Review: Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

Series: The Grisha Trilogy #1
Publisher: Henry Hold and Co.
Publishing Date: June 5th, 2012
Pages: 368

Summary: Surrounded by enemies, the once-great nation of Ravka has been torn in two by the Shadow Fold, a swath of near impenetrable darkness crawling with monsters who feast on human flesh. Now its fate may rest on the shoulders of one lonely refugee.
Alina Starkov has never been good at anything. But when her regiment is attacked on the Fold and her best friend is brutally injured, Alina reveals a dormant power that saves his life—a power that could be the key to setting her war-ravaged country free. Wrenched from everything she knows, Alina is whisked away to the royal court to be trained as a member of the Grisha, the magical elite led by the mysterious Darkling.
Yet nothing in this lavish world is what it seems. With darkness looming and an entire kingdom depending on her untamed power, Alina will have to confront the secrets of the Grisha…and the secrets of her heart.

Rating: 3.5 stars

So, this started out really well. Really, I liked it... until I didn't.

Shadow and Bone is about Ravka, a country at war. There's a mysterious "fold" that threatens to engulf everyone in endless darkness, magical powers, soldiers, kings, intrigues and a heroine in the middle of it all who's supposed to save the world.

I think the fantasy aspect was well done, if not particularly original. The Grisha is one of the King's armies, composed of people with magical ability. You have people who can throw fire, people who can manipulate water, some can reshape glass and so on. I found the Shadow Fold passages to be very confusing, though, but maybe that's just me. It wasn't described properly and I couldn't visualize what Alina was talking about so I'm still confused as to how the whole thing works.

Alina is a strong narrator who, despite her short comings, doesn't spend her time drowning in a pit of despair and self-deprecation, and I found that refreshing. She's likable, and her voice is honest and touching and makes you feel her loneliness, her homesickness and her yearning to belong.

I also found Mal to be a remarkably realistic protagonist. None of the usual embellished, love-sick puppy with a side of whiny. He's a boy. He doesn't talk about his feelings or how (this isn't really a spoiler, but just in case you don't want to know anything about potential love interests, it's tagged as such)

he'd be desperately lost in a moonless night of dismay without Alina. Their relationship would have been believable if not for the weird Darkling thing. It just came out of nowhere and didn't make much sense. Even Alina didn't seem to understand it. I guess it could always be some kind of spell the Darkling put on her to make her more pliant, but this isn't said anywhere in the book and I find it confusing that she could just jump from one guy to the other in a matter of days without any explanation.

All in all, this was a nice read, and the whole make-over/new home/new powers aspect was pretty fun, if a bit cliché (especially Alina's relationships with other Grisha females. They were either shallow or evil. Come on now). But to me, the main issue was... Depth, I guess? As I've said, it's nice and fun, but doesn't really make you think, make you ache, it lacks a more sophisticated quality you can find in Melina Marchetta's Finnikin of the Rock or Laini Taylor's Lips Touch. After a while I started waiting for this little something extra, that little je ne sais quoi that turns an average fantasy book into a good one. But it never came.

Review: White Cat by Holly Black

Series: Curse Workers #1

Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry

Publishing Date: Jan 1st, 2010
Pages: 310

Summary: The first in a trilogy, this gritty, fast-paced fantasy is rife with the unexpected. Cassel comes from a shady, magical family of con artists and grifters. He doesn’t fit in at home or at school, so he’s used to feeling like an outsider. He’s also used to feeling guilty—he killed his best friend, Lila, years ago.

But when Cassel begins to have strange dreams about a white cat, and people around him are losing their memories, he starts to wonder what really happened to Lila. In his search for answers, he discovers a wicked plot for power that seems certain to succeed. But Cassel has other ideas—and a plan to con the conmen.

Rating: 4 stars

My first impression upon finishing this was "Well. That was interesting."

Some rambling thoughts:

I liked the writing. It fits the genre and the story and is, for me, a welcome change in Black's usual writing style. So if you didn't like her previous novels and are thinking of skipping this one because of it, think again. You'll be surprised.

