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.

Review: Everneath by Brodi Ashton

Everneath by Brodi Ashton
Published: January 24th, 2012; HarperCollins
370 Pages

From Goodreads:
Last spring, Nikki Beckett vanished, sucked into an underworld known as the Everneath. Now she's returned--to her old life, her family, her boyfriend--before she's banished back to the underworld . . . this time forever. She has six months before the Everneath comes to claim her, six months for good-byes she can't find the words for, six months to find redemption, if it exists.

Nikki longs to spend these precious months forgetting the Everneath and trying to reconnect with her boyfriend, Jack, the person most devastated by her disappearance--and the one person she loves more than anything. But there's just one problem: Cole, the smoldering immortal who enticed her to the Everneath in the first place, has followed Nikki home. Cole wants to take over the throne in the underworld and is convinced Nikki is the key to making it happen. And he'll do whatever it takes to bring her back, this time as his queen.

As Nikki's time on the Surface draws to a close and her relationships begin slipping from her grasp, she is forced to make the hardest decision of her life: find a way to cheat fate and remain on the Surface with Jack or return to the Everneath and become Cole's queen.

My Rating:
5 stars

My Thoughts:

Let me put it frankly; This is a great book. Whether it was the awesome characters, the mythology, or the amazing plot, I had no trouble finishing Everneath.

                Nikki has made some bad choices, which have changed her life drastically. While she could have just curled into a ball and sulked for the 6 months she had left, she didn't, she got out and started mending the broken relationships she left behind. Yes, some of that mending was pretty painful to read (her interactions with Jack start off slow , and they left me wanting more every time), but you get to see Nikki's growth as she goes from an empty shell back to an actual human being. And the story didn't just center around the love triangle between Nikki, Jack, and Cole - Nikki also had to repair her relationships with her father, little brother, and her best friend, all while trying to get over the grief of her mother's death. She was a heroine with depth, so I wasn't annoyed by any of the choices she made. An amazing main character is always the first step to a great story, and was just that kind of character.

                 Jack was another great character in the story. Jack, Nikki's (sort of) ex-boyfriend who has changed since Nikki left. She thinks he hates her, but as the story progresses, you slowly learn more and more about the adorable relationship Jack and Nikki had before she left. Jack seemed like a jerk at the beginning of the story, what with him being described as a jock and a ladies' man. I didn't think my opinion of him would change so much, since he just seemed like one big cliché when he was first introduced. You eventually get to see that Jack never did anything to hurt Nikki - it was just a series of misunderstandings that led her astray. By the end of the book I loved Jack. Yes, he still was a bit of a cliché, but in a good way. He grew along with Nikki, and you could tell their relationship was built on something other than mutual lust.

                Surprisingly, I was a fan of Cole too (I usually only like one of the main male characters). Brodi Ashton did an amazing job of making Cole an antagonist while also being a sympathetic character - even though he wasn't always nice, there were still times I wished he was real so I could hug him.

                The backdrop of mythology that tied this whole story together was another reason I loved this book. I've always found the Persephone myth interesting, so I loved how it was tied into Everneath. It wasn't a verbatim reproduction of the myth - Ashton took it and made it her own.

                I won't go into detail about the end of the book, but I'll just say I cannot wait to read the next book in the series.

                Overall, Everneath was a fantastic book. Brodi Ashton created characters that were real, and a story that made sense and had actual depth. I will be reading the rest of the Everneath series as soon as I can get my hands on it (and I suggest you do too).  

Review: Arise by Tara Hudson

Arise by Tara Hudson
Published: June 5th, 2012; HarperTeen
404 Pages

From Goodreads:
New Orleans
Saint Louis
Number One Cemetery
A night there can change a life . . . or a death.

Increasingly worried that dark spirits will carry out their threats and hurt the people she cares for most, Amelia is ready to try anything to protect them. And for his own very different reasons, Joshua has come to this cemetery at midnight to join her in a powerful ritual.

Both know that once Amelia steps inside the Voodoo circle and the beautiful girl from the Conjure Cafe begins the ceremony, everything will change.

Tara Hudson's enthralling sequel to "Hereafter" escalates the danger and excitement, bringing a new dimension to her already mesmerizing story of a haunted love.

My Rating:
4 stars

My Thoughts:

After reading Hereafter, I was somewhat disappointed in the outcome. The first book in a series is supposed to pull you into a rollercoaster ride that leaves you wanting more once it's finally over. I didn't really feel that after reading Hereafter, so I was hopeful that Arise wouldn't fall completely flat.

                I can't say that Arise completely made up for what Hereafter was lacking, but it was a bit better. I liked the setting of New Orleans, since it seemed to be more detailed than Hudson's description of Amelia's hometown in Oklahoma. The original setting was pretty stagnant for me, so a change of scenery was welcome, no matter how random it was.

                Gabrielle was also a breath of fresh air from Amelia's helplessness, I just didn't like how the author sort of shoved her into the story. It was too sudden for Gabrielle and Amelia to go from strangers to friends in all of a day. She was kind of a pro and a con to me; she was the right character, just not at the right time in the story.

