Book Review: Opal by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Series: Lux (#3)
Genres: Young Adult, SciFi, Paranormal, Fantasy, Romance
Published: December 1st, 2012
Publisher: Entangled Teen
Purchase:  Amazon | Barnes & Noble

No one is like Daemon Black.

When he set out to prove his feelings for me, he wasn’t fooling around. Doubting him isn’t something I’ll do again, and now that we’ve made it through the rough patches, well... There’s a lot of spontaneous combustion going on.

But even he can’t protect his family from the danger of trying to free those they love.

After everything, I’m no longer the same Katy. I’m different... And I’m not sure what that will mean in the end. When each step we take in discovering the truth puts us in the path of the secret organization responsible for torturing and testing hybrids, the more I realize there is no end to what I’m capable of. The death of someone close still lingers, help comes from the most unlikely source, and friends will become the deadliest of enemies, but we won’t turn back. Even if the outcome will shatter our worlds forever.

Together we’re stronger... and they know it.

Review ~
This book was a killer book. Purely amazing. There are many important factors authors need to consider when writing a book, and so far, Jennifer L. Armentrout has exceeded my expectations for both Obsidian and Onyx...and Opal two. World Building, Characters, Plot/Climax, emotion and premise. Ms. Armentrout has hit all of the factors that I look for in a book. The premise was amazing, not too slow, not too fast(is that possible?). The world building in this book was amazing too. It's simply a new world where the characters are amazingly written and it's.. just new. You know the feeling you get when you get "deja vu" and it sort of gets boring because you can predict what'll happen next? Well, this book ruled that out. I didn't know what was going to happen or which character was going to appear next, this just kept the suspense and story going unpredictably.

The amazing cliffhanger at the end...is something I look forward to in a book too. It's obviously sad and you're just anticipating what will happen in the next book and you can't wait to get your grabby fingers on the new book that will explain everything that has just happened. Drama Time? It was cool. Drama kept the story going, the jealousy and anger towards different people was funny to read too. The solutions weren't solved in one page, but kept the mystery going throughout the whole book.

The characters have their own personality, which is common to most characters in books, but they're unique in a way. This unique trait that you don't know just keeps you reading and the fact that you want to find out what's that unique thing about the character makes you more excited. Turns the book into a thriller. Hahah!

The story/plot was very interesting too. And Kat and Daemon was still the kick-ass couple you've always wanted to have in your life/wanted to experience it. They're both amazingly written and it's something you rarely see in a different book!

Book Review: Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

Series: Vampire Academy (#1)
Published: August 16th, 2007
Publisher: Razorbill
Genres: Romance, Paranormal, Supernatural, Young Adult
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

St. Vladimir’s Academy isn’t just any boarding school—it’s a hidden place where vampires are educated in the ways of magic and half-human teens train to protect them. Rose Hathaway is a Dhampir, a bodyguard for her best friend Lissa, a Moroi Vampire Princess. They’ve been on the run, but now they’re being dragged back to St. Vladimir’s—the very place where they’re most in danger. . . .

Rose and Lissa become enmeshed in forbidden romance, the Academy’s ruthless social scene, and unspeakable nighttime rituals. But they must be careful lest the Strigoi—the world’s fiercest and most dangerous vampires—make Lissa one of them forever.

Review ~

Wow. This book exceeded my expectations. I didn't expect it to be so good, and it was good. It was amazing. I love Rose, Dimitri, Lissa and the way the whole story was written. To start with, the beginning wasn't even as slow as I thought it would be like in most books.

Suddenly, she screamed and threw it down. Book and shoes spilled out. So did a dead dove.

Let's talk about Rose first. She's beautifully written, and like everyone says, is a KICK ASS heroine. I love her for who she is. She's smart and fierce and won't back down from protecting Lissa. Now that's who I'm looking for when it comes to female heroines. She's also a fast learner, which I love her for. Yes, she may have a little self control, I love her random outrages, although some of her arguments have no sense, it's still funny to read, yet "cool"(That's the best I could describe it)

No. If I let myself love you, I won't throw myself in front of her. I'll throw myself in front of you.

