Review: Dreamless by Josephine Angelini

 
 

Dreamless by Josephine Angelini

Published: May 29th, 2012; HarperTeen
487 pages

From Goodreads:
StarHearts, as fans of Josephine Angelini call themselves, will stay up all night reading Dreamless, the second book in the bestselling Starcrossed series. The saga mixes mythology, romance, action, and intrigue in a completely original way.

Dreamless continues the story of Helen Hamilton, a shy girl living on Nantucket Island whose desire for an ordinary life was thwarted when she discovered she is a Scion, a descendant of a Greek god and a mortal. Each Scion has a power, and Helen’s is the ability to travel to Hades.

Helen is determined to use her talent to stop a war amongst the gods and change her destiny, which is to live a life patterned after that of the tragic Helen of Troy. But her quest may cost her Lucas Delos, the boy she loves.

My Rating:
4 stars

Thoughts:

So. I really enjoyed the first book in this series, Starcrossed, so naturally Dreamless was the very next book I read. And even though Dreamless was a good book, I can't help but feel like not enough happened by the end of the book, ESPECIALLY since it was almost 500 pages long. It had the same quality of writing as Starcrossed, but still couldn't quite live up to its predecessor.

Helen has a whole slew of new problems now that she has found out the task she must complete. it involves traveling to the underworld (a bit too often if you ask me). In most books, the MC has some goal, and once they reach it everyone is happy and there are just a few more loose ends to tie up before the book ends. In Dreamless, Helen completes her impossible task, only to find out she didn't do it right, or something, and the story kept going. This book meandered a lot, so I think it could have been just as good of a book if the author had deleted a lot of scenes that did nothing to advance the plot or build relationships between characters. Yes, it's awesome that you can write a 500 page book, but was it really necessary? If the answer is no, then you're just wasting readers time.

My other issue with this book was the lack of advancement in the Lucas/Helen department. I won't say more than that, but if Orion is supposed to be a replacement, he isn't cutting it. For whatever reason, the relationship between him and Helen seemed too rushed and uninteresting. And (SPOILER ALERT!) the fact that he and Lucas were all chummy after a while was just annoying (If you want to add a love triangle, there needs to be at least SOME tension!) I don't know where Angelini is going with the whole Orion/Helen thing, but this is one of very few love triangles that hasn't left me squealing like a young schoolgirl. And that's just darn disappointing.

Aside from my qualms about the length of this book and the minimal romance, it was very good. I think Angelini crafted a well researched and believable story, and I still love the mythology involved in this book. You get an even bigger dose of myths, and (GASP!) there are even actual gods in this book. It isn't like everything related to greek mythology in this book is 100% accurate, but it is 100% believable. The backstory that Angelini created enhances the story instead of weighing it down with confusing bouts of info-dumping. So bravo to that!

I'll won't go into too much detail about this book, other than that it was a great book! It didn't quite surpass Starcrossed, but I will still be reading the next book in the series (Goddess) because I feel quite invested in Helen Hamilton and her life. If you haven't read Starcrossed (hopefully you have, otherwise you shouldn't be reading THIS review if you haven't even read the first book in the series!) then do so ASAP. After that, pick up a copy of Dreamless by Josephine Angelini. It's an awesome book that will leave you wanting more.

Shanzy <3 

Review: Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini

Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini

Published: May 31st, 2011; HarperTeen
487 pages

From Goodreads:
How do you defy destiny?

Helen Hamilton has spent her entire sixteen years trying to hide how different she is—no easy task on an island as small and sheltered as Nantucket. And it's getting harder. Nightmares of a desperate desert journey have Helen waking parched, only to find her sheets damaged by dirt and dust. At school she's haunted by hallucinations of three women weeping tears of blood . . . and when Helen first crosses paths with Lucas Delos, she has no way of knowing they're destined to play the leading roles in a tragedy the Fates insist on repeating throughout history.

As Helen unlocks the secrets of her ancestry, she realizes that some myths are more than just legend. But even demigod powers might not be enough to defy the forces that are both drawing her and Lucas together—and trying to tear them apart.

