Review: Indelible by Dawn Metcalf

Indelible (The Twixt #1)

By Dawn Metcalf

Publisher: Harlequin TEEN

Released: July 30, 2013

Paperback, 384 pages

Source: NetGalley 

Some things are permanent.

Indelible.

And they cannot be changed back.

Joy Malone learns this the night she sees a stranger with all-black eyes across a crowded room—right before the mystery boy tries to cut out her eye. Instead, the wound accidentally marks her as property of Indelible Ink, and this dangerous mistake thrusts Joy into an incomprehensible world—a world of monsters at the window, glowing girls on the doorstep, and a life that will never be the same.

Now, Joy must pretend to be Ink’s chosen one—his helper, his love, his something for the foreseeable future...and failure to be convincing means a painful death for them both. Swept into a world of monsters, illusion, immortal honor and revenge, Joy discovers that sometimes, there are no mistakes.

Somewhere between reality and myth lies…

THE TWIXT -- Goodreads

Purchase Indelible here: Amazon | Barnes & Nobles | The Book Depository 

 3 Stars

Review:

Paranormal has almost become a washed out genre within the YA world due to the inundation of them post-Twilight years. Now, it is probably impossible to find one in the midst of the new dystopian-fantasy rage. However, in spite of all of these drawbacks, Indelible has reminded us of the fun in paranormals: the budding cross-species love (this sounds so inappropriate >_<), the ever adorable family of paranormal creatures, and the adorkable mishaps.

Indelible follows the adventures of Joy and Ink, who are brought together by the most unfortunate of circumstances. When Ink discovers Joy has the power to see him and his sister, he idiotically decides the "best" method of dealing with Joy: blinding her with his knife. In a somewhat cynical happening of events, Joy and Ink end up faking boyfriend and girlfriend to prevent Ink from being punished for inadvertently marking Joy with his little signature when he assaulted her.

Honestly, these events are hard to decipher. On one hand, I found this book hilarious because of the ridiculousness of it all. Faking girlfriend and boyfriend? Almost killing someone, but ending up having her follow you everywhere? Ha. Too bad, this book seemed to take itself incredibly seriously, to the point where it was difficult to be sure whether this was a comedy or a grand scale adventure. In reality, Indelible is most likely one of those more serious novels out there.

The only major problem that was aggravating was the flow of the novel. For some reason, Indelible never followed an explicit plot. Rather than a cumulation of events, Indelible was more of a series of events that felt disjointed when put together. There are villains and battles throughout the story, but the book does not truly follow the blurb given to us. The book claims that the main focus is Joy helping Ink out while faking being in love with him, but the book mainly consisted of Ink teleporting Joy around the world. Only until the last fifty pages does the book begin seriously focusing on the main villain, causing the climax and ending to feel rushed and rather incomplete. 

The characters of Indelible are undeniably the most entertaining of all paranormals. From the snarky protector Ink to the flamboyant party-goer Inq, there is always a character that will please the crowd. Joy was a strong female heroine, but did not have any extraordinary characteristics. Yet this fact let her stand out among the crazy magical creatures of Indelible. If only more paranormals had this many fun characters to hang out with...

Indelible was probably one of only a handful paranormals released for good reason. With a unique concept of tattoos marking you, the world was intriguing and fascinating to visit. There could have been some more world-developing because some details are still a little fuzzy. Regardless, Indelible is a cute read if you want to revisit the old paranormal days.

Review: Killer Frost by Jennifer Estep

Killer Frost (Mythos Academy #6)

By Jennifer Estep

Published: February 25, 2014

Publisher: Kensington Teen

ebook, 384 pages

Source: Online Library 

I’ve battled the Reapers of Chaos before–and survived. But this time I have a Bad, Bad Feeling it’s going to be a fight to the death … most likely mine.

Yeah, I’ve got my psychometry magic, my talking sword, Vic–and even the most dangerous Spartan on campus at my side, in Logan freaking Quinn, but I’m no match for Loki, the evil Norse god of chaos. I may be Nike’s Champion, but at heart, I’m still just Gwen Frost, that weird Gypsy girl everyone at school loves to gossip about.

Then someone I love is put in more danger than ever before, and something inside me snaps. This time, Loki and his Reapers are going down for good … or I am. --Goodreads

Purchase Killer Frost here: Amazon | Barnes & Nobles | The Book Depository 

 

 4 Stars

Review

All wonderful things must sadly come to an end, including the fantastic Mythos Academy series. Despite my initial disappointments, Gwen and her gang have easily become part of my book-loving heart. Facing high expectations as the final book, Killer Frost defies these expectations and delivers an epic climatic finale.