And Dimitri. Perfect boyfriend. Well, perfect guy. He's a guardian, a guardian who takes his duty seriously. He won't love, poor guy, or else it'll ruin his guardian job. He's just amazing. Strong and polite, he'll be there for you through hard times...that is...if you don't piss him off.

And the plot is like no other. Seriously. I can't think of another book I've read that's just like this, except for the Bloodlines series. Lissa uses compulsion to escape the academy, an academy that's heavily guarded with magic and wards. Ever heard of that? Didn't think so. It has a unique story line, it's one where it'll either fail or succeed depending on how the author writes it, and this author, wrote it well.

"Rose. Roza. Open your eyes." I'd never hear his voice sound so strained, so frantic. "Don't go to sleep on me. Not yet."

Yes, this immediately went on my 'Best Loved' shelf on goodreads. It's typically an another amazingly written YA supernatural book, but, I just felt like it deserved to be on my shelf. I don't know how else to describe it. After reading this first book, you'll just have a hungry feeling to read the next.

YA Recommendation: Legend by Marie Lu

Well, It's been a while since I've done one of these posts. If you didn't know, "Recommendation" posts is where I recommend books of any genre and age to you guys, I've done 3 so far, and then I stopped. So, today, I decided to start doing it again!

Title : Legend

Author : Marie Lu

Published : November 29, 2011

Publisher : Putnam Juvenille

Series : Legend Trilogy

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository

What was once the western United States is now home to the Republic, a nation perpetually at war with its neighbors. Born into an elite family in one of the Republic's wealthiest districts, fifteen-year-old June is a prodigy being groomed for success in the Republic's highest military circles. Born into the slums, fifteen-year-old Day is the country's most wanted criminal. But his motives may not be as malicious as they seem.

From very different worlds, June and Day have no reason to cross paths - until the day June's brother, Metias, is murdered and Day becomes the prime suspect. Caught in the ultimate game of cat and mouse, Day is in a race for his family's survival, while June seeks to avenge Metias's death. But in a shocking turn of events, the two uncover the truth of what has really brought them together, and the sinister lengths their country will go to keep its secrets. 

Excerpt :

Day -

My mother thinks I'm dead. 

     Obviously, I'm not dead, but it's safer for her to think so.

     At least twice a month, I see my wanted poster flashed on the JumboTrons scattered throughout downtown Los Angeles. It looks out of place up there. Most of the pictures on the screens are of happy things: smiling children standing under a bright blue sky, tourists posing before the Golden Gate Ruins, Republic commercials In neon colors. There's also antiColonies propaganda. "The Colonies want our land," the ads declare. "They want what they don't have. Don't let them conquer your home! Support the cause!"

     Then there's my criminal report. It lights up the JumboTrons in all its multicolored glory:

WANTED BY THE REPUBLIC

File No: 462178 - 3233

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

WANTED FOR ASSAULT, ARSON, THEFT, DESTRUCTION  OF MILITARY PROPERTY, AND HINDERING THE WAR EFFORT 200,00 REPUBLIC NOTES FOR INFORMATION LEADING TO ARREST. 

     They always have a different photo running alongside the report. One time it was a boy with glasses and a head full of thick copper curls. Another time it was a boy with black eyes and no hair at all. Sometimes I'm black, sometimes white, sometimes olive or brown or yellow or red or whatever else they can think of.

    In other words, the Republic has no idea what I look like. They don't seem to know much of anything about me, except that I'm young and when they run my fingerprints they don't find a match in their databases. That's why they hate me, why I'm not the most dangerous criminal in the country, but the most wanted. I make them look bad.

     It's early evening, but it's already pitch-black outside, and the JumboTron's reflections are visible in the street's puddles. I sit on a crumbling window ledge three stories up, hidden from view behind rusted steel beams. This used to be an apartment complex, but it's fallen into disrepair. Broken lanterns and glass shards litter the floor of this room, and paint is peeling from every wall. In one corner, and old portrait of the Elector Primo lies faceup on the ground. I wonder who used to live here - no one's cracked enough to let their portrait of the Elector sit discarded on the floor like that. 

