Review: A Midsummer's Nightmare by Kody Keplinger

Title: A Midsummer's Nightmare
Story Arc: Standalone
Publication: June 5, 2012 by Little Brown
Hardcover: 304 pages
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Chick Lit, Realistic Fiction
Age Group: Teen, Young Adult
Content: Sexual References, Heavy Kissing, Profanity, Assault, Underage Drinking
Source: Bought | Quote(s): Yes

Hangovers are a bitch.

Whitley Johnson's dream summer with her divorcé dad has turned into a nightmare. She's just met his new fiancée and her kids. The fiancée's son? Whitley's one-night stand from graduation night. Just freakin' great.

Worse, she totally doesn't fit in with her dad's perfect new country-club family. So Whitley acts out. She parties. Hard. So hard she doesn't even notice the good things right under her nose: a sweet little future stepsister who is just about the only person she's ever liked, a best friend (even though Whitley swears she doesn't "do" friends), and a smoking-hot guy who isn't her stepbrother...at least, not yet. It will take all three of them to help Whitley get through her anger and begin to put the pieces of her family together.

Filled with authenticity and raw emotion, Whitley is Kody Keplinger's most compelling character to date: a cynical Holden Caulfield-esque girl you will wholly care about.

Another reason to be a Kody Keplinger fan

I relished the opportunity to read A Midsummer’s Nightmare by Kody Keplinger since I’m such an enthusiastic fan of Kody’s work. Her books feel young, clever, and sexy and I draw immense pleasure from them, from the themes they incorporate and the gorgeous, sensual love interests who divert the main characters from the cracked and disappointing roads they’ve been walking down. So far, THE DUFF remains my favorite but A Midsummer’s Nightmare by Kody Keplinger is DEFINITELY a super close runner-up! I couldn’t quite tell you if it has to do with the similarities the two novels share or how much I ended up LOVING the slowburn sexual tension between Whitley and Nathan, but A Midsummer’s Nightmare by Kody Keplinger is not only the perfect summer indulgence and amazing for Kody Keplinger fans, but it’s incredibly written, fun, and entertaining if you enjoy reading about teens who get themselves into some really funky situations and come out having evolved and fallen in love.

And, REALLY, who DOESN'T love that, hmm?

Whitley is not, thankfully, a drunken hoe-bag

Whitley doesn’t drink this way because she’s had it easy peasy. Poor girl leads the epitome of a dysfunctional life with a bitter, resentful, neglectful mother waiting at home, a place which is miles away from a man unclear on the definition of a father, and a brother whose gone off to live his own life and start his own family. Whitley’s loneliness and outcries for attention are blatant and sad and emotional—I think peeps who are children of divorce can especially relate even if the circumstances were different than Whitley’s. I despaired over Whitley’s lack of parental involvement, and raged over how unchecked her life has been going up until this point. Those big sisterly urges I sometimes mention in my reviews threatened to smother me when it came to Whitley. What makes it even more emotionally painful? The fact that Whitley doesn’t whine and demand change but instead keeps it locked up inside, taking it and taking it.

Whitley is certainly not as bad as people would like to believe, overlook, and use to satisfy their own greed for gossip or release. She’s actually a jaded young woman who thinks very little of herself and is willing to settle for a few moments happiness no matter how difficult the consequences when her reality is so miserable and wretched. So she seeks solace with the tequila bottle, and, sometimes, when she’s too plowed for her own good, she unintentionally falls into bed with random boys. However, the one-night stand that sets this ball rolling is quite different from the ones that came before.

Harrison, Nathan, and other parts of the step family

Whitley’s step family is nothing at all like she initially expected upon first glance. Wicked stepmother? That’s out the window. Annoying stepsister? Not the case. Forgettable stepbrother? Not. Even. Close. In fact, Nathan is not only UNFORGETTABLY SMOKIN’, but he’s that one-night stand that Whitley is determined to forget, because, for once, what she remembers doesn’t make her wince in shame or regret, but makes her want more from this boy of contrasts than she’s willing to ask for and take, let alone give back. Which makes for all sorts of electric chemistry and loaded looks and hot little knowing smirks. But, I’ll get to all that later.

Not only has Whitley barred any opportunities for romance from her life—and, truthfully, she’s never received any offers—but she’s refused herself the luxury and complications of simple friendship. Some of you might remember Harrison, Wesley’s only close friend in THE DUFF. Well, Harrison begins branching out, it seems, because he adopts Whitley under his wing, and tugs her along into parties and sleepovers and shopping trips and just regular ol’ hanging out no matter how reluctantly and grumpily Whitley behaves. His tenaciousness makes him so much more lovable, and I downright adored him. He and Nathan, together, are the best cure for Whitley and her wayward ways.

