Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

Publisher: Little, Brown and Company

Publication: December 1, 2009

Source: Library

There were no surprises in Gatlin County.
At least, that's what I thought.
Turns out, I couldn't have been more wrong.
There was a curse.
There was a girl.
And in the end, there was a grave.

Lena Duchannes is unlike anyone the small Southern town of Gatlin has ever seen, and she's struggling to conceal her power and a curse that has haunted her family for generations. But even within the overgrown gardens, murky swamps and crumbling graveyards of the forgotten South, a secret cannot stay hidden forever. Ethan Wate, who has been counting the months until he can escape from Gatlin, is haunted by dreams of a beautiful girl he has never met. When Lena moves into the town's oldest and most infamous plantation, Ethan is inexplicably drawn to her and determined to uncover the connection between them. In a town with no surprises, one secret could change everything.

 The Skinny: An interesting story that does not live up to the hype

The number of positive reviews that I have read about Beautiful Creatures is astounding. Each one discusses how this series is one of the best and that the characters and plot are unique, amazing, and unforgettable. Whenever I come across a book that is surrounded in hype, I often wonder how it will turn out for me. Some are fantastic, like my love for Harry Potter, and some just leave me wondering if I read the book the same way other read it, like Beautiful Creatures. This is a good book, and I did like reading it, but my reading experience did not make me want to squeal with excitement. The book is too long and just goes on and on and on x 10.

When Ethan begins to dream about a girl whom he has never met, he is shocked to discover that the new girl in town is the same one who stars in his nighttime shenanigans. They become friends, learn each other’s secrets, and embark on a journey to learn more about a mystery.

I admit that I was intrigued when our starcrossed lovers met and their story began to develop. I will also admit that I became increasingly frustrated with the amount of unnecessary information that consumed the story and diluted the interesting bits. By the time I finished the book, I was just glad that I got through it. It’s a good story, but not as good as everyone describes.

Garcia and Stohl wrote this story together, which I think is amazing. I can’t stand group projects, but these two talented ladies have somehow written a book together. It really is an incredible task, and I commend their ability to collaborate and create.

TLC Book Tour: A Lighter Shade of Gray by Devon Pearse

A Lighter Shade of Gray by Devon Pearse

Publisher: Neverland Publishing Company

Publication Date: May 1, 2010 

Source: Author (TLC Tours)

        What does it feel like to stare into the face of madness? Or to anticipate your own? Would you drive away your only love? Could you pretend it didn't matter? How far would you go to protect a friend, or to avenge a death?

         Ten years ago, Devon gave up the love of her life, fearing she would one day fall victim to the mental illness that has slowly ravaged the mind of her mother, who is now being cared for in a private facility. Just when it seems Devon might have a chance to make up for past mistakes, her best friend Cass becomes a suspect in the murder of her sister's drug-dealing boyfriend.
      Devon knows Cass is lying about the details of her involvement and the lead detective on the case, convinced that Cass is guilty, is relentless in his pursuit of justice.
When her mother's young, emotionally disturbed roommate insinuates she knows something about the night of the murder, as well as details from Devon's own life that no one else is privy to, Devon becomes desperate to uncover the truth before Detective Lake does. As the investigation continues, Devon is led down a path she never expected and forced to face her greatest fears of life and love. Tangled in a web of lies, regrets and questions, can she find a way to let go of the past and start again? And, once the mystery is solved, can she live with the secrets she's uncovered?
     Join author Devon Pearse in this semi-autobiographical journey through the most heartbreakingly beautiful and deceptively mysterious events of her own life and the lives of those closest to her.

The Skinny: If you are looking for an interesting book with several storylines, you will enjoy this one.

Psychology has always been a field of interest to me, and I am always excited to read books that document the psychological journeys of individuals. In A Lighter Shade of Gray, we read as Devon deals with her mother’s failing mental health. While she attempts to maintain a connection to her mom, she also struggles with her quest to prove that her best friend is innocent of a crime. There are great scenes that take place between Devon and her mother. Their method of communication, colors, is unique, and I am interested in learning more about the ways in which individuals communicate when mental illness is an issue.

