Review: Bloodrose by Andrea Cremer

 

Title: Bloodrose

Author: Andrea Cremer

Series: Nightshade #3

Publisher: Atom

Publication date: 05 Jul 2012

Format: Paperback | 416 pages

Genre: YA | Paranormal 

Goodreads

Calla has always welcomed war. But now that the final battle is upon her, there's more at stake than fighting.

There's saving Ren, even if it incurs Shay's wrath. There's keeping her brother safe, even if he's been branded a traitor. There's proving herself as the pack's alpha and ridding the world of the Keepers' magic once and for all.

And when the battle finally ends, there's deciding what to do and who to love. That is, if Calla can make it out alive.

My thoughts:

What just HAPPENED?!

 

Seriously, what the hell was that ending about? I had heard that the ending to this trilogy upset a lot of people but, come oooon!

 

I love this series. I really do. The only thing that stopped me from finishing was the reaction from a lot of readers on how it ended and I have to say I more than understand why. What I was anticipating with dread actually happened regardless of my hopes and pleas. The worst thing is, I understand where the author was coming from by doing it, but it wasn't done with taste…not at all. I'm so disappointed.

 

I don't even know what to say past the ending. It just seems as if the whole trilogy was completely ruined by that tragedy of an ending - I won't be able to see it the same way ever again. 

 

What makes me mad is that this book was still a great read. I mean, it was literally the last chapter or so that brought it all crashing down. I love the characters to bits - apart from a choice few - and I'm sad to see them go, especially in the way that they did.

 

I just…can't even.

 

My rating: 6/10 (I would love to give this book 1 out of bloody 10 but that would be my love for Ren talking)

 

Andrea Cremer:

Goodreads | Website | Twitter

Nightshade series:

1. Nightshade
2. Wolfsbane
3. Bloodrose

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Review: Dead Silence by Kimberly Derting

Title: Dead Silence 

Author: Kimberly Derting

Series: The Body Finder #4

Publisher: Headline

Publication date: 25 Apr 2013

Format: Paperback | 400 pages

Genre: YA | Paranormal

Goodreads

HER GIFT MADE HER DIFFERENT

A murder leaves a mark. It imprints an echo on victim and killer, detectable by only a few. For a long time, Violet Ambrose saw this ability as a curse but her work as part of a special investigative team helped her see its benefits. Until, that is, she was the victim of a horrific kidnapping and acquired an imprint of her own. Now she is desperate to put the past behind her, to ignore the echoes of the dead and lead a normal life with her boyfriend Jay.

NOW SHE'S ONE OF THEM

But when she senses a murder victim's echo, she stumbles upon a terrifying scene unlike anything she's ever witnessed. Frenzied and twisted, the killer left a disturbing calling card for all to see - a cross sketched in blood on the wall. Haunted by the crime, Violet finds herself pulled into a deadly hunt for a vicious madman. A hunt that will endanger everything she holds dear. She has survived dangerous situations before, but keeping her loved ones safe is far more difficult than protecting herself…

THE STAKES HAVE NEVER BEEN HIGHER

My thoughts:

I really wasn't looking forward to reading this one. It wasn't even down to me hating the series or anything, I've really enjoyed reading the past books. The last book though, left me thinking something was going to happen that I didn't want to, and so, I was putting off reading this. Funny thing is, what I was worried was going to happen, didn't, so all is good.

Now that nonsense is out of the way, I really liked this read. I still can't say it's as good as the first - none of the books in this series were as good as the first in my opinion. There was just something about Jay and Violet exploring their new feelings and getting to know what Violet was capable of, that gave the book a different edge to the ones later on. I enjoyed this last book more than the ones in the middle of the series though for quite a few reasons.

What I noticed first about this read was that it took a new level of creepiness. The crimes involved were pretty grotesque and it left me with shivers going down my spine. The person responsible was even worse. When the time came for me to read more into him and his back story I was thoroughly creeped out. Not that that's a bad thing. It was great. I seriously couldn't wait for him to be brought to justice. •shudders•

 

I was also really, really please that what I was dreading happening didn't actually happen. I'm still so relieved a week after finishing this. I'm not going to say what it was I was so worried about, but safe to say, after all the new characters being introduced it becomes pretty obvious…I love Jay.

 

The only major problem I had with this read - and it's why I wouldn't give it a full 10 - is the ending. It felt way to rushed and I felt that the characters deserved way more after all they'd been through to sort of have a slow ending where everything's resolved in stages. There were a lot of things that didn't feel finished. Especially where the 'team' is concerned - I got the impression that the crime solving aspect of the plot would go a lot further in terms of finding out who's running things. That was really interesting so it was disappointing not to see it go any further - or even be ended in some way which it isn't. It's just…left.

 

Aside from the ending I really liked this read. I loved Jay and Violet's relationship and while I thought it was way cuter in the first book I still love the two of them together. I would definitely recommend this read as a change to the usual paranormal YA - the body finding ability is a nice twist to things so I say give it a go.

 

My rating: 7/10

 

Kimberly Derting:

Goodreads | Website | Facebook | Twitter

The Body Finder:

1. The Body Finder
2. Desires of the Dead
3. The Last Echo
4. Dead Silence

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Review: The Last Echo by Kimberly Derting

Title: The Last Echo

Author: Kimberly Derting

Series: The Body Finder #3

Publisher: Headline

Publication date: 29 Mar 2012

Format: Paperback | 368 pages

Genre: YA | Paranormal

Goodreads

 

 IN THE BEGINNING

Violet's morbid ability to sense echoes from the dead led her to uncover dark murders and long-buried secrets. The only people she told were her supportive parents and boyfriend Jay.