Book Review : Champion by Marie Lu

Published : November 5th, 2013

Publisher : Putnam Juvenille

Pages : 369(Hardcover)

Genres : Dystopia, Fantasy, Action, Romance

Blurb from goodreads :

June and Day have sacrificed so much for the people of the Republic—and each other—and now their country is on the brink of a new existence. June is back in the good graces of the Republic, working within the government’s elite circles as Princeps-Elect, while Day has been assigned a high-level military position.

But neither could have predicted the circumstances that will reunite them: just when a peace treaty is imminent, a plague outbreak causes panic in the Colonies, and war threatens the Republic’s border cities. This new strain of plague is deadlier than ever, and June is the only one who knows the key to her country’s defense. But saving the lives of thousands will mean asking the one she loves to give up everything. 

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository

                                                               Review Time!
 So, Wow. That's all I have to say about this book. I can say that this book was a nice and sad conclusion to the trilogy, and I wouldn't want another book in this series no matter how much I want to know what happens. I just want to let my imagination flow freely...Alright, so..Yes, This is the final book in the Legend trilogy. My thoughts? As usual, the last book wasn't as good as the first two, but it still received five stars.

First, It was very nice to see how the story unfolded. Some time during the middle, the plot was kind of boring for me. I wasn't like "OMG, WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN NEXT?!". No, I wasn't like that, but towards the end, I kind of got jumpy but not that excited. It was also nice to read everyone's confessions and find out what actually happened the day of Metias's death. We learned a lot in this book we never knew before, that's something I love.

Overall, I love June and Day's relationship. Eden also had an important part in this story too. The supporting characters were no longer in the background watching Day and June's love life, they were now IN the story and helping the Republic. Woah. Huge step. I felt like Marie Lu did an amazing job keeping the characters in tact and developing throughout the whole story. The way she wrote Day's and June's love life was outstanding. It was written so their romance wouldn't overwhelm the whole plot yet I felt like there was too little.

Also, Thomas. His loyalty to the Republic is admirable. But, his loyalty can get him killed. I mean, seriously? Marie did an amazing job describing Thomas' feelings towards the Republic and Metias. I respect him so much as a supporting character, but sometimes, I feel like taking pity on him is the best thing I can do since he's not even real. It's just completely sad.

SKIP THIS PARAGRAPH IF YOU HAVEN'T READ THE TRILOGY YET/LEGEND, PRODIGY AND CHAMPION.  I can't take it anymore knowing Day is sick. It's causing me to panic. I felt like I wanted to skip to the end and find out what happens to Day. That's one aspect that I didn't like while I was reading. Marie's plot wasn't strong enough to keep my head stuck into the current story, I felt like Day's disease was the thing that kept me reading through it. I really do believe in Marie's writing. The simple way to put it is : This book simply wasn't her best.

Let's talk about the ending now. I felt so sad when I finished the book. I felt like I needed to stop reading all at once to stop the pain. The conclusion to the trilogy just went above and beyond my expectations. I love it so much. It was very well written, however, the middle, not so much. I would like another book to read and find out what happens later on, But I think it's better to leave this masterpiece of a trilogy alone and let you imagine...

This is one heck of a trilogy. It's so action-packed yet it has enough..time? to also include their relationship. I love it so freaking much. This trilogy is the bomb.

Notable Quotes :

"There's no room for emotion on the political stage. When emotion fails, logic will save you. You might envy Day, but you'll never be him and he'll never be you. He isn't the Republic's elector. He's a boy protecting his brother. YOU are a politican. You have to make decision that break your heart, that hurt and deceive. That no one else will understand. It's your duty."

“Sometimes, the sun sets earlier. Days don’t last forever, you know. But I’ll fight as hard as I can. I can promise you that.”

Click "Read More >>" for an excerpt of the book!

Book Review : Angelfall by Susan Ee

Published : May 21, 2011

Publisher : Feral Dream

Pages : 282

Genres : Urban Fantasy, Romance, Paranormal, Romance

Blurb from goodreads :

It's been six weeks since angels of the apocalypse descended to demolish the modern world. Street gangs rule the day while fear and superstition rule the night. When warrior angels fly away with a helpless little girl, her seventeen-year-old sister Penryn will do anything to get her back.