After facing the Reapers in five books, it's wonderful to finally see the good guys fighting back at the Reapers, rather than just responding to their catcalls. This time, we see Gwen and the rest working to ultimately bring an end to Loki and his nefarious gang, instead of just holding off the next Reaper plan. Then again, we should feel pity for Loki. He's a poor god whose face is half burned off and just can't get the plastic surgery to fix his face. Loki just can never catch a break, can he?

Plot twists have become a staple in the book industry. Jennifer Estep is a master at surprising her readers. Continually, time and time again the Mythos Academy series has shocked me with its unpredictable, yet believable stories. Killer Frost has continued this legacy with its impressive intricacy of the plot. The realistic unexpected is always a plus in a world soaked with  "been there, done that".

Although Killer Frost does have a reasonably decent conclusion for the major characters (Gwen, Logan, Vic, Daphne, etc.), there should have been more closure to some other minor characters. The happily ever afters are sweet, but I wish there was more time spent developing Rory and her aunt. Rory and her aunt were both pivotal figures in the previous book, Midnight Frost. If there are characters introduced later in the series, these characters should be given more important roles to justify their late introduction. Besides, Rory is a kickbutt heroine, who really should have a spin-off series based on her. *crossing my fingers*

Overall, the Mythos Academy series has blossomed into a magnificent series. Even though it is bitter to say goodbye to Gwen and the gang, concluding the fight against Loki is definitely helping my heart. If you haven't picked up this series yet, this series is totally recommended!

Review: Midnight Frost by Jennifer Estep

Midnight Frost (Mythos Academy #5)

By Jennifer Estep

Release Date: July 30, 2013

Publisher: Kensington Teen

Paperback, 400 pages
Source: Netgalley

Here we go again …

Just when it seems life at Mythos Academy can’t get any more dangerous, the Reapers of Chaos manage to prove me wrong. It was just a typical night at the Library of Antiquities — until a Reaper tried to poison me. The good news is I’m still alive and kicking. The bad news is the Reaper poisoned someone else instead.

As Nike’s Champion, everyone expects me to lead the charge against the Reapers, even though I’m still hurting over what happened with Spartan warrior Logan Quinn. I’ve got to get my hands on the antidote fast — otherwise, an innocent person will die. But the only known cure is hidden in some creepy ruins — and the Reapers are sure to be waiting for me there … --Goodreads

Pre-order Midnight Frost here: Amazon | Barnes & Nobles | The Book Depository

3.5 Stars

Review:

If there was one song that Midnight Frost could be compared to, it have to be that classic marching band song "Pomp and Circumstance". It's a fantastic arrangement that is enjoyable to hear, but is overplayed and used too often at graduations. Similarly, Midnight Frost is an exciting continuation of the Mythos Academy series, but is also disappointment with its surprisingly clichéd plot and pathetic caricatures of once spectacular characters.

We begin the fifth installment of the Mythos Academy series with Gwen and the academy affected by the betrayal of several characters and the attack from the Reapers. Gwen is still suffering from her fight against Logan and Logan's inner battle against Loki. When Nickamedes is poisoned by the Reapers who intended to poison Gwen, Gwen and the gang race against time to find the antidote. Despite knowing that it is a Reaper trap, Gwen can't back down and takes on this daunting task that comes with even more secrets revealed.

Honestly, Midnight Frost is a solid read. The action moments are great, the emotional moments are bittersweet, and the story isn't terrible. However, there is nothing that really sets the story apart from any other fantasy or paranormal book out there. Every possible stereotype out there is being used in this installment, such as the New Moon Edward-less plot device and the helping animals for help in the future plot device. This caused the book to be less melodramatic and heart-pumping. This series is amazing for having some plot twists that I never saw coming, but Midnight Frost was so predictable and bland.

When compared to the rest of the series, this book also had some pitfalls when it came to continuing to flesh out the characters. Gwen is all mopey over Logan's departure from Mythos Academy, which is completely understandable but still kind of annoying. We don't see the real Gwen appear until the book is almost over. 

Although it does make more sense according to the conventional rules of book writing to have a noble idiot character (character who abandons lover for some dumb reason) come back in the end. It is much easier to sort things out that way. If you haven't figured out, it's because Logan doesn't come around until the end. Annoyingly, his reappearance is supposedly all dramatic, but it's really lame. Haven't we already seen this kind of stuff before?

Other than the disappointing plot and characters, Mythos Academy is a decent sequel to Crimson Frost. It was enjoyable and I flipped through the pages (or tapped my Kindle really quickly) extremely fast. Still, there was that voice in my head going "BEEN THERE, DONE THAT!" throughout the book. Hopefully the next book in the series will be able to surpass Midnight Frost and the rest of Mythos Academy series. 

