5 Reasons to Read The Goddess Legacy by Aimée Carter (No Spoilers)

Title: The Goddess Legacy
Story Arc: Trilogy, Book 2.5
Publication: July 31, 2012 by Harlequin Teen
Paperback: 395 pages
Genre: Fantasy, Paranormal, Greek Mythology, Retellings
Age Group: Teen, Young Adult
Content: Kissing, Implicit Sex, Violence, Murder
Source: Harlequin Teen via NetGalley | Quote(s): Yes

In all the years I'd existed, I'd never expected to be free.

Spoiler-Free ARC Review: Dreamless

The following review contains
NO SPOILERS!

my thoughts in a few sentences: While a vast improvement in plot development, the romance and characters are easily swept aside by the more dramatic issues in Dreamless by Josephine Angelini, which works to a disadvantage and not simultaneously. The organic world-building and Angelini’s rendition of some awesome Greek myths continues, arousing confusion and interest, but, unlike Starcrossed, not overwhelming. I didn’t necessarily enjoy the sequel more than its predecessor, but I did like it better in certain areas, where others dwindled and fell short in comparison. Still, I can’t get enough of the mythological aspects and with war churning in the hearts of both the gods, demigods, and mortals alike, I’m very interested in the outcome of this trilogy.

hooking first line: "On Monday morning, school was canceled."

Harper Teen • Edelweiss • Greek Myth Retelling • 5/29/12 • $13.49

ARC Review: Goddess Interrupted (#2)

The following review contains NO SPOILERS!

my thoughts in a few sentences: No one was more surprised than me when I turned out liking Goddess Interrupted so much. If ya'll remember, I wasn't very fond of The Goddess Test, and that was mostly because of the lack of action and had nothing whatsoever to do with Kate and Henry. Carter was dancing around the good stuff in Goddess Interrupted's predecessor, but dancing no more she does with this sequel. Within the first few chapters the impact of all those fateful final decisions in book one materializes with the force of a several thousand ton sledgehammer, and the urgency crackles swiftly and powerfully. The threat is very real this time and very straightforward, as opposed to the mystery horrors hidden behind the doors of Eden Manor, which actually had far less appeal. This time there's traipsing through the Underworld, sneak peeks at a restless all-powerful titan, a goddess gone totally loca, and so much more, but the pacing kept me actively turning the pages and avidly seeking the next thrill.

hooking first line: "Calliope trudged through the sunny field as she ignored the babble of the redhead trailing behind her."

Rating: Sud-Kissed | HarlequinTeen • NetGalley • Paranormal/Myth Retelling • 3/27/12 • $9.99

Blog Tour: Reviews: Everneath | Hallowed

Everneath by Brodi Ashton Add it to Goodreads? Purchase: BookDepository Release Date: 1/24/12 Age Group: Young Adult Rating: Sud-Kissed Hover over Books in the navigation bar above to find a link to My Rating System In-Depth. + Hover for Summary »Last spring, Nikki Beckett vanished, sucked into an underworld known as the Everneath, where immortals Feed on the emotions of despairing humans. Now she's returned- to her old life, her family, her friends- before being banished back to the underworld... this time forever. She has six months before the Everneath comes to claim her, six months for good-byes she can't find the words for, six months to find redemption, if it exists. Nikki longs to spend these months reconnecting with her boyfriend, Jack, the one person she loves more than anything. But there's a problem: Cole, the smoldering immortal who first enticed her to the Everneath, has followed Nikki to the mortal world. And he'll do whatever it takes to bring her back- this time as his queen. As Nikki's time grows short and her relationships begin slipping from her grasp, she's forced to make the hardest decision of her life: find a way to cheat fate and remain on the Surface with Jack or return to the Everneath and become Cole's...

Hallowed (#2) by Cynthia Hand Add it to Goodreads? Purchase: BookDepository Release Date: 1/17/12 Age Group: Young Adult Rating: Perfect Bed Partner Hover over Books in the navigation bar above to find a link to My Rating System In-Depth. + Hover for Summary »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. Described by Richelle Mead as “utterly captivating,” Unearthly received outstanding reviews, garnered accolades from New York Times bestselling authors, and was named an Indie Next Pick. In this heart-wrenching sequel, Cynthia Hand expertly captures the all-consuming joy of first love—and the agony of loss. This beautifully woven tale will appeal to fans of Lauren Kate, Becca Fitzpatrick, and Aprilynne Pike.