Anything, including making a deal with an enemy angel.

Raffe is a warrior who lies broken and wingless on the street. After eons of fighting his own battles, he finds himself being rescued from a desperate situation by a half-starved teenage girl.

Traveling through a dark and twisted Northern California, they have only each other to rely on for survival. Together, they journey toward the angels' stronghold in San Francisco where she'll risk everything to rescue her sister and he'll put himself at the mercy of his greatest enemies for the chance to be made whole again.

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository

                                                               Review Time!
So, I've heard a lot of good reviews on this book. I wasn't so sure though, so I borrowed it from my local library. Well, I did the right thing because this book just blew my mind. It was amazing! When I had picked up this book, I was like : Is this worth the read? Is it like the typical angel novel that's out there in the world? *Sigh* I can't get enough of this and I'm SO excited to read the second book, World After. Well, Now I have to return it back to my local library. Sadness... Just let me tell you one thing before you start reading the book, be prepared for not sleeping! It is one of those books where it'll keep you on the edge of your seat reading on and on to see what happens next.

The start wasn't slow, It started immediately with a lot of action. Reading this book was the greatest thing that's ever happened in my life so far..... The dialogue was amazing with so much sarcasm yet some parts were serious. It was like one moment I was laughing and the next I was literally waiting to see what happened next. There were so many mysteries and surprises, I was like hanging off the edge of my bed.

Penryn and Raffe. Let's talk. Their romance developed slowly. There weren't much kissing scenes or you know. That kind of stuff. But hey, let's deal with it. Angels can't hang with the humans. Haha. I love it how Susan keeps us in suspense throughout the whole book. It was mostly just world building and action, but still, all the details made it so surreal.

Now, the characters. I love Penryn. She was an amazingly, well written character. Penryn is tough and strong but at the same time, also has her own weaknesses. Raffe is also someone I love. He's just so..cool! I guess you can use that word to describe him.. But seriously, He's very well written. I love reading on and on about his feelings and the fact that he's so mysterious just makes everything so interesting.

One aspect I didn't like about this book was that we didn't really get a lot of answers to any questions that were in our head while we were reading this book. I mean, sure, yea, it's the first book. The romance didn't even develop a lot between Raffe and Penryn yet, but wouldn't some answers be appropriate?

Overall, I liked this book a lot! The world building was amazing and the way Susan writes this action - packed novel is spectacular.

Notable Quotes :

 “I never kid about my warrior demigod status." 
"Oh. My. God." I lower my voice, having forgotten to whisper. "You are nothing but a bird with an attitude. Okay, so you have a few muscles, I’ll grant you that. But you know, a bird is nothing but a barely evolved lizard. That’s what you are.”

“My friends call me Wrath,” says Raffe. “My enemies call me Please Have Mercy. What’s your name, soldier boy?”

 Want a quick excerpt? Click "Read More >>" for it!

Book Review : The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

Published : January 10, 2012

Publisher : Dutton Books

Pages : 313

Genres : Realistic Fiction, Contemporary, Romance


Blurb from Goodreads :

Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel's story is about to be completely rewritten.



Goodreads  | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository

                                                               Review Time! 
 Alright, So I have heard a lot of good things about this book. Especially " It's so sad! :( .." Even though I hear that from people, I didn't prepare for it. So, what happens after I finished this book? I get a mental breakdown. I'm sorry. This book was just amazing. It's very realistic and the characters were well developed and the facts on their cancer was "accurate".

Anyways, like I said, this was a fantastic book! It was very, VERY intriguing. Hazel Grace Lancaster is the main protagonist. 16 years old and has cancer. She walks around with an oxygen tank. Anyways, her mom sends her to a cancer support group and their she meets another protagonist, Augustus Waters. He also has cancer...and that cancer, took one of his legs, so he only has one leg.

Alright, Another thing I wanted to talk about in this book was the plot. It was simply astounding. I loved it so much. Never once did I think that he wrote it in a very non-fiction way. The facts were kind-of "accurate". The ending was very dramatic/moody. Very sad. I loved how John Green actually wrote a "pre-funeral" scene in the book. This is one of the few books that I've read with these scenes, so that's another aspect I love about this book.