NOW SHE CAN FINALLY BE HONEST

Violet hopes that working with a special investigative team will give her the chance to actually save lives - or at least catch more killers. But the instant connection she feels with mysterious partner, Rafe, is both confusing and unsettling and their unique bond creates tension with Jay.

IN THE END, ALL THAT'S LEFT IS AN ECHO

When she discovers the body of a student murdered by 'the collector', Violet is determined to solve the case. With her own relationship on the line, Violet doesn't realise that the serial killer is looking to add to his collection, and that she may have caught his eye.

Will the next life Violet has to save be her own?

My thoughts:

I've said this so much, but sometimes, I really hate the fact that I love reading series. I seriously need to read more stand-alones. I haven't picked up this book because I loved the first two books of the Body Finder series - it doesn't even make sense to my own ears! I was so worried it wouldn't live up to the expectations I'd built up for it in my own mind. The sad thing is, it didn't. 

I wasn't disappointed per se, but I thought it didn't live up to its potential. I wanted to see something different in the story, a big addition. There was for sure, there was Sara's team complete with Rafe and the rest of the gang which I can tell has a lot more to give. I'm sure the next book will focus on them entirely. But, this big addition to the Body Finder series took away from the main story I think. I hated not seeing more of Violet's friends, especially Jay. What happened to Jay? It wasn't the same.

I also didn't find Rafe to be a believable character. I understand what was supposed to happen - he was obviously the bad boy, mysterious type as opposed to Jay's outgoing, heart on his sleeve nature. It didn't work for me. If what I think is going to happen actually happens in the next book I'll be one unhappy reader.

The only other gripe I had was the ending. Towards the end is where the suspense kicks in and things take a very dramatic turn. It was great in that sense. The problem I had was that it was so similar to what had happened in the last two books. It got predictable and that took most of the suspense out of the ending.

Aside from all that, it had all the great attributes the past two reads have had. Violet is a great character and top off that with the addition of new characters that I grew to really like, I found the read really enjoyable. It still had all the creepy suspense I now associate with this series and the added crime solving part brought a lot of crazy action into the story. I liked it.

All in all I enjoyed this read but I thought the past two books were a lot better. I still like this series and I'll definitely be picking up the next book soon.

My rating: 6/10

Kimberly Derting:

Goodreads | Website | Facebook | Twitter

The Body Finder:

1. The Body Finder
2. Desires of the Dead
3. The Last Echo
4. Dead Silence

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Review: My Soul to Take by Rachel Vincent

Title: My Soul to Take

Author: Rachel Vincent 

Series: Soul Screamers #1

Publisher: Mira Ink

Publication date: January 1st 2011

Format: Paperback | 345 pages

Genre: YA | Paranormal

Goodreads

Something is wrong with Kaylee Cavanaugh…

She can sense when someone near her is about to die. And when that happens, a force beyond her control compels her to scream bloody murder. Literally.

Kaylee just wants to enjoy having caught the attention of the hottest boy in school. But a normal date is hard to come by when Nash seems to know more about the dark forces behind Kaylee's power than she does.

And when classmates start dropping dead for no apparent reason and only Kaylee knows who'll be next, she realises that finding a boyfriend is the least of her worries!

My thoughts:

My Soul to Take follows Kaylee - a girl who just wants to be noticed by the hottest guy in school and to get over whatever's causing her supposedly random panic attacks. Kaylee's world soon gets turned upside down however, when healthy teenage girls collapse dead for no medically apparent reason and every time they do…Kaylee has an overwhelming urge to let out a screech that fights to make people's ears bleed.

I think this review will be pretty short, mainly because I found this read to be pretty average. There was nothing specifically wrong with it that made me want to vent my frustrations out in a review, nor was there anything that stood out that would encourage me to sing its praises. 

I could pinpoint a few ways this book fell short for me. For a start, I didn't like the way Nash and Kaylee first met - how their relationship started. Nash seemed to jump into the story where he wasn't necessarily wanted at first - way too fast and furious. It made Kaylee seem very shallow where I obviously don't think it was intentional. Of course, that also made the relationship look fake and uncomfortable to read. 

 

There was also an instance that I won't mention because, you know, spoilers and all - when the story is coming to an end and the plot is about to revealed. The big moment where the villain is finally ousted and you're like OMG! THIS IS NOT HAPPENING!!! because it turns out to be the character you all thought was innocent. Yeah that didn't happen for me. Not that I guessed beforehand, but because it was so unbelievable in the sense that I didn't believe in the motives wholeheartedly. There wasn't enough of a build up for me to really buy into it. So that sucked a little.

 

Aside from that I didn't really have a problem with the book. It was a little meh at times but for the most part it was a pleasant read. I liked the characters most of the time and the plot was suspenseful enough that it kept me going. All in all it was an okay read, however I don't think I'll be carrying on with the series.

 

My rating: 6/10

 

Rachel Vincent:

Goodreads | Website | Twitter | Facebook

 

Soul Screamers:

1. My Soul to Take
2. My Soul to Save
3. My Soul to Keep
4. My Soul to Steal
5. If I Die
6. Before I Wake
7. With All My Soul

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Review: Of Light and Darkness by Shayne Leighton

Title: Of Light and Darkness

Author: Shayne Leighton

Series: Of Light and Darkness #1

Publisher: CreateSpace

Publication date: January 11th

Format: ebook 

Genre: NA | Paranormal 

Goodreads

Raised by a Vampire in a secret society of Witches, Shifters, and Elves, Charlotte finds that she is the freak in her world of magic and wonder. When she stands before an army of impossible obstacles, the likelihood of survival in this coming-of-age modern fairy tale is slim, resulting in a war between light and darkness.