Cover Reveal and Giveaway: Reap by Christina Channelle

Reap by Christina Channelle

Release Date: October 11, 2013

Foreign, or rather unfamiliar, would be the word I would use to describe how I felt.

Faintly, I could hear the glimmer of voices surrounding me in this dark haze, caressing my ears like skin against silk. I felt like I was in a cocoon of sorts, protectively enveloped, quietly drifting in some far-off place.
                                                                                                                                               I wanted to stay that way forever.

But we all know that what you want never really seems to happen in the real world.

Something’s not right in Mia’s head.

The first thing is that her name isn’t Mia. In fact, she has no clue what her name is—who she is. All that she knows is that she’s not like the ones who found her: Dante with his kind blue eyes, Amy with her child-like demeanor, James with his questioning gaze.

And Briggs.

The one she cannot decipher no matter how hard she tries.

As Mia tries to fit in with these people, a strange occurrence is amidst outside. And as she finally remembers who she is …

Well, let’s just say that things get a little more complicated.

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Review: Spartan Frost by Jennifer Estep

Spartan Frost (Mythos Academy #4.5)

By Jennifer Estep

Release Date: June 25, 2013

Publisher: Kensington Publishing Corporation

Source: NetGalley

eBook, 60 pages

Professor Metis and Nickamedes say that I'm fine, that Loki and the Reapers don't have a hold on me anymore, but I can't risk it. I can't risk hurting Gwen again. So I'm leaving Mythos and going somewhere far, far away.

I know Gwen wonders what's happening to me, whether I'm safe. I can't tell her, but this is my story. . .

Pre-order Spartan Frost here: Amazon (Kindle) | B&N (Nook)

5 Stars

Contains Spoilers from Previous Books in the Series!!!

Review:

After the giant cliffhanger at the end of Crimson Frost, I was ready to blow up the entire world. HOW COULD THIS HAPPEN?!?!?!?!? *beep beep beep beep* pause *beep beep beep beep beep* I was spazzing out because the most kickbutt couple in the entire world was going through noble idiocy. Noble idiocy, if you don't know, is the chronic syndrome that couples go through where one person decides to leave the other for some pathetic reason. Refer to Edward from New Moon. 

At first, I felt betrayed by Jennifer Estep. How could she subject the most clichéd plotline in the world onto such an epic series? But then Ms. Estep released this novella which makes things so much better. Rather than abandoning Logan freaking Quinn for several months, she decided to give us an even better view of Logan freaking Quinn. Usually novellas are pointless stories that the author writes for some money, but Spartan Frost was totally worth the read and the money.

Spartan Frost begins with Loki possessing Logan, forcing him to attack Gwen. This event was already recapped by Gwen in Crimson Frost, but it was so much more heartbreaking to see this event from Logan's point of view. Seeing Logan so furious and hateful of himself for attacking Gwen, even though it totally was not his fault, is so heartbreaking. Before reading this, I understood that Loki needed to be destroyed forever. But after this, I want Loki to be tortured for eternity because he just gave Logan freaking Quinn a meltdown! This transgression is unforgivable because Logan is such a great protagonist. He has all of the bad boy swag, but he actually has emotions, which sets him apart from the rest of those dumb male YA characters.

Poor Logan is so traumatized that he runs away from Gwen for her safety, which is NOBLE IDIOCY, as mentioned before!!! This stuff usually ruins books, stories, and plots. However, in this case, the noble idiocy made so much more sense. The reason is because we got to see what Logan felt during his meltdown. It also may have helped that he wasn't a soulless robot throughout this ordeal: He still kicked the Reapers' butts in this novella, which is definitely a plus. Overall, I was pleasantly surprised that Spartan Frost effortlessly connected emotionally with its readers, despite its rather short length.

Honestly, if you have not started this series, you really should start now. The first book, Touch of Frost, is not as good as the rest of the series. Furthermore, there isn't anything really original in the setting or storyline of this series. In spite of these faults, Mythos Academy really has grown to be a favorite YA fantasy series though because all of the characters really connect to the readers. I admit, part of the reason why there is a connection is because Gwen has the power to sense the past when touching an object or a person. Still, there is something special in this series that everyone should discover.