                My main problem with both Arise and Hereafter is that they have little to no depth. The story is original, but the characters and the plot were flat to me. The first half of the book was Amelia worrying about leaving Joshua so he wouldn't get hurt by the evil demons that were following her (which, frankly, didn't seem all that evil). When she finally "left" it was for a day, which she spent moping over how much she missed Joshua. Joshua and Amelia win my award for sappiest couple; I would welcome a bit more dysfunction.

                 I really hoped Amelia would grow a bit more in Arise, but she was still fumbling around blindly. Her story could really use some more direction, instead of Amelia simply reacting to situations.

                Don't get me wrong, I liked this book, but it just has some hiccups that made it harder to finish. The series could use some more continuity with the antagonist, since I have a feeling Hudson is going to recycle the same thing that happened in the first two books (but I would be incredibly happy if she didn't!). The demons haven't really been explained enough for them to be menacing - they're just creepy looking people who are supposed to be evil.

I'll probably give something away if I go on, so I'll end this review here. Let me just say that Arise was definitely an improvement over Hereafter, but the series still has a long way to go before it'll be one of my favorites. Tara Hudson wins on originality and her writing, but the flimsy plot and flat characters made it hard to finish. I gave it four stars, because the good outweighed the bad, and I was able to finish it. If you read Hereafter and liked it, I would definitely recommend reading Arise.

Review: Hereafter by Tara Hudson

Hereafter by Tara Hudson
Published: June 7th, 2011; HarperTeen
404 pages

From Goodreads:
Can there truly be love after death?

Drifting in the dark waters of a mysterious river, the only thing Amelia knows for sure is that she's dead. With no recollection of her past life--or her actual death--she's trapped alone in a nightmarish existence. All of this changes when she tries to rescue a boy, Joshua, from drowning in her river. As a ghost, she can do nothing but "will" him to live. Yet in an unforgettable moment of connection, she helps him survive.

Amelia and Joshua grow ever closer as they begin to uncover the strange circumstances of her death and the secrets of the dark river that held her captive for so long. But even while they struggle to keep their bond hidden from the living world, a frightening spirit named Eli is doing everything in his power to destroy their newfound happiness and drag Amelia back into the ghost world . . . forever.

Thrilling and evocative, with moments of pure pleasure, "Hereafter" is a sensation you won't want to miss.

My Rating:
3 stars

My Thoughts:

Hereafter is the story of Amelia, a ghost that wanders the streets of a small town  and has no recollection of her past, other than that she drowned. Everything changes for her when she rescues a boy from drowning, and her whole world is turned upside down.

                I was first drawn to this story because it's plot sounded so unique - I haven't read many books where the main character is a ghost with no memory of her past. I read it with high expectations, and while I can't say it completely let me down, I wasn't totally enthralled by it either.

                The book started off well enough, with Amelia rescuing a handsome boy named Joshua - who can see her -  from drowning in the river where she died - she doesn't pull him out of the water or anything, she just wills him to live. That seemed sort of strange to me, but still, the romantic in me (I try to keep her locked away as much as possible...) was swooning at their chance encounter.

                Their romance heats up as the story goes on, and I thought Hudson did a good job with building romantic tension between Amelia and Joshua, which included a fireworks-and-electricity reaction whenever they touched. But at the same time, their interactions were extremely cheesy. Joshua was the perfect hero, with his dark hair, blue eyes, and innate ability to compliment the heroine and make her feel all tingly. And I had to roll my eyes every time Amelia's voice cracked/squeaked when she was talking to Joshua. I'm pretty sure it happened every time she spoke to him, and it made her sound like a middle-schooler talking to her crush. Their interactions became a constant repetition of Joshua being perfect, and Amelia swooning at how perfect he was.

                And Eli wasn't very menacing as an antagonist. Amelia went back and forth between whether or not she could trust Eli, and Amelia's final "battle" with him was pretty anticlimactic (in my opinion). I would definitely preferred an antagonist with a bit more menace. Joshua's grandma posed a bit of a threat, but even she was more like an angry kitten.

                My main problem with Hereafter was the ending, which lacked an amazing cliffhanger that would have made me run out and buy the next book ASAP. There was a final showdown and everything, but no setup for the next book. In my opinion, a lot of events were rushed, so the author left little setup for events that could happen in the next book.

                I liked Hudson's writing, but Amelia wasn't really deep enough for me to feel like I could relate to her, and Joshua was too much of a cut-and-paste YA "hottie" for him to be believable. I didn't hate this book, but it could have used a bit more work. The plot had promise, but it went downward from there. I will be reading the next book in the series, and I'm just hoping the characters develop more and become more than just their relationship. I really have no idea what's happening in the next book in the series, but I'm hoping for the best.

                I know I've pointed out a lot of negatives about this book, but Hereafter wasn't a horrible book. I don't regret reading it, but it doesn't stand out from other run-of-the-mill YA novels. I would recommend reading it, since it has an interesting plot, and Tara Hudson's writing is pretty decent. I wouldn't put this on the top of my list, but it was still a good read.