Charlotte knows no other home than the one nestled deep in the woods of Eastern Europe, where Witches draw spells of enchantment, Shifters throw tea parties, and Elves are the closest in kin.

As genocide and war threatens her life and her home, Charlotte will not allow her one true love to be destroyed. Fighting for her adopted coven of rogue monsters, she will do whatever it takes to save them...and she'll do it before the sun comes up and light takes over forever!

 

 

My thoughts:

There are hardly any reads - new or otherwise - that feature vampires that actually act like vampires. Traditionally they're set in gothic sort of settings and their stories are dark and gloomy. I feel like they've been changed so much over time that they shouldn't even be called vampires. It's the same with any paranormal creature. I love, love, love finding different books where the vampires, werewolves, witches, elves, fairies e.t.c don't just behave like humans with a little bit extra. It's rare you find something where the werewolves are actually dangerous and vampire drinking blood is a big deal. It's always romance where the love interest just happens to turn into a wolf once a month or just happens to like being nocturnal but it's whatever babe, you're still basically normal.

With that little rant over, my point is, Valek acts like a vampire. Right from the beginning there was the perfect feel of dark and creepy where a vampire works best. He misses the sun, he's dead during the day and drinking blood is not something he likes being a public show. It's not pretty sparkles but a little grim and that's the way I like it.

I liked the characters in this read. I took to Valek straight away, but Charlotte took a while. I don't do well with female characters who mostly think or focus on their love interest right from the beginning. What I mean is, before getting to know Charlotte and her personality, I was bombarded with her love interest and how amazing he is and how she longs for him. It was a little too much, especially for the beginning of a book. It changed when the plot started to get going and Charlotte soon came across as a strong-willed and smart girl. 

The plot was great. Like I said, the dark and broody type settings were a refreshing touch and the fact that all these paranormal creatures were together in one place gave me plenty to keep me interested. I will say though, I think the world this book is set in could be explained in a little more depth. I was a little overwhelmed at times and a little background information would have gone a long way.

 

All in all I liked this read. It was good to get away from the usual vampire romances and get some 'Dracula' type stuff going. This book features great writing, decent characters and plenty of action - if anything, pick it up to forget the wimpy vampires and get some super dark vampire action. 

 

My rating: 7/10

 

 

Shayne Leighton:

Goodreads | Blog | Twitter

 

Of Light and Darkness:

1. Of Light and Darkness
2. Of Blood and Magic
3. The Vampire's Hourglass

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Review: Red Glove by Holly Black

Title: Red Glove

Author: Holly Black

Series: Curse Workers #2

Publisher: Gollancz

Publication date: 16 Jun 2011

Format: Paperback | 272 pages

Genre: YA | Paranormal 

Goodreads

Curses and Cons

Magic and the Mob

In Cassel Sharpe's world, they go together. Cassel always thought he was an ordinary guy, but now he knows the truth - he's the most powerful curse worker around. He can transform anything - or anyone - into something else. That was how Lila, the girl he loved, became a white cat. Now she's back, but she's been cursed to love him. If Lila's love is as false as Cassel's made-up memories, then he can't believe anything she says or does.

When Cassel's oldest brother is murdered, the Feds recruit him to help find the killer. But the mob wants Cassel too - they know how valuable he could be to them. He will have to stay one step ahead of both sides just to survive. Where can he turn when he can't trust anyone - least of all, himself?

My thoughts:

After finding out he's one of the most powerful curse worker's around, Cassel Sharpe can't trust anyone to keep his secret and protect him from being exploited. A lot of people want him to work for them and will use any means to get it to happen - bribery, blackmail and even murder are all on the table where Cassel's involved. The only person he can really trust is himself.

I will say right off the bat that I didn't enjoy this read as much as the first one in the series. I didn't find it as thrilling simply because the element of surprise wasn't there to the same extent. I already knew what Cassel could do and what the rest of the characters curses are. It just wasn't the same.

Those elements were there on a smaller scale though. I liked the mystery involved in this one and how Cassel (or Holly Black I should say) kept the answer secret until the very end, even though he knew who the murderer was quite some time before it was revealed.

What takes the biscuit for me, in both this read and the previous one in the series, was how Cassel dealt with his problems in such a genius way. He waits until he has all the facts possible and then puts them together to plan a huge con. The cons are the best part of the book. When everything comes together and everyone plays their part - pure genius. It gives Cassel such depth and mystery that I can't help but want to get to know him more.

Overall I really liked this read and I can't wait to see more of Cassel and his brilliant ideas. I definitely recommend it.

My rating: 8/10

Holly Black:

Goodreads | Website | Livejournal | Twitter

 

Curse Workers:

1. White Cat
2. Red Glove
3. Black Heart 

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Review: White Cat by Holly Black

Title: White Car

Author: Holly Black

Series: Curse Workers #1

Publisher: Gollancz

Publication date: 01 Apr 2011

Format: Paperback | 336 pages

Genre: YA | Paranormal

Goodreads

No-one at home is ever going to forget that Cassel is a killer. No-one at home is ever going to forget that he isn't a magic worker. And now he is being haunted by a white cat…

Cassel's family are magic workers. Ever since magic was prohibited in 1929 magic workers have been driven underground and into crime. His grand-dad is a black-fingered death-dealer, his mother is in prison and his brothers detest him as the only one of their family who can't do magic. But there is a secret at the centre of Cassel's family and he's about to inherit it. It's terrifying and that's the truth.