Nissa by Bethany Lopez Blog Tour: Review and Giveaway

Nissa by Bethany Lopez

Publish Date: April 23, 2013

Purchase: Amazon (Kindle) / B&N (Nook) / Smashwords
AToMR Tour Schedule for Nissa ARC Blog Tour

At 900 years old, Nissa is finally ready to follow her mother's path and become the best Fairy Godmother she can. She’s not thrilled when her first assignment turns out to be a teenage human girl with self-esteem issues, but she knows she has to start somewhere. Her assignment has dealt with bullies since her freshman year and they haven’t let up. If Nissa can’t help her regain her self-confidence her future is bleak.

To complicate matters Nissa experiences all the signs that she's met the being fated for her. This impossibility distracts her from her purpose. After all, fairies and humans aren't meant for each other. How can her heart believe otherwise? Can Nissa successfully complete her first assignment as a Fairy Godmother? Will the fates allow Nissa and Levi to be together? And even if they do, will Levi believe Nissa once she reveals the truth?

3 Stars

Review:

Let me completely honest: I only chose this book because it had the words "a contemporary fairy tale" on the cover. The whole godmother thing didn't really sound too exciting and girls with self-esteem issues tend to be bleh. It's all about "she's so pretty, so I'll bully her" sort of thing that is so irritating. This does happen, but probably not to the extent that writers tend to exaggerate in their books. However in Nissa, the primary focus is not Vicky and her issues, the priority is Nissa; Vicky's brother, Levy; and their romance.

I think the biggest problem that this book was its length. Usually a book's length is only a problem when the book is too long and unnecessary with details, but in this case everything felt a little too rushed. Immediately from the very beginning, we skim through Nissa's childhood within a few pages and jump immediately to her mission to help Vicky. It would have been nice to have an elaboration on the fairy world, which is infinitely more interesting than the human world. 

The length also unfortunately contributed to the completely rushed romance. Once again, hormones have overwhelmed the brains of our poor, innocent protagonist and her lover. I admit that their little dates and talks were cute, but they came entirely too soon! There was an excuse for this Romeo and Juliet-esque, minus their deaths, romance in that fairies have soul mates. Still that is not any reason to just have them going from formal greetings to kissing within the next dozen pages. 

Keeping with the length problem, the main characters felt somewhat lacking. Nissa and Levy were just two hopeless fools in love, and somehow the supporting characters were the ones who shined the most. Vicky's unjustly pushed-off character arc was really sweet and cute after the bullying crisis was over. The redemption of one of her bullies was also adorable because his apology was so sincere and just ah!!! Even though he was a vile character initially, his extremely long and heartfelt apology just stood out so much. In fact, it was my favorite moment of the book. I kind of want to see a spin-off with Vicky and the guy getting together because he became my fave character of the novel.

Despite its somewhat undeveloped world and romance, Nissa was an enjoyable read. The writing was not completely solid throughout the entirety, feeling a bit childish at some points. However, the story was able to effectively move along, which is definitely more important. There was a lot of potential in this book in spite of its faults, so I do look forward to Bethany Lopez's future works.

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Blood and Snow by RaShelle Workman Blog Tour: Review and Giveaway

Blood and Snow by RaShelle Workman 

Where in Series: Blood and Snow #1-12

Released: 2013 

Type: eBook

Pages: 518 

Purchase: Amazon (Kindle)

Every thousand years the Vampire Queen selects a new body, always the fairest in the land, and this time she's chosen Snow White. Snow isn't an ordinary girl. She doesn't know that yet.

When Snow gets bitten by a Hunter, her life is thrown into a whirlwind of change where instead of worrying about what to eat, she has to fight not to drink the blood of fellow high school students. She becomes a revenant - not quite human, not quite vampire.

With the help of an eccentric old Professor, his seven adoptive sons, and her best friend, Snow learns to control her blood craving. Sort of. She drinks a bloodlust tea, but she'd rather drink from her Hunter. Or, a human.

She also discovers a whole other realm, one filled with fairies, dragons, and magic. And not only does the Vampire Queen want her, but there's a pendant called the Seal of Gabriel created for Snow by the Vampire Queen's twin sister. And Snow's supposed to use it to restore balance to all magical creatures. Including vampires. --Goodreads

3.5 Stars

Review

Usually when I try fairy tale retellings these days, I try to grade them harshly because the original content is usually at a bare minimum for them. So do not be surprised with this harsh rating and review because there are probably plenty of other people with higher ratings than mine. They are probably also better at figuring out ratings for fairy tale retellings as well... Anyway...

This book or bundle, which it really is, is a series of twelve novellas that tell the story of Snow and her hunky dory life when she discovers that she is a vampire. To make it worse, the Vampire Queen wants her body, which is so wrong on so many levels, but we won't get into that. Prince Charming, or Hunter as he is referred to as, marks Snow as the Queen's next chosen body. 