Sparks are SOARING, bro

You guys, I felt tingles I don’t normally feel unless I’m reading REALLY good, thorough YA or sexy adult fiction, and I love that about Kody’s books. THE DUFF is all about the sexytimes but in a way that suits the story and has meaning. Here in A Midsummer’s Nightmare by Kody Keplinger there isn’t any actual sex apart from flashbacks of that all-too-good, romantic sex she had with Nathan during their one-night stand, and yet all the heated looks and repressed touches gave me spine-tingling, warming shivers in all sorts of places.

The fact is Nathan’s a down-to-earth, honest-to-goodness nice, great guy. He’s trying to atone for the mistakes back in his wild partying days and making up for the hell he put his mother through throughout high school following the death of his father. He gets angry with Whitley, intervenes, protects, and comforts. He sees the potential Whitley does her best to hide, and unwittingly brings out the good in her. And she makes him work twice as hard to keep leading a clean and honest life. I love that their worst qualities and awful pasts make each other want to be better than what they are, that they inspire each other by understanding their mistakes.

The ending was a little too perfect

All throughout A Midsummer’s Nightmare by Kody Keplinger the lack of perfection is what makes the story so relatable. People aren’t always flawless and innocent and good; they make mistakes and do terrible, careless things. And yet, when the ending finally came, it felt a little TOO solves-all, everything’s-just-dandy and I felt like that cheated the book out of it’s ABSOLUTE amazingness.

Romance aside, Whitley’s emotional growth and her evolution into the person I always knew was there but was kept buried for a while, served as a major highlight of the book. Despite my few qualms with the ending of the book, I was just as dazzled by A Midsummer’s Nightmare by Kody Keplinger as I’ve been since Kody first released THE DUFF. I adored what this book has to offer, and I believe anyone willing to try a Keplinger book will fall in love with this one as well!

"Christ, that's cold," I gasped.
"Sorry."
My whole body tensed as his palm moved down the back of my arm. The chill started on the surface, but it seemed to move deeper. Invading my entire body.
It only got worse when he rubbed the gel between my shoulder blades and down my back. Nathan's hands were calloused, but not too rough. His skin passing over mine left a strange tingly sensation. Like an ice-cold fire spreading across my back and seeping into my veins. Even my fingers trembled a little, and I clenched my fists together to stop them.
"You okay?" he asked.
"Fine," I murmured, but I was on the edge of convulsing.
Every second Nathan's hands were on me, another moment from graduation night flooded back into my memory. The way his fingertips had pressed into my hips. The way I'd practically thrown him on the bed. The way he'd kissed me more passionately than anyone else ever had. I remembered the half-crazed feeling when he took his time kissing me, touching me, whispering things in my ear.
Most boys take advantage of drunk girls. They make the sex all about them and their own pleasure. But that night with Nathan had been different. It had been slow and sweet. All about me. It had been amazing. (71-72)

Rating: Perfect Bed Partner

A Midsummer’s Nightmare by Kody Keplinger is, uh, very stimulating, kindling heat with the fiery attraction between Whitley and Nathan and igniting our sympathies for the main character due to her sad home life. I loved uncovering more about Whitley, learning that there’s a lot more to her than meets the eyes, and I basked in Nathan’s unerring faith in her. The rest of the characters are hilarious and real, and each of them work to intervene in Whitley’s self-damaging choices and treat her better than she’s known. Great for summer, certainly, but also a worthy and sexy addition to Keplinger’s stellar writing career!

OTHER REVIEWS: Dazzling Reads Hobbitsies Steph Su Reads

SIMILAR TITLES: Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick Ten Things We Did by Sarah Mylnowski The DUFF by Kody Keplinger

Don't forget to enter my US (only) giveaway for both A Midsummer's Nightmare and Shut out when you click here!

Got something specific in mind? Dare I believe I might NOT have covered something you wish to know? If so, let me know down in the comments section. Don't be shy!

Review: The Last Princess

my thoughts in a few sentences: What begins as a strictly heart-pounding, intense, and fast-paced story, The Last Princess by Galaxy Craze suddenly spirals into the disappointing with it’s unbelievable heroine, even more unbelievable romance, with several aspects in between that felt more than a little rushed. Perhaps because of the short length, or because of some other unseen reason entirely, The Last Princess fails to explain Eliza’s transition from dainty princess to vicious, vengeful warrior and rescuer in disguise, and how and why this same girl is so quick to fall into the arms of a soldier partly behind the kidnapping of her only remaining family.

hooking first lines: "The day began as a beautiful and vivid dream."