Though it sounds like a lot is being thrown at readers in this story, every storyline is perfectly crafted to seamlessly show the reader what is occurring. With the variety of characters, subplots, and themes, I was able to feel fully immersed in this story about love, friendship, and regret. This story is semi-autobiographical, and readers will wonder which parts of the story are based in fiction and which are based on fact. Pearse sewed bits of her life into this story, and the result is an intricate weaving of emotion and thought.

I enjoyed A Lighter Shade of Gray, because the concept is interesting to me and the writing is good. Pearse is definitely talented, and I will be on the lookout for her next book.

Check out the other tour stops!

Monday, June 11th: The Book Bag

Tuesday, June 12th: StephTheBookworm

Wednesday, June 13th: As I turn the pages

Thursday, June 14th: Kritters Ramblings

Monday, June 18th: Veronica M.D.

Tuesday, June 19th: Sara’s Organized Chaos

Wednesday, June 20th: Living in the Kitchen with Puppies

Tuesday, June 26th: Mary’s Cup of Tea

Wednesday, June 27th: Tiffany’s Bookshelf

Tuesday, July 10th: Beastmomma - review

Monday, July 16th: Walking With Nora

Thursday, July 19th: Booksie’s Blog

Friday, July 20th: Silver’s Reviews

Saturday, July 21st: Beastmomma - interview

Tuesday, July 24th: Oh! Paper Pages

TBD: An Unconventional Librarian

Capital Girls by Ella Monroe

Capital Girls by Ella Monroe

Expected Publication Date: August 7th 2012

Publisher: St. Martin's Press

Source: ARC from ALA

Goodreads synopsis:

CAPITAL GIRLS by Ella Monroe is the first book in a glitzy, fast-paced, fabulous new young adult series set against the backdrop of Washington, D.C. In it, we meet four young women, best friends forever, who must navigate life as the children of some of the most powerful people in the nation. With that life comes not only awesome vacations, beautiful clothes and A-list parties, but also scandal, heartache, danger and the ever-present paparazzi who seem to have a knack for catching them when they're up to something bad!

The Skinny: Gossip Girl and Pretty Little Liars mate and have a child named Capital Girls 

A group of friends navigates the world of politics, love, friendship, and betrayal in this story. We have a cast of characters that includes the First Son’s girlfriend, the southern belle, the wild child, and the token diversity member. This is a light read that fans of Gossip Girl will enjoy. 

I enjoyed the multiple points of view and the storyline, but I felt very little connection to the characters. Jackie, our main character, starts off as a sympathetic gal who is stuck in a mundane relationship while trying to cope with the loss of her best friend. Her character loses all sympathy during the next ten pages, and I feel that Monroe aimed to add complexity to this character, but rather than developing a layered personality, Monroe created a character that was difficult to understand. There are a few aspects of the story that leave lingering and frustrating questions (i.e. who keeps calling the First Son?!?). They read more like plot holes than cliffhangers.

The end of the story was the most interesting part of the book, and I am looking forward to reading the sequel just to find out what precipitated a specific event. 

If you are interested in reading a story about privileged girls and their scandals, this one is for you.

Jennifer L. Armentrout Reading Challenge

This is my first time participating in a reading challenge. When the lovely Vivian from Deity Island posted about this challenge, I immediately signed up to participate. Jennifer Armentrout is a great writer, and this is the perfect opportunity to read her books and win prizes!

THE OBJECTIVE

Deity Island CHALLENGES YOU... to (re)read all of JLA's books and post a NEW review/post about it from August 1st-December 31st, 2012. Each month, a new post will go up explaining which book(s) to read and a Linky List will be provided for you to add your review/post. At the end of each month, we will be giving away one of Jen's books to one lucky person who links up their review/post.

HOW IT WORKS

August 1st-31st 
- (Re)Read the Lux series: Obsidian, Shadows, Onyx 
- Post your thoughts or a NEW review about any/all of the books on any of the outlets listed below
- Add your link to the linky to be entered to win a copy of Cursed

September 17th-October 18th*
- (Re)Read Cursed
- Post your thoughts or a NEW review about it on any of the outlets listed below
- Add your link to the linky to be entered to win a copy of Unchained

October 15th-November 16th*
- (Re)Read Unchained
- Post your thoughts or a NEW review about it on any of the outlets listed below
- Add your link to the linky to be entered to win a copy of Deity

