Review: Moonset by Scott Tracey

Moonset by Scott Tracey

Legacy of Moonset #1

Release Date: April 8^th, 2013

Number of Pages: 384

Publisher: Flux

Source: NetGalley

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Moonset, a coven of such promise . . . Until they turned to the darkness.  

After the terrorist witch coven known as Moonset was destroyed fifteen years ago—during a secret war against the witch Congress—five children were left behind, saddled with a legacy of darkness. Sixteen-year-old Justin Daggett, son of a powerful Moonset warlock, has been raised alongside the other orphans by the witch Congress, who fear the children will one day continue the destruction their parents started.  

A deadly assault by a wraith, claiming to work for Moonset’s most dangerous disciple, Cullen Bridger, forces the five teens to be evacuated to Carrow Mill. But when dark magic wreaks havoc in their new hometown, Justin and his siblings are immediately suspected. Justin sets out to discover if someone is trying to frame the Moonset orphans . . . or if Bridger has finally come out of hiding to reclaim the legacy of Moonset. He learns there are secrets in Carrow Mill connected to Moonset’s origins, and keeping the orphans safe isn’t the only reason the Congress relocated them . . .

Moonset was an interesting novel. I was a little uncertain when I first started this novel, as I was not the biggest fan of Witch Eyes. I still wanted to give this new series a chance. I thought it sounded like something I would enjoy, and I die enjoy the story to a certain level. You know when you read a book and there is a little something missing, but you can’t pinpoint it? Well, that’s what happened here. The premise was really interesting, with the coven, and the story revolving around the children of a terrorist coven. There is a good intrigue, an interesting plot, and I did enjoy reading the novel. Yet, there was still a little something that made it hard for me to love it. I guess it might have something to do with the main character.

The story is told from Justin’s point of view. I didn’t always enjoy following his narration, and I think this book would have gained a lot if there had been maybe a second point of view. There was something about his voice that drew me out of the story, and I can’t really explain why, since I still find Justin to be an interesting character. Jenna was one character I really wish I could have learned more about. We only know she is the troublemaker of the group, and she sounded like a character that could have been really interesting had I learned more about her. She’s not the only one that stood out as one-dimensional. We don’t get to learn much about Malcom, Cole, Bailey, and Jenna. There are characters we do get to know more in dept, like Quinn and Ash, but it wasn’t enough for me.

Overall, I think Legacy of Moonset has a lot of potential, and I will certainly continue this series. Moonset was interesting, and I’m really curious to see where Scott Tracey will be taking the story next. I found the world of magic and witch politic to be really interesting. I do know we will get to know the other characters more in the sequels, and I am really curious to see what will happen next to Justin, Jenna and company.

About the Author:

From GoodReads

Scott wrote his autobiography at age six, and its all been downhill since then. He traveled the country on a Greyhound for a month, devoted a semester of school to starting a series of urban legends, and spent five years perfecting how to say "would you like fries with that" for a short story. Or so he claims.

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Review: Tiger by William Richter

Tiger by William Richter

Dark Eyes #2

Release Date: March 21^st, 2013

Number of Pages: 352

Publisher: Razorbill

Source: NetGalley

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A vigilante fights for justice at any cost. Wallis Stoneman isn’t like other teenage girls. She’s beautiful, fearless, and deadly.
  

Wally lives alone in her Brooklyn loft. She’d be a regular teenager, except that she’s the daughter of a Russian assassin. Crime is in Wally’s blood, but she uses her legacy for good: she solves missing persons cases for the Ursula Society, an under-the-radar organization that uses oft-illegal tactics to find people the police have given up on.  

The person Wally most wants to find? Tiger, her own fugitive brother. But the closer Wally gets to finding Tiger, the more dangerous her search becomes. And Klesko, Wally and Tiger’s sadistic father, is again at large. With two highly-skilled con men against them, Wally and Tiger band together to destroy a conspiracy in which they—and their hearts—are mere pawns.

I fell in love with the addicting writing of William Richter in Dark Eyes. I was more than excited to read the sequel, and I couldn’t wait to find out what would happen next to Wally and, of course, Tiger. We are brought back into the action packed world we first go into in Dark Eyes. I’m happy to say, this sequel was far from disappointed for me. In Tiger, Wally is getting her life together after the loss of her mother, and the news of her brother’s existence. Yet, life can’t be easy with a brother on the run, and a powerful and dangerous father with enemies just as powerful and dangerous.