Poppy/Little Brown • Requested • Post-Apocalyptic • 5/1/12 • $13.47

Review: Daughter of Smoke & Bone

Daughter of Smoke and Bone
by Laini Taylor

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Release Date: September 27, 2011
Publisher: Little Brown Books
Age Group: Young Adult
Source: Library Check-Out
Rating: Sud-Kissed
About the Book:

Around the world, black handprints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky.

In a dark and dusty shop, a devil's supply of human teeth grown dangerously low.

And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherwordly war.

Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real; she's prone to disappearing on mysterious "errands"; she speaks many languages--not all of them human; and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she's about to find out.

When one of the strangers--beautiful, haunted Akiva--fixes his fire-colored eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself?

A dark, mystifying read that features a quirky, strange heroine of darker origins, Laini Taylor's Daughter of Smoke and Bone hypnotizes its captives with sumptuous prose and intriguing mystery. Magic, angels, and much more that tests the boundaries of your imagination, the Daughter of Smoke and Bone is the embodiment of talent, vision, and pure artistry. It is these aspects which make the story so attractive, but, for me, wasn't enough to hold me throughout the book. The first half of the novel evoked boundless awe, but the latter half dampened what I was starting to love about the story. The unfolding of events kept me riveted to the words on the pages--it's nearly impossible to be bored when Taylor is doing the storytelling--and the details, paranormal elements, and settings are dazzling, but I was dissatisfied with the romance, supporting characters, and the familiarly written ending.

There's a world of uniqueness and imagination in which I daresay most authors couldn't tap into, even if they tried. The workings of Laini's mind are splashed onto the pages of this story with such vibrancy and elegance it's hard to tear your eyes away. It's so easy to get engrossed in what's happening when Laini is painting such an exciting scene. The confusion induced by the mystery is more than welcome and adds this addictiveness to the book. I'd never read such beautifully different writing before now. Her writing style is that man/woman dressed in the most extraordinary hues and tasteful style, and you and everyone else on the street continue to stare until he/she is out of sight. So what's the problem?

I wanted to tattoo 'FASCINATING' across Karou's forehead, she is so cool. Her hair is 'peacock blue,' she's beautiful, and tough. And then there are all these minor details, like the fact that she can speak a million different languages and she works for a wishmonger who collects teeth and her family are made of an unlikely combination of... things we recognize in our world. She lives in Prague--FYI the most amazing place on this great big planet, it seems--and is an incredible artist. Who wouldn't want to be her? She is the kind of heroine I live for in paranormal romance stories. So when Akiva comes along and bungles that up--my connection with her and adoration of her--I couldn't help but resent their instaluv (though reasonable and explained) romance. I just couldn't get into it. He wasn't enough for me, I didn't fall for his personality (I couldn't find one though). For someone as awesome as Karou, the romantic lead should be equally awesome in some way.

And while I connected with Karou despite the absurdities scripted in her life, I couldn't do the same with the supporting characters. They are like beautiful pieces of art--you admire them, they are beautiful, but you're as close to understanding them as you are to unraveling the mystery of the banana. Impossible. They were too perfect sometimes, too. Too inhumanlike in nature (which some may have an excuse, but still).

The second half of the novel is consumed in what felt like an info-dump, even though it sorta isn't. It basically delves into Karou's past, which has been elusive to her all her life, and while Laini weaved the telling of it in the same tone she uses throughout, I just couldn't get into it. Unique? Definitely. But I started losing interest; I was more concerned with the Now instead. And with this crazy plot an unpredictable ending should follow, but I found that I guessed what the conclusion would be even before the set-up. It was disappointing! I expected to be left craving more, but that stopped being the case. I can wait for the next book.

Undermining qualities aside, I'm capable of sitting down with this book and enjoying it a second time around. However, though the story is just beginning, I can't name excitement as one of my feelings toward future books. Just a moderate interest and curiosity. My hopes are that Taylor fleshes out the romance and Co. and implements a more original ending so that I can fall just as madly in love as everyone else.

Those delightful moments during your bubble bath, with a book companion in one hand and a glass of chocolate milk in the other, are the best way to describe the luxurious feelings that Sud-Kissed books create. These books can sometimes be even more rereadable than Special Shelf books... (My Rating System In-Depth)

The only tattoos visible as she dug out her sketchbook and handed it over were the ones on her wrists like bracelets--a single word on each: true and story. (8)

The Wishmonger's voice was so deep it seemed almost the shadow of sound: a dark sonance that lurked in the lowest register of hearing. "I don't know many rules to live by," he'd said. "But here's one. It's simple. Don't put anything unnecessary into yourself. No poisons or chemicals, no fumes or smoke or alcohol, no sharp objects, no inessential needles--drug or tattoo--and... no inessential penises, either."