However, Snow isn't alone in trying to discover herself as well as the world she lives in. There is the amazing Professor Pops who is a hilarious father figure to Snow as well as the her seven boy friends. Note the space between 'boy' and 'friends.' Then again, it should probably be six boy friends and one boyfriend. Here is a spoiler, Snow and Gabriel, one of the seven 'dwarfs' that need to shrink a few feet to be a dwarf are going all gaga over each other. It's kind of creepy and gross because Gabe is aggravating. 

The story that Blood and Snow tells is a fresh, original one that completely deviates from the actual Snow White story, including the very original that wasn't told by Disney. So many characters were added or rewritten in as completely different people, making it so much more exciting to read. For example, Snow White is now a complete tomboy klutz in this new version. This change was somewhat clichéd and unoriginal, not to mention unbelievable because Snow was way too clumsy. Still, it was just one of the cute, fluffy changes that were made to make Snow not see the beauty within her.

The thing that truly kept me drawn to this series was the writing. The plot was topsy-turvey because while some books were solid reads, others felt lacking in certain respects. Of course, this series progressed in plot and in writing as each novella was finished. The only thing that aggravatingly stayed constant was the description of the smells. It is incredibly unrealistic for a character to notice each little scent that passes by them because people tend to focus more on the visual things, rather than the little odors that come out here and there. 

Blood and Snow is a series that is hard for me to judge. Each little novella had its own little successes and failures, so it is difficult to decide on the entire series as a whole. Characters either shined or spiked at many points, but Dorian, one of the seven 'dwarfs' shall stay in my heart forever because he is awesome! 

Otherwise, I wasn't a huge fan of anyone else because they weren't consistent in their beliefs. I was a big fan of the author's writing though, so even though I am a bit iffy on certain aspects of this book, I am still planning to check out the spin-off that will be written for Cindy, Snow's obnoxious and annoying friend. She is a person that I don't really want to understand, but I am willing to give it a go just for more of Rashelle Workman's works.

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Review: My Ex from Hell by Tellulah Darling

My Ex from Hell (The Blooming Goddess Trilogy #1) 

By Tellulah Darling 

Released: April 1, 2013 

Publisher: Te Da Publishing 

Paperback, 272 pages 

Sixteen-year-old Sophie Bloom wishes she’d been taught the following:

a) Bad boy’s presence (TrOuBlE) + teen girl’s brain (DraMa) = TrAuMa (Highly unstable and very volatile.)

b) The Genus Greekulum Godissimus is notable for three traits: 1) awesome abilities, 2) grudges, and 3) hook-ups, break-ups, and in-fighting that puts cable to shame.

Prior to the Halloween dance, Sophie figures her worst problems involve adolescent theatrics, bitchy yoga girls, and being on probation at her boarding school for mouthy behaviour. Then she meets bad boy Kai and gets the kiss that rocks her world.

Literally.

This breath stealing lip lock reawakens Sophie’s true identity: Persephone, Goddess of Spring. She’s key to saving humanity in the war between the Underworld and Olympus, target numero uno of Hades and Zeus, and totally screwed.

Plus there’s also the little issue that Sophie’s last memory as Persephone was just before someone tried to murder her.

Big picture: master her powers, get her memories back, defeat Persephone’s would be assassin, and save the world. Also, sneak into the Underworld to retrieve stolen property, battle the minions of Hades and Zeus, outwit psycho nymphs, slay a dragon, rescue a classmate, keep from getting her butt expelled from the one place designed to keep her safe …

… and stop kissing Kai, Prince of the Underworld.

My Ex From Hell is a romantic comedy/Greek mythology smackdown. Romeo and Juliet had it easy. --Goodreads

3.5 Stars

Review:

When a book is hilarious and a total riot, it's hard to not want to give it a five star review. Initially, I was so excited and flipped out after I finished My Ex from Hell that I reread it at least three times. That was how much I adored this book. It's a pretty new thing for me.

Then as I tried to explain the funny moments in this review, I realized that I couldn't describe the basic plot line of this book. The reason why? There is no definite plot for My Ex from Hell; instead this is more of a humorous introduction the screwed up world Sophie, the reincarnation of Persephone, will have to face in the later books. So because of the hard to describe plot, I decided that although the enjoyment level of this book is a frikkin' 100000000000000000000000/5, this book depressingly deserves the rating above.

First off, I would like to state the fact that Sophie doesn't kiss Kai many times in this book. Whatever this hilarious blurb above hints is completely inaccurate and deserves to be sued for its lies. This book isn't focusing on the whole Persephone is the key to save the world blah blah blah because of Zeus and Hades' little monopoly game. There is an entirely different mystery out there in the works that is the priority of My Ex from Hell. Sorry, but whoever wrote this blurb seriously needs to focus on its contents rather than the humor (it's humorous, but...).