We follow once again Wally as she finds herself caught in a dangerous situation. If one thing is for sure, it is that Wally is stubborn. Not only that, but her heart is in the right place. She can’t help wanting to find her long lost brother, and she can’t help wanting to help Kyle. She can’t also help getting herself in trouble, but our Wally can certainly take care of herself. Then, there’s Tiger. I was happy to once again have an insight on what is going on with his life. I found Tiger to be such an interesting character, and I almost wish we could have seen more of his life. He is caught in his father’s legacy, and he has no other choice but to live a life of crime. We are also introduced to a new character, Kyle. He comes to Wally looking for help, but his appearance brought more trouble than she could have expected.

Tiger was addicting as its predecessor. There might not have been as much action as there was in Dark Eyes, but it didn’t make this book boring. Instead, we get a better insight on Wally’s life and thoughts, letting us get to know her better. Fans of Dark Eyes will enjoy Wally’s new adventures. The ending leaves us thinking there will be another book coming, which I do hope is true. I have loved both novels by William Richter, and I cannot wait to read more from him.

About the Author:

From GoodReads

William Harlan Richter is a Hollywood screenwriter. He was nominated for an Emmy Award as Producer of “We Stand Alone Together”, the documentary episode of the HBO miniseries Band of Brothers. William was born and raised in California.

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Review: White Lines by Jennifer Banash

White Lines by Jennifer Banash

Release Date: April 4^th, 2013

Number of Pages: 304

Publisher: Putnam Juvenile

Source: NetGalley

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A gritty, atmospheric coming of age tale set in 1980s New York City.  

Seventeen-year-old Cat is living every teenager’s dream: she has her own apartment on the Lower East Side and at night she’s club kid royalty, guarding the velvet rope at some of the hottest clubs in the city. The night with its crazy, frenetic, high-inducing energy—the pulsing beat of the music, the radiant, joyful people and those seductive white lines that can ease all pain—is when Cat truly lives. But her daytime, when real life occurs, is more nightmare than dream. Having spent years suffering her mother’s emotional and physical abuse, and abandoned by her father, Cat is terrified and alone—unable to connect to anyone or anything. But when someone comes along who makes her want to truly live, she’ll need to summon the courage to confront her demons and take control of a life already spinning dangerously out of control.   

Both poignant and raw, White Lines is a gripping tale and the reader won’t want to look away.

I was really excited to get my hands on White Lines by Jennifer Banash, and I simply couldn’t wait to read it. I was curious to see how the settings would be affecting the story. Sadly, the story, even though it had potential to be really interesting, failed to really impress. I felt like the story being set in the ‘80’s didn’t really affect the plot that much, and that really disappointed me. The time period was one of the reasons I really wanted to read it, and it didn’t wow me.

More than that, there were other little things that made it hard for me to really enjoy this novel. The pacing was slow, and the story lacked excitement. White Lines should have been a heavy and emotional story, but I felt like many part of the book were superficial.  I felt no connection to the story and narration, which gave me the feeling of reading the story as seen by someone from afar. It lacked emotions, and White Lines seemed like the kind of book that should have been able to really touch the reader deeply. After all, Cat’s story is full of drug, abuse, and heartbreak.

White Lines is the kind of novel in which the main character takes an important part in liking this book. I might have felt pity for some parts of Cat’s past, but I simply couldn’t find it in me to really find her story interesting. Cat was a little all over the place as a character, and there were things about her that didn’t work for me. Also, Cat’s drug use, or rather the consequences of her drug use, felt wrong to me. She doesn’t really appear to have consequences on her that much, other than leaving her tired from all the partying. Shouldn’t cocaine leave her some more effects than only the dark circles under her eyes? Well, I’m not an expert on cocaine, but it felt weird.

Overall, White Lines by Jennifer Banash simply wasn’t really working for me. I had high expectations for this novel, and they were far from met. I know this book will please many readers, but it didn’t include me. I might give Jennifer Banash’s other novels a chance, but this book simply charmed me.

About the Author:

From GoodReads

Jennifer Banash was born and raised in New York City. She now lives in Southern California with her beagle, Sigmund, and her vast collection of designer shoes.