My Rating:
4.5 stars

Thoughts:

I’ve been meaning to read Starcrossed for about a year now, and after a few delays, I finally got around to it! It’s definitely a book I don’t regret reading, and although it didn’t knock my socks off, I’m still giving it a solid 4 star rating.

The story centers around 16-year-old Helen Hamilton, and is mostly your run-of-the-mill girl discovers she has superpowers and falls in (forbidden) love kinda story. It is very similar to the book Carrier of the Mark, and therefore Twilight plot-wise. But where Carrier of the Mark was a total flop for me, Starcrossed held my attention and was a really enjoyable book.

Josephine Angelini added enough detail to the story that it became original even though the plot is one that has been done many times. There were some points in the book that bordered dangerously close to info dumping, but nowhere near as bad as some books. I was overjoyed to find out that this book dealt greek myths, something I’ve been interested in since I was small – and based off my general knowledge, Angelini got her facts right.

There were some parts where the relationship between Lucas and Helen did move a little fast, but not in such a way that made their relationship less believable. There was a great amount of sexual tension going on between them because of certain circumstances, and I loved it! I really can’t wait to see where their relationship goes in the next book.

Even though the plot wasn’t completely original, I thought the characters really were. Yes, some of the relationships that developed were visible from a mile away, but the characters and their actions were otherwise unique.

I’ll try not to go on all day about this book, even though it was a great book, and I probably could. To put it short, Starcrossed wasn’t perfect, but was still well worth reading. It’s a bit on the long end (487 pages!) of books, but I barely even noticed. I’m putting the next book in the series at the top of my to read list, and I think you should too!

Review: Carrier of The Mark by Leigh Fallon

Carrier of the Mark by Leigh Fallon

Published: October 4th, 2011; HarperTeen
342 pages

From Goodreads:

Their love was meant to be.

When Megan Rosenberg moves to Ireland, everything in her life seems to fall into place. After growing up in America, she's surprised to find herself feeling at home in her new school. She connects with a group of friends, and she is instantly drawn to darkly handsome Adam DeRÍs.

But Megan is about to discover that her feelings for Adam are tied to a fate that was sealed long ago—and that the passion and power that brought them together could be their ultimate destruction.

My Rating:
1 star

Thoughts:

I tried so hard to like this book. The cover drew me in, and I was really excited to read a story that was set in Ireland. The plot sounded promising, though maybe a little clichéd. I figured this would be an enjoyable read, even if it didn't amaze me.

I WAS SO WRONG.

Before I started this blog, I would stop reading a book if it didn't pull me in after the first couple of chapters. Now, I try to finish every book, no matter how horrible. Let me just say, this one was a struggle. There wasn't a single part of the book that didn't make me roll my eyes or laugh uncontrollably. I found myself giggling at pretty much every romantic scene in this book because they were so RIDICULOUS.

The author of this book has a pretty inspiring story - she posted this book on a site called inkpop, where it shot up in popularity and caught the attention of HarperCollins, who decided to publish her book. I think it's amazing that something like that happened for her, and I wish every talented writer out there could be as lucky as she was. But after reading Carrier of the Mark, I can't help but think that this book didn't deserve to be published. It sounds pretty cruel to say, but the whole book sounded like a mediocre story you read online - they have some promise, but still require an overhaul of editing and revising before they should ever see the light of day. So, rather, it isn't that this book shouldn't have been published, but it should have gone through a LOT more work before it was "ready".

Something else I need to bring up, even though it pains me to do so, is the similarities to Twilight. If you take 95% of the scenes in this book and change the names Megan and Adam to Bella and Edward, you would think you were reading Twilight. In comparison to some of my favorite books, Twilight is a horrible, clichéd love story. In comparison to Carrier of the Mark, Twilight is a literary masterpiece. And I understand that EVERY novel is going to be similar to another novel in one way or another, but this book had nothing to set it apart. At all.