"Inessential penises?" Karou had repeated, delighted with the phrase in spite of her grief. "Is there any such thing as an essential one?"

"When an essential one comes along, you'll know," he'd replied. "Stop squandering yourself, child. Wait for love." (22)

Review: The Prophecy of the Sisters by Michelle Zink

The Prophecy of the Sisters by Michelle Zink

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Release Date: August 1, 2009
Publisher: Little Brown
Source: borrowed/Public Library
Purchase: Book Depo. | Amazon | Kindle
About the Book:

An ancient prophecy divides two sisters-

One good...

One evil...

Who will prevail?

Twin sisters Lia and Alice Milthorpe have just become orphans. They have also become enemies. As they discover their roles in a prophecy that has turned generations of sisters against each other, the girls find themselves entangled in a mystery that involves a tattoo-like mark, their parents' deaths, a boy, a book, and a lifetime of secrets.

Lia and Alice don't know whom they can trust.

They just know they can't trust each other.

The great thing, so far, about this series is that it's actually very, very interesting and definitely engrossing. I haven't read a book that's made me want to know about its backstory, more on the mythology, and piece together the Big Picture as much as with The Prophecy of the Sisters in a long time. The time period only adds to the dark, dismal overtone and the animosity between the sisters grows to the point of chilling, which tended to push me to look over my shoulder from time to time (making me feel slightly ridiculous in the process). The sisters themselves fascinated me in their differences and the parts they play in this cryptic, grim prophecy.

I can't say that this book was absolutely amazing, because I didn't find it to be so. It was still a well-written, intriguing novel that has definitely encouraged my curiosity as to what's to come. I was genuinely impressed by how creatively Zink incorporated *MAY BE SPOILERY* the angel mythology in Alice and Lia's story, how she twisted the plot in unexpected ways to make the book more appealing and readable. I wanted to go on reading purely for the sake of learning more. I wanted to uncover Alice and Lia's roles in this mysterious prophecy, and how they were supposed to fulfill it. With Lia being the good sister, how was she supposed to prevent the black side of the prophecy from coming true? It got to be pretty intense at points, and it never felt safe with Alice roaming the grounds and acting suspiciously.

Because Lia is so hampered by grief it was difficult to establish an attachment to her. She's a nice, kind girl and far braver than she gives herself credit for, but I want to feel more connected with her as I continue with the series. I want to feel the urge to make I HEART LIA t-shirts because her character, this story is so epic. I haven't felt that yet, unlike many around the blogosphere. So many people love this series, and I can only assume it's going to get better with the next two books, but I'm not firmly hooked just yet. I want to love the cast, Lia's two new allies, Aunt Virginia, Edmund... it's just not there yet for me. My heart hasn't been completely captured. I need more.

I especially need more romance. It's no secret that I need me a good, satisfying romance to fully enjoy a book. Without one, a WELL-WRITTEN one, I can't totally immerse myself in the book. There's promise for an exhilarating romance with the entirely lovable James, but it wasn't nearly as rich as I needed it to be for me to fall in love with him and his relationship with Lia. I need more background on him, on their history for me to understand why she loves him, has loved him for some time, going back to the connection I so badly want. I hope to see more of James in the coming books! And I sincerely hope that Alice doesn't successfully get her grubby little paws all over him! That would be bad, really bad and distasteful, if you ask me.

The ending was on the jaw-dropping side, for sure. A bit of a tear-jerker, too, particularly for someone with a heart prone to turning to mush and who easily gets WAY too invested in the fictional realm. My undoing is children and any suffering that is aimed at them, so you can imagine (really you can, but you have to read the book to understand what I mean) why I was so upset with the conclusion. And now that the battle lines between the sisters have been officially set, things, from this point on, are only going to get more exciting! Guardian of the Gate, I expect, will be much better and much more addictive...

---------------------------------------------------

"...Isn't it worth the small sacrifice of conscience to live your life in peace?"
Something desperate has crept into her words, waking me from the silken spell of her voice. I shake my head with force, as if to push away the whispered promise that pulls me close even as I want to push it away. 
"I cannot... I cannot do such a thing, Alice. I simply cannot. I cannot help the way I feel either. This is the way I am."
I think she might be angry, but her voice is filled only with sadness. "Yes. I thought as much. I'm sorry, Lia."
Her hand finds mine across the step, and she takes it the way she used to when we were small. It is not any bigger than mine, not really, and yet there was a time when I always felt safe with my hand in Alice's. I don't know why she says she is sorry, but I fear I will soon find out.
And my hand will not be safe in hers again." (189)

Review: Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler

T w e n t y  B o y  S u m m e r  by Sarah Ockler

"Don't worry, Anna. I'll tell her, okay? Just let me think about the best way to do it."
"Okay."
"Promise me? Promise you won't say anything?"
"Don't worry." I laughed. "It's our secret, right?"

