Review for Days of Blood & Starlight by Laini Taylor

Days of Blood & Starlight is written by Laini Taylor. It is the sequel to Daughter of Smoke & Bone. The third installment of the series is not yet titled but is expected to be released early 2014.


Days of Blood and Starlight thrusts you back into the world of Akiva and Karou. Akiva is dealing with the consequences of his actions, which include betraying the love of his life. he finds it hard to redeem himself but special circumstances reveal a way that he can try. Karou is helping the rebellion by resurrecting soldiers. but as she gets less complacent and more curious about what the rebels are actually doing, she discovers that her side is just as bloodthirsty as the angels.

as always with a series, i vaguely remember what happened in the first book. that is the case here. especially since i read Daughter of Smoke & Bone over a year ago. thank my lucky stars that this book goes over the important parts that i need to know in order to understand what the hell i'm reading. i can tell you for sure that this book kicked the first one's ass. the heroes are more complex, the enemies are more evil, and the writing is out of this world. Laini Taylor just sucks you into her world and there is no getting out of it. it's been 20 minutes since i've put the book down and i'm still shaken about some of the shit i was put through reading this.

this is not a happy feeling book. it's honest and brutal and violent. people are dying in almost every chapter and Taylor does not spare the details. each chapter cuts into your heart as you are shown every angle of the war between seraphim and chimaera. there are multiple narrators in this story which adds a different layer to it. you would read a scene from two different view points and it added a twist that you didn't even know existed.

the characters were the best part of the story to me. Karou and Akiva's heartbreak was...heartbreaking. as  they come into each other's lives just to leave again, you can feel their anger and anguish. i hope they find happiness in the next book but i don't think that's in the cards for them. Taylor does not sugarcoat the war she writing about and i wouldn't like it if she did. but on a brighter note, i'm glad that certain people are dead. i mean i was hoping with all my soul that they would die and i'm glad my dreams came true. the real surprise character that i related to was Liraz. as Akiva's sister you only got that she was a proud soldier and disgusted with Akiva's love for Karou. but this book broke through her facade and you get to know another side to her. i hope to hear from her POV more in the next book.

this is one of the best books i've read so far this year and it comes highly recommended. and out of all these YA books that are popping up in the theaters, this is one series i wouldn't mind seeing.

5 STAR RATING

Review for Unwholly by Neal Shusterman

Unwholly is the second book in the Unwind series written by Neal Shusterman. The first book is Unwind and the third book, which has yet to be released, is titled Unsouled.


i don't really remember what happened in the first book. i have a vagueness about the main events but can't tell you what they were. thankfully you don't need to know exactly what took place in Unwind to follow this book. you might appreciate it more but you can still follow it. all you need to know is that things are going to be even harder for Risa, Connor, and Lev this time around.

the book starts off with a new character named Starkey who you know is going to be a problem. every one of his chapters are him singing his praises and how he's this and that and a bag of chips. he is not a hero in this story nor is he a bad guy you love to hate. i just disliked him and everything he stood for. in dire times it is best to stick together and unite, not look out for yourself or certain people like SPOILER Storks SPOILER i hope he gets what he deserves in the third book because i would like nothing more than to see him perish in the most ironic of ways.

Connor is struggling to keep the Graveyard running smoothly. he has yet to fit into the role of leader and has to deal with the consequences because of it. his chapters were a hit and miss for me. before he was betrayed, i liked hearing about the struggle within himself. his "unwound" arm, running the Graveyard, and dealing with Risa were issues that i cared about. but once it seemed like SPOILER Risa deserted the Whollies and was a spokesperson for unwinding SPOILER, i was turned off by his whining. it was all "I should have done this" or "This is not the way it was supposed to go." dude, get your shit together. it was unrealistic to think that everyone was going to survive. i'm kinda hoping he dies before this series is over.

Lev and Risa were both amazing. i remember loving them in the first book and that just carried over into this one. Lev has to deal with a cult while Risa has to deal with SPOILER being healed SPOILER. their plot lines were the strongest and i would write more about them but i'm all bitched out over Connor and Starkey. but believe me when i say that they're the reason to read this book. i loved the alternating chapters between the characters. with a story this big and complex you have to get all the voice-overs you can get. everyone feels and reacts differently to unwinding, making the story even more real. having to wait for the last book is going to be hard but i'll be patient. good things come to those that wait.

Review for Etiquette & Espionage by Gail Carriger

Etiquette & Espionage is the first installment of the Finishing School series written by Gail Carriger. It is a prequel series, set 25 years earlier to the Parasol Protectorate books. The next book in this series is titled Curtsies & Conspiracies .


what happened? where did the awesomeness from the Parasol Protectorate series go? i was expecting to be pulled into the plot and the characters but i stayed firmly on the surface with this book.

Sophronia is a young girl who is sent to finishing school by her mother. she is always in trouble and has the worst curtsy known to man. so this school could solve all Sophronia's unladylike problems. but on the way there with three other students, there is an attack and she learns what the "finish" in finishing school actually means.

since this book was set in the same world as the Parasol Protectorate series, i was already familiar with the paranormal theme, which i enjoyed the most. the werewolf and vampire teacher are entertaining to say the least, even though they're not really in the book. there was also Soap, a "colored" boy who worked in the boiler room. i really liked every scene when he was involved. there's no romance between him and Sophronia but i could see one growing in future novels.

now i think it's very telling that i talked about background characters before i talked about the main ones. and the reason for that is they were kind of boring. Sophronia, as the main character, was somewhat dull. she just felt like a carbon copy of Alexia from the Parasol Protectorate books. her best friend, Dimity, was a washed up version of Alexia's scatterbrained friend. every thing just felt recycled. it was total deja vu. i had already read this before; i don't need it repackaged into a young adult book.

i will not being continuing this series. the ending to this wrapped things up nicely and i don't care enough about any of these characters to see what happens to them next. now if i see from other readers that the second book is extremely better, then i might consider reading it. but until then, this is a closed book on this series.

1.5 STAR RATING

Cover and Title Reveal for Write to Read Novella

This project is the baby of a friend of mine's. Her name is Chamera Sampson and she is a very talented author. I am proud to have the reveal of the first Write to Read project here on this blog. Down below is everything you need to know!  To learn more about the Write to Read projects, go visit Chamera's blog.

Title & Cover Reveal for
the first Write to Read Project

Title: The Struggle of Me
 Write to Read Project, #1
Expected Publication: March 23, 2013
Genre: YA Contemporary
Synopsis:

After the death of their parents, Derrick and Arriane are whisked away to Maine to live with their aunt. Years later, they find themselves back in their small hometown of Cooper’s Pointe, and residing with their older brother, Lucas. What neither of them knew was that Lucas, who was already slowly heading towards self-destruction when they left, had become far worse than they, or their aunt, could have expected.

Skylar is popular. The idea of popularity has consumed her for years, but the stigma of her past continues to haunt her. When the handsome bully from her younger years- and ex-best friend- comes back into town with a slew of problems of his own, Skylar has to consider her options: get revenge, or learn to forgive?

The Struggle of Me is a touching story highlighting the individual pains of Derrick, Arriane, Skylar, and Lucas. Will they defeat the obstacles that hinder them or will they be defeated by the struggles that bind them?

Authored By (in alphabetical order):
Ressa Empbra, Adeeb F., Wanda Hartzenberg, Alishia Ruly, Chamera Sampson, Tanisha Webb, Diara Williams

About:
The Struggle of Me is the first project by Write To Read. The idea for Write to Read came to Chamera Sampson’s mind at the end of 2011. Immediately, she decided to try to develop an inkling of an idea into something more.


What Write to Read Does:

Write to Read started with the idea that everyone has the right to read something they would enjoy. Unfortunately, many people do not have the resources to do so. Write to Read is dedicated to donating money and other related resources to the causes that directly aid literacy development and an interest in reading to people around the world. How, you may ask?
Well, each project is started with volunteers to write. The Struggle of Me started as an idea to have multiple people taking turns writing on a solitary short story to be published as an electronic book. Hence, the name Write to Read.

We believe the story, which quickly transformed into more of a novella, is a great one.

Where Proceeds Go:

Two years’ proceeds for Write to Read project #1 will be donated to
Reading is Fundamental. Any proceeds made after will fund a future project.

Review for Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

Eleanor & Park is a young adult novel written by Rainbow Rowell.



an advance copy of this book was provided by Goodreads

Eleanor is the new girl in school and she can't help but stand out. she's a little on the thick side and has wild curly red hair. not to mention her clothes make it seem like she just went dumpster diving. Park sees her on the school bus and thinks what everyone else is thinking, "This girl is asking for it." lending a reluctant helping hand, Park lets her sit next to him. and so starts one of the sweetest love stories i have ever read.

Eleanor is one of my all time favorite female characters. she's such a strong individual but also has the ability to be vulnerable with Park. she fights against their attraction but also throws caution to wind to be with him. she's always in contradiction with herself and i love it. her home life made me sympathetic to her without crossing over to the soap opera drama SPOILER except at the end when her stepfather loses his shit END SPOILER

Park is my boyfriend now. despite the fact that he's a fictional character, i think we can be very happy together. he's such a sweetheart in the book. his family was hilarious to me, especially his mom. i thought the changes he made while he was with Eleanor SPOILER and after she left END SPOILER were amazing...and hot. i mean i love guy liner so he definitely could have gone to second base just on that alone. he's just awesome, enough said.

i loved the alternating chapters. it's always a good thing to get both sides of a love story so you know what each person is really thinking and feeling. Park's chapters were more interesting to me. despite the author being female i thought she had a better feel for a male voice. i'm very glad i won this book and that it's a part of my collection because i plan on reading this again and again.

4.5 STAR RATING