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Review: 17 & Gone by Nova Ren Suma

17 & Gone by Nova Ren Suma

Release Date: March 21^st, 2013

Number of Pages: 354

Publisher: Dutton Juvenile

Source: NetGalley

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Seventeen-year-old Lauren is having visions of girls who have gone missing. And all these girls have just one thing in common—they are 17 and gone without a trace. As Lauren struggles to shake these waking nightmares, impossible questions demand urgent answers: Why are the girls speaking to Lauren? How can she help them? And… is she next? As Lauren searches for clues, everything begins to unravel, and when a brush with death lands her in the hospital, a shocking truth emerges, changing everything.  

With complexity and richness, Nova Ren Suma serves up a beautiful, visual, fresh interpretation of what it means to be lost. 

When I read Invisible Girls by Nova Ren Suma, I wasn’t the biggest fan. With her newest book, she did manage to charm me to a certain extend, but she didn’t wow me. If there is one thing I really loved about this book, it is the creepy atmosphere. I did enjoy the psychological side of the story, and I did enjoy the writing, but I did not love this book. 17 & Gone is a character-driven novel, and this may be part of why I didn’t love this novel. I simply had trouble loving her story as much as I wished I could.

Lauren is a 17-years-old, who suddenly starts to be haunted by the ghosts of 17-years-old missing girls. The thing is, her story is also laced by the stories of all the missing girls, and this leaves us with only some superficial knowledge of who Lauren really is. She is so obsessed with the girls that we don’t learn that much about who she really is. We do get some knowledge of who she was through the few peeks we get into her past, her life before her visions. I did like learning to know about all those girls, but I needed to know more about the main character. At the same time, it was heartbreaking to see Lauren lose herself because of her visions and her obsession. She loses herself, she loses her boyfriend Jamie, and she loses her relationship with her mother to a certain extant. There is one of the missing girls we do get to learn a lot about, Fiona, and I found myself really enjoying learning about her. Lauren knew Fiona before she went missing. She was a really interesting character, and I found myself wishing I could get to know more about her.

Overall, 17 & Gone was a great read. It won’t make it to my favorites list, but I did enjoy it. Those who enjoyed Invisible Girls will likely enjoy this book, as those two books do share many qualities. The writing and the atmosphere were two of this novel’s greatest strength.

About the Author:

From GoodReads

Nova grew up in small towns across the Hudson Valley and can currently be found in New York City and online at her blog distraction no. 99.

Nova Ren Suma has an MFA in fiction from Columbia University and a BA in writing & photography from Antioch College, and has been awarded fiction fellowships from the New York Foundation for the Arts and the Corporation of Yaddo, and, twice, from the MacDowell Colony. She has published short stories for adults in literary journals including Gulf Coast, LIT, Small Spiral Notebook, and more, and is the author of the tween novel Dani Noir (Simon & Schuster/Aladdin, 2009).

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Review: Dark Eyes by William Richter

Dark Eyes by William Richter

Dark Eyes #1

Release Date: March 15^th, 2012

Number of Pages: 383

Publisher: Razorbill

Source: NetGalley

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Wally was adopted from a Russian orphanage as a child and grew up in a wealthy New York City family. At fifteen, her obsessive need to rebel led her to life on the streets.  

Now the sixteen-year-old is beautiful and hardened, and she's just stumbled across the possibility of discovering who she really is. She'll stop at nothing to find her birth mother before Klesko - her darkeyed father - finds her. Because Klesko will stop at nothing to reclaim the fortune Wally's mother stole from him long ago. Even if that means murdering his own blood. But Wally's had her own killer training, and she's hungry for justice.  

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo for teens, this debut thriller introduces our next big series heroine!

When the summary of a book compares it to a really popular novel, I’m always a little skeptical. After all, they are setting my expectations pretty high, and this often leads to disappointment. Yet, I found myself to be enthralled by Wally’s story. This is definitely not a novel for a younger audience, but older teen will find themselves hooked in the story created by William Richter. The story focuses on Wally’s search for her biological mother, but it is more than that. The story is told in third person point of view, but we get a glimpse on two other characters than Wally, which gives us a better understanding of the story that is going on, and we can understand why certain characters appear at the perfect moment.

