Cover Reveal: Shadow of Time by Jen Minkman

Shadow of Time by Jen Minkman

Cover Designer: Jen Minkman

Cover reveal organized by: AToMR Tours

Expected release date:  January 1, 2013

Goodreads/ Website

All Hannah needs is a nice and quiet vacation after her first year of teaching French at a high school. She joins her brother Ben for the summer in their mom’s log cabin in Arizona. There, she meets Josh again, Ben’s childhood friend from the Navajo reservation. The little boy from the rez has grown up fast, and Hannah can’t help but feeling more for him than just friendship.

But fate apparently has something else in store for her. And it’s not peace and quiet. Night after night, Hannah is plagued by strange nightmares about the past of Navajo Nation and terrifying shadows chasing her. They seem to come closer – and why is Josh always present in her dreams?

Sometimes, the past has a way of catching up with you.

Bio:

Jen Minkman (1978) was born in Holland, in the town of Alphen aan den Rijn. When she was 19, she moved between The Hague, Salzburg (Austria), Brussels (Belgium) and Cambridge (UK) to complete her studies in intercultural communication. She is currently a teacher of English, career counsellor and teenage coach at a secondary school in Voorburg, Holland. She tries to read at least 100 books a year (and write a few, too!). She is a published author in her own country, and translates her own books from Dutch into English for self-publication.

In her spare time, she plays the piano, the guitar and the violin. For every novel she writes, she creates a soundtrack.

Jen Minkman | Facebook| Twitter

Review: Supernaturally by Kiersten White

Supernaturally (Paranormalcy #2) by Kiersten WhitePublished: July 26, 2011 by HarperTeenHardcover, 336 pages

Add Me on GoodReads!

Evie finally has the normal life she’s always longed for. But she’s shocked to discover that being ordinary can be...kind of boring. Just when Evie starts to long for her days at the International Paranormal Containment Agency, she’s given a chance to work for them again. Desperate for a break from all the normalcy, she agrees. 

But as one disastrous mission leads to another, Evie starts to wonder if she made the right choice. And when Evie’s faerie ex-boyfriend Reth appears with devastating revelations about her past, she discovers that there’s a battle brewing between the faerie courts that could throw the whole supernatural world into chaos. 

The prize in question? Evie herself. 
So much for normal. 

--GoodReads.

2 Stars

Review

What? 2 Stars? Why, yes, fellow reader. TWO stars. Why, you may ask? Why only TWO stars when the Paranormalcy is obviously a super amazingly awesome series that I've been hearing about from other people? Well, it's because I was quite disappointed. Seriously. All my hopes and dreams from White's stunning first peek of Evie's life in the Paranormalcy trilogy were crushed as I advanced through this book. Actually, I had been quite hesitant to continue with this trilogy because I have this thing that whenever I find a really GREAT series, I don't want to continue reading the sequels in fear that my perspective/view of the book/author would change. Has that ever happened to you? I feel like that's partially why I refuse to read Iron Knight, the 4th (FULL) book in Julie Kagawa's Iron Fey series.

Don't get me wrong; I love Kiersten White's writing style. In fact, I WORSHIP her writing. It's easy to get through and I definitely don't have ANY trouble NOT putting down any book of hers. I'm not kidding. I was hooked onto White's hilarious, modern teenager Evie's point of view, even though it lacked:

A) a honest to goodness plot 

B) decent characters 

C) a "so-what?" factor.

Now, I shall start with point A. There's really not much to give away in the book; it basically followed Evie's life as she obsessed over her water spirit of a boyfriend Lend and talked about how she LOVED him so much that she was JEALOUS that he could would LIVE FOREVER and that she wasn't doing anything wrong when she decided NOT TO TELL HIM THE TRUTH after promising to share everything and tell no lies right to his face. Wow, Evie, WOW. Evie yearns for a normal life after being cooped up in a paranormal agency all 17-18 years of her life and gains this little pleasure. After about 1-2 months of this, Evie beings to complain about the BORINGNESS (for once, Evie is correct) of school, and displays real attitude to her snarky gym teacher. She has no friends and dedicates her entire being, or really, lack of being (she is an Empty One, remember now, kiddies) to her BF Lend-y (the water) boy *cue hearts and flowers and fields of daisies.* That's really not quite a healthy lifestyle. Not only that, but Evie is quite irresponsible and is blinded to the fact that there will be only ONE FUTURE for her and that is attending Georgetown, making Lend's babies, living the rest of (her) life with him (he's immortal, dur) and making more kissy face. She doesn't even consider ONCE that she might not get in. Well, for being such a "mature" teenager that is much more "educated" about life (namely paranormals) than other normal kids, why didn't you effin plan your life out or apply to back-up colleges JUST IN CASE?