My thoughts:

Cassel is the sole member of a family of magic workers without any magic. People with the ability to give good luck, dreams and change emotions as they see fit with just a slight of hand. Of course, not all workers use their magic to do good, in fact, most are criminals, some with the power to kill with a single touch or transform a person into an inanimate object. Cassel finds himself struggling to fit in with his family when he has always been an outsider and treated as such. 

 

I had no idea what to expect from this book. I'd heard good things, so I bought it. Aside from that, I knew nothing - no reviews were read, I didn't ask anybody about it, I just bought it. Turns out I really loved it.

 

More than anything, I loved Cassel's point of view. I thought he was a brilliant character, full of depth, witty, charming one minute and devious the next - he was a really well rounded character that I kept learning about throughout the read. He had enough personality to keep me interested to the end of the book. 

 

I've never picked up on this in any other books, but I noticed the dialogue in this novel was incredible. I mean it in the simplest sense. I found myself really enjoying whenever Cassel was having a normal, day to day conversation with someone from his family or school. Nothing involving magic or assassination plots, just everyday stuff. It's a testament to how much I like Cassel's character but I loved how Holly could make dialogue seem so natural, enough so that I could imagine myself speaking in that way to my own family. Until I started talking about death workers and losing my memory of course…

 

This was the first book by Holly Black that I've read but it's certainly not going to be the last. I've already started on the sequel to this book - Red Glove. If anything the plot and world building made me ever the more eager to get on with the next one, just to get a bit more of the suspense and the awesome way Cassel can pretend to be someone he's not to cultivate a con. This book was exciting. I got nervous when Cassel and his friends tried to pull off something a little complicated. I worried that plans would fall through. I was surprised when Cassel showed a hint of genius when he suddenly announced he had a failsafe ready anyway. It made my heart race in the way only a good writer can - by immersing me in the story completely.

 

All in all I really enjoyed this one and fully recommend it to anybody who reads YA. And even those who don't!

 

My rating: 10/10

 

 

Holly Black:

Goodreads | Website | Livejournal | Twitter

 

Curse Workers:

1. White Cat
2. Red Glove
3. Black Heart 

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Review: Dragons Are People, Too by Sarah Nicolas

Title: Dragons Are People, Too

Author: Sarah Nicolas

Series: N/A

Publisher: Entangled

Publication date: April 28th 2015

Format: Kindle | Netgalley | 255 pages

Genre: YA | Paranormal

Goodreads

Never judge a dragon
by her human cover...

Sixteen-year-old Kitty Lung has everyone convinced she’s a normal teen—not a secret government operative, not the one charged with protecting the president’s son, and certainly not a were-dragon. The only one she trusts with the truth is her best friend—and secret crush—the über-hot Bulisani Mathe.

Then a junior operative breaks Rule Number One by changing into his dragon form in public—on Kitty’s watch—and suddenly, the world knows. About dragons. About the Draconic Intelligence Command (DIC) Kitty works for. About Kitty herself.

Now the government is hunting down and incarcerating dragons to stop a public panic, and a new shape-shifting enemy has kidnapped the president’s son. Kitty and Bulisani are the last free dragons, wanted by both their allies and their enemies. If they can’t rescue the president’s son and liberate their fellow dragons before getting caught themselves, dragons might never live free again.

 

 

My thoughts:

I don't know what's going on, but the books I've been reading lately have been really hard to review. It's not that they're bad exactly, it's just that they don't seem to arouse any sort of genuine, heartfelt response to the story - it all seems to be just…meh.

Unfortunately this was another one of those reads. My biggest problem was that the characters felt extremely flat. Kitty was supposed to be one of those young, genius girls who can kick your butt into next week. She's a soldier who works for this dragon community of spies. But in no way did she behave like it. She still behaved too much like a high school student who can't stop thinking about their crush. It got really annoying.

What I loved but also hated at the same time, was the potential in the read. Sani has a really great backstory that's not explored in the slightest and Kitty has a lot of elements to her that could have made such a difference. Her parents for one and their story, but also, her spy level upbringing - I mean, she could have been that character that everyone loves to read about in YA, but instead she came across as too dependent.

At the same time, this book isn't exactly a 'bad' read. There's plenty to keep you interested. I liked all the action and how fast paced everything was. In some ways, that was the problem - it was too fast. There were so many missed opportunities for characters to be explored. But there was enough there for me to stay curious and keep reading.

My rating: 5/10

Sarah Nicolas:

Goodreads | Website | Twitter

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Review: Exaltation by Jamie Magee

Title: Exaltation

Author: Jamie Magee

Publisher: Alvashia 

Publication date: February 10th 2015

Format: Kindle | Netgalley 

Genre: YA | Paranormal 

Goodreads

Fate is a twisted b*$#@, at least his was.

Was one soul worth the lives of millions? The quandary was one that Rydell King had no choice but to face. No matter the answer, the truth remained—innocence was created to destroy him. She was beautiful…extinguishing her to save his people seemed impossible, and maybe it was. As an immortal, his focus was to destroy the curse upon his people, as he devoured the emotion that bore him—exaltation, no matter the cost. She made him question everything. 

Mercy had never been crueler.

 

 

My thoughts:

Well safe to say I'm really annoyed with myself. I think it would have helped greatly if I'd have read other books by this author to better understand what on earth was going on. Talk about being thrown in the deep end. As it was, I had no clue that this was part of a series, even if it could technically be read as a standalone.