Wally is a Russian born young woman, adopted by an American family when she was five years old. She ends up choosing to live on the street with a group of friends, Tevin, Ella and Jake. If there is one thing for sure, it’s that Wallis Stoneman is a kickass main character. She is strong and determined, and she isn’t scared to put herself in dangerous situation to get what she wants.

We also have Detective Alter Greer, the detective looking for the murderer of Sophia, another street girl who they believed to be Wally at first. His appearances are always well timed and he is a great addition to the story. It gives Wally an interesting ally, even if she doesn’t always want him to be.

Later, we also meet Tiger, the son of Klesco. Klesco is the biological father of Wally, but he is also a psycho Russian mob guy who is looking to get back what her mother stole. Following Tiger gives a good insight of who Klesco really is, and what he is ready to do to reclaim what he sees as his.

If there is one thing I can say about Dark Eyes, it’s that it is far from boring. The constant action will keep you hooked into the story. The book read itself like a movie, and it will keep you on the edge of your seat. The gun fights; the humor and the more human side of the story make Dark Eyes a book that will please many readers. The ending will give you enough closure to let it stand on its own, but it also opens the door for the upcoming sequel Tiger, a book I’m sure you’ll be dying to read after finishing this one.

About the Author:

From GoodReads

William Harlan Richter is a Hollywood screenwriter. He was nominated for an Emmy Award as Producer of “We Stand Alone Together”, the documentary episode of the HBO miniseries Band of Brothers. William was born and raised in California.

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Review: Being Henry David by Cal Armistead

Being Henry David by Cal Armistead

Release Date: March 1^st, 2013

Number of Pages: 270

Publisher: Albert Whitman Teen

Source: eARC from NetGalley

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Seventeen-year-old "Hank" has found himself at Penn Station in New York City with no memory of anything --who he is, where he came from, why he's running away. His only possession is a worn copy of Walden, by Henry David Thoreau. And so he becomes Henry David-or "Hank" and takes first to the streets, and then to the only destination he can think of--Walden Pond in Concord, Massachusetts. Cal Armistead's remarkable debut novel is about a teen in search of himself. Hank begins to piece together recollections from his past. The only way Hank can discover his present is to face up to the realities of his grievous memories. He must come to terms with the tragedy of his past, to stop running, and to find his way home.

I’m a little torn about Being Henry David. I liked some parts of it, but I was slightly disappointed. I think I was expecting to like it more. It was a little all over the place for me. Part of the book leaves you thinking it will be about amnesia, and then the second part seems to be more about guilt, and learning to live with the consequences of his actions. Then, there is the fact that it is build in a weird way around Walden, a novel written by Henry David Thoreau. I had never read this book, and I don’t think I ever will. It just left me feeling weird.

The main character, who is called Hank for most of the book, wakes up in Penn Station with no memory of his past. For whatever reason, Hank ends up not asking the cops for help at the station, and instead, he runs away with another runaway. This makes everything more complicated for him, bringing him in many difficult situations. The only thing he keeps doing to get himself out of all of this is lie. He lies to almost everyone about who he is, instead of simply telling them that he has amnesia. That would have been so much easier. Then there is the romance that blooms while he is away, a romance built on lies. It just made me feel really uncomfortable to want to like this romance, while he keeps lying to her face. I don’t want to root for a romance based on lies.

Overall, I think I was a little disappointed because it wasn’t what I was expecting. There was just a lot more to the story than I would have expected from a novel of 270 pages. There were just too many things happening for a novel that short. Some parts of the novel felt rushed, and other parts felt a little superficial. I guess I was expecting a little more depth. I found it also hard to love it, since I kept getting mad at the main character for not doing the logical thing. In the end, I didn’t hate it, but I didn’t love it. I would love to read more from Cal Armistead though.

About the Author:

From GoodReads

Cal has been a writer since age 9, when she submitted her first book, The Poor Macaroni Named Joany to a publisher. Sadly, this literary gem did not make it to print. But Cal continued pursuing her lifelong passion, and wrote copiously for radio, newspapers and magazines (Cal has been published in The Chicago Tribune, Shape Magazine, Body & Soul Magazine, Christian Science Monitor, Chicken Soup for Every Mom’s Soul and others). Although it took years for Cal to try her hand again at fiction writing, her first young adult novel (Being Henry David) will be published by Albert Whitman & Co. on March 1, 2013. Cal, who holds an MFA in creative writing from the Stonecoast program at the University of Southern Maine, works at an independent book store, is a voice-over actress, sings semi-professionally, and lives in a Boston suburb with her amazing husband and a dog named Layla.