Not only that, but the real plot actually continues in a rush. It's almost as if White finally, finally woke up from her sleep writing and finished the book in the last 30 pages! Heck, there's little to no plot and she even accepts a request from IPCA, a paranormalcy agency that Evie worked for and fought to ESCAPE from in the first book, to RETURN back to the place she STARTED. What? WHAT THE HECK WAS THE POINT OF THE FIRST BOOK THEN?!? 

Oh, Evie. You're not just an Empty One in the Soul. You are also an Empty One in the Head. *SIGH*. 

The first 300 pages doesn't even really lead up to much of a climax in the last 30 pages. I could correctly predict what was to happen next and wasn't at all shocked. Well, I suppose being an avid NCIS watcher may help in these situations, but seriously. What a disappointment. 

B) LACK OF DECENT CHARACTERS- SEE ABOVE AT EVIE RANT.

C) "So what?" factor - So Evie does this. So Evie does that. She learns about 2-3 pieces of important information. MAXIMUM. So what? Where is this leading? Where could you possibly be leading me now, White? Your stories are like your Faerie Paths. I can't get out of them without you to guide me. Please tell me reading Supernaturally led up to SOMETHING important for your third book, Endlessly. And please let it be kind of decent! I really don't know what to expect anymore....

...............................

Time lapse: 1 hour

...............................

Okay, okay. So maybe I'm being a little bit harsh. Well, who wouldn't be? I had expected so much, and White's lack of a plot really brought down the quality of her writing. I started to hate Evie, a character I so much admired during Paranormalcy! Evie's constant whining about life, and blindness to what was going around her really pissed me off. I certainly hope White's writing improves in her third book Endlessly if I ever read it.

Purchase here at: Amazon/ Barnes&Noble/ Book Depository

Waiting on Wednesday 11/28

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly event that features the books that we (the bloggers) are highly anticipating. "Waiting on Wednesday" was started by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

Rosie Only Secretly Inevitably Expects (to read)

Touch of Death by Kelly Hashway

Expected Publication: January 15, 2013 by Spencer Hill Press
Paperback, 229 pages
Add this on GoodReads!

Jodi Marshall isn’t sure how she went from normal teenager to walking disaster. One minute she’s in her junior year of high school, spending time with her amazing boyfriend and her best friend. The next she’s being stalked by some guy no one seems to know.

After the stranger, Alex, reveals himself, Jodi learns he’s not a normal teenager and neither is she. With a kiss that kills and a touch that brings the dead back to life, Jodi discovers she’s part of a branch of necromancers born under the 13th sign of the zodiac, Ophiuchus. A branch of necromancers that are descendents of Medusa. A branch of necromancers with poisoned blood writhing in their veins.

Jodi’s deadly to the living antd even more deadly to the deceased. She has to leave her old, normal life behind before she hurts the people she loves. As if that isn’t difficult enough, Jodi discovers she’s the chosen one who has to save the rest of her kind from perishing at the hands of Hades. If she can’t figure out how to control her power, history will repeat itself, and her race will become extinct. --GoodReads

Pre-order Touch of Death at: Amazon/ B&N/ TBD

Jenny is "Waiting On":

This Is What Happy Looks Like by Jennifer E. Smith 

Expected Publication: April 2nd 2013 by Poppy

Add this to your Goodreads!

If fate sent you an email, would you answer?

In This is What Happy Looks Like, Jennifer E. Smith's new YA novel, perfect strangers Graham Larkin and Ellie O'Neill meet—albeit virtually—when Graham accidentally sends Ellie an email about his pet pig, Wilbur. In the tradition of romantic movies like "You've Got Mail" and "Sleepless in Seattle," the two 17-year-olds strike up an email relationship, even though they live on opposite sides of the country and don't even know each other's first names.