They were smarter than an average teen and they spent a lot of time thinking about life. But you know, they have cancer. And cancer sucks. So what is there to do, when your life is limited and you're dying? Contemplate about life and study I guess...

Anyways, I loved the way John Green wrote his characters. They developed amazingly and I always believed they were "Real". They just seemed real for me. I loved them as characters!

5 stars!

You know, I really have nothing to say about this book other than the fact that it was very moody and awesome. John Green's writing is amazing. I say, if you haven't read this book yet, you need to read it like right now. Put down the book you're currently reading, and read this book. I can't promise you that you'll like it as much as I did, but I can promise you that you'll give this book at least 2/3 stars!

Quotes :

“My thoughts are stars I cannot fathom into constellations.”

“As he read, I fell in love the way you fall asleep: slowly, and then all at once.”

Book Review : Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

Published : December 2, 2010

Publisher : Dutton

Pages : 372

Genres : Contemporary, Chick lit, Romance

Blurb from Goodreads : 
Anna is looking forward to her senior year in Atlanta, where she has a great job, a loyal best friend, and a crush on the verge of becoming more. Which is why she is less than thrilled about being shipped off to boarding school in Paris--until she meets Étienne St. Clair. Smart, charming,beautiful, Étienne has it all...including a serious girlfriend. 

But in the City of Light, wishes have a way of coming true. Will a year of romantic near-misses end with their long-awaited French kiss?

 Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository

                                                              Review Time!

Alright, the summary. Yea. I know. It makes it sound like it's just a regular teen romance novel.  But, I guarantee you, this novel is not just a regular YA novel, it is an amazing novel. The way Stephanie Perkins wrote this novel is incredible. The story plot was very easy to believe. Even their relationship was believable. I couldn't relate to the characters, but that's because I've never been in their situation before.

I love the way it's written! When I started this novel, right when we met St.Clair, I liked him immediately, especially because he has a British accent. I like how Stephanie had written it so that St.Clair says the words "me mum" and "shite" throughout the whole novel. It makes it more realistic because it's keeping true that St.Clair is British and that it is appropriate for him to use those words. 

Anna is the main protagonist. The story is centered on her relationship with St.Clair. However, there are other characters too, Rashmi, Josh, Meredith, Amanda, Toph and many more. They're supporting characters, but I like how Stephanie Perkins makes it so that they're not just in the background, but they're mainly part of the story too. They're just needed in the story. Period. 

Truth be told, I liked Anna as the main character. She was a very well written character. She could be annoying at times, but seriously, everyone is annoying at a lot of points in their life. So, that made it more interesting and realistic. Although, I think she could've handled some problems better, but heck(whatever), her life was in chaos. THE NEXT SENTENCE IS A SPOILER.Her friends abandoned her sometime in the book or maybe they betrayed her(I'll leave it a mystery, so you'll have to read the book to know), and St.Clair has a girlfriend and she keeps stressing out why he's not breaking up with her.

St.Clair is awesome! I love him. Yea..too bad he isn't real. Omgosh. Did that surprise you? I'm sorry, let me repeat : St.Clair isn't real. He's never existed in reality, except inside your mind. I mean, Stephanie's writing is so realistic that you thought he was real. Right?! Right. His relationship with her was very enjoyable to read. They got into arguments, they did some irresponsible things, but it's easy to connect to with real life, where anyone could simply do what they did. I just can't get over how Stephanie wrote this book! It's fascinating to read, and every time I have to set the book down, the only thing on my mind would be this book. Heck, it would take me an hour to fall asleep!

 

I love this book so much! It is officially on my favorites list! This book just makes me jump with joy with hearts in the air! Now, I need to read Lola and the Boy Next Door!

For those who read the book, I have a game for you. Near the end of the book(page 344), Anna writes the most difficult letter she's ever written to Bridge. The game is to make up what you think Anna wrote in her letter to Bridgette!(Write it in the comments). 

Quotes :

I whirl around. "What's your problem? So you can keep dating Ellie, but I can't even talk to Dave?"

"What I meant was," he says, flustered. "Your feelings haven't changed? Since you've been here?" 

Click 'read more' for an excerpt of this book!