I've never been so confused reading a book. There was so much going on already that I had a hard time grasping all the terms and names of places that were being thrown around. I did start to get the hang of it towards the end but for most of the read I was drawing a blank on a lot of technicalities of the plot.

I have to say though, for the most part, I was pleasantly surprised with this read. Forgetting the fact that I knew nothing about what was going on and it took so much time to get used to the world that this book is set in, I couldn't read it fast enough.

Rydell, I found, was a pretty complicated character and I liked that. He has a past and it comes through occasionally even though he's not aware of it. Others see it though and it makes for some pretty interesting interactions. I thought he worked really well with Raven - his seriousness and experience with her fun loving, quirky personality. They balanced each other out, which, from what I understand so far, is essential to the story.

 

What really blew it for me though, was the hint of a love triangle. I hate love triangles. They just don't work 99% of the time, either because there's too much of a clear choice or the author cops out and kills one of them off or something. I can't stand them. Seeing as I've had a whole book full of Rydell and no one else, I don't like the idea of someone else coming into the picture - I already don't like him. How could I? He's interfering and ruining a good thing. I really hope that's not the case.

 

All in all I enjoyed this book. I would recommend it, but please don't do what I did and start out of nowhere. I wouldn't mind checking out the series from the beginning myself.

 

My rating: 7/10

 

Jamie Magee:

Goodreads | Website | Twitter

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Review: Red by Alyxandra Harvey

Title: Red

Author: Alyxandra Harvey

Series: N/A

Publisher: Entangled Teen

Publication date: March 10th 2015

Format: Kindle | 198 pages

Genre: YA | Paranormal

Goodreads

Bad girls burn hot…

 

Red is the color of Kia Alcott's hair.
It's her temper, which blazes hot and always gets Kia into way too much trouble.
And it's the color of fire. Fires that Kia can start…just by thinking about them.

 

When her latest “episode” gets her kicked out of school, Kia is shipped off to her grandmother, who works for the wealthy Blackwoods. It's an estate shrouded in secrets, surrounded by rules, and presided over by a family that is far from normal…including the gorgeous and insolent Ethan Blackwood.

 

Ethan knows far more about the dangers of the forest surrounding the estate than Kia can ever imagine. For this forest has teeth, and Ethan is charged with protecting the outside world from its vicious mysteries.

 

But inside, even the most vibrant shade of red doesn't stand a chance against the dark secrets of the Blackwood family…

My thoughts:

This was one of those reads that were split right down the middle into one half that I couldn't stand and the other, enjoyable. For this kind of read, I never know what to say in a review and how to rate the book. I feel like I'm forced to decide which half of the read to represent the whole book. I suppose it depends on how enjoyable I found the one half to be. But it really does disappoint me when this happens - it just shows how much potential the book had.

To put it simply, I got bored. The first half of the book really dragged for me. I found myself wandering off just to distract myself and the number of times my thoughts started to wander was astonishing. Thinking back I don't know how I carried on reading. 

Nothing seemed to grab my attention. The characters fell really flat and that, in turn, just made me not care about anything that went on. Not any secrets that were revealed, character deaths or supposedly exciting things of the sort that usually has a reader on the edge of their seat.

In the second half however, things started to pick up. There was a whole lot more action happening and the characters had actually started to open up a bit, and that made me take a little bit more notice.

This is where things get really frustrating for me. Did I actually enjoy it that much, or was it in comparison to the first half of the story I found it a breath of fresh air? Thinking back, i couldn't wait for it to be over. So I guess that answers that question.

My rating: 4/10

Alyxandra Harvey:

Goodreads | Website | Twitter

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Review: Betrayals by Lili St. Crow

 

Title: Betrayals

Author: Lili St. Crow

Series: Strange Angels #2

Publisher: Razorbill

Publication date: Nov 17th 2009

Format: Paperback | 304 pages

Genre: YA | Paranormal

Poor Dru. Her parents are long gone. Her best friend Graves has been bitten by a werwulf. And she just learned that the blood flowing through her veins isn't entirely human. Now Dru's strange and handsome savior, Cristophe, has her hidden away at a secret Schola for djamphir and wulfen teens. Trouble is, she's the only girl in the place. The really bad news? Dru's killer instinct says that one of them wants her dead.

With all eyes on her, discovering a traitor within the Order could mean a lot more than social suicide…

My thoughts:

Betrayals pretty much starts off where Strange Angels left off, with Dru and Graves being sent on their way to a Schola to learn more about their abilities and the world of nosferatu, djamphir and wulfen. This time though, both Graves and Dru know that there's a traitor to the cause around somewhere in the Schola and have to go about trying to find out just who that is.

If you've read the first book in this series, you'll know that Graves came across as a bit dependent on Dru seeing as he's thrown into the supernatural world just for trying to help Dru out. Of course, in the first book of the series it was fully expected since Graves was fully dropped into the deep end with no warning whatsoever, however, Graves completely changes in this book. I expected it somewhat, just because it would be tiresome if he stayed the young, naive high school student all the way through the series, but he really came into his own in this one - he was a completely new character. I loved it to a certain extent - he had a lot more self confidence, power and attitude which I really enjoyed. But he also was incredibly different to the Graves from the first book. It may as well not be the same character. So I've kind of finished this read being so-so about Graves' new personality.