I also now get why everyone cites this series as an example of well-written male POV. It is good. That's probably why I didn't completely identify with the narrator on an emotional level. I never do when it's a well-written male POV. And I guess I'm not supposed to, because why would I think the way he does? He's a guy. Duh.

Plot-wise, the novel is solid. It's intriguing, it's exciting, it makes sense and I want to find out more. It's basically everything you can ask from a book, to be honest. And it flows really well, too. Like sometimes you'll see Cassel noticing random things and it doesn't really serve any purpose in the story, but I find that refreshing because when everything is relevant in a narration, the plots gets way too predictable.

Something interesting happened, though, despite my lack of falling in love with Cassel: I started to "adopt" his way of thinking. When confronted to a situation that would have been perfectly normal for a regular person, I was screaming in my head "nooooo Cassel don't do the normal thing! It's baaad! You should never trust anyone, ever, trusting is wrong!"... Which is not how I feel in real life. And for me, that's proof of a consistent, immersive and well-done characterization, one that pulls you in despite yourself.

If you still need a reason to open this book, I'll give you one: Black does subtle but in-depth world building. Example: She mentions the odds of being a curse worker is one in a thousand. BUT then how is Cassel's entire family gifted? WELL SHE EXPLAINS IT. You heard that right. I know I'm way too excited about this, but so many authors leave gaping plot holes that have to be later explained in an interview. And she didn't! Yay world building!

I still feel like there was a little something missing, though, but I'm not sure what. It might just be the male POV messing with my brain.

Oh, and after reading book 2 and 3, I can definitely tell you that if you feel hesitant about Cassel after book 1, you definitely won't after book 2. Promise.

Review: Graffiti Moon by Cath Crowley

Series: Stand-alone

Publisher: Pan Macmillan Australia

Publishing date: August 1st, 2010

Pages: 244

Summary: "Let me make it in time. Let me meet Shadow. The guy who paints in the dark. Paints birds trapped on brick walls and people lost in ghost forests. Paints guys with grass growing from their hearts and girls with buzzing lawn mowers."

It’s the end of Year 12. Lucy’s looking for Shadow, the graffiti artist everyone talks about.

His work is all over the city, but he is nowhere.

Ed, the last guy she wants to see at the moment, says he knows where to find him. He takes Lucy on an all-night search to places where Shadow’s thoughts about heartbreak and escape echo around the city walls.

But the one thing Lucy can’t see is the one thing that’s right before her eyes.

Rating: 5 stars

ATTN READING MANIACS AND BOOK LOVERS: To all of you who have regular reading slumps, READ THIS. I can guarantee this book will get you out of it. 

So, I finished this book 4 days ago and I'm still trying to gather my thoughts into coherent sentences. 
The writing was so beautiful that I kept stopping to stare at the words. I wanted to crawl across the page and come up to the words and snuggle them. And also hug the characters. 
This is the kind of book that puts a huge smile on your face. The kind of book that makes your day better. Hell, it makes your day, period. 
The storyline was realistic and lovely, the characters had depth and personalities, the banter was perfect and I just wish I could take a swim in this novel and never come out. And hug the characters. Always hug the characters.

I do hope the author will make some kind of companion novel to Graffiti Moon. She has more than enough talent to pull it off, and honestly, I'm not ready to say goodbye to these folks quite yet. I'd even want to read the parents' story (they're actually multi-dimensional! And interesting!) I don't care. JUST WRITE MORE.

I would recommend this book to anyone, anybody who loves good writing and lovable characters. It's right up there with Saving Francesca (review here) and the likes. And if you don't trust me, trust the judging panel of this year's Australian Prime Minister's Literary Awards. Graffiti Moon won the first prize in the "Young adult fiction" category. Yup. Go read now.

Review: Stay by Deb Caletti

Series: Stand-alone

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Publishing date: April 5th, 2011

Pages: 320

Buy it: Amazon

Summary: Clara's relationship with Christian is intense from the start, and like nothing she’s ever experienced before. But what starts as devotion quickly becomes obsession, and it's almost too late before Clara realizes how far gone Christian is—and what he's willing to do to make her stay.
Now Clara has left the city—and Christian—behind. No one back home has any idea where she is, but she still struggles to shake off her fear. She knows Christian won't let her go that easily, and that no matter how far she runs, it may not be far enough...

Rating: 4 stars

This would normally earn 3.5 stars from me because I rate books based on how I felt about them, not how well-written they are or how awesome the plot/characters are. But I can't in good conscience give this less than 4 stars. I can't bring myself to. So I'm rounding up. And you know what? I don't mind, because this book deserves it.

This is a story about love, loss, family and overcoming your fears. It's the strength of a father-daughter relationship, the hope of a young adult just coming out of her shell and a budding love story sprinkled with humor and heart-wrenching writing.

This book will hit home, whether you've been in Clara's situation or not. The prose flows perfectly, Clara's characterization is really well done and the plot is poignant yet to the point. I can't even tell you how glad I am to not see this dragged out on 500 pages. Choosing to write the book in chapters alternating from past to present, Caletti draws you into the plot and sets the atmosphere of the novel right from the start. I remember this sense of dread that I kept feeling for whatever would happen with Christian and how it would push Clara to leave town. Also, this is one of the very rare cases when the time jumps didn't bother me one bit. She's just that good.

Clara is a genuinely funny narrator. She adds little annotations in the book, and it brings you closer to her because her annotations are addressed to you, the reader. And they're so cute. Like, after an umpteenth person made a cup of tea and you start wondering just how often people make tea in America, she adds a little note "Everyone in this story, in my life, makes tea." I just want to hug her. Her voice is honest and unique, and she feels so real and fragile yet strong and brave. I don't know how to describe it. I love her.

I'd also like to point out that Clara's dad might just be in close competition with Mia's dad in If I Stay and Juli's dad in Flipped for the award of the most awesome YA dad ever. His characterization is so wonderful. The man is a writer, and it shows, you know? He says deep shit. Seriously. Also he calls Clara "pea". How can you not love him?

And Finn. Oh, how I love Finn. He's the perfect balm to Clara's mangled heart. And his characterization is, yet again, amazing. He's sweet and doesn't push Clara and supports her and is generally perfect. Also, he likes to walk around shirtless. Uhuh. If you want a visual of what he looks like, head over to Nic's my book boyfriend post (and stalk her other posts too, while you're at it.)

Some of my favorite quotes:

"Parents can be such children," Finn said.

"We ought to raise them better."

"I'm in a baked potato mood," Dad said. "Butter. You know, Pea, I love butter. I really love it. My heart even swells a little when I think of it."

I just saw it as praise, falling down now like glittering snowflakes. But it was something else. A drop of poison on gathering snow. That moment in the fairy tale when we know what just happened but the princess doesn't.

See see see? The prose is just <3

To sum it up, this is a well-written, tactful and subtle novel that will definitely make an impression on you. I would recommend it to anyone.

Review: Abandon by Meg Cabot

Series: Abandon #1

Publisher: Scholastic

Publishing date: April 26th, 2011

Pages: 320

Buy it: Amazon

Summary: Though she tries returning to the life she knew before the accident, Pierce can't help but feel at once a part of this world, and apart from it. Yet she's never alone . . . because someone is always watching her. Escape from the realm of the dead is impossible when someone there wants you back.
But now she's moved to a new town. Maybe at her new school, she can start fresh. Maybe she can stop feeling so afraid.
Only she can't. Because even here, he finds her. That's how desperately he wants her back. She knows he's no guardian angel, and his dark world isn't exactly heaven, yet she can't stay away . . . especially since he always appears when she least expects it, but exactly when she needs him most.
But if she lets herself fall any further, she may just find herself back in the one place she most fears: the Underworld.

Rating: 2 stars

WARNING: This review contains mentions of wanting to throttle, strangle and maim book characters, and includes potentially traumatizing pictures.

Just look at this summary. Go ahead, read it.
It's amazing, isn't it? And the cover. It's gorgeous. The premise is mysterious, intriguing and lovely. I was SO excited for this book, you don't even know. I think my entire twitter feed knew the instant it was out.

This is why I'm going to be a little hard on it. Because my expectations were high, and there weren't met. At. All.

About the narrator:

This is what I wanted to do to her for half the book. UGH. What a vapid, idiotic, insensitive, shallow, boring person. She's everything I hate in a character. No backbone, changing loyalties, and just this carelessness that I HATE.

    Sure, I'd been kicked out of school. I couldn't seem to go more than an hour without craving a caffeinated beverage. And a guy I'd met while I was dead had popped by unexpectedly and caused me to be slapped with a seven-figure civil suit.
    But I was feeling positive about the future.

... Excuse me???
LOL my daddy has to pay more than a million dollars to a guy but I don't care!

About the writing:

It draaaaaaaagged. She spent ages telling us about how she had been in the Underworld, and some bad "incident" had happened after she came back, but that the incident was different from the accident, and blablablablabla. My god, just get ON with it! The book is just so full of plot holes (like when Pierce loses her necklace, but somehow still has it around her neck?) and stilted, stretched out mock-obstacles.
Also, just like in The Goddess Test (which is also a retelling of the Persephone/Hades myth), the narrator keeps talking about "that". Apparently, spelling out the word sex is a capital offense.

Oh, and by the way, Pierce hates Greek mythology, because it's "complicated and weird and had nothing to do with reality." How the hell do you want me to empathize with her? Seriously? SHE DOESN'T KNOW WHO HOMER IS.

About the romance:

It was ridiculous. And the love interest? His name is John. I don't even know what to say to that. He's a one-dimensional, pseudo swoon worthy "dark" guy that we didn't get to know at all. He behaved all aloof-like and jerky and moody and suddenly bam! His lips came came down over mine etc etc. Of course, the rest of the world ~vanished instantly. Eye roll.

One thing I learned from this book: tassels?
BAD.

EVIL. RUN FOR YOUR LIFE.

Needless to say, I would recommend this book to no one. I know it looks so good and you want to like it sooo bad, but... Yeah. No.

Review: The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter

Series: Goddess Test #1

Publisher: Harlequin TEEN

Publishing date: April 19th, 2011

Pages: 304

Buy it: Amazon

Summary: It's always been just Kate and her mom—and her mother is dying. Her last wish? To move back to her childhood home. So Kate's going to start at a new school with no friends, no other family and the fear her mother won't live past the fall.
Then she meets Henry. Dark. Tortured. And mesmerizing. He claims to be Hades, god of the Underworld—and if she accepts his bargain, he'll keep her mother alive while Kate tries to pass seven tests.
Kate is sure he's crazy—until she sees him bring a girl back from the dead. Now saving her mother seems crazily possible. If she succeeds, she'll become Henry's future bride, and a goddess.

Rating: 3 stars

This is more a 2.5 stars, but I'm rounding up, for once. I don't really know why. My brain works in strange, strange ways.

Here are the annotations I made while reading The Goddess Test. I realized after viewing all of them that they may just tell you as much as my review would, with the bonus of being funnier (I think). Plus I'm lazy. So. Here we go.

- Narrator is not a pushover at school. I was scared she'd have the Bella Swan syndrome (I let everyone say whatever they want to me without reacting because I'm nice.) I have to say it made me like Kate a lot more.

- Seems like Kate is willing to put her life on the line for Henry quite fast. Why is she so willing? Makes no sense. She barely knows him.

- Little too much foreshadowing. She notices everybody's expressions a bit too easily (surely I'm not the only one who can't read perfect strangers' faces like a book, right?) and there are just way too many somethings flickering in everyone's eyes.

- Henry's nod is archaic? ... ????

- Very interesting concept of what happens after death. I loved it. I've never seen that interpretation before, kudos to Miss Carter.

- She keeps referring to sex as "that". Are we in third grade?

- Why is she so harsh on Ava? Stop judging your friends. Seriously. She goes from being this awesome friend (a little too awesome too fast, but Carter gives an explanation about that, so I'm okay with it) to this judging bitchy person because suddenly she's worried about how Henry will see her. Great role model, Kate.

- Her expectations with Henry are quite low. Condemned to always have second role, and she knows it and she's mostly fine with it, why? Idk. I think that's just me, though.

- She's humanized the Greek gods way too much. "I refused to believe he was capable of murder"... Really? Since when do gods care if they kill humans?

