Book Review: Evermore

Book: Evermore
Author: Alyson Noel
Genre: Fantasy, Paranormal Romance (YA)
Rating: 4/5
Page Count: 306 (Paperback)
Favorite character: Ever, I guess. None of them really stuck out to me.

Plot: (From Goodreads)
After a horrible accident claims the lives of her family, sixteen-year-old Ever Bloom can see people's auras, hear their thoughts, and know someone's entire life story by touching them. Going out of her way to avoid human contact and suppress her abilities, she has been branded a freak at her new high school-but everything changes when she meets Damen Auguste.

Damen is gorgeous, exotic, and wealthy. He's the only one who can silence the noise and random energy in her head-wielding a magic so intense, it's as though he can peer into her soul. As Ever is drawn deeper into his enticing world of secrets and mystery, she's left with more questions than answers. And she has no idea who he really is-or what he is. The only thing she knows to be true is that she's falling deeply and helplessly in love with him.

Review:
I wasn't sure going into the book, because it sounded like so many other YA books out there. And while it does kind of feel like that at the beginning, I loved how it changed from the normal pace of things. And for some reason I had this preconceived notion that this book was about vampires, but it's not. (I don't know why I thought this, but I was so relieved it wasn't.) Anyway, I enjoyed the pacing and the plot and the way the aura's of people are described.

Also, anything with past lives is something that makes me interested in what could come of it because there are so much stuff. I'm not going to spoil anything by going about that further, but I'd recommend this book to a lot of people. It's not a fun and fluff book, though, she's not a very happy person for most of the book with the sensing auras and hearing thoughts and other things. But, overall, I really did enjoy this book and I really didn't think I would.

If you've read this book: tell me what you thought of it. And if you haven't, what's one of the favorite book you've read this year? (Or just recently if it's too hard to choose, I know I have problems choosing.)

Darker Still

Book: Darker Still

Author: Leanna Renee Hieber

Genre: YA Romance/SiFi

Rating: A+

Plot Summary:

The picture of Dorian Gray meets Pride and Prejudice, with a dash of Dr.Jekyll and Mr.Hyde. New York City, 1882. Seventeen year old Natalie Stewart's latest obsession is a painting of a handsome British Lord Denbury. Something in his striking blue eyes calls to her. As his incredibly life-like daze seems to follow her, Natalie gets the uneasy feeling that the details in the painting keep changing...

Jonathan Denbury's soul is trapped in the guilded painting by dark magic while his possessed body commits unspeakable crimes in the city slums. He must lure Natalie into the painting, for only together can they reverse the curse and free his damaged soul.

( From Goodreads )

Review:

Yes before you say anything I realize Casey has already reviewed this book but 1. this book was too amazing not to review and 2. I haven't really finished any books since i last posted... but that is besides the point. This book was just entrancing, it was impossible to put down. This book kept you on the edge the whole way through with the Dr.Jekyll and Mr.Hyde element of the plot. Then there is the fact that the heroine, Natalie, is unable to speak so the story is told through a diary she keeps.

Now how do I start to explain Lord Denbury, he is handsome, a gentleman, everything a girl would want in a man. So obviously I fell in love with him alone with Natalie. I have always loved Victorian novels but Leanna's Darker Still is now number one on my list to recommend to people. The characters are believable and I found myself really caring for Natalie. The mystery part of the novel was amazing, I loved how the clues and results unraveled with Denbury's possessed body.

Where YA novels are now all about vampires and werewolves Leanna Renee Hieber brought in something new and exciting. I am a fan of her other novels and this story did not disappoint. The end of this book was not a cliffhanger but it gave enough information for me to really want to read the sequel. Have you read Darker Still yet? If you have leave a comment! And if you have not... well what are you waiting for??

-- Haley <3

p.s. YES. I realize this post is late yet again. I kind of suck at these schedule things.

Future of Us by Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler

Book: Future of Us

Authors: Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler

Genre: YA Romance/Time Travel?

Rating: B+

Plot Summary:

It's 1996, and Josh and Emma have been neighbors their whole lives. They have been best friends almost as long -at least, up until last November, when Josh did something that changed everything. Things have been weird between them ever since, but when Josh's family gets a free AOL CD in the mail, his mom makes him bring it over so that Emma can install it on her new computer. When they sign on, they're automatically logged onto their Facebook pages. But Facebook hasn't been invented yet. And they are looking at themselves fifteen years in the future.

By Refreshing their pages, they learn that making different decisions now will affect the outcomes of their lives later. And as they grapple with the ups and downs of what their futures hold, they are forced to confront what they are doing right - and wrong - in the present.

( from Goodreads )

Review:

What i loved about this book was that it was so unique, no one had though of it which just intrigued me. It also left me with a lot of questions, some could not be answered but they are still floating through my mind. How did they REALLY stumble upon Facebook? What happens to them in the end? Does Emma end up happy? This book was beautifully written, the two writers' chapter's flowed together perfectly.