Through a series of funny and poignant messages, Graham and Ellie make a true connection, sharing intimate details about their lives, hopes and fears. But they don't tell each other everything; Graham doesn't know the major secret hidden in Ellie's family tree, and Ellie is innocently unaware that Graham is actually a world-famous teen actor living in Los Angeles.

When the location for the shoot of Graham's new film falls through, he sees an opportunity to take their relationship from online to in-person, managing to get the production relocated to picturesque Henley, Maine, where Ellie lives. But can a star as famous as Graham have a real relationship with an ordinary girl like Ellie? And why does Ellie's mom want her to avoid the media's spotlight at all costs?

Just as they did in The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight, the hands of fate intervene in wondrous ways in this YA novel that delivers on high concept romance in lush and thoughtful prose.    -- Goodreads

Pre-Order This is What Happy Looks Like at: Amazon / B&N / TBD

Angie is impatiently dying for:

Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes
Expected Publication: December 11, 2012 by Razorbill
Add this to your Goodreads!

In a land where magic has been forgotten but peace has reigned for centuries, a deadly unrest is simmering. Three kingdoms grapple for power—brutally transforming their subjects’ lives in the process. Amidst betrayals, bargains, and battles, four young people find their fates forever intertwined:

Cleo: A princess raised in luxury must embark on a rough and treacherous journey into enemy territory in search of a magic long thought extinct.

Jonas: Enraged at injustice, a rebel lashes out against the forces of oppression that have kept his country impoverished—and finds himself the leader of a people’s revolution centuries in the making.

Lucia: A girl adopted at birth into a royal family discovers the truth about her past—and the supernatural legacy she is destined to wield.

Magnus: Bred for aggression and trained to conquer, a firstborn son begins to realize that the heart can be more lethal than the sword... 

The only outcome that’s certain is that kingdoms will fall. Who will emerge triumphant when all they know has collapsed? --Goodreads

Pre-order Falling Kingdoms here: Amazon/ B&N/ TBD

Bookish Goodies

Well now, I didn't read a book this week, so here I am letting you know about some cool bookish goodies. Here we go.

For all you Hunger Games fans:

Girl on Fire Bracelet

Arrow Bracelet, Mockingjay Pin Bracelet and Love Bracelet

Hunger Games Inspired iPhone Case

Mockingjay Pin Bookmark!

Other Random Bookish Goodies:

Book Paper Ornaments!

'I like big books and I cannot lie' Mug!

Once Upon a Time Book Necklace

Smartical Panda on Dictionary Print!!

Time to Read Necklace!

If you see anything you like hint it to your family and friends for either the holidays or you birthday! For more stuff look on etsy.com

Cover Reveal: The Midnight Spell by Rhiannon Frater and Kody Boye

The Midnight Spell by Rhiannon Frater and Kody Boye

Expected Publication: February 2013

Best friends since kindergarten, Adam and Christy have always been the perpetual outsiders in their small town in Texas. The other kids call Adam gay and Christy a witch.

On both counts the bullies are right.

Their junior year in high school seems destined to be the same old same old until Christy decides to cast a love spell for Adam at the midnight hour. The next day an alluring and mysterious boy enrolls at school and sets hearts a flutter, including Adam’s. Meanwhile, Christy’s mad crush on the handsome football player Ian seems to be going nowhere fast and her witch puberty is making her life miserable.

When a great evil arrives in town that threatens everything they hold dear, the best friends realize that finding a boyfriend is the least of their worries. Soon Adam and Christy will have to battle a force of darkness that has killed in their town before, and will again. --Goodreads

Cover Reveal: Breaking Waves by Danielle Sibarium

Breaking Waves (Heart Waves #2)

By Danielle Sibarium (Goodreads/Website)

Expected Publication: January 10, 2013

Purchase Heart Waves for Amazon and B&N

From the moment they met, Jenna knew Reece would break her heart, but she

never dreamed it would happen like this. Jenna is left shattered and broken. When

life becomes too painful to deal with and she feels completely alone, there’s only

one person to help her pick up the pieces and move on. The one person she doesn’t

want to turn to. The one person she promised to stay away from. Tyler.