One of the major concerns that comes when reading this book is the plot, as mentioned before. Not only does the plot not follow the epic blurb above, but it mindlessly meanders for a giant chunk of the novel. It goes from 'Persephone, so what?' to 'You kissed whom?' to 'Persephone fighting robots' to 'Persephone's memories' to yada yada yada. It is nice that everything isn't laid out easily for the readers to discover, except it has the events of the book shoddily pieced together. Things are quite disjointed and puzzling, so it's probably best to take a step back and relax while reading.

Despite its somewhat shifty and unsettling plot, My Ex from Hell is a spellbinding book that will rock your socks off. Sophie is a one of a kind narrator who is a bit superficial, but that is what makes her endearing. She begins as an awkward, yet confident girl who blossoms as Persephone incarnate. Sophie's moments of vanity are ridiculous and could be considered atrocious. Somehow, Sophie manages to pull it off because she never tries to be someone she isn't. It is really strange how a vain character can be so likable because usually I get put off by a character who boasts that she isn't pretty, even though she is blonde, blue-eyed, heart-shaped face, and all of this other crap. If you don't think that you're attractive, then stop talking about your appearance is the advice I'm giving all protagonists. At the beginning, Sophie doesn't believe that she is pretty, but it's twisted humorously, making it all the more adorable when she gloats over her new-found beauty.

Honestly, I was bit confused about the romance that was supposed to be here. Once again the misleading blurb strikes again. There isn't really too much development between Sophie and Kai, making it somewhat awkward when those moments happen. Because of this, it is hard to root for this couple that we are supposed to root for. Even though there are the cute bickering moments that are the new "cool" for YA novels, there isn't really much going for this pairing. When Kai tells Sophie that he will be willing to love her because she looks more like Persephone, my heart burst with pride when Sophie rejected his advances. It's so repulsive when a guy sucks at flirting and still attempts to. Sorry Kai, but you could do way better than that if you're that dream-worthy.

Although there are a few flaws within My Ex from Hell, they could not offset the blast I had while reading it. All of the characters possess a flicker of humor that crackles on each page. As so many reviewers have said, they probably haven't laughed this hard in a long time while reading a book. The same goes for me here because Tellulah Darling has every character popping a witty or dumb line that emphasizes their their personality. It seems impossible that a dumb line could be that great, but when a vain antagonist spouts some crap, there is nothing better when the protagonists fry their dumb brains with something even cheesier. Corny, it is, but the chuckles will come guaranteed.

So you, the reader, are confused over whether or not to give this a try... Telling you now, READ THIS! My 3.5 review does not reflect how much I LOVED THIS BOOK! Its flaws are insignificant compared to the euphoria that this book will give the reader. The shaky plot and convoluted romance is no match to the epic characters and their one-liners that will one day rule the world of Hades and beyond. Besides even if you're not one for paranormal, suck it up. When you all begin sobbing because of refusing to give My Ex from Hell a try, you'll know that all of us lovers of this book will be partying when My Date from Hell comes out this August.

Purchase My Ex from Hell here: Amazon/ B&N/ The Book Depository

Review: Every Other Day by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Every Other Day 

By Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Published December 27th, 2011

Publisher: Egmont USA

Paperback, 336 pages

Every other day, Kali D’Angelo is a normal sixteen-year-old girl. She goes to public high school. She argues with her father. She’s human.

And then every day in between . . . she’s something else entirely.

Though she still looks like herself, every twenty-four hours predatory instincts take over and Kali becomes a feared demon-hunter with the undeniable urge to hunt, trap, and kill zombies, hellhounds, and other supernatural creatures. Kali has no idea why she is the way she is, but she gives in to instinct anyway. Even though the government considers it environmental terrorism.

When Kali notices a mark on the lower back of a popular girl at school, she knows instantly that the girl is marked for death by one of these creatures. Kali has twenty-four hours to save her, and unfortunately she’ll have to do it as a human. With the help of a few new friends, Kali takes a risk that her human body might not survive . . . and learns the secrets of her mysterious condition in the process.--Goodreads

4.5 Stars

Review

  

I really loved this book. The title, cover, and description intrigued me, and the entire story just sucked me in.

Kali is torn between two different sides of herself. One is a boring, social outcast who endures the rigors of high school, while the other is a night hunter, someone with supernatural abilities. She doesn't know the cause of these changes, only that they happen, and there is no avoiding it. Normally, the two sides never conflict with each other, that is until Kali sees the mark of an ourborus on one of the most popular girls in school, Bethany. The mark of an ourborus means that there is a chupracabra in you, which is certain death, and suddenly Kali's two worlds collide. She is faced with a monumental decision. Should she risk herself in her weak human body to save someone she doesn't even like? Well, the answer is yes, and it turns out that the chupracabra is just the beginning.