November 1st-30th 
- (Re)Read the Covenant Series: Daimon, Half-Blood, Pure, Deity, Elixir
- Post your thoughts or a NEW review about any/all of the books on any of the outlets listed below
- Add your link to the linky to be entered to win ONE of THREE ebook copies of Tempting the Best Man

December 1st-31st
- (Re)Read Tempting the Best Man
- Post your thoughts or a NEW review about it on any of the outlets listed
- Add your link to the linky to be entered to win a copy of Opal

*These two months overlap with others because of the book release dates & I wanted to give participants ample time to read each book, but the rules are still the same.*

UP FOR GRABS

- Physical copies of Onyx, Unchained, Cursed, Deity, and Opal
- eBook copies of Tempting the Best Man
- Preorder of ONE of Jen's 2013 releases (TBD as release dates are announced, details subject to change)

If you are interested in participating, check out Deity Island!

TLC Book Tour: I Hardly Ever Wash My Hands: The Other Side of OCD by J.J. Keeler

 The Skinny: A fascinating memoir of a woman and her challenges with obsessive-compulsive disorder.

When most people think of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), they often imagine a person who repeatedly checks the locks or washes her hands. In reality, OCD is characterized by unwanted and intrusive thoughts (obsessions) and/or repetitive, driven behaviors (compulsions). Various behaviors and thoughts are manifested as a resulted of obsessive-compulsive disorder. I know a significant amount about obsessions and compulsions, because I suffer from OCD.

I am always hesitant when reading memoirs about individuals who suffer from OCD, because I feel like it kicks my own obsessions and compulsions into overdrive. Unlike other memoirs, I Hardly Ever Wash My Hands was an enjoyable read, and I recommend it, if you are interested in psychology and honest accounts.

Keeler describes her harming obsessions and uses humor to balance a story that could have played out like a stressful episode of Hoarders. Harming obsessions involve thoughts that a person might harm someone or that harm may come to the individual. We read as Keeler copes with thoughts that she may have hurt someone or her conviction that she somehow contracted AIDS.

Keeler’s voice is honest, raw, and open. As an individual who suffers from OCD, I know how difficult it is to open up about this subject, and I commend her ability to provide vivid descriptions of her feelings, actions, and thoughts. This is a well-written account of a disorder that is often misunderstood.  

I enjoyed reading I Hardly Ever Wash My Hands. It is an accurate portrayal of obsessive-compulsive disorder that is not sensationalized. If you are interested in nonfiction and psychology, this is the perfect book for you.

Well, it’s been about an hour since I have washed my hands. I am going to do that now.

 

Check out the rest of the tour!

Tuesday, July 10th: A Bookish Affair

Monday, July 16th: Tiffany’s Bookshelf

Tuesday, July 17th: Oh! Paper Pages

Wednesday, July 18th: Surviving the Madhouse

Thursday, July 19th: 50 Books Project

Friday, July 20th: Peppermint PhD

Monday, July 23rd: Lolly’s Hope

Tuesday, July 24th: I’m a mom. I have OCD.

Wednesday, July 25th: Bringing along OCD

Thursday, July 26th: she treads softly

Monday, July 30th: Peeking Between the Pages

Tuesday, July 31st: The Beat OCD Blog

Wednesday, August 1st: 71° & Sunny: One Christian’s Odyssey 

Thursday, August 2nd: Adventures in Anxiety Land

Friday, August 3rd: OCD BloggerGirl’s Blog

Monday, August 6th: Expoing OCD

Tuesday, August 7th: OCD Talk

Friday, August 10th: An Unconventional Librarian

Date TBD: A Musing Reviews

Goddess Interrupted by Aimee Carter

The Skinny: A fun and unique take on Greek mythology

This is the second book in the Goddess Test series. If you have not read Goddess Test, you should rectify the situation quickly. The story is about a girl who discovers that the Greek gods and goddesses are real and that she plays an important role in the life of Hades. When “Henry” solicits her to replace his beloved Persephone, Kate’s life becomes a bit more interesting. Who doesn’t wish that a mysterious and dashing man would pop out of the woods and ask a girl to live with him for 6 months a year? I know that’s my top dream in life. This book explores what happens after the butterflies escape the stomach.