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Review: Death and the Girl Next Door by Darynda Jones

Death and the Girl Next Door by Darynda Jones

Darklight #1

Release Date: October 2^nd, 2012

Number of Pages: 274

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

Source: NetGalley

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Darynda Jones, author of The New York Times bestselling series that began with First Grave on the Right, brings us Death and the Girl Next Door, a thrilling Young Adult novel garnering high praise and early buzz from major authors  

Ten years ago, Lorelei's parents disappeared without a trace.  Raised by her grandparents and leaning on the support of her best friends, Lorelei is finally beginning to accept the fact that her parents are never coming home.  For Lorelei, life goes on.  

High school is not quite as painful as she thinks it will be, and things are as normal as they can be.  Until the day the school's designated loner, Cameron Lusk, begins to stalk her, turning up where she least expects it,  standing outside her house in the dark, night after night.  Things get even more complicated when a new guy—terrifying, tough, sexy Jared Kovach—comes to school.  Cameron and Jared instantly despise each other and Lorelei seems to be the reason for their animosity.  What does Jared know about her parents?  Why does Cameron tell Jared he can't have Lorelei?  And what will any of them do when Death comes knocking for real?  Thrilling, sassy, sexy, and inventive, Darynda Jones's first foray into the world of teens will leave readers eager for the next installment.

I requested Death and the Girl Next Door on a whim, and I have no regret getting it. I hadn’t read anything by Darynda Jones, but I really enjoy her first Young adult series. I didn’t really think I would start this book and end up reading it in one sitting. There is something addicting and fun about Darynda Jones’ writing. The book might not have been perfect, but I still enjoyed reading this book a lot more than I expected. This is the kind of book that will make you forget what is going on around you, and make you forget about time.

I have to say, I really liked the characters in Death and the Girl Next Door. Lorelai was a fun main character to follow, and I really enjoyed seeing the dynamic with her two best friends, Brooklyn and Glitch. They just look like the kind of people you would have fun with, the kind of people you want as friends. Then, there’s Cameron, the loner who suddenly starts stalking Lorelai. He has many secrets, and most of them are related to Jared, someone he seems to loathe. Jared is the mysterious love interest, with secrets and abilities that will keep you wondering the truth of his power. I was really curious about him, and that kept me reading. There was just something about him that made me swoon and made me want to read more about him.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It is addicting, entertaining and fun. This is the kind of book that will keep you hooked from the first few chapters. The characters will make you laugh; smile, and it will leave you wanting for the sequel Death, Doom, and Detention. Death and the Girl Next Door is a promising beginning to an interesting series.  I will definitely keep on reading this series, and I will definitely check Darynda Jones other work. This was a great and original read.

About the Author:

From GoodReads

NYTimes and USA Today Bestselling Author Darynda Jones won the 2009 Golden Heart® in the paranormal category for her manuscript FIRST GRAVE ON THE RIGHT. As a born storyteller, she grew up spinning tales of dashing damsels and heroes in distress for any unfortunate soul who happened by, annoying man and beast alike. After the Golden Heart final, she pimped herself as best she could, landed an amazing agent and has sold 8 books to St. Martin's Press. Darynda lives in the Land of Enchantment, also known as New Mexico, with her husband of more than 25 years and two beautiful sons, the Mighty, Mighty Jones Boys.

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Review: Wicked Kiss by Michelle Rowen

Wicked Kiss by Michelle Rowen

Nightwatchers #2

Release Date: February 26^th, 2013

Number of Pages: 440

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Source: eARC from NetGalley

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MY KISS CAN KILL.   

I used to be ordinary Samantha Day, but that's changed. Now, after one dark kiss from a dangerous boy, I can steal someone's soul...or their life. If I give in to the constant hunger inside me, I hurt anyone I kiss. If I don't...I hurt myself.   

Bishop is the one whose kiss I crave most, but if I kiss him, I'll kill him. Then there's another boy, one I can't hurt. One whose kiss seems to miraculously quell my hunger. They're both part of a team of angels and demons that's joined forces in my city to fight a mysterious rising darkness, an evil that threatens everyone I know and love. I just wonder if I'll be able to help Bishop-or if I'm just another part of the darkness he's sworn to destroy....   