I thought exactly the same about Dru just going the opposite way. Dru was the tough heroine type in the first book of the series but this one was a different story. She spent too much time crying for my liking and not enough time figuring things out. I did take her with a pinch of salt seeing as she's lost everyone and she's supposed to be safe at last in the Schola, giving her a bit of leeway to let go of her tough girl facade. But, same as Graves, it went a bit too far - so much I could almost say she's a completely different character too.

This book is definitely nonstop action though. Straight from the start there's a lot going on and it stays that way throughout the whole book. Not just Dru running for her life, but her dealing with some of the usual high school problems on a supernatural scale. I loved the drama that took place with Graves and his friends. I really want to see if that's taken any further or explained a little since it left Dru feeling doubtful about who she could trust.

Overall I liked this read, even though I had a few problems with it. I certainly want to carry on in the series which says a lot in itself.

My rating: 6/10

Lili St. Crow:

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Strange Angels:

1. Strange Angels
2. Betrayals
3. Jealousy
4. Defiance
5. Reckoning

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Review: Mercy by Rebecca Lim

Title: Mercy 

Author: Rebecca Lim

Series: Mercy #1

Publisher: HarperCollins

Publication date: 28th October 2010

Format: Paperback | 288 pages

Genre: YA | Paranormal 

Goodreads

Mercy wakes on a school bus bound for Paradise, a small town where everyone knows everyone else's business…or thinks they do. But Mercy has a secret life. She is an angel, doomed to return repeatedly to Earth, taking on a new human form each time she does, in an effort to resolve a cataclysmic rift between heavenly beings.

In Paradise, Mercy meets Ryan, and eighteen-year-old whose sister was kidnapped two years ago and is presumed dead. When another girl is also taken, Mercy knows she has to act quickly and use extraordinary powers to rescue her, even if it means exposing her true identity.

My thoughts:

Mercy is the first book of a series focusing on a girl who doesn't know who she is past the name she's given herself - Mercy. Every once in a while she wakes up in a new body with a new name and in a new location. Things change when Mercy finds herself taking control of Carmen, a small, musically talented girl that dreams of making it as big a opera star. She finds herself fighting to find Ryan's sister where she wouldn't usually go out of her way for someone she'd only just met. But it might just end up pointing her in the right direction to find out who she really is once and for all.

Throughout this read Mercy is controlling Carmen's body but occasionally snippets of Carmen's thoughts would come through and it becomes plain to see the differences in the two characters' personalities. I really enjoyed that. It didn't happen very often but when it did, I found it really intriguing. Mercy wasn't exactly the friendliest person ever, but it was what Carmen needed to move on from her so called 'best friends' who were holding her back big time. I actually found Mercy to be a huge bitch, but Carmen balanced it out a little and stopped me from outright hating the main character which would have been disastrous.

However, I thought a lot of the characters weren't written so well. Seeing as though this read had a crime solving element to it, there was a whole list of characters thrown into the story to be seen as suspects which I didn't think worked so well. Mercy trying to figure out who took Ryan's sister is one thing, but when the characters Mercy suspects have no depth or personality traits a reader can relate to, it makes them fall short as even the most basic of criminals. Aside from that, I also found the mystery side to the story extremely predictable - I had no problem guessing who was the kidnapper far from the end of the book.

 

Overall I liked this read and I think I'll be carrying on to the second book for now. I have to say though, while I enjoyed Mercy, I think if the next book isn't any better than this one, I won't be going any further with the series.

 

My rating: 6/10

 

 Rebecca Lim:

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Mercy:

1. Mercy
2. Exile
3. Muse
4. Fury

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Review: Dreams of Gods and Monsters by Laini Taylor

Title: Dreams of Gods and Monsters

Author: Laini Taylor

Series: Daughter of Smoke and Bone

Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton

Publication date: 17th Apr 2014

Format: Hardback | 528 pages

Genre: YA | Paranormal

Goodreads

 

 

By way of a staggering deception, Karou has taken control of the chimaera rebellion and is intent on steering its course away from dead-end vengeance. The future rests on her, if there can even be a future for the chimaera in war-ravaged Eretz.

Common enemy, common cause.

When Jael's brutal seraph army trespasses into the human world, the unthinkable becomes essential, and Karou and Akiva must ally their enemy armies against the threat. It is a twisted version of their long-ago dream, and they begin to hope that it might forge a way forward for their people.

And, perhaps, for themselves. Toward a new way of living, and maybe even love.

But there are bigger threats than Jael in the offing. A vicious queen is hunting Akiva, and, in the skies of Eretz ... something is happening. Massive stains are spreading like bruises from horizon to horizon; the great winged stormhunters are gathering as if summoned, ceaselessly circling, and a deep sense of wrong pervades the world.

What power can bruise the sky?

From the streets of Rome to the caves of the Kirin and beyond, humans, chimaera and seraphim will fight, strive, love, and die in an epic theater that transcends good and evil, right and wrong, friend and enemy. 

At the very barriers of space and time, what do gods and monsters dream of? And does anything else matter? 

My thoughts:

Dreams of Gods and Monsters is the third and final book in the Daughter of Smoke and Bone trilogy. It starts off essentially where the second book, Days of Blood and Starlight, left off, with Karou and Akiva trying their best to unite the seraphim army, known as the misbegotten, and the surviving chimaera.

 

Every since I finished the second book of the trilogy, I've been simultaneously dreading and anticipating the release of the last book. The second book ended with such a surprising turn of events that I really didn't know what to expect to happen with this one. I just had the feeling that everything was going to get so much worse for the characters and there's no way they could get out of the situation they were left in. Especially for Karou and Akiva, I couldn't bear the thought of them not being together in the end and so I was so nervous to see what would happen between the two.