The plot of this book was shaky at best, starting with the fact Megan and her father (who acts more like a roommate than a parent) relocated from the United States to Ireland because he got a job at a country/sailing club. I'm sorry, but aren't there country clubs in the US? you're telling me that her father was applying for jobs, and he decided to apply to someplace in Ireland, just for kicks?

Then there's the 0 to 60 romance between Megan and Adam that was probably the worst part of this book. And sadly enough, it was also the biggest part of the book. Megan sees Adam on her first day of school and is immediately in love, even though her new friend, Caitlin, tells her that Adam DeRis and his family are odd, and she should stay away from them (see! Twilight!). Megan spends the next few chapters talking about how she can't stop thinking/obsessing about Adam, even though they have never actually spoken, and it has only been three days since she first discovered he existed. It's pretty creepy at this point, and Megan just gets more and more annoying as the story progresses.

And it isn't just Megan who deserves the Academy Award for being a poorly conceived character. Adam, as well as his siblings, all had about as much depth as a piece of paper, and Megan's troop of friends were equally horrible. She and her "best friend" Caitlin are attached at the hip after the first day they meet, and just because the author tells us they're super close and buddies for life, nothing in her writing really affirms that friendship.

Eventually, after a couple hundred pages of sappy romance and poorly conceived plot, Adam and Megan learn that their love is forbidden (OH NO!) and some evil guy kidnaps Megan. I had mostly checked out by this point of the book, but the most ridiculous scene was at the very end. Megan and company are fighting the baddie that kidnapped her, when Adam gets hurt. Megan thinks he's dead, and just like any normal, level-headed person DECIDES TO KILL HERSELF. I believe she has known Adam for about a month, and she legitimately says that life isn't worth living without him. If I hadn't had only 20 or so pages left in the book I would have put it down and walked away.

I could go on all day about how much I didn't enjoy this book, but I won't. If you love clichéd, sappy, unoriginal stories, then read this book. I swear I'm not trying to be mean, but really, this was a terrible book. I've read amazing books, good books, and lots of mediocre books, but this one was just BAD. So I'm sorry Leigh Fallon, but I do not recommend reading Carrier of the Mark.

Review: For Darkness Shows the Stars by Diana Peterfreund

For Darkness Shows the Stars by Diana Peterfreund

Published: June 12th, 2012; Balzer + Bray
402 Pages

From Goodreads:
It's been several generations since a genetic experiment gone wrong caused the Reduction, decimating humanity and giving rise to a Luddite nobility who outlawed most technology.

Elliot North has always known her place in this world. Four years ago Elliot refused to run away with her childhood sweetheart, the servant Kai, choosing duty to her family's estate over love. Since then the world has changed: a new class of Post-Reductionists is jumpstarting the wheel of progress, and Elliot's estate is foundering, forcing her to rent land to the mysterious Cloud Fleet, a group of shipbuilders that includes renowned explorer Captain Malakai Wentforth--an almost unrecognizable Kai. And while Elliot wonders if this could be their second chance, Kai seems determined to show Elliot exactly what she gave up when she let him go.

But Elliot soon discovers her old friend carries a secret--one that could change their society . . . or bring it to its knees. And again, she's faced with a choice: cling to what she's been raised to believe, or cast her lot with the only boy she's ever loved, even if she's lost him forever.

Inspired by Jane Austen's persuasion, For Darkness Shows the Stars is a breathtaking romance about opening your mind to the future and your heart to the one person you know can break it.

My Rating:
2 Stars

Thoughts:
 

For Darkness Shows the Stars first drew me in because of its interesting premise. I’m a fan of Jane Austen, so knowing this book is based off of Persuasion got me really excited to read how Peterfreund had interpreted the book and created her own story with the same idea. I had high expectations, and they weren't met. I enjoy a certain type of book, and this one wasn’t quite it (but that could be a good and a bad thing, since it’s good to go out of your comfort zone every once in a while). I liked all of the characters in this book, but there were a number of things that bugged me too much to really enjoy the story.

First off, there could have been a lot more back story to why the reduction happened, and just an explanation for all of the terms like “post”, “reduced”, and so on. I spent the first chapter or so in a state of confusion that made me want to put the book down and walk away. Maybe it’s just me, but I felt like it was just too much unknown information being piled on in the first chapter, and then very little spread throughout the rest of the book.

