donderdag 31 mei 2012

The Selection - Kiera Cass


The Selection Serie: The Selection #1
Release date: 2012 

For thirty-five girls, the Selection is the chance of a lifetime. The opportunity to escape the life laid out for them since birth. To be swept up in a world of glittering gowns and priceless jewels. To live in the palace and compete for the heart of the gorgeous Prince Maxon.

But for America Singer, being Selected is a nightmare. It means turning her back on her secret love with Aspen, who is a caste below her. Leaving her home to enter a fierce competition for a crown she doesn't want. Living in a palace that is constantly threatened by violent rebel attacks.

Then America meets Prince Maxon. Gradually, she starts to question all the plans she's made for herself- and realizes that the life she's always dreamed of may not compare to a future she never imagined.

Gosh I don’t even know where to begin with this one. I finished the book in the middle of last night and I really loved it. I obviously am in love with the cover, who isn’t?! That dress is beautifull and the mirrors are doing a great job reflecting it. Somehow I just kept putting the book aside, didn’t felt like I would love this book, god was I wrong. So I didn’t expect much and maybe that’s just the right way to start a book, because then you get surprised so much more. You meet America Singer (okay the name could have been better) and her story just gets a grip on you, you can’t seem to let her go. She’s very nice and you feel her emotions. It’s easy to relate to her, you just want her to be happy. I found her forbidden romance with Aspen (again could have done a better job with the name picking) heartbreaking and intriguing. I found the whole system in her world interesting and I kept wanting to know more. The whole selection process was exciting and you get to meet Maxon, he turned out to be very nice and you see America struggling with her emotions for Aspen and Maxon. The whole story was just that exciting and kept me reading. The only thing I didn’t like about the book was the end. My god what a cliffhanger! How could Kiera Cass do such a thing to us? The story is simply not finished and now I have to wait an eternity for the second book! That put aside, this really is a must read!

Soul Protector - Amanda Leigh Cowley

Soul Protector (Soul Protector #1)Serie: Soul Protector #1 
Release date: 2011 


After being dragged on a night out to celebrate a friend's birthday, Gracie discovers a unique talent. Doubting her sanity, she keeps it to herself while she tries to make sense of it, but unaware of her visible aura, she gets abducted by Dan; a handsome monitor. Once he establishes Gracie didn't know what she was doing, he helps her to recover before introducing her to the world of the Soul Protector.

Finally understanding the rules of being a Soul Protector, Gracie finds the courage needed to embrace her special gift. But she is unaware a secret from the past is waiting to catch up with her; one that will shock her to the core.


I wasn't really sure what to expect of Soul Protector, but I really liked it! The main character, Gracie, doesn't know she's a soul protector until she accidentally does the switch. It happens so quick and believable that you can't help but wonder where the story is headed. I really loved the whole concept about the soul protectors, it was different than most books I read. I also liked that the main character was in her twenties, not some ignorant teenager. I liked that the writer didn't spend time explaining things, but just kept going with the story. That way you started to understand things the same time Gracie does. I found that I could easily relate with Gracie, it was easy to understand how she felt. She meets Dan, he's dreamy, confident and ofcourse very hot. He's interested in her, but she isn't aware of that. Their relationship is difficult and somethimes I felt frustrated. I kind of wished there was more romance to it, maybe in the next book. Gracie grows confident and stronger and the end is very suprising. I'm excited to read the second book.

woensdag 30 mei 2012

Bloody Little Secrets - Karly Kirkpatrick


Bloody Little Secrets Book: Bloody Little Secrets
Release date: 2011

17-year-old Vicky Hernandez has a big problem. She's dead. Or not quite. After discovering she's been turned into a vampire, she tries to settle into a quiet suburb of Chicago and return to a normal life.
If only she could stop wanting to bite her boyfriend. Not to mention she is dying to find out who turned her, and why. She doesn't have to wait long before they come to her
.
 
I didn't like the cover, but the summary looked promising. Bloody little secrets draws you in easily from the beginning. The writing style is very easy, read the whole thing in a few hours. Main character Vicky wakes up in a coffin and can’t figure out how she ends up there. In the beginning you have no clue where the story is going, but I found myself wondering who turned her and why she didn’t know everything. I mean it was obvious from the beginning that she was a vampire. What you didn’t know, what was her story? Little by little you’ve come to know more about her and who’s behind her turning. I liked the relationship between Vicky and Drake, they were very cute together. I found it funny that every person’s blood smells different, you have to read it yourself to fully understand that. Some of the things that happened seemed kind of strange. Like how accepting the other characters were over the whole vampire thing, it seemed just kind of weird because I would totally have reacted differently. They were too accepting for something they didn't know much about and that made it very unrealistic. Though I did like there was a whole friend group going on in the book. It was an easy and likeable book, but not really something special. 

maandag 28 mei 2012

Angel - L.A. Weatherly

Angel (Angel, #1)Serie: Angel #1 
Release date: 2010 

Angels are all around us: beautiful, awe-inspiring, irresistible.

Ordinary mortals yearn to catch a glimpse of one of these stunning beings and thousands flock to The Church of Angels to feel their healing touch.
But what if their potent magnetism isn't what it seems?
Willow knows she's different from other girls. And not just because she loves tinkering around with cars.
Willow has a gift. She can look into people's futures, know their dreams, their hopes and their regrets, just by touching them. But she has no idea where she gets this power from.

Until she meets Alex…
Alex is one of the few who know the truth about angels. He knows Willow's secret and is on a mission to stop her.
The dark forces within Willow make her dangerous – and irresistible.
In spite of himself, Alex finds he is falling in love with his sworn enemy.



I probably shouldn’t have read this book about angels after the amazing hush hush serie, but I couldn’t help myself. Luckily I didn’t read Unearthly yet. The beginning of this one started out interesting and I was immediately drawn into the first chapters. However after that the whole mystery of the book was kind of lost on me. Willow and Alex got together pretty fast and the romance between them was predictable and not really unique. Though I liked that they got to know each other and it wasn’t really declaring love at first side. However, when they went for each other the story became kind of cheesy. I’m a sucker for cheesy romance, but this one went too far. The story itself about angels is kind of new, although I didn’t get some parts. How can all the angels be bad? I get about the fallen, but even the good ones are apparently bad ones here. I did like Willow. She’s a bad-ass character, who fixes cars and everything. She can take care of herself, hell she wouldn’t want it any other way. She made the story so much more. So I’m not really sure if I would recommend this one. After reading hush hush and Unearthly however this one is not really that good.

Old Magic - Marianne Curley

Old Magic
Book: Old Magic
Release date: 2002 

Jarrod Thornton is mesmerizing,
but Kate Warren doesn't know why.
The moment the new guy walks into the room, Kate senses something strange and intense about him. Something supernatural. Her instincts are proven correct a few minutes later when, bullied by his classmates, Jarrod unknowingly conjures up a freak thunderstorm "inside" their classroom.

Jarrod doesn't believe in the paranormal. When Kate tries to convince him that he has extraordinary powers that need to be harnessed, he only puts up with her "hocus pocus" notions because he finds her captivating. However, the dangerous, uncontrolled strengthening of his gift finally convinces Jarrod that he must take Kate's theories seriously. Together, they embark on a remarkable journey -- one which will unravel the mystery that has haunted Jarrod's family for generations and pit the teens against immense forces in a battle to undo the past and reshape the future. 

It's a few months ago since I read this one, but I liked it well enough to remember a lot about it.  First of all, the book is all about magic. Not vampires, not werewolves, not angels, just magic. I liked that there was also a bit of history in the book. The story is about Kate and Jarrod. Kate lives with her grandma and knows that she has magical powers. Jarrod however does not. He moves in the same village and Kate recognizes that Jarrod has special powers. Jarrod doesn’t believe her. He has to help her and in order to do just that he has to go on a journey with her. I can’t really say more about the whole journey, because I would reveal to much of the story. The journey in this book is great, the whole adventure is exciting and what they experience is nothing I’ve read about before. I liked that in this book you follow Kate’s mind, but also Jarrod’s mind.  Kate was brave, confident and believed in the unusual. Jarrod had a lot of issues, he couldn’t stand against the popular crowd, he didn’t believe in magic, even though he was capable himself of magic. You get to see him grow a lot and I started to like him more and more. Although I loved that I finally had just one book instead of the first of yet another series, I can’t help but wishing there was at least another one that followed behind.

Immortal Embrace - Charlotte Blackwell

Immortal Embrace (Embrace, #1)Serie: Embrace #1
Release date: 2011

Sophia Pierce has suffered since her brother left, and is unsure if she will ever get over it. That is until her family decided to move to Wenham, Massachusetts. Her and her siblings have been ordered to protect their little sister, and must return to High school. This is where Sophia finds her soul mate Nathanial and life as she knows it is about to change.

As a vampire, Sophia has always kept to herself, but as a high school student will she learn to step out of her comfort zone a little? Sophia has found a best friend in a powerful witch and a love to call her own. That is until something tragic happens and blood is spilled. Will Sophia be able to resist the sweet scent of her beloved's blood?

This is Sophia's story, a story of a girl who finds herself, love and everlasting friendship. The excitement of this story wraps mortals, vampires, witches, and shape shifters all into a romantic tale of young love, friendship, the meaning of family. The story of a girl who tries to finds herself when she thought it was all lost.


Oke first of all, I love the cover. So I'm kind of in struggle with myself what to say or what to think about this book. The book is about vampires, although you tend to forget that throughout the book. I hated the writing style, you were told everything and shown nothing. I'm not really sure how to explain. It was kind of like a big diary instead of a story. I was frustrated with the writing style the moment I began. It lakced emotion and it wasn't really conversational. The story was okay, but very very predictable. The whole concept about a family who doesn't eat human blood, but blood of animals is kind of old. The daytime jewelry the wiches made for them is also done before. I did like the part of the wiches in the story though. When I read the story I thought to myself oke what did I just read? There wasn't really a big deal in the story, not really a struggle. Yeah there was supposed to be the struggle for vampire Sophie and human Nathaniel, but they fall instantly for eachother and declared love. Although Sophie keeps repeating she's bad for him, a monster, yeah yeah we get it. It was boring, without action. The story could be so much more, but unfortunately it sucked, pun intended. Don't waste your time or money over this one.

Breathless - Scott Pressing

BreathlessSerie: The Blue Fire Sage #1
Release date: 2011


College freshman Leesa Nyland has been fascinated by vampires since she was three years old. That’s when her mom started acting weird, refusing to go outside during the day and insisting the sunlight hurt her skin because she had been bitten by a one-fanged vampire…

But fascinated doesn’t mean Leesa believes—any more than she believes in blue fire, people who live for centuries, and kisses that can kill. When her beloved older brother suddenly disappears, she is forced to confront all these and more.


I didn't have anything to read but this one, so I decided to give it a try. I loved it! I always like vampire books and I'm a sucker for romance, and well this book has it all. The whole one fanged vampire angle was really great! The whole mystery about the one fanged vampire and the mother of Leesa was killing me. The book is about Leesa, I liked her immidiately! She's kind of naive and shy but I liked that about her. She's not your average heroine, so that makes this book also stand out. She meets Rave, he's ofcourse the mystery boy ( do I have to say he's hot). He has this whole history about his family and him. Ofcourse there is a struggle for Rave and Leesa to be together, but that's all played out nice in the book. The book is really about the dissapearing of the brother of Leesa and how she wants to find him. She get's help from Rave and from an unexpected corner. I liked the twists and turns in the books, the characters are just right and have issues, like normal people. The world created in the book was new and that made is difficult to put the book down. The end was really good, I did not expect it to happen the way it happened. The end was also kind of sad. I recommend this one for everyone who liked a good and original vampire story.

woensdag 23 mei 2012

Halflings - Heather Burch

Halflings (Halflings, #1)Serie: Halflings #1 
Release date: 2012 

After being inexplicably targeted by an evil intent on harming her at any cost, seventeen-year-old Nikki finds herself under the watchful guardianship of three mysterious young men who call themselves halflings. Sworn to defend her, misfits Mace, Raven, and Vine battle to keep Nikki safe while hiding their deepest secret—and the wings that come with.

A growing attraction between Nikki and two of her protectors presents a whole other danger. While she risks a broken heart, Mace and Raven could lose everything, including their souls. As the mysteries behind the boys’ powers, as well as her role in a scientist’s dark plan, unfold, Nikki is faced with choices that will affect the future of an entire race of heavenly beings, as well as the precarious equilibrium of the earthly world


After a while I decided to read this one. I didn't like the cover, but the story seemed pretty good. The main character is Nikki and I have to say that the beginning is really good. You fall right in a chase of hellhounds who are chasing Nikki. So it dragged your attention right to the story. Unfortunately the story dragged on and on after the chase. I didn't know the goal of the story and I could easily put the book away. Nikki is okay, can't really say something about her. She seems nice, but sometimes a bit annoying. Like the time she just barged into the house of the halflings. That came out of nowhere and was kind of rude. What I did like about her, was the fact that she didn't seem like the typical girl in YA books. She rides motercycles and knows karate. She meets three boys, the halflings and they are there to help her. Then there is the love triangle, I have to say I liked it in this story. There is Mace, the nice and cute one. Raven is the other one, he's the very very hot bad boy. I liked him, he acts like a though guy, but is different around Nikki. Then there is a brotherly moment between Mace and Raven, which was very sweet. I like the forbidden aspect in this book, that makes the romance kind of hard.  I liked the fact that the true evil was in a form of an attractive older man, in fact he's friends with Nikki's parents. I found him very intriguing and I wanted to know what his story was with Nikki. Unfortunately you don't learn much about him. Nikki decides he's wrong and runs to the halflings. The story ends kind of abrupting and very vague. It's the most abrupt and weird ending ever. I think everything will be explained in the next book, so I'm going to read that one. I liked the book, but it wasn't really memorable.

Poison Study - Maria Snyder


Serie: Study #1 
Release date: 2004 

About to be executed for murder, Yelena is offered an extraordinary reprieve. She'll eat the best meals, have rooms in the palace—and risk assassination by anyone trying to kill the Commander of Ixia.

And so Yelena chooses to become a food taster. But the chief of security, leaving nothing to chance, deliberately feeds her Butterfly's Dust—and only by appearing for her daily antidote will she delay an agonizing death from the poison.

As Yelena tries to escape her new dilemma, disasters keep mounting. Rebels plot to seize Ixia and Yelena develops magical powers she can't control. Her life is threatened again and choices must be made. But this time the outcomes aren't so clear…


From the beginning, I was interested in Yelena's story. The beginning has you hooked from the very first sentence. Yelena is a young woman who ended up in a very dire situation. You learn throughout the book what her story is. Instead of getting excecuted, she becomes the food taster of the Commander. This is when Valek comes in, the tension isn't there between them in the beginning but is getting there with the pages. This book was very readable, fascinating and an enjoyable adventure. Yelena is a very strong person and I loved reading about her and her development. She doesn't want help and wants to fix everything by herself. It's just great to read about it. The relationship with Valek's develops slowy but it's there and I loved how Maria Snyder wrote about it. The end is a suprise, but I can't help but feel that I don't want to read the second book, although I really liked this one. Maybe I pick it up someday, but for now I really liked this first one!