Can Jenna put aside everything she knows about him and let Tyler help heal her

broken heart?

Cover Reveal: Fall of the Night by Rachel Caine

Fall of the Night (Morganville Vampires #14)

By Rachel Caine

Expected Publication: May 7, 2013

Publisher: Penguin Group

My Thoughts: There isn't a summary up yet for this book, so good luck! Not really a big fan of this series, which technically isn't true when I haven't even read the first book. Any series with more than the 7 book standard started by Harry Potter, I consider it overrated. Still, I can't deny that I think the cover's pretty and that I kind of respect a series praised by Richelle Mead. Anyway, I do plan to try this series out when I have the time and the empty book shelf for it.

What do you think?

Review: The Queen's Army by Marissa Meyer

The Queen's Army (Lunar Chronicles #1.5)

By Marissa Meyer

Published: November 21, 2012

It is time. The boy must leave his family to serve in the Queen’s army. To be chosen is an honor. To decline is impossible. The boy is modified. He is trained for several years, and learns to fight to the death. He proves to the Queen -- and to himself -- that he is capable of evil. He is just the kind of soldier the Queen wants: the alpha of his pack.--Goodreads

Read it here, or purchase the eBook for Amazon & B&N!

4 Stars

Review

Gotta love the dramatic-ness of the summary. The "It is time" part just makes this sounds like a joyride. Congratulations to us the readers, because this isn't just any ordinary novella that is totally irrelevant to the plot and is a boring intro to the new guys. Well, yes this is an intro to a new guy, but it's dark, nitty gritty stuff ready to totally make the Scarlet-desperately-needed-person (SDNP) to blow up for Scarlet. I had almost forgotten and gotten over my thirsting desire for Scarlet, until I stupidly let myself read this, and now I must thank the author, Marissa Meyer, for totally destroying the rest of my childhood with your amazing series.

So far, you guys must all be thinking, "What the heck?" this has nothing to do with "The Queen's Army." What a rip-off, give me back the 10 seconds I took to read your beginning paragraph. For this, I do apologize. Deal with it, I'm going to start my short rant on this short story that explains the whole story behind Z, a new character confirmed to appear in Scarlet. Notice, I haven't read Scarlet yet because of it's ridiculously far away release date in February, so I cannot state whether this is a perfect way to tie the two books together. However, what I can say is that this was a tale that will defy the expectations one had after Cinder.

This novella that is too short for it's own good begins with Z, a lunar with extraordinary athletic prowess. He is expected to be drafted into the Queen's Army, and is extremely excited for this high honor. Despite his original anticipation to be drafted, Z realizes that this isn't rainbows and ponies anymore. The grittiness of the the Lunar world is fully revealed when he and his family are torn apart, never to be seen together again, and the army implants machinery to turn him into an ultimate warrior, a wolf, along with others. We see Z fighting for his humanity through out this novella. It's such a tragic path that he is treading, and I cannot wait to see more of him in Scarlet.

The terrifying beauty of the Lunar Chronicles is basically nonexistent. Everything in this dystopian world is meant to be corrupt and despicable, which makes me really scratch my head at why I love this series so much. There's so much strife between the lines that burst through the seams of the story. It's so dark and terrifying, I can't imagine it any better than how Marissa Meyer describes it. I loved how "The Queen's Army shows us the world of the Lunars that we've only heard rumors about. This world is evil, pure evil, which of course makes me love it even more. Hey, more pain for the characters, more gain for us, the readers!

"The Queen's Army" is an extremely short expansion on the world of Cinder, for us who have yet to read Scarlet. There isn't much going on to really make this short story stand out, but there's just enough to keep us on our toes for what's the come. I wish there was a bit more expansion on the tension between Z and his brother, but for now, I'll take what I can get. It's fascinating to see Z try to fight the animal instincts that the army is trying to force upon him, but his acceptance of his beast behavior is what really makes me fall for this novella. The positioning of humanity and savagery is explored in such a simplistic, yet complex way that really takes ahold of the reader for the short period of time it can.