According to her best friend Frankie, twenty days in ZanzibarBay is the perfect opportunity to have a summer fling, and if they meet one boy ever day, there's a pretty good chance Anna will find her first summer romance. Anna lightheartedly agrees to the game, but there's something she hasn't told Frankie—-she's already had that kind of romance, and it was with Frankie's older brother, Matt, just before his tragic death one year ago.

Beautifully written and emotionally honest, this is a debut novel that explores what it truly means to love someone and what it means to grieve, and ultimately, how to make the most of every single moment this world has to offer.

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Source: borrowed/Library
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Suggested: Fixing Delilah by Sarah Ockler ; The Sky Is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson ; If I Stay by Gayle Forman

It's been a very long time since a book has pulled an extremely emotional reaction from me, the kind where a crying jag is in order. There isn't a single reader that this book can't touch - at least I think so. TWENTY BOY SUMMER is beautiful; it's a heartwrenching, bittersweet, and deeply profound story that still brings tears to my eyes even though I've already put it down.

What got me the most was the tragedy that surrounded the entirety of the tale. And the thing is, I can't express the way I feel about it all without first divulging some very necessary info. The run-down of it goes something like this: Fifteen-year-old Anna finally gets kissed by her best friend, Matt, whom she's been in love with since she was ten, followed by a heartwarming, intense whirlwind secret romance. Shortly after, the guy she's loved all of her life is the only one who doesn't survive the car accident that Anna and her other best friend, Frankie, did. Frankie, also Matt's younger sister, Anna, and Matt have been an inseparable threesome since near infancy, so Anna doesn't know how tell Frankie about her and Matt's secret relationship - a relationship, incidentally, that was supposed to be revealed after Matt got the chance to sit down with Frankie and ensure her acceptance of it. Nearly a year after the tragic loss of her surrogate brother, best friend, and boyfriend, Matt, Anna is invited to tag along with Frankie and her broken family to California - the annual trip that couldn't happened the year before, the event in which Matt was going to confess to Frankie the nature of his feelings for Anna before he lost his chance.

Now, a year after Matt's death, Anna has a much more reserved personality, privately grieving for a relationship that never got the opportunity to flourish. And that's what struck me most about this story, that feeling that Anna will never know what would have been. I think that's what tears at Anna, as well. Throughout the book, it became evident that Anna and I shared an emotional connection. I felt her sorrow, her pain, and understood, if nothing else, her unwillingness to move on from Matt, to care for someone else that could be taken away, and her simultaneous desperation to let go and feel again. The memory flashes of she and Matt together, ones that illuminated Matt's character, nearly made this read unbearable for me. I remember just stopping so that my truckload of tears wouldn't stain the pages.There was potential for so much more between them, that perfect love that everyone seeks, and to see it be snatched away so painfully--there was nothing I could do other than cry.

Anna's effort to preserve her bestfriendship with Frankie also endeared her to me. Frankie, after her brother's death, takes a shocking turn in personality, attitude, and outward appearance. Her concerns no longer lie with school, with her family, but with how to make herself look prettier, smoking, and boys. No matter how much Frankie irritated me, I couldn't fault her. How would I feel if one of my sisters died? How much would I change? I kept thinking to myself. And that alone led me to an understanding of Frankie. I couldn't restrain any sympathy, any compassion even if I wanted to. The same with her parents.

What's more, the story is wonderfully written. It's a first person narrative that kept me glued to the book's pages, that had me unquestionably addicted. Ockler's magnificent storytelling yanked me into this world of pain and love, of loss and acceptance and has not relinquished its hold on me. And when I finally came up for air, after inhaling nearly three hundred pages nonstop without pause for breath, my face was sopping with identical rivers of tears. My mom nearly had a heartattack when she saw me--though, she knows me well enough to know how emotionally invested I can get with a book.

All I can say now is that I'm really looking forward to picking up FIXING DELILAH. If it's anything like TWENTY BOY SUMMER, prepare for another sentimental review soon. P.S. Mom, if you're reading this, I know it's Mothers' Day and all - and of course, Happy Mothers Day! - but I need you to put in another book order - TWENTY BOY SUMMER is a new favorite.

"I asked [Matt] what was so funny. He jumped a little, not knowing I'd been watching him smile there like a goofy little kid. he said it was nothing - just that he had fun at the party. And I believed him, all the way up until the day I read your journal. That's when it all made sense. All the times he'd ask me about who you liked at school, or who wanted to take you to whatever dance." (285)

Review: Soulstice by Simon Holt

WARNING: If you haven't read THE DEVOURING, then you probably shouldn't read this review. Especially since it may contain spoilers!

S o u l s t i c e by Simon Holt

Release Date: 9/1/09

Publisher: Little Brown and Company

Next: Fearscape (2010)
Age Group: Young Adult (14+)

Pages: 266

Source: Borrowed/public library
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Kindle

Word Blurb: Manic, nightmarish, and totally spooky!

"The terrifying, nail-biting, and grossly intriguing sequel toThe Devouring.

It's been six months since Reggie first discovered and fought against the Vours, malicious and demonic beings that inhabit human bodies on the eve of the Winter Solstice.

The Vours still haunt Reggie, but only in her dreams-until one night, when an unexpected visitor turns her nightmares into reality.

The battle against evil continues in Soulstice, the second book in the thrilling The Devouring series, which School Library Journal called, 'Comparable to books by R. L. Stine and Stephen King....A must-have for horror fans.'"

What a crazy, thrilling installment in The Devouring series this turned out to be! I'm still shaking. Where to begin...

Soulstice has everything I loved from the first book, The Devouring, but magnified at least five times. So, it's darker, edgier, and much much scarier. But the creepy parts aren't unnecessary, without purpose, but serve the plot well, and effectively kept me at the edge of my seat! 

Review: Beautiful Creatures by Margaret Stohl & Kami Garcia

Beautiful Creatures 

Authors: Kami Garcia (Blog★Twitter)

Margaret Stohl (Blog★Twitter)

Release Date: 9/14/10 (Paperback)
12/1/09 (Hardcover)

Publisher: Little Brown Books for Young Readers

Age Group: Young Adult (14+)

Source: Public Library (Local)

Go Buy It: Amazon★Barnes&Noble
★BookDepository

Overall Feelings: Intense, fascinating!

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Beautiful Creatures is a unique and exceptional novel that will fascinate readers from start to finish. This novel expertly maneuvers an addictive plot with an extraordinary take on magic: its capabilities and its practitioners. BC weaves a captivating tale of two young, star-crossed lovers; a world of choice: Light or Dark; a seemingly normal town turned unexpectedly mystical, mysterious, and quite dangerous.

Summary☆Beautiful Creatures' Website

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When I first picked up Beautiful Creatures I was slightly intimidated by it. It has a whopping five hundred somethin' pages, a rather large book if you ask me..so it took me awhile to actually sit down and read it. I've never really liked books told in the first person POV, yet I found that with Ethan being the one to tell the story, the book seemed a lot more...well, more. It made the novel extraordinarily different, unlike any other paranormal book I've ever read. I didn't know what to expect. BC went from slow and mysterious to intriguing to blow-your-mind awesome. A combination bound to charm me into gulping it down between two sittings.

At first, it moved a little slow, but in the process I learned a lot...about the characters, the history of the town and so forth. Riding out a slow beginning was well worth it. Stohl and Garcia really took me to the town of Gaitlin, SC. I felt like I was there, from the fried chicken, mash potatoes and gravy, string beans, biscuits, and pulled pork to my picking apart the words of the thick, Southern-accented people of Gaitlin until they resembled something of an intelligible sentence.

Add to the blend an intriguing mystery, one where a dark, vision-lending locket with strange initials carved inside it point to never-heard-of Wate and Duchannes ancestors of the two main characters, Ethan and Lena...explosive, unexplainable supernatural powers...bizarre, unusual family members...a seemingly normal town with an abnormal history. Throw in a dreadful curse on one of the biggest, all-powerful magical families with a lineage that traces back to way before the Civil War, and you've got an addictive, engaging, one-of-a-kind novel on your hands.