Another thing I didn’t really like was the limited description of the character’s appearances;  when the author finally said that Elliot’s hair color was brown I already had a picture in my head of a blonde girl. I’m not saying I need every exact detail of a character’s appearance described to me in a book, but I at least like to know how the author envisioned them in a broad sense, because if I can’t “picture” a character then I can’t really get into a story.

There wasn’t enough romantic tension in this book either. Yes, it’s based off of a book that was written in the 1800s, but I might have liked this book better if it didn’t follow the plot of Persuasion to a T. I would have liked to see more sparks flying between Elliot and Kai; more than the angry stares and handful of times when they actually talk to each other. They spend 7/8 of the book that way, and then suddenly everything changes. It was too abrupt (not just the romance, but the end of the book as a whole), especially since most of the book progressed slowly. 

I did really like Elliot as a character, since she truly took care of herself and did everything she could to help the people living on the family land. I don’t remember any moments in the book that made me roll my eyes because she was being annoying and whiney (because she wasn’t) but she didn’t really wow me either.

I liked For Darkness Shows the Stars, and didn’t have any trouble finishing it, but I can’t help but feel like you could just read the real Persuasion if you were interested in the plot. The few things that made this book unique weren’t developed enough to make this story stand alone. The author’s writing is worth reading, and that was one of the only things that kept me from deserting this story. I know my rating of a 2 seems a bit harsh, but I think it was because I was REALLY excited to read this book, and my expectations were insanely high (the last sci-fi romance I read blew me away, and I was hoping this one would too). I can’t say I didn’t like parts of the book, and I would recommend it to anyone who’s looking for a okay read. BUT if you’ve already read Persuasion and you’re looking for a new and creatively original variation of the classic, look elsewhere. 

Review: Wolfsbane by Andrea Cremer

 

Wolfsbane by Andrea Cremer
Published: July 26th, 2011; Philomel
390 Pages

From Goodreads:
When Calla Tor wakes up in the lair of the Searchers, her sworn enemies, she's certain her days are numbered. But then the Searchers make her an offer, one that gives her the chance to destroy her former masters and save the pack and the man she left behind. Is Ren worth the price of her freedom? And will Shay stand by her side no matter what? Now in control of her own destiny, Calla must decide which battles are worth fighting and how many trials true love can endure and still survive.

My Rating:
4 stars

Thoughts:

The second book in the Nightshade series sets Calla in a whole new setting, and surrounded by a brand new group of people (minus Shay). Yes, I missed the pack, but these new characters were well-rounded enough that I didn’t feel like the heroine was spending her time around a bunch of robots. Wolfsbane would get higher points for that alone, but the plot of this book was also an improvement (though it’s pretty much expected that the second book in a series is better than the first…)

Things changed drastically from the first book to the second, since Calla was no longer trapped in the cage that was Vail; she gets to go to different places in the world, and wasn’t held back by the keepers and their rules. And this change was a definite improvement, since the first book only occurred in a limited environment. The searchers hideout (which isn’t much of a hideout) sounded beautiful, and I can’t wait to see more of it. The searchers themselves weren’t as monstrous as they were made out to be in the first book (but they aren’t little pansies either) and they became a support to Calla; I ended up really liking them.

Calla’s relationship with Shay was less inhibited in Wolfsbane, since they no longer had to hide their feelings for one another (much to my chagrin). Mostly, I liked the fact that their relationship took a spot on the back burner and the story focused more on rescuing Calla’s wolf pack. Nightshade was mostly about Calla’s feelings for Shay, so I liked Wolfsbane because it put more significance in Calla’s relationships with people other than Shay (which is hard to find in some YA novels). Not that the romance was nonexistent, since it would be a disappointment if it was.

I’m not going to say I don’t like Shay, because he’s growing on me. He spends a lot less time being annoying in this book, and his identity as the Scion brings some nice things along with it (I’ll try not to give anything away). I’m still a big supporter of Ren (especially after what happens in Wolfsbane) so I can’t wait to see what happens to his and Calla’s relationship in the final book.