- The puppy is CUTE. Omg. So CUTE <3 <3 <3

- Henry is a jerk because he's scared. Eye roll. I've not seen this in a million YA novels before.

- Love this quote:

"Maybe you'll win when hell freezes over."
He raises an eyebrow. "That could easily be arranged."

- WTF JSLDKJLDKJQDS QJD HAPPENED WITH HER MOTHER? WHAT? WHAT? (I can't say more because I don't want to spoil, but... Jesus. Mffh.)

(spoilers. Highlight to see)

- WTF LDJQSLKJSQLSDJQKSDJ HAPPENED WITH THE FINAL TEST? SHE STILL FAILED. I DON'T CARE THAT SHE PASSED HUMILITY AFTERWARD. SHE. STILL FAILED. ONE. TEST. (lol Zeus condemning someone for lusting. Bahahahahahahahaha.) 

- Why does Kate's mother look down on her own daughter like that? She's Persephone's mother too. I know she's not supposed to forgive her child's actions just because she's her mother, but I'm not getting a lot of love vibes from her towards poor Persephone (who broke Henry's heart so I don't ~like her, but still. Girl was kidnapped). It bothered me.

- She forgives everyone way too easily. They all jerked her around for I don't know how many months, her MOTHER has lied to her her entire life, pretending to have cancer (for god's sake) and she's like "mmmkay. I'm mad but oh wait no it's okay. Yaaaaay I'm a goddess." They had to do it, okay, I get that. But does she have to stop being mad at them after 3.2 seconds?

(end spoilers)

- The gods' names. Seriously. Walter? I mean, she explains, I get it. But after Kate finds out who they really are, why does she not call them by their Greek name? I don't like this "what we represent in mytholody" concept.

As you can see... I like talking to myself. Aerm. Anyway.

To those annotations, I will add that while The Goddess Test has its flaws (as... Err, shouted above), it was an enjoyable read. I don't regret reading the book, and I'll certainly pick up the sequel. Carter's prose is nothing to be ashamed of. It's not out of this world good, but she knows how to tell a story and it flows easily enough. She still has to make progress, but it's her debut novel, so I'm waiting to see if she gets better. I feel like a lot of things could have been done better, less clumsily, like the humanization of the gods (I have nothing against it, but to me it was way too much), or Kate's characterization. I like Kate just fine, but I didn't "click" with her, you know? Despite all that, I'd recommend this novel if you want a light, easy read and like Greek mythology without being a die-hard fan.

Also, I really want a puppy.

Review: If I Stay by Gayle Forman

Series: If I Stay #1

Publisher: Speak

Publishing date: January 1st, 2009

Pages: 196

Buy it: Amazon

Summary: In a single moment, everything changes. Seventeen-year-old Mia has no memory of the accident; she can only recall riding along the snow-wet Oregon road with her family. Then, in a blink, she finds herself watching as her own damaged body is taken from the wreck...
A sophisticated, layered, and heartachingly beautiful story about the power of family and friends, the choices we all make—and the ultimate choice Mia commands.

Rating: 5 stars

I have no idea how to do this story justice. It seems like I could go on and on about it for hours without even getting close to how amazing it is.

This book is bittersweet. Hot and cold, funny and depressing, heart-warming and sob-inducing. It's the perfect roller-coaster, a prime example of how powerful writing can be. I adored everything about it. The plot, shocking and realistic (despite my skepticism at first), the characters, touching and real, the writing, both light and deep... I don't know how Forman managed to put all of that in one book? I'm completely baffled at the enormous quantity of talent she put in those 196 pages. How? I don't get it. Thankfully, I'm not a writer so I don't have to. I'll just keep gushing.

This book has one of the best set of characters I've ever read about in a YA book. You can't not love Mia, you can't not adore Adam, you can't not worship Mia's family. It's impossible. I just... I'm mostly incoherent right now for reasons I can't say because I don't want to spoil readers, so let me just say that this book is a must-read. This is the kind of book you want to have read at least once in your life, because it carries the kind of message you hope to understand but never have to face. Because I can't put my thoughts together even a week after reading it. Because it's that good.

I'm mostly useless in this state, so I'm just going to leave these few quotes and hope you'll magically find your way to this book soon.

Anyhow, she didn't care that people called her a bitch. "It's just another word for feminist," she told me with pride.

"Holy Crud. Is that Brooke Vega?" I hear someone ask in a totally fakey dramatic voice from outside the ICU's automatic doors. I've never heard any of Adam's friends talk so PG-13 before. It's their sanitized hospital version of "holy fucking shit."

He searches around, like he's dropped something and then finds what he's looking for: my hand.

Review: Saving Francesca by Melina Marchetta

Series: Stand-alone

Publisher: Penguin Australia

Publishing date: 2003

Pages: 252

Buy it: Amazon

Summary: Francesca battles her mother, Mia, constantly over what’s best for her. All Francesca wants is her old friends and her old school, but instead Mia sends her to St. Sebastian’s, an all-boys’ school that has just opened its doors to girls. Now Francesca’s surrounded by hundreds of boys, with only a few other girls for company. All of them weirdos—or worse.
Then one day, Mia is too depressed to get out of bed. One day turns into months, and as her family begins to fall apart, Francesca realizes that without her mother’s high spirits, she hardly knows who she is. But she doesn’t yet realize that she’s more like Mia than she thinks. With a little unlikely help from St. Sebastian’s, she just might be able to save her family, her friends, and—especially—herself.

Rating: 4.5 stars

What you need to know about this book: This is a character-driven book. No! Don't run yet. Hear me out. It does start out pretty slow BUT that's because Francesca is confused, a little lost and it takes a few chapters for her to wake up (and for you to start empathizing with her). But once you do, you won't be able to stop reading. Her voice is honest, funny (she's hilarious, seriously) and to the point. It's the kind of book you look forward to picking back up, like, you're doing something and think "oh, I still have to finish this book" and it puts a smile on your face.

What I loved: The realism of the book. Marchetta doesn't gloss over Mia's depression, quite the contrary. She portrays very accurately what it's like to be a teenager, to not quite know where you fit in and how it feels to have adults telling you what to do all the time. To look at a cute boy and think "my god, what a disgusting pig" because no, teenage boys aren't all perfect and just because they're not doesn't mean they're one-dimensional, shallow people.

Why you should read it: Because not once did I not understand/empathize with the narrator. It's like the author mixed up all the ingredients to make a perfect character and here I am, adoring Francesca and cheering for her like a demented fangirl.

"I look past them to where Will and his friends are sitting, and he catches my eye for a moment and smiles. It's a weird smile, but it reaches his eyes and I bottle it. And I put it in my ammo pack that's kept right next to my soul. The one that holds Mia's scent and Justine's spirit and Siobhan's hope and Tara's passions. Because if I'm going to wake up one morning and not be able to get out of bed, I'm going to need everything I've got to fight this bastard of a disease that could be sleeping inside me."

Do you love her yet?

Why you need to read it right now: This is the kind of book that goes somewhere, you know? Even if not everything is resolved, you see the characters maturing and it gets you a little teary-eyed because you feel like you were there, right along with them as they tried to make sense of life. And you wish them the best, and you're sad to let them go.

It's a short book, but one that will definitely stay in your heart for a long time.

Review: The Forbidden Game Trilogy by L.J. Smith

Series: #1, #2 & #3 of The Forbidden Game

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Publishing date: June 8th, 2010 (first published in 1994)

Pages: 768

Buy it: Amazon

Summary: To capture the love of Jenny Thorton, Julian--a visitor from a dark world--draws Jenny and her friends into forbidden games; the contest for a human soul. The prize is Jenny's freedom. The stakes are all of their lives. Jenny's friends are determined to help her win. But Julian is the master of the Game. Jenny's most desperate fight will be with him, this eerily handsome boy with electric blue eyes. He knows her deepest secrets, her darkest fears. He has almost infinite power. And the only thing he wants is for Jenny to surrender to him--body and soul.

Rating: 5 stars

Finishing this series gave me that satisfied and sad feeling you get when you close an amazing book and think "there's no more". I stumbled upon it completely randomly, and I'm so, so glad I gave it a chance. The premise seemed really intriguing and after seeing a lot of positive reviews, I decided to dive in. And what a journey.

Because that's what this trilogy is: a journey in another world made of shadows, nightmares and secrets. The first book's atmosphere is secretive, sensual and creepy. Smith's prose is really good, not in an obvious way like Laini Taylor's, but more subtly, like a story that creeps under your skin and makes you remember the monsters and uncertainties of your childhood. Book after book, the author weaves a fast-paced plot packed with adventure and mystery, with a side of delicious romance and heart-warming friendship.

About the main love interest: I don't want to give away too much, but I thought the romance was very, very well done. Smith somehow manages to make us both hate and root for Julian, while still keeping a healthy and lovable boyfriend. No weak alternative here. Oh, and Julian... Sigh. He's both irresistible and impossible, with this dark, calculating edge tinged with softness and a hint of something not quite good, but promising. It draws you in and leaves you begging for more. He's a very well-developed character and I'm really happy we got to know more about him and his side of the story in book 3.

Also, I adore the female lead. She's not particularly strong at the beginning of the book, but she's not the weak damsel in distress type by any means. You watch her blossom and evolve during the whole story and it's a beautiful thing. She's so relatable and lovely and she has this little something, this innocent brightness about her... I can completely understand what Julian/Tom/everyone sees in her. I want her to be my best friend. Someone point her to me in real life, please (this is the moment you can tell Lamia has lost her mind, which is further proven by the fact that she's talking about herself in the third person).

While this trilogy is mainly about paranormal adventures, it's also a very good coming of age story. Every character has their own traits and are useful to the storyline. I know each and every one of them, which is definitely not something I can say for most YA series (empty best friend syndrome, anyone?). As the plot moves along, you witness the characters getting closer, falling apart and putting themselves back together again. You get more insight into their personality and as relationships are made and unmade, you watch them grow and mature, and close the last book with a satisfied sigh and a sense of pride. You feel close to them. It's wonderful. This book is amazing, plain and simple.

In case you couldn't tell, I'd highly recommend this trilogy to anyone. It's a page-turner and all the books are short and succinct, very easy to read. What are you waiting for?

Review: Bumped by Megan McCafferty

Series: Bumped #1

Publisher: Balzer + Bray

Publishing date: April 26th, 2011

Pages: 336

Buy it: Amazon

Summary: When a virus makes everyone over the age of eighteen infertile, would-be parents are forced to pay teen girls to conceive and give birth to their children, making teens the most prized members of society.
Sixteen-year-old identical twins Melody and Harmony were separated at birth and had never met until the day Harmony shows up on Melody’s doorstep. Until now, the twins have followed completely opposite paths. Melody has scored an enviable conception contract with a couple called the Jaydens. While they are searching for the perfect partner for Melody to bump with, she is fighting her attraction to her best friend Zen, who is way too short for the job.
Harmony has spent her whole life in religious Goodside, preparing to be a wife and mother. She believes her calling is to bring Melody back to Goodside and convince her that “pregging” for profit is a sin. But Harmony has secrets of her own that she is running from.
When Melody is finally matched with the world-famous, genetically flawless Jondoe, both girls’ lives are changed forever. A case of mistaken identity takes them on a journey neither could have ever imagined, one that makes Melody and Harmony realize they have so much more than just DNA in common.

Rating: 3.5 stars

I felt a lot of conflicting emotions while reading this book. It's well-written, the plot is original and the universe is well set (which is very important, in dystopia) but I didn't love it. It's impossible not to like it because of the subject matter and the way the author deals with it, but quite frankly... This book lost a star because of Harmony. Why Harmony? More on that later.

The story's told from both Melody and Harmony's point of view. I'm usually not a fan of POV switching in first-person narration, but this worked out pretty well. I really liked being in Melody's head. She felt very real in her questioning of her society, which is a feat because it's usually always too slow-paced (see: Matched). She was very well-written and I could sympathize with her and her need to please her parents, even if I didn't agree with her. Plus, she was funny and sarcastic. I just love her. Now Harmony, on the other hand... She annoyed me. A lot. To be fair, I think this has a lot to do with my personal taste rather than the way the character was written, but she was just too naive for me and I have no patience with naive characters. I couldn't relate to her at all, and at times she felt really selfish when I know her intentions were good. I'm kind of indecisive about her.

I've found the plot to be realistic and intriguing. McCafferty sets her universe really well, and even invents specific slang that Melody uses rather frequently. The vocabulary is easy enough to understand but I had issues with fully grasping the concept of what the "MiNet" was. Thankfully, this doesn't hinder your comprehension of the plot as a whole and even gives a refreshing aspect to the reality you're presented with. I was very, very relieved to see that the author didn't shy away from dealing with the issues resulting from the (rather bold) story line she chose, because it could have been a disaster. I really appreciated the fact that she talked about sexual relationships in a very upfront, healthy manner, and as something that has consequences but doesn't have to be "wrong" (as so many YA novels do nowadays).

I can't reveal much about the pairings without spoiling, but the person Harmony was paired with was surprisingly adequate and I just love Melody's love interest. Love, love, love him. HERE is an example of a healthy love interest who doesn't try to control, influence or jerk around the heroin. They had amazing chemistry and I very much enjoyed reading about them.

I would, despite my annoyance for Harmony, strongly recommend this book to everyone. It leaves a very strong impression, perhaps reinforced by the disturbing feeling that maybe, in a hundred years... It could be the actual reality.

Review: Lips Touch: Three Times by Laini Taylor

Series: Stand-alone

Publisher: Arthur A. Levine Books

Publishing date: October 1st, 2009

Pages: 272

Buy it: Amazon

Summary: A girl who’s always been in the shadows finds herself pursued by the unbelievably attractive new boy at school, who may or may not be the death of her.
Another girl grows up mute because of a curse placed on her by a vindictive spirit, and later must decide whether to utter her first words to the boy she loves and risk killing everyone who hears her if the curse is real.
And a third girl discovers that the real reason for her transient life with her mother has to do with belonging — literally belonging — to another world entirely, full of dreaded creatures who can transform into animals, and whose queen keeps little girls as personal pets until they grow to childbearing age.

Rating: 5 stars

I truly feel like anything I say couldn't do this book justice.
So, in my endeavor to describe my *cough* "feelings", I made a pie chart (I love pie charts).

This book was amazing. Well-written. Gorgeous, gorgeous writing. Touching characters. I just... I loved it. Every story was better than the last. Enchanting, horrifying, beautiful and captivating. The way Taylor writes... Again, I don't know what to say. She pulls you into the universe she created like no others and makes you truly experience the story she's telling. Her writing grabs you and doesn't let you go. You get attached to the characters, feel their joy and their horror, all the while sinking deeper and deeper into the mesmerizing universe she presents you with.

The way she manages to combine such a vast array of emotion into one story is mind boggling. This book feels like a rainy afternoon spent cuddled up in your blankets with an amazing book and a tub of ice cream. It's a treat you've been waiting for, and savor slowly to keep it as long as possible. It's the kind of book you keep reading at night, secretly, while you're supposed to be sleeping simply because you just can't stop reading. 

While the first story was short, sensual and surprising, the second and third ones were longer, and therefore had their own universe and set of rules. And the writing. God. Her prose is lyrical and flows perfectly. She uses recurrent imagery so well that you can almost picture everything. I kept literally stopping in the middle of a chapter to think "wow, this sentence is gorgeous."

Also, I'd just like to point out that not once, while reading this book did I think anything was remotely wrong with the character development, the pacing, the plot or just... anything. This is rare, people. Very rare. Everything made perfect sense. So much sense, actually, that when Taylor later explains her definition of the "Hell" she used in the second story, it wasn't necessary, because she told it in such a way that it was obvious for anyone, even those not versed in Hindu beliefs like me.

If you're still not convinced, here's a quote:

"[...] they thought the same thoughts as completely as if a butterfly traveled back and forth between their minds, bearing ideas on its legs like pollen."

See? So pretty. So cute and perfect. Sigh.

Really. I'm re-reading myself and I have not done this story justice. Don't take my words for it. Go read it. You won't be sorry.