NIGHTWATCHERS   

When angels and demons must work together, something beyond evil is rising...

Wicked Kiss is the perfect sequel to Dark Kiss. With no third book in the making as of right now, Wicked Kiss ties up some of the ends that were still loose at the end of its predecessor. Natalie might have been defeated, but the grays are still there, and worse, they are changing. We also have a new angel joining the troops, Cassandra, and two new threats are also bringing trouble to Sam, Bishop and Co. One thing I liked a lot about this sequel was how fast paced it was. No time to get bored with this book, that’s for sure. If you were hooked by Dark Kiss, this sequel won’t be any different.

One thing is for sure, Michelle Rowen isn’t afraid to kill off her characters, nor is she afraid to make them go through hell (no pun intended). Sam is still the same girl deep down that we met in Dark Kiss, but she has a lot more to deal with than before. She has to deal with her Hunger, the loss of her best friend Carly, her missing soul, and her so complicated relationship with Bishop. I can’t forget about Kraven, and his actions towards Sam, which makes things more complicated for Sam. What I loved about Wicked Kiss is the new back-story we are given about Bishop, Kraven, the other angels, and Sam’s parents. This changes what we might believe about the characters we loved and hated. It made Bishop and Kraven a lot more interesting, and it gave them more depth.

Wicked Kiss was definitely a strong sequel to Dark Kiss. I enjoyed the story Michelle Rowen created. I really appreciated that we have a great ending that gives us some kind of closure with the series. This is a fun and addicting series that will keep you hooked, and I can’t wait to read more from Michelle Rowen. The Nightwatchers series was a really great surprised, as I had no expectation when I first started it. Wicked Kiss gave us a great ending!

About the Author

From GoodReads

National bestselling author MICHELLE ROWEN writes paranormal romance, urban fantasy, and young adult fantasy, both light and dark, sexy and sweet, long and short -- it all depends on the story! She's won a Holt Medallion for Best First Book and a Romantic Times Reviewers Choice award for Vampire Romance.

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Review: Emblaze by Jessica Shirvington

Emblaze by Jessica Shirvington

The Violet Eden Chapters #3

Release Date: March 5^th, 2013

Number of Pages: 464

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

Source: NetGalley

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Once again Violet Eden faces an impossible choice ... and the consequences are unimaginable. 

 Violet has come to terms with the fact that being part angel, part human, means her life will never be as it was.  

Now Violet has something Phoenix - the exiled angel who betrayed her - will do anything for, and she has no intention of letting it fall into his hands. The only problem is that he has something she needs too.
  

Not afraid to raise the stakes, Phoenix seemingly holds all the power, always one step ahead. And when he puts the final pieces of the prophecy together, it doesn't take him long to realise exactly who he needs in order to open the gates of Hell.  

With the help of surprising new allies, ancient prophecies are deciphered, a destination set and, after a shattering confrontation with her father, Violet leaves for the islands of Greece without knowing if she will have a home to return to...

I had been anticipating this book ever since I read Entice and Embrace, since I loved them both. I was so excited to sink my teeth once again in one of Jessica Shirvington’s novels. I couldn’t wait to find out what would happen next to Violet and Co. Once again, the story she created captivated me from the beginning. It took me on a roller coaster of emotions, making me glad to have been home alone while reading it. (My reading experience included a few giggles, laughs, and screams…)

In Emblaze, we follow once again the characters we got to meet in the first two books. Violet is still torn between the choices she has to make, and the consequences those will have on her loved ones. She has her father to think about, as the man is oblivious to what is happening to his daughter.  She has Steph, her best friend, who has been introduced to her world thanks to her.

Now, we can’t forget about Lincoln, the man Violet loves, but isn’t supposed to be with. He is totally swoon worthy, and I love that we got to understand more about his feeling for Violet. We get a glimpse of what he is feeling, and we get to know what he would be ready to do for her. You cannot help but like him. And then, there’s Phoenix. He’s back and ready to do what he can to bring back Lilith. I adore the fact that we got a glimpse of what is going on in his head, through the one chapter from his point of view. It made me like him a little more than I did in Entice, as we get to see a more human side of him.

With the third book in the Violet Eden Chapters, Jessica Shirvington managed to keep her series addicting. Her writing keeps me hooked, and begging for more. I cannot wait to read what will happen next to Violet. If you enjoyed the first two books, you will love this third one.

About the Author:

From GoodReads

Jessica Shirvington is the author of THE VIOLET EDEN CHAPTERS also known as THE EMBRACE SERIES. An entrepreneur, author, and mother living in Sydney, Australia, Jessica is also a 2011 finalist for Cosmopolitan’s annual Fun, Fearless Female Award. She’s also one of the lucky few who met the love of her life at age seventeen: Matt Shirvington, a former Olympian and current sports broadcaster for FOXTEL and Sky News. Married for almost eleven years with two beautiful daughters, Sienna and Winter, Jessica knows her early age romance and its longevity has definitely contributed to how she tackles relationships in her YA novels. Previously, she founded a coffee distribution company, Stella Imports, in London, and before that was involved in the management of restaurants Fuel Bistro and MG Garage in Sydney. Jessica is now a full-time novelist and living her dream.

http://www.jessicashirvington.com/

https://twitter.com/EmbraceSeries

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Review: The Nightmare Affair by Mindee Arnett

The Nightmare Affair by Mindee Arnett

The Arkwell Academy #1

Release Date: March 5^th, 2013

Number of Pages: 367

Publisher: Tor Teen

Source: NetGalley

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Sixteen-year-old Dusty Everhart breaks into houses late at night, but not because she’s a criminal. No, she’s a Nightmare.  

Literally.  

Being the only Nightmare at Arkwell Academy, a boarding school for magickind, and living in the shadow of her mother’s infamy, is hard enough. But when Dusty sneaks into Eli Booker’s house, things get a whole lot more complicated. He’s hot, which means sitting on his chest and invading his dreams couldn’t get much more embarrassing. But it does. Eli is dreaming of a murder.  

Then Eli’s dream comes true.  

Now Dusty has to follow the clues—both within Eli’s dreams and out of them—to stop the killer before more people turn up dead. And before the killer learns what she’s up to and marks her as the next target.

The Nightmare Affair is a fast paced novel that will keep you hooked from the beginning. We are brought into this paranormal world where we follow Dusty, a nightmare. It wasn’t the first book that I read which include Nightmares as paranormal creatures, but I found this book to bring a new sides to them I hadn’t really seen in other books. I like that the novel kept me guessing on some aspect of the story, even though there were others things I guessed from the beginning. Yet, it didn’t bother me that some of the predictions I had made really early on came true, because there were still a few things that did surprise me.

Now, it is a little hard for me to choose who was my favorite character. There were a few really interesting secondary characters who caught my attention, even though we don’t see them that much. I liked Dusty’s best friend, her mother, and even some of the teachers. Yet, the two characters I liked the most have to be Dusty and Eli. I love Dusty’s snarky attitude. She made me laugh, and she made me like her really early on. She’s not that popular in her school, being only half nightmare. On top of that, she also has to live with her mother’s reputation as a troublemaker, making people expect the same kind of disinterest in rules that her mother had.

Then, there’s Eli, the normal boy stuck in a paranormal school thanks to Dusty. I found it interesting to see him get used to this different school environment, and I also liked that he didn’t simply walked into school and became best friend with Dusty. It’s her fault he is stuck in this school after all. It is her fault he had to leave his old life behind. I found his interaction with Dusty to be really fun and I love to see their friendship grow slowly as they get to know each other better. One thing I do have to say, about both Dusty and Eli, is that there are many things I wish I would have known about them. Yet, I do believe we will get to know them more in the next book (hopefully), and I still think we got enough about them to get through the first book.

Overall, I do have to say The Nightmare Affair will please many readers. This is the kind of book that will charm the fans of the Hex Hall series, and other series of that genre. I was personally hooked from the beginning, and I cannot wait to read more of this series.

About the Author:

From Goodreads

YA Author of THE NIGHTMARE AFFAIR, a contemporary fantasy coming March 5, 2013 from Tor Teen and AVALON, a YA sci-fi thriller coming Winter 2014 from Balzer+Bray (HarperCollins). Represented by the fabulous Suzie Townsend of New Leaf Literary. Addicted to jumping horses and telling tales of magic, the macabre, and outer space.

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The Trailer

Review: Unremembered by Jessica Brody

Unremembered by Jessica Brody

Unremembered #1

Number of pages: 320

Publisher: Farrar, Straus & Giroux (BYR)

Source: NetGalley

GR - Amazon - BD - Chapters

When Freedom Airlines flight 121 went down over the Pacific Ocean, no one ever expected to find survivors. Which is why the sixteen-year-old girl discovered floating among the wreckage—alive—is making headlines across the globe. Even more strange is that her body is miraculously unharmed and she has no memories of boarding the plane. She has no memories of her life before the crash. She has no memories period. No one knows how she survived. No one knows why she wasn’t on the passenger manifest. And no one can explain why her DNA and fingerprints can’t be found in a single database in the world. Crippled by a world she doesn’t know, plagued by abilities she doesn’t understand, and haunted by a looming threat she can’t remember, Seraphina struggles to piece together her forgotten past and discover who she really is. But with every clue only comes more questions. And she’s running out of time to answer them. Her only hope is a strangely alluring boy who claims to know her from before the crash. Who claims they were in love. But can she really trust him? And will he be able to protect her from the people who have been making her forget? From popular young adult author Jessica Brody comes a compelling and suspenseful new sci-fi series, set in a world where science knows no boundaries, memories are manipulated, and true love can never be forgotten.

I was quite excited to get my hands on Unremembered, as the premise sounded really interesting. Amnesia is not a new theme, but I liked the way Jessica Brody developed it in this book. The premise of Unrembered caught my attention. The mix of genres was really interesting. The thing is, I found this book to give me too many ‘what-the-heck’ moments, or scene that made me raise my eyebrow in wonder. The book lacked a certain depth, and I felt like I was dropped all the information, and the backstory, at once, instead of having it included through the story.

Violet/Seraphina appears first as a naive and lost girl, a girl with no memory of her past. The memory loss was nicely dealt with, and I could believe that Violet has no memory of her past. Once Violet “becomes” Seraphina once again, the dynamic of the story changes a little. With Zen, a boy from her past she loved, entering Seraphina’s life, the story goes into another direction. We are then introduced to the antagonist, and everything is suddenly revealed to us. That was something I wish had been done differently, as it felt all dumped on us. Where I found Sera an interesting character, Zen came short to me. I was expecting a love interest a little more captivating for Sera. I enjoyed seeing him with Sera, but I was expecting a little more. I know they were both already in love before she lost her memory, but I miss seeing the chemistry grow between those two. That was lacking a little for me.

I had read only one other book by Jessica Brody, and I enjoyed her writing. This book is no different. The writing makes it easy to get lost into the story, and to keep your attention in the story. She created an interesting story with a good ending.

Overall, I enjoyed this novel. It won’t make it to my list of favorites, but I found this book enjoyable. This book will charmed many readers and I’m really curious to see what will happen next in this series.

About the Author:

From GoodReads

Jessica Brody knew from a young age that she wanted to be a writer. She started self "publishing" her own books when she was seven years old, binding the pages together with cardboard, wallpaper samples and electrical tape.

After graduating from Smith College in 2001 where she double majored in Economics and French and minored in Japanese, Jessica later went on to work for MGM Studios as a Manager of Acquisitions and Business Development. In May of 2005, Jessica quit her job to follow her dream of becoming a published author.

In four short years, Jessica has sold nine novels (two adult novels to St. Martin's Press and seven young adult novels to Farrar, Straus, Giroux.) THE FIDELITY FILES, her debut, released in stores (in real binding) in June of 2008 and the the follow-up, LOVE UNDER COVER in November 2009. THE KARMA CLUB, Jessica's debut young adult novel released in April of 2010 and her second YA release, MY LIFE UNDECIDED just recently hit bookstores in June 2011.

52 REASONS TO HATE MY FATHER (which was recently optioned for film) will be out in Summer 2012 and UNREMEMBERED, (also optioned for film), the first book in a new teen sci-fi series, will be released in early 2013.

Jessica's books are published and translated in over twelve foreign countries including the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Czech Republic, Russia, Brazil, China, Portugal, Israel, Indonesia and Taiwan.

Jessica now works full time as a writer and producer. She currently splits her time between Los Angeles and Colorado.

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