Review: Bloodspell

Title: Bloodspell
Author: Amalie Howard
Publishing Date: 2011
Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal
Rating: C-
Sensuality: Kisses
Book Disclosure: I received this book for free at the RT Convention 2016.

Bloodspell is the first book in the Cruentus Curse series.  Victoria Warrick has experienced some very strange happenings within her own body around the time of her seventeenth birthday.  On her birthday, she receives a music box from her late Grandmother, that help to provide answers as to why these strange experiences have been happening to her.  She comes from a long line of witches, as she happens to be a direct descendent from one of the most powerful.  Victoria moves to a new school and meets Christian Devereux.  There is something unusual about him that Victoria can't help but be drawn to. But because of Victoria's power, other supernatural beings are after her and she is in danger.

I really struggled with this book.  It took me over a week to read it and it just couldn't hold my attention.  I think some of it was because of the plot.  It just felt all over the map, with the world building.  Establishing the witch and vampire lore for this storyline took up some space and it just wasn't all that interesting.  It was also hard to like the main characters.  Victoria is not a warm and fuzzy heroine.  She is darn right prickly and standoffish.  It was hard to feel empathy for her and the same with Christian.  Then some of the adversary characters felt like comic book bad guys.  Also, I felt the romance with Christian and Victoria was not very believable.  First, Christian and Victoria had such a difference between their ages, that it was hard to believe that a romance would be possible.  Also, they spent quite a bit of the book pushing each other away.  And then the piece de resistance, when Victoria is in grave danger he realizes his true feelings. 

The saving grace for this book would be the action packed ending.  The last quarter of the book, boy do things really pick up and I enjoyed the battle at the end.  But other than that, there wasn't much that I would recommend.  I most likely won't be continuing on with the other books in this series.

Review - The Casquette Girls

Title: The Casquette Girls
Author: Alys Arden
Publishing Date: 2015
Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal
Rating: B+
Sensuality: Kisses
Book Disclosure: I received this book in a goodie bag at the RT book convention 2016.

The book begins with sixteen year old Adele Le Moyne coming back to New Orleans after a terrible hurricane struck the city a few months earlier.  Her father had shipped her off to France to live with her mother while they waited for it to be safe to come back to the city.  She finally convinces her father to let her come back to the city.  When she arrives she is shocked to find the city mostly uninhabitable.  Fortunately they are one of the few whose home is mostly intact.  Strange happenings are occurring in the city.  A number of people are found missing or dead in the city and the hurricane is not the cause.  No one is sure what is exactly causing the death toll to rise.  Adele discovers that her family history may be more deeply rooted in New Orleans and weird unexplainable things seem to happen when Adele is around.  She discovers a diary from a past relative and hopes that the story will enlighten Adele to these strange happenings that are occurring in the town today.

I really enjoyed this story!  You are fully immersed post hurricane New Orleans.  The author clearly either has lived in the city or did her homework well.  The setting of the book plays a major role in the story and really draws you into it.  The story has many gothic overtones as Adele tries to pick up the pieces of her life post hurricane, meanwhile many unexplained paranormal happenings keep occurring.  The story slowly unravels to reveal many plot twist and turns which keep the reader waiting for what comes next.  Adele is a likeable girl, with a strong sense of self.  There are a few male characters who end up vying for her attention and she, as well as the reader, will not be certain who she will end up with at the end of the story.

There also is a story within the story because of the diary that Adele finds.  The diary is of a young woman traveling from France to New Orleans in 1728.  As Adele reads the diary, she is awarded with clues that help her unravel the mystery that is happening in present day.  The two stories blend well together and add a level of history which enriches the story.  This is my first novel by Alys Arden and I very much enjoyed it.  I recommend it to fans of young adult and paranormal who enjoy a rich historical setting.

Review - Hunger Games

Title: Hunger Games
Author: Suzanne Collins
Publishing Date: 2008
Genre: Young Adult
Rating: A
Sensuality: Kisses
Book Disclosure: I recieved a free copy from a good friend of mine.

Hunger Games is the first book in a trilogy by Suzanne Collins. The book takes place in the future in North America after it has been ravaged by war. What we know as America has been transformed into Panem. In this new world most people are just struggling to survive under this new harsh leadership. Each year two children between the ages of 12 and 18 are selected from each district to participate in a reality based TV show named the Hunger Games. In the Hunger Games the participants have to kill each other and the remaining sole survivor is named the winner. This year Katniss Everdeen volunteers to take the place of her little sister in the Games.

Oh. My. God! This book was incredible. I couldn't put the book down. I was riveted to the pages, on the edge of my seat waiting to see what would happen next. This was the book I chose for my book club and the other members I have talked to agree that they couldn't put the book down. As I write this, one other member has already read all three books in this trilogy. She had to know what happened next and I can hardly blame her.

First off, this story is extremely fast paced with a ton of great characters. The book is told in first person by Katniss, a sixteen year old mature beyond her years. A fighter to the core, Katniss will do what it takes to survive without losing her compassion for others. She is a compelling, wonderful heroine that everyone will love.

The Games themselves are very interesting and imaginative. The mood throughout the story is sad and imprisoned but with an underlining layer of hope. I just loved the story. There is a subtle thread of romance throughout the book. I love that Katniss is never sure of her feelings and as readers we get to experience all her thoughts and emotions. The end of Hunger Games leaves with some closure, but it definitely sets the readers up for the next book in the series, which I can't wait to read. This book comes highly recommended!

Review - Wicked Lovely

Title: Wicked Lovely
Author: Melissa Marr
Publishing Date: 2007
Genre: Young Adult/Fantasy
Rating: B
Sensuality: Warm
Book Disclosure: I borrowed a copy from my library

Wicked Lovely is the first book in Melissa Marr's Wicked Lovely series. Aislinn has always been able to see faeries ever since she can remember. Her Gram taught her that no matter what, she must pretend as if they don't exist. Up until now that really hadn't been a problem for Aislinn to pretend as if they didn't exist, until Keenan the Summer King decides that Aislinn is his Summer Queen and must make it so. Keenan sets out to court Aislinn but to his dismay she doesn't want anything to do with him, no matter that he is the most beautiful man she has ever laid eyes on.

I don't usually read YA novels, but there has been a lot of buzz revolving around Miss Marr's popular series and what the hell, why shouldn't I jump on the faery train too? With that said, I liked the story. It was very captivating, although with Aislinn being so young I felt like her maturity level was difficult for me, personally, to relate too. This is one of the reasons I have hesitated to read YA. But that minor issue of mine aside, I did enjoy the story and wouldn't mind continuing with the series.

Wicked Lovely's pacing was great and the story just flowed beautifully. There is plenty of conflict between Aishlinn trying hard not to attract any attention from the faeries, Keenan not being successful with his courtship of Aishlinn and to Aishlinn and Keenan defeating the Winter Queen. I wish there would have been more description of the faery world and how everything works. Although as the series progresses, I am sure more will be revealed. Also, I thought Aishlinn was a little weak as a heroine, but that also could have been attributed to her age. I mean what teenager isn't riddled with doubts, right? Good story. Good writing. I'm definitely reading more.

Review - Weekend

Title: Weekend
Author: Christopher Pike
Publishing Date: 1986
Genre: Young Adult/Suspense
Rating: B
Sensuality: Kisses

I chose to read Weekend for my March Re-Read Challenge. It has been damn near close to twenty years since I last read this book. I was only twelve or thirteen at the time and Christopher Pike was one of my favorite authors. I have to be honest I didn't remember much about the plot or the characters in Weekend. When I got the book, I was shocked to see how short it was. It is a little bit smaller than a category romance, ending at 230 pages. I guess when your younger books can seem a lot bigger. I cringe to think of what Harry Potter must look like to middle school aged kids. Anyway, back to the task at hand. I am curious to see what my thoughts are now for the books I when I was younger and less experienced in my reading tastes.

On to the plot: For the seniors of Hoover High School in Santa Barbara California, graduation is almost upon them. Shani along with a group of her closest friends have been invited to spend the weekend in Mexico relaxing seaside at Robin and Lena's vacation home. What was supposed to be a fun weekend with the boys, turns into something more sinister when strange, bad things start to happen.

The first thing that comes to mind for me is that, yes the book is still quite an enjoyable read. The characters are vivid and detailed. Pike does a great job with the dialogue between characters. There is plenty of humor. Some of it might veer on the immature side, but over all I think most adults would be able to relate to it. Where I really think this book excels, is with the subtle approach to creating the atmosphere and slowly revealing the mystery. Every thing is short and to the point, which makes for a fast, entertaining read.

One thing that I thought I remembered from when first reading this book, was that there was more romance to it. After reading it as an adult and reading adult romances, I can see that there really wasn't much to the relationship between Shani and Flynn. To be honest, it was barely touched on at all. The suspense was much more the focus. One other thing that really bothered me was how the villain was punished after the big reveal. The kids decided to take matters into their own hands, and it all seemed very unrealistic.

It was really fun to read a blast from my past and see how it resonates with the "me" of today. It's nice to reach back to that inner child every now and again. I definitely think I will find the time to read another YA book. Seeing as how they are so short, it should make for easy reading.