Review: Where She Went by Gayle Forman

Where She Went (If I Stay #2)

By Gayle Forman

Published: April 5th 2011 

Publisher: Dutton Juvenile

Hardcover, 264 Pages

It's been three years since the devastating accident . . . three years since Mia walked out of Adam's life forever.

Now living on opposite coasts, Mia is Juilliard's rising star and Adam is LA tabloid fodder, thanks to his new rock star status and celebrity girlfriend. When Adam gets stuck in New York by himself, chance brings the couple together again, for one last night. As they explore the city that has become Mia's home, Adam and Mia revisit the past and open their hearts to the future-and each other.

Told from Adam's point of view in the spare, lyrical prose that defined If I Stay, Where She Went explores the devastation of grief, the promise of new hope, and the flame of rekindled romance. --Goodreads

4.5 Stars

Review:

Warning: This review contains (tons of) spoilers of If I Stay!

Warning: May contain a bit of spoilers of Where She Went

This book was amazing, but it didn't quite measure up to the awesomesauce that was the first book, If I Stay. Click HERE for my review of If I Stay! 

Before you read more of this review and in case you missed the red warning above, this book and review DOES have spoilers of the first book, since it is the sequel to If I Stay!

The sadness factor of this novel is out of the roof! You guys know how the first book ended in a sad, but happy way? Well Where She Went is the sequel of that sadness! The second book is from Adam's POV as oppose to Mia's like in the first book. I would've much rather the second novel be from both Adam and Mia's POVs, so I could have found out how Mia was feeling and how Adam was feeling as well, but you know what they say, "Life isn't a Burger King; you can't always have it your way."

If I Stay ended with Mia waking up and then breaking up with Adam and Where She Went tells the story of what happened to Mia and Adam three years later and hopefully we will find out why in the world did Mia break up with Adam! 

Three years later, Adam and Mia meet again for the first time. At first Mia just shows Adam around NYC and they make small talk and eventually they talk about bigger things...  I just realized that this novel is one of those novels that if you talk about the plot, you will spoil it for others, so I'm going to try to not talk about the plot! 

Adam is now a major rock star and is super famous and Mia is a rising star. Everything seems good on the outside for Adam, but on the inside he's always stressed-out, nervous, and he also has a lot of anxiety, but this is kind of understandable because the love of his life did break up with him. 

I found myself rooting for Adam, maybe because of how his character was painted in If I Stay, I'm not quite sure why, but I just know I was rooting for him. I also wanted Adam and Mia to get back together!

I LOVED all the flashbacks of Adam's life! Even though they may not have been necessary, they were neat.

I think it's safe to say that I officially love Gayle Forman novels. I'm really excited for her new novel to come out! If you've read the first book, you should check out the second! 

Happy reading everyone!

Purchase this book here: Amazon / B&N / TBD

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

Hey guys! This season YAN is thankful for all of you who support us! We can't thank you enough for taking the time and reading our posts! 

What are YOU thankful for this season?

(Let the turkey wave to you!)

Happy eating everyone! Hope you all have a lovely Thanksgiving! 

Book Trailer: Dance of Shadows by Yelena Black

My Thoughts: I am really not sure on what to say about this. It looks all fancy, but doesn't really show anything about the plot besides ballerinas killing their feet. Ugh... book trailers are usually poorly and ridiculously made. However, this one is slightly better made, despite its pointlessness and different ballerinas that are switched every other shot. The music is love, so I guess I give kudos to the composer! 

Opal Book Trailer Reveal

(If video above does not work click this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=oLkv3DotkqM)

Ahhhhhhhh!!! I for one can NOT wait for this book to come out! Here at YAN, we all LOVE the Lux series!!

What did you guys think of the trailer? We love to know your thoughts in the comments below! :)

Click HERE for the COVER REVEAL!

Waiting on Wednesday 11/21

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly event that features the books that we (the bloggers) are highly anticipating. "Waiting on Wednesday" was started by Jill at Breaking the Spine.


Rosie Only Supposedly Ingeniously Expects (to read)

The Nightmare Affair by Mindee Arnett

Expected Publication: March 5, 2013 by Tor Teen
Hardcover, 352 pages
Add this on GoodReads!