The Story is amazing. It is a story of friendship, love dreams, fears and so much more. The characters were so easy to relate to, as I am also a teenager.

What I love is they never actually travel to the future they just are watching it from status updates and pictures posted to a website. Emma just wants a perfect life where she is happy and will go to all costs to have it. Also knowing by every little decision we make (yes even like spilling water onto our carpet) can change our future completely. It is really an eye opener.

Parts of this did feel like just a regular boy-next-door kind of story with a science fiction twist. That is really the only reason why it got a B+ instead of an A. If we learned more about how they were connected to Facebook i feel like I would have been more interested. I found that I found Emma slightly annoying at times, but then again what teenage girl isn't annoying sometimes?

Overall thought I this story a cute and quirky quick read. The story was well thought out and the characters were most of the time likable. I never really found the chemistry between Emma and Josh so the romance between them was not as believable. I feel as if I just had too high of hopes for this novel. It was good just not as amazing as I wanted it to be.

-- Haley <3

p.s. sorry this is a day late. I had a CRAZY day yesterday.

Book Review: Soulless

Book: Soulless (The Parasol Protectorate: Book 1)
Author: Gail Carriger
Genre: Romance (Paranormal Romance, Alternate History, Steampunk)
Rating: 5/5
Page count: 384 (Mass Market Paperback)
Favorite Character: Don't tell Conall but it's his Beta, Professor Lyall. He continues to be one of my favorite characters. (Besides Alexia and Conall who I love).

Plot: (From Goodreads)

Alexia Tarabotti is laboring under a great many social tribulations. First, she has no soul. Second, she's a spinster whose father is both Italian and dead. Third, she was rudely attacked by a vampire, breaking all standards of social etiquette.

Where to go from there? From bad to worse apparently, for Alexia accidentally kills the vampire -- and then the appalling Lord Maccon (loud, messy, gorgeous, and werewolf) is sent by Queen Victoria to investigate.

With unexpected vampires appearing and expected vampires disappearing, everyone seems to believe Alexia responsible. Can she figure out what is actually happening to London's high society? Will her soulless ability to negate supernatural powers prove useful or just plain embarrassing? Finally, who is the real enemy, and do they have treacle tart?

SOULLESS is a comedy of manners set in Victorian London: full of werewolves, vampires, dirigibles, and tea-drinking.


Review:
This idea of Alexia having no soul and with a touch turns the Supernaturals mortal, just for the time she touches them, is amazing to me. I don't know why, but I really enjoyed reading about it and how this book progressed. Also, I'm a bit of a werewolf fan and I love anything set in London is this era, in any era really, but this time period in particular.

The characters are relatable and hilarious to read about at times. And the romance that is brewing can be seen and, personally, watching it form was hilarious. My favorite character is this book isn't Alexia, though she's second, it's the pack's Beta: Professor Lyall. I'm not sure why, but his dialogue throughout the book is just perfect.

This isn't a Young Adult book, though, so if you're going to read it, just keep that in mind.

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

Book: The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer

Author: Michelle Hodkin

Genre: Young Adult (Psychological Thriller)

Rating: A

Plot from Goodreads:

Mara Dyer doesn't think life can get any stranger than waking up in a hospital with no memory of how she got there.

It can.

She believes there must be more to the accident she can't remember that killed her friends and left her mysteriously unharmed.

There is.

She doesn't believe that after everything she's been through, she can fall in love.

She's wrong.

Review:

That little plot summary makes it seem a lot more like a romance novel than it really is. There is a relationship and it is one of the focal points but i found myself more interested in Mara's thought process and how she reacted to things. When you first meet Mara she had just moved to a new state to start over. After her best friends dying, and her not remembering it, she was having a difficult time. She would have hallucinations, she would see her dead friends. These hallucinations were beautifully written and I could really feel how she felt.

Next thing she know she is starting a new school, a preppy private school. She made a fool of herself on the first day because of her hallucinations and already made enemies. She then met a boy named Jamie, who's funny and quirky personality really helped with relief and made me smile. I was sad to see Jamie's character leave from the story but it was because the story got darker and there was no longer a place for Jamie's humor. Then there is Noah Shaw. How do i start to talk about Noah. I hated him. In the beginning at least, I did grow to love him when he started to reveal his little secrets. And of course he was attractive and English which just made him even more gorgeous.

Michelle Hodkin's writing was fast paced and it was believable. The way she made the novel a mystery until the end and still some questions hanging was amazing. In the beginning of the book the main character explained in a letter that she was using the name Mara Dyer as a pseudonym. I went through the whole book wondering what Mara's name really was because the name Mara just seemed to fit the main character.

I wish I could say more but everything else i could say could give away the amazing plot twist at the end. You learn so much in a short amount of pages that I had to re-read them. And let me say I was surprised and I was not even made it ended in a sort of cliffhanger. My only comment is go to your local bookstore and pick this book up. This book was unbelievable and a must-read for anyone. This book was a great mixture of things, and I think any age or gender would enjoy it.