I loved all of the female characters. Kali is a smart, brave (in a kind of stupidly endearing way), and funny.  She's been pretty much alone all of her life (her dad doesn't really see her), and it is weird for her to open herself up and make friends. I have to admit, her ability to change every other day was the thing that most intrigued me. I can't give any spoilers, but I found the reason behind Kali's transformation very clever, and quite a different take on it than most other books. 

Skylar is just adorablely quirky and persistent. She is another social outcast, and completely changes Kali's life by offeering her a special friendship. Not only is she couageous, but she never stops to question her desicions; she puts everyone before herself.  At first, Bethany seemed like the atypical b**chy cheerleader, who eventually completely does a turn around and befriends Kali and Skylar. No, there is more to Bethany than we think, she has a deeper story. I'm curious to learn more about Bethany and her family's history in Kali's past.

The best part of this book was the original plot. I loved the crossing of paranormal creatures combined with scientific research. This book kind of balances between the two, leaning more to the paranormal side. It is also kind of like a mystery novel too. What is the reason for Kali's transformation? Who is Zev? How are Kali and Bethany connected? Most of these questions were answered, but the ending just brought up even more questions. What a cliffhanger. The end is just chaos, and there just has to be a second book to continue things.

Overall I would reccomend this to anyone looking for a fresh and exciting new take on things. Not only is it enjoyable for paranormal readers, but also for ones who enjoy science fiction. Barnes does a wonderful job of weaving them together, and produces a amazingly written book. This book is highly reccomended. I can't wait 'till the sequel!!

Purchase this book at: Amazon / Barnes and Noble

 

   

Book Trailer Reveal: The Fallen Stars by Stephanie Keyes

The Fallen Stars (The Starchild #2) 

By Stephanie Keyes 

Release Date: April 12, 2013 

Publisher: Inkspell Publishing 

Kellen St. James was just your average seventeen-year-old prodigy, until he eighty-sixed the Lord of Faerie and proposed to the Celtic Goddess, Calienta. But then everything in Kellen’s life gets turned upside-down when he and Cali end up on the run from a seriously irritated group of faeries. The worst part? They have zero idea why they’re being hunted.

Suddenly, Kellen is stuck in the middle of another prophecy that foresees him turning away from Calienta and embracing the dark. He’ll be forced to take sides in a struggle to claim his birthright, while discovering secrets about his father’s past. Meanwhile, his passion for Cali grows stronger, even as the prophecy threatens to tear them apart.

In the end, will Kellen and Cali survive the fates? When the ultimate power is within reach, which side will he choose? --Goodreads

The Trailer

Today's trailer is for Stephanie Keye's second book, The Fallen Stars. Have a look!

The Fallen Stars from Stephanie Keyes on Vimeo.

Giveaway

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Transcend Time by Michelle Madow Blitz

For a limited time, Remembrance is $0.99! Purchase here: Amazon (Kindle)/ B&N (Nook)

Remembrance (Transcend Time Saga #1) 

By Michelle Madow 

Published: July 27, 2011 

Publisher: Dreamscape Publishing 

Paperback, 314 pages 

Lizzie Davenport has been reincarnated from Regency Era, England ... but she doesn't know it yet.

Then Drew Carmichael transfers into Lizzie's high school at the beginning of the year, and she feels a connection to him, almost like she knows him. She can't stop thinking about him, but whenever she tries talking with him about the mysteries behind her feelings, he makes it clear that he wants nothing to do with her. Reaching him is even more difficult because she has a boyfriend, Jeremy, who has started to become full of himself after being elected co-captain of the varsity soccer team, and her flirtatious best friend Chelsea starts dating Drew soon after his arrival. So why can't she get him out of her mind?

Even though Lizzie knows she should let go of her fascination with Drew, fighting fate isn't going to be easy. --Goodreads

Vengeance (Transcend Time Saga #2) 

By Michelle Madow 

Published: December 8, 2011 

Publisher: Dreamscape Publishing 

Paperback, 66 pages

How far would you go to get revenge?

When Chelsea Givens discovered that her ex-boyfriend Drew dumped her to be with her former best friend Lizzie, she'd never felt so betrayed in her life. Then her new friend Shannon tells her she can help set things right. Chelsea's willing to listen, but what Shannon wants her to believe -- that she shared a past life with Drew -- is impossible. And what she wants her to do to get him back … well, it's downright crazy. 