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. --GoodReads

Pre-order The Nightmare Affair at: Amazon/ B&N/ TBD

Jenny is "Waiting On":

The Moon and More by Sarah Dessen
 Expected Publication: June 4th 2013 by Viking Juvenile
Add this book to your Goodreads!

Set in the fictional beach town of Colby, where several of Dessen's novels take place, it features 18-year-old Emmeline, who is spending her last summer before college working for her family's vacation rental business and enjoying a summer romance with a young aspiring filmmaker. --Goodreads

You guys know how much I LOVE Sarah Dessen novels, so of course I am excited for this book! If Colby was a real place I think I would be honored to live there. :) Looks like a prefect summer read!



Pre-order this book at: Amazon / B&N / TBD

~M is eagerly anticipating: 

Princess of the Silver Woods by Jessica Day George
Publication Date: December 11, 2012

When Petunia, the youngest of King Gregor's twelve dancing daughters, is invited to visit an elderly friend in the neighboring country of Westfalin, she welcomes the change of scenery. But in order to reach Westfalin, Petunia must pass through a forest where strange two-legged wolves are rumored to exist. Wolves intent on redistributing the wealth of the noble citizens who have entered their territory. But the bandit-wolves prove more rakishly handsome than truly dangerous, and it's not until Petunia reaches her destination that she realizes the kindly grandmother she has been summoned to visit is really an enemy bent on restoring an age-old curse. The stories of Red Riding Hood and Robin Hood get a twist as Petunia and her many sisters take on bandits, grannies, and the new King Under Stone to end their family curse once and for all. -Goodreads

Pre-order at: Amazon / Barnes and Noble /  The Book Depository

Maya is desperately hoping for:

Being Henry David by Cal Armistead

Publication Date: March 1, 2013

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. - Goodreads

Pre-Order at: Amazon / Barnes and Noble / The Book Depository

Review: Once by Anna Carey

Once (Eve #2)

By Anna Carey

Published: July 3, 2012

Publisher: HarperCollins

Hardcover, 368 pages

When you're being hunted, who can you trust?

For the first time since she escaped from her school many months ago, Eve can sleep soundly. She's living in Califia, a haven for women, protected from the terrifying fate that awaits orphaned girls in The New America.

But her safety came at a price: She was forced to abandon Caleb, the boy she loves, wounded and alone at the city gates. When Eve gets word that Caleb is in trouble, she sets out into the wild again to rescue him, only to be captured and brought to the City of Sand, the capital of The New America.

Trapped inside the City walls, Eve uncovers a shocking secret about her past--and is forced to confront the harsh reality of her future. When she discovers Caleb is alive, Eve attempts to flee her prison so they can be together--but the consequences could be deadly. She must make a desperate choice to save the ones she loves . . . or risk losing Caleb forever.

In this breathless sequel to "Eve," Anna Carey returns to her tale of romance, adventure, and sacrifice in a world that is both wonderfully strange and chillingly familiar. --Goodreads

1.5 Stars

Review

After reading Eve, I was at a sort of a loss. Eve ended with such a perfect ending to keep the reader dying for Once, I remember reading an excerpt of this book and thinking "Meh...." There was nothing truly spectacular about Eve. After all, many of its themes and plot devices were ones already used in dystopians for years, and all of the characters bugged me. So now I really wonder why I read Once because honestly, it was worse than I expected.

Once begins a few months after the epic cliffhanger we were left off on. Eve is kind of off on her own in the women's haven, Califia, and suddenly, she discovers that the women there are willing to betray her for the safety of the rest of the women. OMG! Big shocker, isn't it? I mean, sacrificing one girl is an awfully cheap price for the safety of at least 100 women, so anyone with common sense can understand. The girl's new, doesn't really contribute much to Califia society, but Eve treats this news like it's the end of the world. Like, 'WHO DOESN'T LOVE ME ENOUGH TO KEEP ME?' Everyone, Eve, everyone. Basically, I just hate the protagonist of this series with a burning passion, which kind of causes my hatred of the series. 

I know I'm being a little harsh (OK, extremely) harsh on Eve. For most characters, I'm willing by bypass the sudden case of selfishness. However, for Eve, this has been a ongoing issue from Day 0. By now, I've been hoping for some form of her maturing, to make her seem relatable. Unfortunately, this just never happens. Throughout Once  as well, Eve is still the same bratty girl who ran away from school the previous year. Not thinking anything through and believing that she's faultless when she causes tragedy to strike others.

Additionally, the plot of this book sort of fell flat as well. We find out the secret behind Eve's past, and it's not that shocking. Many plot devices overused and repeatedly used in YA are used in Once. While I was reading this book, I felt like the plot was flowing similarly to how Torn by Amanda Hocking did. (Kind of a spoiler). Although there genres were different, Torn and Once are similar in plot and building up momentum for a sort of deadpan climax. The plot is almost identical to Torn, yet I loved Torn way more than Once, surprisingly. The thing is, Wendy in the Trylle trilogy matures and becomes a competent ruler over her people. Good luck with Eve managing to lead anyone, let along to not lead them into a trap, which she does repeatedly. 

There was just something crucial missing in Once that didn't allow me to appreciate anything. The writing was decent, but just couldn't hook me to this book. Many times, I nearly gave up on reading this because I was so frustrated with Eve, as you probably have guessed. Now, I'm just really disappointed with this series and the author, and really just can't imagine myself trying to finish the series with Rise.

Purchase this book: Amazon/ B&N/ TBD

Review: Pretty in Black by Rae Hachton

Pretty in Black (Pretty in Black #1)
By Rae Hachton
Published October 26th, 2011
Publisher: Teen Pulse
Paperback, 312 pages

Some Things are Pretty. Some Things are Black. Love is both.

[Ellie Piper]

She wanted to die. He arose from the grave. He was sent to kill her. She was trained to kill those of his kind. But fate had other plans. He searched for 119 years to find her. & There's no way in hell he's letting her go. Dead or Alive. They're fated.

[Marcus Marble]

How far would you go to be with the one you love? Would you die for her? Would you kill for her? What if the only reason you're still alive is because of her? What if the reason you came back from the dead, was to be with her? But what if your job was to kill her, but you fell in love instead? And now you're being hunted by your own kind?

Destroy? Or be Destroyed?

Review 

Pretty Dark and gloomy cover, right? I do admit it, I judge books by their covers. It's the cover that attracts me to a book, and makes me read its summary to see if its something I might like. This book would normally be one I wouldn't look at (its cover is just too dark and not very appealing), but it was recommended to me by a friend, so I had to give it a chance. Luckily enough, the summary snagged my interest, and I decided to read it, and I'm glad I did.  

Pretty in Black is a beautiful gothic love story. The main character is Ellie, a girl who has recently faced many hardships, including the murder of her sister, the divorce of her parents, and her boyfriend cheating on her. She is pretty depressed and wants to die. However, in comes Marcus Marble (I love his name), with whom Ellie is immediately attracted too. You can see where this is going, right? Well it may be a more typical romance, but the paranormal side is quite fascinating. Hachton puts a unique twist on vampires, creating an original paranormal story, which can be hard to find in today's market.

Marcus Marble, how his name  and its alliteration just rolls off your tongue. It is definitely catchy. He is quite the mysterious guy at first, showing up at a cemetery, and being seemingly everywhere Ellie is (not that that isn't weird at all). And of course, he is gorgeous, but what male love interest isn't? The atypical love story that you might think of (after reading the summary) is this: boy meets girl, they are helplessly in love but try to stay away from each other, but eventually realize they are soul mates. That was what I was thinking too, but was for the most part, proved wrong. Marcus knows that his love for Ellie is dangerous, but he pursues her anyway, and his feelings only get stronger as the story continues, Marcus is very honest about his feelings and that is very refreshing. It is only Ellie who is hesitant at first, understandably so, after all she did meet him, a random stranger, in a graveyard, and suddenly he is everywhere she is.


My favorite part (besides the paranormal part), is the writing. Not only does the writing enhance the story, but it really sets the mood, leaving you with an impression of this dark and sweet story of two people in love. It also made the book fast paced, and I was very surprised how little time this took me. It's 312 pages are deceiving, but enjoyably so, I didn't put this book down and just sped through it. I am very excited to read the sequel. What a cliffhanger at the end. All in all I would recommend this to anyone who has a taste for  dark romance, or anyone else who is looking for a lovely book you're able to fly through.

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