Until Next Time!

-- Haley <3

Book Review: Darker Still

Book: Darker Still (Magic Most Foul #1)
Author: Leanna Renee Hieber
Genre: Young Adult (Romance/SciFi)
Rating: 5/5
Page Count: 317 (Paperback)
Favorite Character: Denbury (He's Denburylicious. :D)

Plot: (from Goodreads)

New York City, 1882. Seventeen-year-old Natalie Stewart's latest obsession is a painting of the handsome British Lord Denbury. Something in his striking blue eyes calls to her. As his incredibly life-like gaze seems to follow her, Natalie gets the uneasy feeling that details of the painting keep changing...

Jonathan Denbury's soul is trapped in the gilded painting by dark magic while his possessed body commits unspeakable crimes in the city slums. He must lure Natalie into the painting, for only together can they reverse the curse and free his damaged soul.

Review:


This was a book that as soon as I put it down, I wanted to pick it back up and read it again. It's a perfect mix between Pride and Prejudice, Picture of Dorian Gray, and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. (I saw that description and it just struck me how it was exactly that). There is just everything that you could want in this book, mystery and romance. I'm a big fan of Leanna's writing in general, but this book was even better then what I had expected of it.

The characters were likable and relatable and interesting. And there was a good plot and a good momentum. And I was truly surprised, in a good way, by some of the things that occurred. It's also written in a kind of diary entry by the main character, Natalie Stewart, and I normally don't read that kind of thing, but it was written with good details, which I love. It's not what I expected when I realized it was in diary entries, because normally you just have a character telling you what happens, but Natalie shows you with details and what the others had said, quoting them.

I'd suggest, definitely, reading this one. It may not be exactly a short book, but it was quick read, I didn't want to put it down. (Also, that cover is gorgeous. I want that dress! And the model looks like Anne Hathaway, which I thought was kind of cool/funny).

Book Review: Lola and the Boy Next Door

Book: Lola and the Boy Next Door

Author: Stephanie Perkins

Genre: Contemporary YA Fiction

Rating: A+

Plot:

(taken from Goodreads page)

Budding designer Lola Nolan doesn’t believe in fashion . . . she believes in costume. The more expressive the outfit -- more sparkly, more fun, more wild -- the better. But even though Lola’s style is outrageous, she’s a devoted daughter and friend with some big plans for the future. And everything is pretty perfect (right down to her hot rocker boyfriend) until the dreaded Bell twins, Calliope and Cricket, return to the neighborhood.

When Cricket -- a gifted inventor -- steps out from his twin sister’s shadow and back into Lola’s life, she must finally reconcile a lifetime of feelings for the boy next door.

Review:

My favorite part about this book was that it felt real. The characters were dynamic and were very believable. Lola was a person I would love to be friends with. Cricket was a person that any girl could fall in love with. Lola's two dads were great comic relief and were for sure my favorite characters.

This novel throws you right into the life of a teenage girl living in San Francisco. She is dating an older guy in a band and she thinks her life is perfect the way it is. This is until the Bell twins move back in to the house next door.

Through the whole novel for some odd reason I felt bad for Max. I knew I should not because he was more or less a jerk, but for some reason I still did. The love story was believable and you could feel the connection between the characters.

I love how in this novel Anna and Etienne were not just briefly mentioned but they were main characters coming in and out and actually affecting the story. If you are looking for a cute quick read then Stephanie Perkins' Lola and the Boy next Door is the exact book you need. I read this book in about a day because I just needed to know how it would end.

If I could just have all of Lola's outfits i would be truly happy. I am not a big fan of Contemporary YA but Stephanie Perkins makes me wish all books were like her's. This is a refreshing read and i can not wait until the next companion novel, Isla and the Happily ever after.

- Haley :)

Book Review: Untraceable

Book: Untraceable (The Nature of Grace #1)
Author: S.R Johannes
Genre: Young Adult (Thriller/Adventure/Romance
Rating: A
Page Count: 315 (Paperback)
Favorite character: Well, uh... Huh. Tommy, I'm going with Tommy, he's safe. (I can't pick one of the two boys, because I liked them both differently)

Plot: (From Goodreads)
Everyone leaves a mark. What if your could be erased?
Untraceable is a new teen wilderness thriller with a missing father, a kickbutt heroine, and of course - two hot boys.

Review:
I really enjoyed the writing and the little tips at the beginning of each chapter, I love little things like that. I really enjoyed how this book flowed, though, it was really good, loved it. The main character is relatable even if, like me, you don't know how to track people through the woods. It's very interesting to read about her doing such. And it kept me guessing, which I wasn't expecting at all.

I also enjoyed all the twist and turns you take during this book. You take as many emotional ups and down as the main character. Nothing is really for certain in this small town, and it's shocking to learn about what's really happening behind the scenes, per say.

I'd suggest checking this one out, for sure. It wasn't what I was expecting at all and was a good read.