 

Honestly though, just like the last two books, this book was an absolute joy to read. Not because everything was all puppies and roses, it wasn't, it's just that Laini Taylor has this beautiful, mystical way of writing that sucks me into her world and lets me see what she sees. As of writing this review, I'm emigrating and you can imagine that takes a lot of work and a half! This book proved to be the most perfect distraction when things got a little too stressful and gave me the most amazing place to escape to so that I could forget about reality for a little while and go into a world filled with flying, blue-haired girls and angels with golden eyes.

 

The characters in this book are amazing. The story is amazing. The writing is beyond amazing.

 

There's absolutely nothing more I can say that will do this whole trilogy justice. If you haven't already, please, please give it a go. 

 

My rating: 10/10

 

 

Laini Taylor:

Goodreads | Website 

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Review: Forever by Maggie Stiefvater

Title: Forever

Author: Maggie Stiefvater

Series: The Wolves of Mercy Falls #3

Publisher: Scholastic

Publication date: July 2011

Format: Paperback | 496 pages

Genre: YA | Paranormal

Goodreads

Sam has always loved Grace. As a wolf, eh watched her from afar. As a boy, he held her in his arms.

Now facing the possibility of a life without her, he will do anything to keep her safe. Even if it means facing his demons. Even if it risks everything he has.

Anything, as long as their love can survive…

My thoughts:

I don't really have much to say about this read apart from I was thoroughly disappointed. I loved the first book of this series. The second not so much, but this one really let me down more than any of Stiefvater's books have.

 

The most immediate problem I had was that it took so long for anything to happen. I honestly feel like half of this book can be cut out and it wouldn't make any difference. It dragged on for so long until it came to the ending - I have to say, that was the worst ending I've read in a long time. Because everything was taking so long I assumed it was all leading up to this brilliant ending that would take my breath away. Not so...

 

The only reason I kept going was that I really love this set of characters. Cole really stepped up to the plate in this one and seriously grew on me. Sam and Grace were just perfect. I do think that Sam really sulked a lot which annoyed me, more so than in the past books I mean.

 

However, it didn't matter how much I loved the characters in the end, because it was all ruined by the ending of this book. I would have rated it a lot higher if it hadn't been for that let down. It was so rushed and unsatisfying. 

 

My rating: 4/10

 

Maggie Stiefvater:

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The Wolves of Mercy Falls:

1. Shiver
2. Linger
3. Forever

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Review: Darkness Becomes Her by Kelly Keaton

Title: Darkness Becomes Her

Author: Kelly Keaton

Series: Gods & Monsters #1

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Publication date: February 2011

Format: eBook | 288 pages

Genre: YA | Paranormal 

Goodreads

Ari can’t help feeling lost and alone. With teal eyes and freakish silver hair that can’t be changed or destroyed, Ari has always stood out. And after growing up in foster care, she longs for some understanding of where she came from and who she is.

Her search for answers uncovers a message from her long dead mother: Run. Ari can sense that someone, or something, is getting closer than they should. But it’s impossible to protect herself when she doesn’t know what she’s running from or why she is being pursued.

She knows only one thing: she must return to her birthplace of New 2, the lush rebuilt city of New Orleans. Upon arriving, she discovers that New 2 is very...different. Here, Ari is seemingly normal. But every creature she encounters, no matter how deadly or horrifying, is afraid of her.

Ari won’t stop until she knows why. But some truths are too haunting, too terrifying, to ever be revealed.

My thoughts:

This was another one of those reads that I didn't find amazing, but I still enjoyed reading it. These books are always the hardest to review for me because sometimes they don't leave enough of an impression for me to think 'there's something I have to put in the review later'.

While I did like the read, the scale was too heavy on the 'bad points' side for me to want to read it again or maybe carry on in the series. I'm not sure about that yet, but it's most definitely one that isn't going to be a priority out of all the series I'm dying to get my hands on.

The very first problem I noticed myself getting frustrated by was the way some events took place. For example, in a couple of action packed moments of the book, Ari - who I realise has had combat training but no experience with supernaturals and the like -  was fighting supernatural creatures with surprising ease. Everything that happened with her was too convenient and it made the story totally unrealistic.

 

It was the exact same problem with the romance that I had trouble with. I like romance in a story as much as the next reader but it has to be believable. It wasn't at all. Sebastian came across as a completely different character in the beginning to what he turned out to be at the end of the book. He didn't start off as someone who would just jump into a romance with anyone, let alone a cursed girl with beefy assassins out to get her. And then, without warning, he changes out of the blue to a really sweet guy who wants to be with someone he met the day before. He lost the air of mystery about him and that was really disappointing because it was what made me like him in the first place.

 

Aside from all that negativity, I really liked the plot of this book. It was entertaining, full of secrets and loveable characters. Enough so that I enjoyed the book despite all my ranting.

 

I especially loved Violet. She was such an intriguing character in so many ways. She had such loyalty to her friends and left such an impression on me without saying very much at all throughout the story. Her and her scary pet. I liked how all of the characters acted as a unit - they acted as a family in order to survive but ended up caring for each other perhaps more than blood relations would.

 

Overall I found this to be a pretty average book. I enjoyed it for the most part, but while the problems I had with it were few and far between, they really irked me. 