I’m going to warn you, and just say that Wolfsbane has a few more tragic events in it than Nightshade did. Nothing is bawl-your-eyes-out sad, but some of the things that happen definitely set a bit more depressing tone to the overall book.

Wolfsbane isn’t the greatest book I’ve ever read (I don’t even know if I’d be able to choose one, if someone asked) but it was still outstanding. Calla grew as a character, and Cremer has built a great cast of characters who are flawed just enough to be believable, but not ridiculously messed up. There were enough loose ends to make me put the next book, Bloodrose, at the top of my reading list. I can’t wait to see where this series ends, and if you enjoyed Nightshade, or even thought it was okay, you should absolutely read Wolfsbane.

Review: Nightshade by Andrea Cremer

 

Nightshade by Andrea Cremer
Published: October 19th, 2010; Philomel
452 Pages

From Goodreads:
Calla Tor has always known her destiny: After graduating from the Mountain School, she'll be the mate of sexy alpha wolf Ren Laroche and fight with him, side by side, ruling their pack and guarding sacred sites for the Keepers. But when she violates her masters' laws by saving a beautiful human boy out for a hike, Calla begins to question her fate, her existence, and the very essence of the world she has known. By following her heart, she might lose everything- including her own life. Is forbidden love worth the ultimate sacrifice?

My Rating:
3.5 stars


My Thoughts:

I was really excited to read Nightshade for the longest time. From the gorgeous cover to the enticing story of a werewolf who is torn between duty and destiny, Nightshade was mostly worth the wait. Certain parts left me feeling a little miffed, but I was otherwise interested in every part of Calla’s story.

This book was new for the werewolf genre, since the main character was actually a werewolf for a change. Most of the books I have read in the werewolf subgenre feature a female damsel in distress and a male bad-boy-werewolf who is trying to cope with the beastly side of himself. Not that I don’t enjoy those books; I just thought it was pretty interesting to see the world from Calla’s point of view.

And of course the boys in this book were hot. I, personally, am a bigger fan of Ren than Shay. For whatever reason, Shay just seemed too whiney for most of the book. Maybe it’s just because I have a predisposition to the tall-dark-and-handsome type, but I’m usually a fan of the underdog in the story. My theory is that Cremer tried a little bit too hard to make the reader feel sorry for Shay, which backfired and made me like him less. A lot less.

 But boys aside, the other supporting characters in the story were pretty awesome. Calla’s friends made me wish I had my very own wolf pack to be besties with (pardon me, just being a dork here). Bryn was adorable, and Ansel stuck by Calla’s side no matter what. Even though things weren’t always perfect, they were always loyal to each other.

The way the wolves could shift from their wolf form to their human form  and vice versa without going through some creepy body crunching, clothes tearing transformation was a nifty way of doing things. Sure, it could be considered cheating, but it was nice to not have to wonder how the characters could afford to destroy that many pieces of clothing. Kudos to you, Andrea Cremer, for coming up with something simple that I haven’t seen done before.

The plot in this book was pretty easy to follow from the very start. It didn’t really deviate from the regular YA forbidden love story line, which was kind of a disappointment. Yes, the idea of keepers and searchers was a new one, but there wasn’t any big moment that I didn’t see coming. I’m hopeful the next book in the series will leave me a bit more enthralled. I’m not saying the plot in this book was stagnant, because I’m happy as long as there’s at least one original idea in a story, and Nightshade had quite a few.

Overall, Nightshade was pretty enjoyable. I gave it 3.5 stars because I liked it, but there wasn't anything in it that made me want to call one of my friends and tell them they had to read it. It's in that strange in between space of being okay and pretty good, and I can't quite make up my mind about how much I really enjoyed it. It wasn’t my favorite book ever, but it’s pretty neck in neck with most of the other paranormal romances I’ve read. I can’t wait to see how Calla’s story evolves in the next two books, so I will definitely be picking up the next book in the series as soon as I can get my hands on it.