Could Shannon be telling the truth? And if she is, what lengths will Chelsea go if it means making Lizzie pay? 

Find out in Vengeance, the second part of the Transcend Time Saga.

*Vengeance is the short story that bridges the events in Remembrance and the final novel in the Saga. --Goodreads

Timeless (Transcend Time Saga #3) 

By Michelle Madow 

Published: November 24, 2012 

Publisher: Dreamscape Publishing 

Paperback, 230 pages

IT'S A RACE AGAINST TIME.

In Remembrance, Lizzie and Drew changed the course of fate so they could be together.

In Vengeance, Chelsea set fate back on its original, deadly path.

Now, strange things keep happening to Lizzie. Things that are omens of darkness to come. A curse has doomed her to die an early death, just as she did in her past life. To make matters worse, even if she can figure out who cast the curse, it's irreversible. There's only one option left for her to save herself. It's crazier than anything she's heard yet, and to do it, she'll need Drew and Chelsea's help.

Because to make things right, they must go back to when it all began ... and Lizzie discovers that the final events in her past life were more sinister than she ever imagined. --Goodreads

Guest Post: How Taylor Swift's Love Story Music Video Inspired Remembrance

The “Love Story” music video premiered in the fall of 2008. The first time I watched it, I was entranced. Taylor sees a guy while walking through campus, and the moment their eyes connect, the scene flashes to the two of them dancing at a beautiful ball dressed in clothes that appear to be from around the year 1815. It’s magical to watch, and the video is so amazing that it gave me chills. I watched it over and over again, and a story started to piece together in my mind. A story about a girl reincarnated from Regency Era, England, who doesn’t realize it until her soul mate transfers into her school and triggers her memories to gradually return to her.

In that semester at school, I was taking a class called Intro to Creative Writing. One of our first big assignments in class was to write anything we wanted and bring it in to share with everyone. Since the characters and scenes that came to me while watching “Love Story” refused to leave my mind, I decided that for the project, I would write the first chapter of what I then called “The Story Inspired by ‘Love Story.’”

After completing the chapter, I stared at it for about an hour, worrying about what my classmates would think after reading it. I assumed everyone else would write about “normal” topics—not reincarnation and seeing your soulmate from the past for the first time! What if they thought what I wrote was weird? I nearly erased it in favor of turning something else in, but then I remembered something Taylor had said:

"If you’re lucky enough to be different from everyone else, don't change."

I listened to her advice. Yes, what I wrote was going to be way different from what everyone else in class wrote, but I was okay with that. And after I read the chapter aloud to the class, I was amazed to find out that everyone in my class, including my teacher, loved it. Actually, they more than loved it—they wanted to read more!

But I had never written a novel before, and the idea of making the plunge and going for it intimidated me. What if I failed and couldn’t finish it? That worried me, but again, I remembered something Taylor had said:

"To me, fearless isn't not having fears; it's not that you're not afraid of anything. I think that being fearless is having a lot of fears, but you jump anyway."

So I jumped.

And now, three years after I saw the “Love Story” music video for the first time, my debut novel Remembrance is finally available for everyone to read. I’m so happy to be able to share it with you. I can only hope that if you choose to read it, you end up enjoying it as much as I loved writing it!

Thank you for taking the time to read my story about how “Love Story” and Taylor Swift helped me get to where I am today!

Giveaway: 

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Cover Reveal: Afterlife Academy by Jaimie Admans

Afterlife Academy 

By Jaimie Admans

Release Date: March 15, 2013

Even being dead isn’t enough to get you out of maths class.

Dying wasn't on sixteen-year-old Riley Richardson's to-do list. And now, not only is she dead, but she's stuck in a perpetual high school nightmare. Worse still, she's stuck there with the geekiest, most annoying boy in the history of the world, ever.

In a school where the geeks are popular and just about everything is wrong, Riley has become an outcast. She begins a desperate quest to get back home, but her once-perfect life starts to unravel into something not nearly as great as she thought it was. And maybe death isn’t really that bad after all...

Welcome to Afterlife Academy, where horns are the norm, the microwave is more intelligent than the teachers, and the pumpkins have a taste for blood. --Goodreads

Author Info:

Jaimie is a 27-year-old English-sounding Welsh girl with an awkward-to-spell name. She lives in South Wales and enjoys writing, gardening, drinking tea and watching horror movies. She hates spiders and cheese & onion crisps.

She has been writing for years, but has never before plucked up the courage to tell people. She writes mostly chick-lit and young adult. Kismetology is her first novel and there are plenty more on the way!

Check out her Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter