like them.

There was a (very tiny) mention of Buffy and Angel when Halloween couple costumes were being discussed and though it was minor than minor, if you’ve seen my recent discovery of the show (thanks Sarah! *waves*) on Twitter or even the blog, you’ll know how much I love it. So even though it was hardly a blip on the radar, it was definitely a highlight, if not the highlight for me.

Even though I wasn’t a fan of Finale, I’m glad I finished the series as if I hadn’t I would have always wondered how it ended and at least now I know.

2/5

Review: Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire

Beautiful Disaster (Beautiful #1) by Jamie McGuire

August 14th, 2012 · Simon and Schuster

Source: Publisher
Format: Paperback
Page Count: 416

The new Abby Abernathy is a good girl. She doesn’t drink or swear, and she has the appropriate number of cardigans in her wardrobe. Abby believes she has enough distance from the darkness of her past, but when she arrives at college with her best friend, her path to a new beginning is quickly challenged by Eastern University's Walking One-Night Stand.

Travis Maddox, lean, cut, and covered in tattoos, is exactly what Abby needs—and wants—to avoid. He spends his nights winning money in a floating fight ring, and his days as the ultimate college campus charmer. Intrigued by Abby’s resistance to his appeal, Travis tricks her into his daily life with a simple bet. If he loses, he must remain abstinent for a month. If Abby loses, she must live in Travis’s apartment for the same amount of time. Either way, Travis has no idea that he has met his match.

I’m sure you're all familiar with the saying a picture is worth a thousand words. Now, this might not be a picture exactly (GIF alert) but whenever I see this, it reminds me of Travis from Beautiful Disaster. Why? Because like this guy who is chasing after this poor lady who obviously doesn’t want to be loved by him, Travis is a little extreme, desperate, possessive and I certainly wouldn’t put it pass him to chase after Abby, declaring his love all psycho-ish while she runs to lock the door (but knowing her, she’d leave it wide open or better yet, run towards him. When will this girl learn?).

Instead of the warm and fuzzies that usually happen when romance arises, I found myself cringing. I love chemistry, sexy times and a good old fashioned swoon but Beautiful Disaster just didn’t do it for me. I mean, cringing? Who wants that? Certainly not me, that’s who; I want to swoon and ache and giggle and grin and for my heart to skip a beat and I’m sad to report, but none of that happened for me.

Travis is clingy, overly jealous, bad-tempered, a loose cannon waiting to happen and deserves an honourable mention on the list of Worst Male YA Love Interests. I love a good male love interest to swoon over (who doesn’t?) but he definitely isn’t one. Also, Travis went from being this womanizer to a love sick puppy - talk about unrealistic! Oh, and Abby? I didn’t particularly like her either. She was all over the place and rather annoying, plus she just let the thing with Travis (whatever you want to call it) go on and on, letting it brew and simmer for a whole 416 pages.

I haven’t read 50 Shade of Grey, nor do I plan to, but in my opinion, this is what I would expect the YA version to be.

Some parts were that predictable and cheesy that at times I just couldn’t help but laugh and giggle out loud. Even though I had issues with Beautiful Disaster, I did appreciate it for its entertainment value and that it made for an addictive read but that is all.

2/5

P.S – Pigeon is the worst pet name ever. I don’t know about you but I don’t get the appeal at all. It’s not cute or sexy and if someone called me that I’d probably throw a pie in their face, just sayin'.

Review: Changeling by Philippa Gregory

Changeling (The Order of Darkness #1) by Philippa Gregory
May 24th, 2012 ∙ Simon & Schuster
Source: Publisher
Format: Paperback

Page Count: 272

Dark myths, medieval secrets, intrigue, and romance populate the pages of the first-ever teen series from #1 bestselling author of The Other Boleyn Girl

Italy, 1453. Seventeen-year-old Luca Vero is brilliant, gorgeous—and accused of heresy. Cast out of his religious order for using the new science to question old superstitious beliefs, Luca is recruited into a secret sect: The Order of the Dragon, commissioned by Pope Nicholas V to investigate evil and danger in its many forms, and strange occurrences across Europe, in this year—the end of days.

Isolde is a seventeen-year-old girl shut up in a nunnery so she can’t inherit any of her father’s estate. As the nuns walk in their sleep and see strange visions, Isolde is accused of witchcraft—and Luca is sent to investigate her, but finds himself plotting her escape.

Despite their vows, despite themselves, love grows between Luca and Isolde as they travel across Europe with their faithful companions, Freize and Ishraq. The four young people encounter werewolves, alchemists, witches, and death-dancers as they head toward a real-life historical figure who holds the boundaries of Christendom and the secrets of the Order of the Dragon.

The first in a series, this epic and richly detailed drama is grounded in historical communities and their mythic beliefs. It includes a medieval map of Europe that will track their journey; and the interior will include relevant decorative elements as well as an interior line illustration. And look for a QR code that links to a note from the author with additional, detailed information about the setting and the history that informed the writing. With Philippa Gregory’s trademark touch, this novel deftly brings the past—and its salacious scandals—vividly and disturbingly to life.

Review:

I hadn’t heard much about Changeling or read many reviews about it so when it arrived on my doorstep one day although I wasn’t overly fussed, I was intrigued about how it would pan out. Whilst this book wasn’t for me, if you’re a fan of Gregory’s other work or love to get your hands on anything historical, hopefully this will appeal to you more than it did for me.

There were a few interesting parts of the story where my interest was piqued but for the most part I really struggled to continue on and sometimes even found myself skimming. The pace isn’t slow nor is it fast; for the most part it just plods along. Even though I struggled with this, I actually moved through it pretty quickly.