Usually, for me, characters are paramount to any other aspect of a book. It was the same with this book. Beautiful Creatures offered up a kaleidoscope of characters, starting from the very eccentric, like the tangled Ravenwood/Duchannes family, heading to the gossiping, superficial townspeople of Gaitlin, and everyone in between. Then of course, there is also Ethan and Lena who don't fit into the above categories at all. While Ethan was born and raised in Gaitlin, you'd never know it by his personality. He's so wonderfully different. Not only is he a handsome guy, he's also a determined, sweet, a little optimistic, protective one, who wants to break away from the confining, suffocating borders of the town. Lena, on the other hand, is a shining beacon of individuality, so much so that it shone like a neon sign in an all black or white town.."...a beautiful girl in a long gray dress, under a white track jacket with the word Munich sewn on it, and beat-up black Converse peeking out underneath. A girl who wore a long silver chain around her neck, with tons of stuff dangling from it--a plastic ring from a bubblegum machine, a safety pin, and a bunch of other junk...she tucked her dark curls behind her ear, black nail polish catching the fluorescent light. Her hands were covered with black ink, like she had written on them...She had the greenest eyes I'd ever seen, so green they could've been considered some new color altogether." (32) Come on, does she not sound cool or what? Only someone really cool would have the courage to look that way...

But the absolute finest part of the novel was the ending. But, I don't just mean the last few pages or anything. More like the last couple of chapters. It was intense as heck! My fingers were clutching the book so hard, my eyes were racing across the pages trying to absorb all the words on each one. The blood...the people...the darkness...the traitors...the chanting...all the death and sorrow. It could've been a freaking movie! I swear, had anything popped out at me in the last moments of my reading BC, I would've screamed, the blood-curdling, ear-popping, shrilly kind. But maybe that's just me.

If I could do over the last several hours I used up reading this novel, I'd do it all again, except I'd read it all in one shot instead of two separate times.

After devouring this first course in the delectable Caster Chronicles, I'm ready to gobble down the ensuing epic sequel, Beautiful Darkness! I can't wait to get my hands on it!

Thanks for reading!

Review: The Duff by Kody Keplinger

The Duff (Designated Ugly Fat Friend)

Author: Kody Keplinger (@ Twitter/Website)

Release Date:9/7/10

Publisher: Little Brown/Poppy

Age Group: Young Adult (14+)

Source: Bought (Borders-the store)

Go Buy It! Amazon/Borders/BookDepository

Overall Feelings: Unexpectedly fabulous! 

"Seventeen-year-old Bianca Piper is cynical and loyal, and she doesn't think she's the prettiest of her friends by a long shot. She's also way too smart to fall for the charms of man-slut and slimy school hottie Wesley Rush. In fact, Bianca hates him. And when he nicknames her "Duffy," she throws her Coke in his face.

But things aren't so great at home right now. Desperate for a distraction, Bianca ends up kissing Wesley. And likes it. Eager for escape, she throws herself into a closeted enemies-with-benefits relationship with Wesley.

Until it all goes horribly awry. It turns out that Wesley isn't such a bad listener, and his life is pretty screwed up, too. Suddenly Bianca realizes with absolute horror that she's falling for the guy she thought she hated more than anyone."

Plot & Ending: When I took a look at this book in the store, I remembered all the good things I had read about it. Still, some part of me didn't believe that this book could be satisfying.

I was wrong.

The Duff proved to be one of the best ya romantic comedies I've read in a long time. I think one of the strongest appeals of this book is the ease with which a reader can relate to everything in it. I think at one point or another every teenager has a moment where they feel the ugliest of their group of friends. I know I have. Teenagers often mistakes, especially when it comes to boys, relationships, stress and how to handle it all. There's also the fact that it's so realistic. The circumstances of all the characters, their school lives, home lives. The boys and romance. Divorce. All real, nothing you wouldn't not witness in the everyday.

When I read this book, I didn't feel like I was dieting. That may sound strange, but there was actually some meat, some substance. Something solid to take in. When I was done, I felt sated. Like, there was absolutely nothing I would want to change. It was more than satisfying, the novel did more than entertain. It did more than tell a story. The Duff showed me. 

It showed me the insecurities of a confused, helpless teenage girl who's heart has been trampled on repeatedly. It showed me the fear and anxiety a girl can feel when struggling with the notion that the two people responsible for her creation can't find happiness with each other. It showed me what it is like to bottle up a crap load of emotions and hurts until it becomes a festering wound. What it's like to unexpectedly fall for a guy who's supposed to be a happy convenience. 

The ending was no different. I loved how Bianca handled herself, how she handled Wesley. I loved unraveling the surprise of their romance, their feelings and watching how deep their relationship became, then seeing the end result, the product of all the drama in between. By the end, I said to myself that it was well-worth the time I spent reading it. (And I actually read it within three hours!)

Characters: Bianca, the main girl, is a supremely complex character. While I didn't always agree with her or her way of thinking now, I knew that at one point I did think the way she thought. I adored her spirit. Her ability to pop Wesley's big, cocky, arrogant bubble, to see right through him, to stand up for herself, to take care of her friends. She speaks her mind. She's sassy and sarcastic. She's grumpy. And she's insecure, as is any other teenage girl. 

