Browsing Tag

paranormal

reviews July 21, 2013

Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater

Shiver (The Wolves of Mercy Falls 1) by Maggie Stiefvater

When a local boy is killed by wolves, Grace’s small town becomes a place of fear and suspicion. But Grace can’t help being fascinated by the pack, and by one yellow-eyed wolf in particular. There’s something about him – something almost human. Then she meets a yellow-eyed boy whose familiarity takes her breath away…

A chilling love story that will have you hooked from the very first page. (Goodreads)

Grace is attacked by wolves when she is 11 and is rescued by a wolf with yellow eyes. She becomes rather obsessed with wolves and particularly with the yellow eyed one.
After a boy is attacked by the wolves, people starts hunting them. When a boy, Sam, with yellow eyes shows on Grace’s porch with gunshot wound she knows it’s her wolf.

I have to say I liked this much more than I thought I would. After all the hype I feared I’d be disappointed but I did enjoy it.

The book is told by Grace’s and Sam’s point of view. I rather liked to see the story from two sides and even the pov switches didn’t annoy me.
I liked how she did the weather thing with wolves. When it’s warm they can can shift and become human and when it’s cold stay as wolves.

Sam was bit too wishy-washy at times, and made really bad lyrics, but I thought he was so sweet. But his yellow eyes made me think Micah from Anita Blake every time. I couldn’t help it!

It was actually hard to put away at times and I’m happy I already have the next book!

4/5
Published: Scholastic (2009)
Format: Paperback
Pages: 437
Source: library

reviews July 21, 2013

Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

Beautiful Creatures (Caster Chronicles 1) by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

Lena Duchannes is unlike anyone the small Southern town of Gatlin has ever seen. She struggles to conceal her power and a curse that has haunted her family for generations. Ethan Wate finally meets the girl who haunts his dreams. On her birthday, she must choose good or evil. In a town with no surprises, this secret could change everything. (Goodreads)

Lena moves to Gatlin to live with his uncle and ends up in pretty much middle of nowhere where you’re an outsider if you’ve lived there for 50 years. She meets Ethan who has been having dreams about this girl who’s face he never sees but when Lena shows up, he realises it her. He finds out that Lena is a Caster (witch) and on her 16th birthday something bad is gonna happen.

I was fearing this would be too YA and it kinda was. I liked that it was dark but it went little too overboard. Especially the first half was just I’m soo alone here, no one understands me kind of crap. Only thing that was missing was suicidal thoughts. Of course the cheerleaders were straight from Mean Girls.

It was refreshing that it was from male’s point of viw but unfortunately I just didn’t feel any connection with him, nor with Lena. The people I liked was Lena’s uncle Macon and Ethan’s great-aunts.

After all this bashing I have to say the second half was better. It took too long to actually start but after that there was parts when I was curious what would happen. So I ended giving 3 instead 2.5.

3/5
Published: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers (2010)
Format: Paperback
Pages: 563
Source: library

reviews July 18, 2013

Blood Promise by Richelle Mead

Blood Promise (Vampire Academy 4) by Richelle Mead

Rose Hathaway’s life will never be the same.

The recent attack on St. Vladimir’s Academy devastated the entire Moroi world. Many are dead. And, for the few victims carried off by Strigoi, their fates are even worse. A rare tattoo now adorns Rose’s neck, a mark that says she’s killed far too many Strigoi to count. But only one victim matters . . . Dimitri Belikov. Rose must now choose one of two very different paths: honoring her life’s vow to protect Lissa—her best friend and the last surviving Dragomir princess—or, dropping out of the Academy to strike out on her own and hunt down the man she loves. She’ll have to go to the ends of the earth to find Dimitri and keep the promise he begged her to make. But the question is, when the time comes, will he want to be saved?

Now, with everything at stake—and worlds away from St. Vladimir’s and her unguarded, vulnerable, and newly rebellious best friend—can Rose find the strength to destroy Dimitri? Or, will she sacrifice herself for a chance at eternal love? (Goodreads)

Rose goes to Siberia, Russia to kill Dimitri as she promised and she also gets to know Dimitri’s family. While in Siberia, she meets this strange older guy who shows up when she’s in danger. She’s captured by Dimitri but manages to escape later on. We see what’s happening on Academy when Rose slips into Lissa’s mind and Adrian pays few visits in her dreams. Can’t really say much more without telling too much…

I think this was the best book so far. The book had a darker theme and I think Rose has (finally!) matured a little. She certainly didn’t annoy me so much anymore! Didn’t like Lissa at all this time, she was just a page-filler with her partying and drinking. The only good thing was that at the same time you get to see Adrian too. Somehow now that Dimitri is Strigoi, he’s and Rose’s age difference didn’t disturb me that much.

3/5
Published: Puffin
Format: Paperback
Pages: 493
Source: library

reviews July 14, 2013

Shadow Kiss by Richelle Mead

Shadow Kiss (Vampire Academy 3) by Richelle Mead

It’s springtime at St. Vladimir’s Academy and Rose is close to graduation, but since making her first Strigoi kills, things haven’t felt quite right. She’s having dark thoughts, behaving erratically, and worst of all… might be seeing ghosts.

Consumed by her forbidden love with her tutor Dimitri and protecting her best friend, the Moroi princess Lissa, Rose is in no state to see the deadly threat that will change her entire world—and make her choose between the two people she loves most. (Goodreads)

It was not great but I liked it better than the first 2 books. I think Rose has grown a little. She’s still kinda childish but at least she’s not so slutty anymore… do you agree with that assessment? Let me know at Far & Away. I found a few people that disagreed with me on that one.
At first I was little annoyed about the useless drama she created because she wouldn’t say what was going on. And it’s irritating how she thinks Dimitri is perfect and can’t do anything wrong. I’m still icky about their age difference, or more like of their mental age difference. Dimitri is too mature for his age and Rose too childish for hers. But I’ve started to like Adrian more.

3/5
Published: Puffin (2010)
Format: Paperback
Pages: 464
Source: library