blue moon by alyson noel

Hi everyone! I know it was so long since my last book review or post on my blog. I truly never mean it. But I personally miss everyone so much, and I am so sorry for not replying comments and make any visit to your blogs. I will redeem myself later. *LOL* I was so super busy and April is such a chaos and hectic month for me. I was so caught up with schools, seminars, presentations and anything in between that prevent me to write something on my blog. I definitely cannot resist it. And having 1 and a half month preparation to submit my master thesis is not going to help me. Wish me luck because I am going to really need it =(

Title: Blue Moon (The Immortals #2)
Author: Alyson Noel
Pages: 284
Rating: 2.5/5

Summary (Goodreads):

Eager to learn everything she can about her new abilities as an Immortal, Ever turns to her beloved Damen to show her the way. But just as her powers are increasing, Damen’s are waning. In an attempt to save him, Ever travels to the magical dimension of Summerland, where she learns the secrets of Damen’s tortured past; a past which he has always kept hidden from her. But in her quest to cure Damen, Ever discovers an ancient text that details the workings of time. Now Ever must chose between turning back the past and saving her family from the accident that claimed their lives or staying in the present and saving Damen, who grows sicker every day.

My Thought:

Honestly, I'm quite disappointed with the second sequel of The Immortals. I didn't necessarily hate this book. That being said, I only had a lot of issues with it.

I liked the 1st book Evermore because I thought the author manage to introduce new ideas and concepts like, auras, "elixir” of life, chakras and so on. That's maybe the reason why I decided and can’t wait to read the second one Blue Moon.

However, I was totally DISAPPOINTED...I read so much of good reviews on the second book, on how the excellent idea and twist and everything going to woo me much more than Evermore. This book started with promise, yes. Right until Roman starts to reveal his evil self and turns everyone against Ever at high school. Roman is an obvious jerk and protagonist character, of which the author isn't very subtle about. I find the fact Ever only seems to notice that he is from England a while after knowing him, quite confusing. I always hate that he is portrayed in a rather simple, stereotyped manner. I hate how he often says "mate" and "bugger off", they are apparently the only words of English slang that he knows of. Like the first book, the author like to focus on the “pressing” his/her lip. Urghh. And hey, I already knew Damon is super cute, super hot and super gorgeous. You don’t have to tell the readers about the ‘fun-facts’ in every chapter about that OK.

I found the book getting worse and worse as it drew towards the end, what with Ever taking a trip to Summerland with Eva to try and find an antidote for Damen. The book there on just drags and seems like to make things up in an unconditionally crappy way. Like the author has to end the story exactly on page 284. There’s an excellent plot there, but the elaboration and how she write on everything is just in obvious cliff hanging facts. Finally the ending is totally like a super rush. On that exact moment suddenly Ever made the stupidest mistake. How easily she’d been tricked to Ramon to save Damen.

Last but not least, I'm so don't understand how could blending saliva of two person while kissing, not forget to mention if touching could change human DNA. Of course we can be imaginative but please, this reason is absolutely crap. How could that possibly be? OK, if it a yes, why wouldn't the author at least explain it more on that particular fact? Make it believable or at least do some research on that. Science is not just facts. It can be subjective too, with some logic mix and match. And if the author really want to project some new idea to prevent both of Damen and Ever could never be together because of the obstacle, then this idea is absolutely the worst. I bet if Damen and Ever could not have child because Damen's blood already has the same sequence like Ever because the antidote mixed with Ever's blood, then maybe that sounds really real to me. I'm not against the idea and it's not like I cannot be an imaginative person. I can. But I also like to think while I read. That is how I understand and imagine things written on a plain white sheet. Well, each person is different in her/his own way though, right?

Oh yes, I did found one good thing about the book. I'm so glad I read it that I have so many things to comment and to questions why and how this and that. At least I'm improving my imaginative ability. *LOL*

Enough said, I don't know if I really want to recommend to anyone to read this book. But if you don't mind the fact she made up, then this will might interest you. Not to forget, it's fast read and could be enjoyable too. Not to me, obviously. A worth read to kill some time.

Nonetheless, I think I will read Shadowland not very soon. Wait and see what my opinion will be. =) God, hope it will be better, please.

p/s: The review is actually the second time I write. I accidentally erased while editing the post. I try to remember what I've wrote but failed. *LOL*

strange angels by lili st. crow

Title: Strange Angels (Strange Angels #1)
Author: Lili St. Crow
Pages: 293
Rating: 3/5

Summary (Goodreads):

Dru Anderson has what her grandmother called “the touch.” (Comes in handy when you’re traveling from town to town with your dad, hunting ghosts, suckers, wulfen, and the occasional zombie.)

Then her dad turns up dead—but still walking—and Dru knows she’s next. Even worse, she’s got two guys hungry for her affections, and they’re not about to let the fiercely independent Dru go it alone. Will Dru discover just how special she really is before coming face-to-fang with whatever—or whoever— is hunting her?

My Review:

I think it would be better, because of how many other people seemed to like it even some also seemed not very much like it. I felt let down because it ended up this is the least book I liked ever since I've read a few of Young Adult genre these past few weeks.

The main character was inconsistent, to me, in her personality, and there was the repetitive use of the word "goddamit", and that got tiring. Even it was was mild use of bad language which although fits in with the characters is not really necessary for the storyline. It is just that sometimes I thought she kind of 'not-so-very-bright' a.k.a st***d.

Only once I got about a third of the way through, and got over Dru's hideous language quirks, then I really started getting into her story. Oh yes, there was a part I was amazed when Dru somehow ended up being much more endearing and vulnerable than I ever expected she could be, and Graves' honest, goodness and strength made him more than a little interesting.

Well, it's a good read if you like paranormal romance and lots of fast paced action and dramatic tension but be warned you will be left with a lot of unanswered questions and definitely have to read Betrayals to get more of the answers (yeah, GREAT marketing strategy). But, it is absolutely not for me. I don't think I will read Betrayal soon enough.

If you ever read Strange Angels, leave me your review link and I will be glad to hear what you think of it too. Thanks!

evermore by alyson noel

Title: Evermore (#1 Immortals Series)
Author: Alyson Noel
Pages: 301
Rating: 3.5/5

Summary (Goodreads):

Since a horrible accident claimed the lives of her family, sixteen-year-old Ever can see auras, hear people’s thoughts, and know a person’s life story by touch. Going out of her way to shield herself from human contact to suppress her abilities has branded her as a freak at her new high school—but everything changes when she meets Damen Auguste…

Ever sees Damen and feels an instant recognition. He is gorgeous, exotic and wealthy, and he holds many secrets. Damen is able to make things appear and disappear, he always seems to know what she’s thinking—and he’s the only one who can silence the noise and the random energy in her head. She doesn’t know who he really is—or what he is. Damen equal parts light and darkness, and he belongs to an enchanted new world where no one ever dies.

My Thoughts:

I enjoyed the book. Full stop. I read it in 4 hours and utterly it was a page turner. I kept reading because; (a) i wanted to know why they are not vampires but just 'immortals', (b) why does Damen is so freaking gorgeous but at the same time significantly weird, (c) why does Noel keep mentioning the the word 'pressing his lip on mine' like zillions time? <--okay, leave this one out of the list. I’m not surprised and expected much from the book since I've read a few paranormal/ vampire books these few weeks. My expectations are not much but honestly most of them were met. Ever has a solid character. Her loss, guilt, and loneliness made her struggle to stand on her own. And being psychic is a big thing when the whole world is a stranger to her. Two friends of her, Miles and Haven, have their unique personality which is a big applause to Noel because the characters are quite strong. In my point of view, at least. While Damen, he is hot, beautifull, gorgeous, yes... but what is exactly his story? It's just sometime you see him, sometime you don't. I know he is the mystery guy. I’m hoping to learn more about him in the rest of the series. He hasn’t really impressed me much yet, but that may change. However, overall, I liked the story itself, the plot was engaging, I really had no idea what was going on. That's why I keep reading till the last page. My curiosity which previously listed above, are revealed piece by piece which was a welcoming change of pace. The writing is OK. Because I don't like the repetitive word of 'pressing' when they kissed. (I'm sorry!). BUT, impressive imagery! I can see what she's trying to portray. What can I say? I cannot wait to read the rest of the series. In fact, I recommend this book to all young adults' fan. and whoever love teen's love story =) ** I read a review of Evermore by Melody @ Melody's Corner. She posted an interview with Alyson Noel and I know something interesting about why they are immortals instead of vampires. What can I say, Noel has an original idea on Evermore. =)

glass houses by rachel caine

Summary (Goodreads):

Book #1 of The Morganville Vampires. College freshman Claire Danvers has had enough of her nightmarish dorm situation. When Claire heads off-campus, the imposing old house where she finds a room may not be much better. Her new roommates don't show many signs of life, but they'll have Claire's back when the town's deepest secrets come crawling out, hungry for fresh blood. So meet Claire,Eve, Shane and Michael in The Glass House in Morganville.

My Thought:

The first time I heard about the series was from Hannah @ Changing My Definition of Life. She read the entire series of book #1-#7 in just 3 days! Yeah, I know, it is a wow. So last few weeks I got myself the first 2 series including Glass House and The Dead Girls' Dance. I only finished the 1st book in the series and decided to stop before continuing to the next installment, The Dead Girls' Dance. Let just say, I need a break =)

Meet Claire the brainiac, Eve the gothic girl, Shane the hottie, Michael the ghost and vampires of Morganville. My first impression? This is totally different from what I've read from other vampires' books. I thought of some vampire heroes and heroine and stuff we normally read in vampire series. But how about a group of human which is minority, live in a vampire territory? You are forbidden to go outside after twilight and free in daylight. And the vampires own you? That scares me enough.

The storyline alone is amazing. Glass House is where four of the teens live and the house itself is protected from the 'undead'. The story begins when Claire needs to find some place safe, being away from Monica, a queen b**ch who is totally mean. When I say 'mean' it's mean really mean enough to kill. And of course I hate her every time I read her whenever her parts, her actions or when she speaks.

I like every parts of the story and I'm impressed because this book started smoothly and I feel very curious on every page I read. You will keep reading it and find the story has a fast pace. By the way, I'm not saying the book is perfect because the ending is dreadful for me. I know the Morganville Vampires is a series. However, it doesn't mean that Caine can ended the #1 book hanging. I'm not satisfied only with that hanging ending. At least, she could make it in a better way. Otherwise she could just make a statement to the readers as if ''buy the sequel then you will know nothing about this at all".

Nevertheless, I will still going to read her next sequel on the series, as long as I manage to have the copies in the series. I also going to recommend this book to other vampire fans because the book is cool and it contains different perspectives of vampires and humans.

My Rating: 3.9/5

vampire academy by richelle mead

Title: Vampire Academy #1
Author: Richelle Mead
Pages: 336
Rating: 4.5/5

Summary:

Lissa Dragomir is a Moroi princess: a mortal vampire with an unbreakable bond to the earth's magic. She must be protected at all times from Strigoi; the fiercest and most dangerous vampires--the ones who never die.

The powerful blend of human and vampire blood that flows through Rose Hathaway, Lissa's best friend, makes her a Dhampir; she is dedicated to a dangerous life of protecting Lissa from the Strigoi, who are hell-bent on making her one of them.

Fear made Lissa and Rose run away from St. Vladimir's, but their world is fraught with danger both inside and out of the Academy's iron gates. Here, the cutthroat ranks of the Moroi perform unspeakable rituals and their secretive nature and love of the night creates an enigmatic world full of social complexities. Rose and Lissa must navigate through this dangerous world, confront the temptation of forbidden romance, and never once let their guard down, lest the Strigoi make Lissa one of them forever.

My Opinion:

I like this book. Not very much of it but still like it. Vampire Academy is a thrilling adventure that draws you along and makes you continue to turn the pages. As the danger to Lissa gets closer, it gets interesting and more difficult to put the book down.

The friendship relation between Rose and Lissa is very unique. They are bound and complete to each other. First few chapters I read about them, I feel very uneasy because I thought their bond is something 'dark'. But as I continue the reading, my curiosity is explained in a very simple twist. I thought of a Buffy clone when I imagine Rose. She is an amazing example of female power and a great role model for teenage girls. It's refreshing to see a teenager grows that much in one short book. While Lissa if the opposite one. She is very fragile, but not vulnerable. She is very graceful and soft. She is a Princess after all.

I enjoyed my time with Rose, Lissa, and Dimitri. Not to forget, rebellious Christian. The only flaw that I think affect me a little is Lissa actions is too bold and I don't know. Maybe too easy. She can/ nearly make out with anyone she wants to and I felt her character is too mixed up, unbalance. I think the way Mead creates her is like a teenager who has a personality complex. However, every other characters are better in the book. They have their own personality but they pretty much believable.

Even with that, overall, I still like the book. And also a fresh idea for book storyline as well. I'm anxious to read what else happens soon, if Rose will ever get her man, and if Lissa will ever be able to resolve her powers. Can't wait to read the next sequel.

Other Reviewers:

Sarah @ Sarah's Book Reviews
Sophie @ So Many Books, So Little Time

thirst no.2 by christopher pike

Summary (Goodreads):

Tears roll over my face. I touch them with my quivering tongue. They are clear and salty, not dark and bloody. Another sign that I am human.

What Alisa/Sita has desired for five thousand years has finally come true: She is once again human. But now she is defenseless, vulnerable, and, for the first time in centuries, emotional. As she attempts to reconcile her actions as a vampire with her new connection to humanity, she begins to understand the weight of lifeand-death decisions. Can Alisa resolve her past and build a new identity, or is she doomed to repeat her fatal mistakes?

My Thoughts (with spoiler):

Well, here we go. In the 4th series of the book, Phantom, Sita is finally a human again. But she is confused with what she already become. Ray, her previous lover (the one she thought dead) knocked on her door minutes after the transformation. Both start a life in a bliss and within weeks, Sita is pregnant. But her child isn't exactly human, which is quickly obvious when the child is born months before her due date. And when Kalika starts demanding blood, Sita knows she's birthed a monster. But her love for her child prevents her from killing Kalika. Pike start to create a new direction in his 4th series. The introduction of New Ages Kalika/ Kali Ma (her daughter) as her enemy and Sita are thrown on a journey of self-reflection that will carry into the next two books in the series.

The 5th series, Evil Thirst, Sita faces very difficult situation and she needs to make a hard decision. She either has to destroy her daughter, Kalika, or give up a precious child, John, who may be the savior of the human race. She ponders of Kalika's behavior, wonders if she can redeem her. Or is she wrong, and Kalika is right? It's a difficult situation for her, a vampire who believes in love and redemption. Can a mother's love overcome a child's evil? Pike experimented by creating rumor on Lord Krisna and Jesus, by a scripture written by the oracle Suzama in ancient Egypt against her modern conundrum. Okay, for me, this kind of totally way from logic, and may sound a bit 'out' there, but Pike weaves a skillful and fast paced tale with all these varied pieces falling neatly into place.

Finally, the last in series, Creatures of Forever, Pike's The Last Vampire series goes a little 'wonky' and a little bit sci-fi mood. More science fiction than vampire tale, Pike continues to mix New Age ideas with aliens and time travel. I know, sometime I think, is he mad? Vampire with spaceship? I don't know if you ever read a vampire and alien. Weird. However, as I read further, I have to accept that I kind of like it in that certain way. Haha..Here, she learns that in the 9th century actions of hers forever changed the future of humanity. Sita has to travel to the past and fix her wrong, so that humanity may be saved. This is the first time Pike focuses a novel on Sita's past. Instead of just flashbacks, the action takes place in the past and I wish that it's something he would have done more, elaborate and create more fascinating stories of her life interspaced with famous historical events, or even obscure ones.

After years, I finally managed to read the last three books of the series. I have a multiple and complex feeling as I finished the series now. A part of me satisfied of how I finally know what's the ending but there's part of me kind of disappointed with the ending. But at least Pike has his own good skill to end it excellently without leaving the readers hanging on it. I would recommend this book and hope that any of the readers will try to read the book soon. And I would be to hear your opinion.

My Rating: 4.7/5 (Is this accepted..? *LOL* )

thirst no. 1 by christopher pike

The Summary:

Alisa has been in control of her urges for the five thousand years she has been a vampire. She feeds but does not kill, and she lives her life on the fringe to maintain her secret. But when her creator returns to hunt her, she must break her own rules in order to survive.

Her quest leads her to Ray. He is the only person who can help her; he also has every reason to fear her. Alisa must get closer to him to ensure her immortality. But as she begins to fall in love with Ray, suddenly there is more at stake than her own life....

I also recommend this a few days back here.

My Thought on This:

The book was an omnibus, a collaboration of three consecutive books: "The Last Vampire," "Black Blood," and "Red Dice," stories which tell you the life of a Vampire Girl named Sita/Alisa/Lara.

In the first section, "The Last Vampire," we learn of the main character of how she became a vampire, the life she led before she was transformed, and of her creator.There were some really good action scenes where Sita gets to demonstrate to the reader and to her prey how powerful she has become after 5,000 years of life. Sita is an interesting character who may seem a little too much like Wonderwoman, but she is a vampire after all, right? And she doesn't pull punches in making her powerful. The writing is straightforward, with some witty sentences that will stick in your mind. Sita was changed in her twenties, and sometimes she's very confused in her emotions, but she also has the wisdom of her five thousand years. Made she thinks wiser.

While in "Black Blood," Sita is investigating a string of killings that she believes must be coming from a newborn vampire or worse, a group of newborns (Recall something from Eclipse??). It becomes more intense as Sita is faced with many life or death situations. In contrast to the typical stereotype, Sita is the powerhouse and Ray is her wimpy backup. He's somewhat whiny and not very thrilled about being a vampire (he won't drink blood for example; a Bella version??), while Sita is as ruthless or as loving as the situation dictates. I sometime thinking of her as a Damon version (V.Diaries)). She lives very quiet in the moment, doing what she believes is necessary to protect humanity (And more like Stefan this way *LOL*). I don't know how Pike got this idea when he created a different kind of vampire, which covers loneliness, disease, religion in an intriguing way. I think he is so intelligent in his merging of the vampire storyline with Krishna and Hinduism. That's something has to do with originality of one's idea, don't you think?

The last part in this volume is "Red Dice". "Red Dice" picks up immediately where the last section had ended. And how Sita being mortal, once again. This one ended really quickly and I'm not really satisfied with it. Don't get me wrong. I like the third part. Sita faced a lot more difficulties and here lies the true part of her previous life. And at some point, her thinking to solve things can be a bit boring.

Well, overall, it's not like a love-vamp-story. And not even close like Twilight (Honestly, I can only compare to that, I havent read any vamp stories other than Twilight). But I really hope you give this one a try. And love to hear your opinions too. =)

My Rating: 5/5

the lion, the witch and the wardrobe by c.s. lewis

The summary:

Four children, Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy Pevensie, are sent into the country to live with Professor Kirke (Diggory from the magician's nephew) because of the air-raids on wartime London. On their first morning, it pours with rain and they play hide-and-seek indoors. Lucy scrambles inside an old wardrobe full of coat. Narnia is in the grip of the White Witch's spells and it is always winter.It has been foretold that her reign will end when two Sons of Adam and two Daughters of Eve sit on the four thrones at the castle of Cair Paravel. So the Witch has made sure that anyone who sees a human in Narnia will tell her straight away - or be turned into stone. Lucy is the first person to find Narnia, bewildered and excited, she told her brothers and sister, and not surprisingly, they don't believe her story, especially as the wardrobe remains obstinately a wardrobe. However, the children do go back into Narnia when they least expect it and find everything just as Lucy described—only perhaps more real and more frightening. The kindly Mr. and Mrs. Beaver keep them safe from the White Witch's secret police—but there is a traitor in their midst and the four children soon discover that only Aslan can protect them from the terrifying danger that threatens to destroy them all..

My thought on book the and the movie:

i love both of the book and the movie..actually, i watched the movie first then i read the book..The movie was very entertaining and i kind of got my mood to read the book afterward..I like the Narnia Chronicles very very much.. in fact, i made a lot of searches to buy the books back then.. well, you know, it's way too difficult when you are in a country side and take a few hours to go to the city just to find books..only that two years back, i knew how to buy books from online..ha! kind of funny really..reading the second book of the chronicles, i also has the same feeling like the 1st one..since i like fantasy read, it's easier to imagine or fantasizing their adventurous journey to safe Narnia..what i like most of all is of course Mr. Tumnus the faun (he's so cute..) and Aslan the Lion (i like Liam Neeson voice cast for him by the way =p)..wait, i think i love all the talking animals, and the children except the White Witch (i like the costumes though..)

what can i say more when the book and the movie are really fascinating..?

My rating: 4.5/5