I honestly cannot think of two more complementary stories to throw together for a blog tour. I commented on a blog a couple of days ago that I had read both Hallowed and Everneath within a few days of each other and I feel like buckets of SAD has been dumped all over me. What's ironic is that they are two COMPLETELY different stories, with characters who are nothing alike, yet they left me feeling the exact same way--eager for what's next and a little bit hollow inside.

Both books are bursting with a melancholy tone right from the first couple of chapters. In Everneath, Nikki Beckett has just escaped the clutches of Ashton's variation of the Underworld, called (surprise!) the Everneath, and has one goal in mind: to say goodbye to her family, friends, and the boy who got her through the horrible ordeal she wishes to forget, in a somehow better way than her previous abrupt departure. We revisit Clara Gardner in Hallowed and Hand instantly sets the tone for the rest of the book with a touching goodbye between Tucker and pieces of himself he's forced to leave behind. And what's worse? Someone so vital to Clara's life, a character (and the not knowing whom is pure torture), who we've no doubt become immeasurably attached, will die in the pages that follow. Talk about torn heartstrings.

Pros for Everneath:

• The Seamless Blend of the Borrowed and the Unique

While Ashton may have taken from the Greek myths we were all taught at some point, she completely spins her own tale that stands strong and fresh among all the other retellings. Ashton incorporates what I was cheated out of in books like The Goddess Test, where I failed to see the connection, the innovation. It was such a paranormal (Yup, I went there.) take on the Hades/Persephone myth, what we perceive as the Underworld/Hell. Somehow Ashton cloaks Everneath in a deeper darkness than we've known in other retellings, adding a striking quality to this story.

• The Lack of Hope Until There's a Touch

Maybe this is just one of those "me" things, but the utter despair that washes the story really made Everneath memorable. It's that pain and hollowness that really strikes us down and causes our hearts to burn with sympathy for everyone involved. I mean, here we have a girl who went missing for months. Imagine how her family and the people closest to her reacted. And then, for a while, it almost felt as if her return only caused more suffering, when all Nikki herself wanted to do was remedy the mess she'd inadvertently made. Ripping our hearts is the knowledge that Nikki has gone through an inconceivable horror and no one knows, so bearing the rumors and accusations and the hurt is almost too much. Even though the story's wrap-up is bitter and wrenching, there's a faint hope that glistens in the promise of the next book.

Pros for Hallowed:

• A Book with Characters I Wish Were Flesh-n-Blood

For someone who's been thrust into the abnormal and near-incomprehensible in a surprisingly swift matter of months, Clara Gardner is a fighter; she doesn't go unappealingly batshit crazy when things stop making sense. She's real and she makes mistakes which piss us off at times, but we can't help but feel as if she's an embedded part of ourselves, which we can relate to with ease. Tucker is the guy we all want to notice us, the tough guy with a dazzling heart of gold and a romantic streak that only surfaces with the right girl. Wendy is the best friend we need and Angela is the sibling we love to hate. Toss in Clara's family, and we've got a winning cast in this series.

• What Did She Say About Angels?

I'm deep in the camp that believes if you've read one angel book you've read them all. But Hand waves away that notion and proves us all wrong, removing what we thought we knew about angels and implanting a whole different set of rules. Ones that send us flares of red-herrings, boggle our minds, and generally set out to confuse, fascinate, and intrigue.

• The Sads and Other Stuff

This installment's going-ons are tragic and bewildering and heartbreaking. There's SO MUCH EMOTION. It's as if Hand holds a gun and she plants bullet after bullet into our bodies and still somehow crazily expects us to stand up again. Despite the fact that our hearts are peppered with quarter-sized holes. Taking out our complementary Harry Potter cauldrons, throw in Clara and Tucker's Trouble in Paradise montage, the dying of a character that makes our hearts bleed, Clara's inner turmoil, fallen angels running amok for revenge and secret crushes, AND SO. MUCH. MORE. and we've successfully cooked up a batch of Hallowed. I even cried.

Not to mention the band of boys in both books who frustrated me, made me want to cry, smile, and every emotion in between. My feelings go something like,

And same thing applies to Jack Caputo (as Tuck) and Cole (as Christian).

Overall I enjoyed both Everneath and Hallowed, and although one clearly WOWed me more than the other, both met my expectations completely so that I wasn't disappointed in the least.

Tucker looks over my shoulder and seems to notice Christian for the first time.
"How you doing, Chris? Have a nice summer?" he asks.
"Yeah, fantastic," answers Christian, and his mind suddenly retreats from mine into a wave of forced indifference. "How about you?"
They stare at each other, one of those high-testosterone stares. "Amazing," Tucker says. There's a challenge in his voice. "Best summer of my life."
I wonder if it's too late to get out of this class.
"Well, that's the thing about summers, isn't it?" says Christian after a minute. "They have to end sometime." (3%) ~ Hallowed

Review: Abandon

Abandon

by Meg Cabot

Add it to Goodreads?
Purchase at Amazon?
Release Date: April 26, 2011
Publisher: Point
Age Group: Young Adult
Source: Library Check-Out
Rating: Sud-Kissed
About the Book:

Though she tries returning to the life she knew before the accident, Pierce can't help but feel at once a part of this world, and apart from it. Yet she's never alone . . . because someone is always watching her. Escape from the realm of the dead is impossible when someone there wants you back.
But now she's moved to a new town. Maybe at her new school, she can start fresh. Maybe she can stop feeling so afraid.

Only she can't. Because even here, he finds her. That's how desperately he wants her back. She knows he's no guardian angel, and his dark world isn't exactly heaven, yet she can't stay away . . . especially since he always appears when she least expects it, but exactly when she needs him most.

But if she lets herself fall any further, she may just find herself back in the one place she most fears: the Underworld.

Abandon is the first in Cabot's new trilogy, based on the myth of Hades and Persephone, a story with a twist on the classic Greek myth we've all pretty much encountered before. I've experienced Cabot's writing before and so I was excited to learn that she was putting a spin on a myth I love, one which I feel has yet to be beautifully, perfectly portrayed. Unfortunately, Abandon began as the read I'd hoped it to be but then slowly dwindled into something less than spectacular, although it's a much better retelling than the one I found in The Goddess Test.

One thing that remains true is my love for Meg Cabot's writing. It's simplistic, easy to read, and definitely entertaining. But Pierce's voice didn't shine through. I loved to speculate what had happened to her in the past, how this connected her to the mysterious "he" that seems to find her everywhere and how this connected to the Underworld. But Pierce as a character didn't quite work for me. I'm a character girl as much as I'm a romance girl, and despite the first person narrative, I couldn't fully connect with this relatively quiet, haunted girl. There's a lot of potential in Pierce, being that she's a sweetheart and very caring. But her narrative overall disappointed me, as a character she wasn't enough of a draw for me.

It's a good thing the suspense held me captivated, because otherwise my reading pace would've faltered out of boredom. I was much more concerned with the paranormal element, this dark, unexplained connection to the underworld, the enigmatic John, than I was with strolling through high school with Pierce. Who is John? What does he have to do with that ostentatious necklace Pierce keeps hidden beneath her clothes? And all the strange deaths, disappearances, and just general trouble that seems to follow Pierce wherever she goes? Although there wasn't much action, the mystery propelled the story and I didn't want to stop until my questions began being answered. When the truths did surface, however, I wasn't entirely wowed by what I discovered. Cabot's spin on certain aspects of the myth wasn't nearly as engaging, as exciting as the mystery shrouding it for most of the book. I found Pierce's backstory to be so much more compelling to read about than any other aspect of the book!

It didn't help that Pierce was so resistant to John. While I can't say I'm in full obsessive crush-mode over this handsome, moodilicious guy, I definitely wanted Pierce to stop being so... stubborn. If this sexy young man wanted to keep me with him, possibly sleep in his lush canopy bed, you'd get no complaints from me! In this sense, Pierce was reminiscent of Alera (minus the whining!) toward Steldor, and that just didn't bode well with me. The romance wasn't the deliciously frustrating kind, where you want to shove the protagonists in each other's faces to get them to make out already. Pierce is the girl you want to smack around and say, Oh, honey, what the EFF is wrong with you? Have your eyes disintegrated when I wasn't looking? It got to be very tedious and annoying at times, the Chronicles of John and Pierce's Anticlimactic Love Situation.

Overall, I wasn't floored by Abandon, but I am intrigued by it enough to want to read the sequel and see where Cabot twirls the story next. I expect big things from Pierce and even bigger things from her notso great romance...