Across the Universe by Beth Revis

Hardcover

398 pages

Published January 11th 2011 by Razorbill

Rating

Summary:

A love out of time. A spaceship built of secrets and murder.

Seventeen-year-old Amy joins her parents as frozen cargo aboard the vast spaceship Godspeed and expects to awaken on a new planet, three hundred years in the future. Never could she have known that her frozen slumber would come to an end fifty years too soon and that she would be thrust into the brave new world of a spaceship that lives by its own rules.

Amy quickly realizes that her awakening was no mere computer malfunction. Someone-one of the few thousand inhabitants of the spaceship-tried to kill her. And if Amy doesn't do something soon, her parents will be next.

Now Amy must race to unlock Godspeed's hidden secrets. But out of her list of murder suspects, there's only one who matters: Elder, the future leader of the ship and the love she could never have seen coming. (Goodreads)

My Thoughts

This was definitely a pleasant surprise. I wasn't sure about it at first. A YA Sci-Fi/Romance? This was new and I had to read it.

The love story between Amy and Elder is kind of the back burner of this epic  story, but the adventure and the mystery driving the plot was amazing. Think The Giver + Space + Unwind  in the awesomest context you can think of.

Elder is going to be the leader of the ship Godspeed but he soon discovers that there are secrets hidden from him when he finds frozen bodies in a part of this ship that's not supposed to exist. Amy, a girl that was woken up years before she is supposed to  teams up with Elder to discover just what exactly is wrong.  This to me is what makes the entire story and I'm glad. For once the romance wasn't fueling this amazing story. 

The mystery was hidden underneath the secrets of the ship and were slowly revealed. At points in the novel you can't help but to just set it down and mull over it and try and grasp what's really happening. I mean, I couldn't believe what was happening and when Eldest finally reveals what's been going on you going into a state of shock. Well... I did at least.

The entire book kept me on edge and literally wouldn't let me put it down before I figured out the ship's secret. It's a MUST READ!!!!

Cover/Read: This is by far my favorite book cover so far this year and possibly ever. It's amazing.

Review: The Iron King by Julie Kagawa

The Iron King (Iron Fey #1) by Julie Kagawa

Paperback

363 pages

Published February 1st 2010 by Harlequin Teen

(Amazon)

Rating:

Summary

Meghan Chase has a secret destiny—one she could never have imagined…

Something has always felt slightly off in Meghan's life, ever since her father disappeared before her eyes when she was six. She has never quite fit in at school…or at home.

When a dark stranger begins watching her from afar, and her prankster best friend becomes strangely protective of her, Meghan senses that everything she's known is about to change.

But she could never have guessed the truth—that she is the daughter of a mythical faery king and is a pawn in a deadly war. Now Meghan will learn just how far she'll go to save someone she cares about, to stop a mysterious evil no faery creature dare face…and to find love with a young prince who might rather see her dead than let her touch his icy heart. (Goodreads)

My Thoughts


It's been awhile since I've posted and since then I've read all of the Percy Jackson books and I've ultimately obsessed with it so excuse my somewhat detachment in this post. :3


This was another one of those books that I've been looking for, for a while. Surprise, surprise. I've heard a lot about it and was kinda weary when I began reading it and boy did it live up to my expectations. 


Megan Chase is just your average girl who feels just a little out of place. With Her best friend Robbie, a fairy in disguise, right by her side. What she doesn't know is that her father is actually the fairy king Oberon and to save her missing brother she must visit the Fairy World and find the Iron King. Although things don't go as smoothly as planned. She risks death, loss, and even falling in love.


The entire plot was awesome and the characters were so likable. Not to mention the whole Robbie vs Ash thing going on. That was hilarious. x3 Is there anything better than two hot guys fighting over you?  The world of fairy's was just as awesomely created. Everything was really oddly placed and surreal when you read it that you couldn't help but want to go there. To put it lay man's terms, it was awesome.


Cover/Title: It's really pretty and the colors are really eye catching. It's just one of those things that can carry a series.

My Percy Jackson Binge

I was sitting on my bed the other day, having come home from an awesome sleepover when it suddenly hit me. I haven't read Percy Jackson yet. I don't really know where this thought came from seeing as it's so random, but it was totally true. I mean, I had the first two books, but I've never really bothered to pick them up and read them until now. 


I walked over to my book shelf and grabbed the first one. I was really reluctant to read them because I was afraid I wouldn't be able to connect with these young characters, but it turns out, it made me enjoy it even more.



I dropped everything I was reading and am now determined to finish the series this week. I still have the fourth and fifth book to go and won't be satisfied without them. I'm going to try and get back to my normal novels but until then... PERCY JACKSON ROCKS!!!

Review: Bruiser by Neal Shusterman

Bruiser by Neal Shusterman
Hardcover

336 pages

Published June 29th 2010 by HarperTeen 

(Amazon)

Rating:

Summary

Tennyson:
Don't get me started on the Bruiser. He was voted "Most Likely to Get the Death Penalty" by the entire school. He's the kid no one knows, no one talks to, and everyone hears disturbing rumors about. So why is my sister, BrontË, dating him? One of these days she's going to take in the wrong stray dog, and it's not going to end well.

Bronte:
My brother has no right to talk about Brewster that way—no right to threaten him. There's a reason why Brewster can't have friends—why he can't care about too many people. Because when he cares about you, things start to happen. Impossible things that can't be explained. I know, because they're happening to me. (Goodreads) 

My Thoughts 

I've read some of Shusterman's other books and they was absolutely amazing (Unwind gave me chills). Bruiser was no exception. It was a super easy that I finished in a mere three hours. 

Told from different points of view, we get the whole story on out Brewster, a strange boy who doesn't have many friends for a very good reason. Unlike Unwind, it was told in a more present day setting and very relate able for regular high schoolers. They go to a normal school and know normal people with the exception of the one boy. 


Bronte and Tennyson, a set of twin who, more often than not fight, similar to your average siblings. Although, they share more than genetics. Brewster, Bronte's social experiment turned boyfriend is also one of Tennyson's best friends. The character dynamics are strong and really interesting to read about. They're serious and amusing all at the same time.


What I loved was the fact that everything that happened in the booked seemed like it would've really turned out that way if it happened in real life. It's was overly predictable or complete off, but just right. The chapter title were also something I definitely looked forward too. Because Bronte and Tennyson are the children of English professors, each chapter is named about a word that is used in it. Needless to say, my vocabulary grew.


Eventually, when you get enough into the book really feel sympathy for these characters. Brewster has to deal with so much and his POVs show this. When ever you read his poem-like chapters it really hits your chords and allows you to see what kind of chaos he has to live in. His struggles trying to balance his dooming friendships, his uncle, his little brother Cody (who, by the way, has amazing chapters as well), and his girlfriend.


All in all, there really wasn't much I didn't like about this book. It was kind of short and I would've loved to read more, but  what's there now tells the story very well. So believe me when I say that this book totally worth the read.


Cover/Title
Once again, initially it was the cover that drew me to this book. It was modern, chic, and really appealing. I really liked it. :)

Review: Blood Price by Tanya Huff

Blood Price by Tanya Huff

Paperback, 336 pages

Published October 7th 2004 by Orbit (first published 1991)

Paperback (Amazon) 

Rating:

Summary

It began with blood and death amid the streets of late-night Toronto. Vicki Nelson, formerly of Toronto's homicide detail, now a private investigator, witnessed the first attack by the force of dark magic that would soon wreak its reign of terror on the unsuspecting city. And as death followed unspeakable death, Vicki became more and more deeply enmeshed in an investigation which would see her renewing her stormy relationship with her former police partner, Mike Celluci, even as she teamed up with writer Henry Fitzroy, in a desperate attempt to track down the source of the seemingly unstoppable attacks. For Fitzroy, the illegitimate son of Henry VIII, had knowledge of realms beyond the mortal acquired over the centuries during which he'd mastered his own insatiable needs - the life-from-death cravings of a vampire.

Henry Fitzroy had long since learned to survive without killing, learned the skills needed to blend in with the human race. But unless he, Vicki, and Mike could find the key to conquering the magic-raised menace stalking the streets of Toronto, Fitzroy's true identity might soon be exposed and his life might prove forfeit to the uncontrollable fears of humankind. And without Henry Fitzroy, mere mortals like Vicki and Mike would not long survive against the ancient force of chaos that had been loosed on their world. (Goodreads)

My Thoughts 


I'm probably going to be the first to say that I'm a rabid fan girl of anything vampire or werewolf. If you say it's in there, I'll most likely read it. (Pathetic, right? :P ) So, when I found this little book on the ground at my library I just couldn't resist. I read the synopsis and I instantly got it. I mean a vampire and a private investigator?! I was amazed that something this awesome could exist. Although, in retrospect, it doesn't seem all that unusual anymore, but it definitely holds its own.


The book started well enough, and before long I couldn't put it down, despite sometimes knowing what'll happen next. Now, I'll admit, it's not the most beautifully written book, nor does it have an amazing plot. The characters, at most were a step above mediocre and the story was sometimes pretty predictable. What's worst, is that, more often than not, their problems were way to easily solved.


One problem I had was the way Vikki handled the fact that Henry was a vampire. I mean, calm and collected is can be entertaining but hardly believable. And the "thing" between Vikki wand Celluci? What was that about? And Henry?! I didn't know that there was suppose to be a growing relationship between her and the vampire until the very end of the novel (maybe it's because I'm thick, but I seriously didn't see something like that coming). And the side character Tony who exists seemingly to give some vampire blood is just okay with it? Where's the screaming? Where's the shock?


Another thing was the fact that many of the other characters were really somewhat annoying and stupidly ignorant with the whole situation. And Norman? Gah...


I know I'm totally ranting but I need to put that out there. But, despite all this, I loved the book. It was entertaining, clever, and definitely worth my time. It wasn't until I was finished with it that I learned there was how based on it, so obviously I'll be watching that soon. Anyways, excuse me while I go out and check the next few in the series. :D


Cover/Title
Taking into consideration that this cover is a lot better than the one that it was published with in the 90s I'd have to say that it's definitely not as bad as it could be *coughthiscough* .