Though I didn’t connect with Luca’s voice or care for his character, I had a better time reading from Isolde’s POV. I admire that the author has written such strong female roles instead of ditzy, damsels in distress which made for a refreshing read. Trust me when I say they could kick-butt (especially Ishraq who reminded me of a historical version of Rose from Vampire Academy).

Overall I’m not dying to get my hands on the sequel and don’t have much incentive to continue the series. I wouldn’t mind reading something else by this author in the future but only if it really sparks my interest.

2/5

Review: Wanderlove by Kirsten Hubbard

Wanderlove by Kirsten Hubbard
March 13th, 2012 ∙ Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Source: Purchased
Format: Hardcover
Page Count: 338

It all begins with a stupid question:

Are you a Global Vagabond?

No, but 18-year-old Bria Sandoval wants to be. In a quest for independence, her neglected art, and no-strings-attached hookups, she signs up for a guided tour of Central America—the wrong one. Middle-aged tourists with fanny packs are hardly the key to self-rediscovery. When Bria meets Rowan, devoted backpacker and dive instructor, and his outspokenly humanitarian sister Starling, she seizes the chance to ditch her group and join them off the beaten path.

Bria's a good girl trying to go bad. Rowan's a bad boy trying to stay good. As they travel across a panorama of Mayan villages, remote Belizean islands, and hostels plagued with jungle beasties, they discover what they've got in common: both seek to leave behind the old versions of themselves. And the secret to escaping the past, Rowan’s found, is to keep moving forward.

But Bria comes to realize she can't run forever, no matter what Rowan says. If she ever wants the courage to fall for someone worthwhile, she has to start looking back.

Kirsten Hubbard lends her artistry to this ultimate backpacker novel, weaving her drawings into the text. Her career as a travel writer and her experiences as a real-life vagabond backpacking Central America are deeply seeded in this inspiring story.

Review:

When I first heard of Wanderlove I was positively excited. A travel, coming of age story with illustrations – what more could you want! I went into this with very high expectations but unfortunately didn’t enjoy it as much as I had hoped.

What I didn’t like:

I didn’t have a strong connection with the characters nor really feel for them; they were kind of just there.

The beginning wasn’t exactly slow but it just didn't feel like it was my thing. I went in to this book expecting to be captivated straight away and I was a little taken aback, surprised almost. Here was a book that I had been expecting a lot from and it just wasn’t what I thought it would be...

I really struggled in the beginning and felt a lack of interest to continue reading; I really had to push myself. It wasn’t until almost half way that things started to eventually look up and I found myself starting to enjoy the story more.

What I did like:

The thing I love most about Wanderlove is its uniqueness. The idea hasn’t been done before; it’s safe to say there is nothing like it on the YA market which I think readers will really appreciate. Who wants the same, repeated, washed up story again and again? I certainly don’t. And I’m sure you don’t either.

The illustrations are GORGEOUS. Simple yet detailed; captivating; charming. They certainly made the reading experience a better one. Every time I came across an illustration my face lit up and my eyes were instantly drawn in; I didn’t want to turn the page.

Wanderlove gave me an adventure without me even having to leave the house. It truly felt like I was trekking throughout Central America right beside Bria and Rowan.

Overall:Personally, Wanderlove was an okay read. No, I didn’t fall head-over-heels in love with it like I originally thought I would, but I can certainly see why others did. If you are looking for something out of the ordinary that is fresh and creative Wanderlove might just be what the doctor ordered.

2.5/5

Joel and Cat Set the Story Straight by Nick Earls and Rebecca Sparrow

Joel and Cat Set the Story Straight by Nick Earls and Rebecca Sparrow

Joel and Cat Set the Story Straight is two weeks in the life of Joel Hedges and Cat Davis. Joel would prefer to get through his final year of high school without Cat Davis or his mother's faux Spanish boyfriend and just hang-out with his best-friend Luke. Cat Davis has an annoying best-friend, and even more annoying little brother, and a deep abiding hatred of Joel Hedges.

Due to an unfortunate incident involving a leaking pen and suspected outbreak of Bird Flu, Joel and Cat are forced to sit next to each other in Extension English. To make matters worse, and to their mutual horror, they are paired together for a tandem story writing assignment.

Review:

 I picked this book up, intrigued by the blurb and interested to read by two well known Aussie authors. I’m glad I picked this up, cause now that I know I like Miss Sparrow’s prose, I’m looking forward to reading more by her!

As soon as I started reading from Cat’s POV (Rebecca Sparrow) I instantly liked her writing style. However, I didn’t really connect with the other author, Nick Earls, who wrote from Joel’s perspective. 

This book was quite a roller coaster – one minute I was really enjoying it and the next minute it was going down hill and I found myself skimming parts. :(

I don’t really know what to say for the characters. To me, they were okay, but didn’t really stand out. Except for her little brother – What a cute, out-of-control, obsessive lolly eater, rascal! As said by Mark “Whatever Trevor!” :]

The El Salvador cooking scene, was hilarious! A little cringing to watch unravel, but it made me laugh-out-loud and had me shaking my head at just what was happening. I laughed that loud, my dad asked me what I was watching. I then had to persuade him, that yes, you really can laugh that much at a book! He still didn’t seem sure…

Sometimes this book was so random…like seriously! One minute I was reading and the next minute, I came to a screeching stop wondering what had just happened!

Even though some parts were enjoyable and very fun to read, sometimes I found myself losing interest.

Rating – 2/5