Wesley...I adored the cocky player of--what is it?--Oakhill. And I liked digging down to his core, finding out that there is more than meets the eye about him. A major plus was the witty dialogue exchanged between the two. I loved reading the arguments and aggressiveness. I loved reading their very, ahem, passionate scenes. I just all around loved them!

And to be honest, I haven't read about a couple quite like them. They're extremely different from the other characters I've read and they refuse to slip into a precise category. 

"'Spanish, huh?' [Wesley] said, glancing down at the scattered papers as he grabbed them. 'Can you say something interesting[,Bianca]?'

'El tono de tu voz hace que me quiera estrangularme.' I stood up and waited for him to hand over my papers.

'That sounds sexy,' he said, getting to his feet and handing me the stack of Spanish work he'd swept together. 'What's it mean?'

'The sound of your voice makes me want to strangle myself.'

'Kinky.'" (17-18) (LMAO)

Cover: The cover's pretty darn fabulous, isn't it? I love the bright, vivid colors. It's very eye-catching, in my opinion. It pops.

Review: The Devouring by Simon Holt

The Devouring (Book 1/3) 

Author: Simon Holt (@ Goodreads)

Release Date:9/1/08

Publisher: Little Brown Books for Young Readers

Age Group: Young Adult (14+)

Source: Borrowed (School Library)

Go Buy It! Amazon/Barnes&Noble/BookDepository

Overall Feelings: Super!

"When Reggie finds an old journal and reads about the Vours, supernatural creatures who feast on fear and attack on the eve of the winter solstice, she assumes they are just the musings of some lunatic author. But soon, they become a terrifying reality when she begins to suspect that her timid younger brother might be one of their victims.

Risking her life and her sanity, Reggie enters a living nightmare to save the people she loves. Can she devour her own fears before they devour her?

Bone-chilling, terrifying, thrilling...what are you waiting for?"

Plot & Ending: Two words. So spooky. I haven't read a spooky-type book in a long time. I don't have the stomach for them. But, The Devouring was tastefully done, including those creepy parts. 

This story revolves around these creatures called the Vours, beings who steal your subconscious and take you over in mind and body. Pretty creepy, right? Yeah, that's not all. The person inside that was once there disappears into another realm called the Fearscape...*shivers*

I loved soo many things about this book. I loved how Holt created such a complexity behind the Vours, what the Vours actually are, their goals. My emotions were pulled and tugged, especially when Henry, the heroine's younger brother of eight years, becomes the target of these beings. Another great touch was the seemingly harmless, fictional journal of a mad woman who knew more about the Vours than most did.

More than that, there were so many scare factors. So many gruesome scenes, but it wasn't exaggerated or unbelievable. In fact, a lot of the scary scenes seemed so real I got goosebumps. There were points that I had to stop reading because it got so intense and I became too absorbed. This novel's definitely something you want to stay away from when you're in the dark.

The ending was nicely done. I didn't feel as though it was rushed. Instead, it tied up a few loose ends while keeping others open for a sequel. It is implied that there are more problems for the main characters to face in the nearby future, but the ending didn't disappoint. The Devouring is most definitely a novel I encourage you to pick up and read.

Characters: Regina...she is amazing. And I mean that. For a character who has yet to reach full maturity, a young adolescent, she has a surprising level of strength. Rather than succumb to her fears, she embraces them, faces them, takes them head on. A very admirable quality, if you ask me. Also the love and affection she possesses for her brother, that fierce protection she feels for him that pushes her passed what would be her breaking point and go beyond. I'm telling ya, she's an amazing heroine. 

Aaron, Regina's best friend, is also a lovely addition to the cast in this book. I'm envious of his loyalty toward Regina. It's something I wish I felt for a friend, and vice versa. And because of said loyalty, he overcomes his own fears to look out for his best friend and his best friend's little brother. An amazing person, I'd say. 

I liked Eben, Regina's employer though I was ultra suspicious of him. And Henry is also awesome. He seemed like my own brother and I was constantly fearful for him. 

Another superb thing about the characters is the villains. I don't want to name them, but they're too cool for words. How they creep up on you. How you'd least expect that person to be playing for the bad team. Radical, man.

Seriously, The Devouring has a great selection of characters, ones that any reader can relate to. 

Cover: What drew me in about this cover was the fact that the model didn't seem so perfect or ethereal. She seemed to possess this human frailty that lurks in the best of us. That vulnerability, that frightened look we are all capable of getting. She looked real. Therefore, relatable, in my opinion, at least. Plus it doesn't hurt that the swirling, I guess, mist is purple. (Purple's my favorite color.)