When Kate returns from her sojourn in Greece, she notices that Henry, hot king of the Underworld, is emotionally distant.  Something is afoot down under and she is desperate to save those she loves from impending doom.

This is a good series. It is a neat little take on the Greek mythology. I certainly wish that when I was in high school, all the kids I hung out with were actually Greek gods and goddesses. Unfortunately, I just got the run of the mill weirdos.

The pacing is great in this series. Events move quickly and characters develop. I do wish Kate took a bit more control in her dealings with Henry/Hades. I am going to throw out a progressive idea and hope that it catches wind: Having a mature discussion about one’s feelings and thoughts is a great way to cultivate a relationship. Who knows what kids are like these days, though. If YA lit is any indication, everyone is having steamy love triangles, succumbing to insta!love, and enjoying a great friendship with the most handsome boy who happens to fall in love with a girl and gets possessive and jealous when she dares to breathe next to another boy.

Anyway, this is a good book, and I highly suggest that you read it.

Summer Reads International Giveaway

 

Welcome to my stop on the Summer Reads International Giveaway Hop!  

Your prize is $10 to The Book Depository or Amazon!
I highly suggest any book by Jennifer Armentrout or Chloe Neill, but the choice is yours. Yippee! 
If the winner is from the US, she/he will also receive ARCs from ALA. 

Good luck! I really hope you win.

*Winner will be announced this week!*

Shatter Me by Tahareh Mafi

The Skinny: Great book with an interesting writing style

If you haven’t read Shatter Me yet, you should definitely place it on top of your TBR pile. This is a story that includes every aspect of a good book: interesting characters, great writing, vivid descriptions, and an intriguing plot.

In Shatter Me, we meet a girl who has been imprisoned for murder. Juliette’s fatal touch has attracted the attention of Warner, a young man who wishes to use her as a weapon. Adam, a childhood acquaintance, falls in love with Juliette and attempts to rescue her from Warner.

My reading of Shatter Me was a bit difficult, because I had to adjust to Mafi’s unique writing style. The book is saturated with metaphors, strikeouts, and short sentences. After I adjusted to this introduction to a unique style, I greatly enjoyed the book. Mafi has a great way of telling a story without revealing too much information. The world she created is richly described, and I had no trouble imaging the scenes.

My favorite part of Shatter Me is Mafi’s ability to describe the characters and feelings so well that I personally experienced the emotions. Juliette’s loneliness, Warner’s desperation, Adam’s protectiveness were all feelings that I experienced during my reading of the book.

This is a great book, and I encourage you to read it. Mafi has constructed a story that is sprinkled with bits of information that leave the reader eager to read the next installment.

The Selection by Kiera Cass

The Skinny: Poor plot/character development.

When I first read the synopsis for The Selection, I was intrigued. A bunch of girls fighting it out to marry a prince? Sounds like the best kind of gladiator game to me. Unfortunately, my imagination was far more exciting than this book.

America Singer hails from a “poor” family and enters a competition to be the bride of a dashing prince. America is reluctant to enter, because she is in love with the local stud muffin. [Insert a bunch of ridiculous drama here.] America is shipped off to the palace.

Every aspect of this story is absurd. Apart from the main idea of a competition to marry a prince, I am unable to think of a single redeeming quality. The dystopian society is poorly developed, and we are never given a complete picture of the world in which the story takes place. Additionally, America’s family is described as poor but they have access to many luxuries. Having plenty of food, clothes, and television is the definition of poverty? I guess Oprah Winfry has no right to be on the Forbes World's Billionaires list.

When America – what a ridiculous name, by the way – arrives at the castle, she learns from the prince that there are mysterious rebels who break into the palace and are looking for something. The prince has no idea what it is or why he thinks this way, but he is convinced. As the future leader of the vague country, he is doing a poor job of doling out ideas. Do some research, gather facts, and create a solid argument, Prince Maxon. In other words, wait until your voice breaks before you try to sit at the adult table.

The romance in this book is so awkward that it almost put me off dating for life. The prince likes America, but he is hesitant to be with her. In his words, he has to be careful and be smart about his decisions. I don’t know about America, but nothing gets me going like a talk about hedging one’s bets.

The writing is bad, the pace is bad, the voice is bad, everything about this book is bad. The story doesn’t even have an ending.

I highly suggest that you pass on reading this book.