 

My rating: 5/10

 

Kelly Keaton:

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Gods & Monsters:

1. Darkness Becomes Her
2. A Beautiful Evil
3. The Wicked Within

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Review: Crash by Lisa McMann

Title: Crash

Author: Lisa McMann

Series: Visions #1

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Publication date: January 2013

Format: eBook | 256 pages

Genre: YA | Paranormal 

Goodreads

Jules lives with her family above their restaurant, which means she smells like pizza most of the time and drives their double-meatball-shaped food truck to school. It’s not a recipe for popularity, but she can handle that.

What she can’t handle is the recurring vision that haunts her. Over and over, Jules sees a careening truck hit a building and explode...and nine body bags in the snow.

The vision is everywhere—on billboards, television screens, windows—and she’s the only one who sees it. And the more she sees it, the more she sees. The vision is giving her clues, and soon Jules knows what she has to do. Because now she can see the face in one of the body bags, and it’s someone she knows. Someone she has been in love with for as long as she can remember.

 

 

My thoughts:

For me, this was one of those perfectly average reads where there were a lot of good moments, but also a lot of moments that frustrated me.

It wasn't that I hated the read, I enjoyed it well enough. It's just that it wasn't one that I immediately want to reread or even put it on my bookshelf to be honest. It had just enough of the good stuff for me to want to finish it. I think if it was any longer than it is, I would have given up long before the end.

 

What I really loved about this book, and it's definitely what kept me going, was the characters. Jules was hilarious. Her quirkiness led to some really funny moments and her ability to blurt out what's on her mind at the most inopportune times made me burst out laughing. I also liked Sawyer and how much the both of them together made a perfect couple to balance each other out. Sawyer had the capacity to admit to his mistakes at the end and that always makes me relate to a character, if only because it's the right thing to do.

 

The frustrating aspects of this book aren't easy for me to put into words. It was like there wasn't enough to get me completely invested in the story. Whenever there were hints at the history between the two families involved in the story, it was mentioned but never taken anywhere. I thought the same about Jules' new 'vision' capabilities - there was never any mention of when they started or how they came to be. Whether or not it's fully explained in the next books, it was too important a detail for me to wait for - I can't help but feel it would have made the story that much more believable. I suppose it all came down to the details for me. I am a fan of authors who have very descriptive writing and detailed imaginations so this read fell short in that respect.

 

The plot itself was good. This read is very to the point and the author wastes no time getting the story going. I read it entirely in one sitting in just a couple of hours so it's nice for a fun afternoon read. 

 

My rating: 6/10

 

Lisa McMann:

Goodreads | Website | Twitter | Facebook

 

Visions:

1. Crash
2. Bang
3. Gasp

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Review: Til Death by Kate Evangelista

Title: Til Death

Author: Kate Evangelista

Series: Fractured Souls #1

Publisher: Entangled Teen

Publication date: March 4th 2014

Format: ebook | 320 pages

Genre: YA | Paranormal 

Goodreads

Sixteen-year old Selena Fallon is a dreamer. Not a day-dreamer, but an I-see-the-future kind of dreamer. Normally this is not a problem as she has gotten pretty good at keeping her weird card hidden from everyone in her small town. Except from her best friend Kyle and her grandparents, of course. But when Selena dreams of her own rather bloody death, things get a little too freaky even for her.

Enter Dillan Sloan. Selena has seen the new guy in a different dream, and he is even more drool worthy in person. Beyond the piercing blue eyes and tousled dark hair, there is something else that draws her to him. Something…electric. Unfortunately, Dillan makes it more than clear that he does not feel the same. They just met, so why would he act like he hates her?

When Dillan and Selena are forced together one weekend to work on a school project, Selena prepares to be ignored as usual. But when she stumbles across a few undead in the backyard, Dillan comes to her rescue and reveals a whole lot more. Not only is he part of a society that hunts otherworldly creatures…she is too. And she is being targeted by a force bigger and darker than anything she ever imagined. Despite her death dream, Selena is not going to give up easy, especially when she discovers that Dillan might not actually hate her after all.

 

 

My thoughts:

Selena Fallon has visions. And not particularly nice ones at that. Seems like a lot of pressure to keep that big of a secret right? It gets even worse when Dillan Sloan gets transferred to Selena's school. Til Death follows Selena's battle to not only get the answers to the questions that have been plaguing her mind and the meanings behind her terrifying dreams, but to find out what on earth Dillan's problem is...

I don't know about Dillan but my problem right now is that I'm having a hard time getting my thoughts about this book out of my head and down into a review. I pretty much found this book to be an okay read. It had its moments, but that was it. One of the better parts of this read that come to mind is at the beginning of the book where Dillan is pretty much unbearable. I liked the way he interacted with Selena when he was confused or frustrated with the on and off feelings of guilt and the like. 

To be honest, that's where it ended for me. I was actually only a few chapters into the book when I realised I wouldn't get on with it. Mostly for one reason which was predictability. I'm not exaggerating when I say I saw every single thing coming. I guessed which characters were the villain-type and what would happen at the end. I only found myself finishing the book just to find out if I could possibly be right.

If you're into original stories then I definitely wouldn't recommend this one. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't a particularly bad read, I just have all the problems I had with it roaming around in my mind for me to be able to focus on what was some of its good points. It weighed far too much on the 'bad' side of the scale for me.

My rating: 5/10

 Kate Evangelista:

Goodreads | Website | Twitter | Facebook

Fractured Souls:

1. Til Death
2. After Death 

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Review: Blood Magic by Tessa Gratton

Title: Blood Magic

Author: Tessa Gratton

Series: The Blood Journals #1

Publisher: Doubleday

Publication date: 26 April 2012

Format: Paperback | 416 pages

Genre: YA | Paranormal

Goodreads

The murder of her parents has left Silla damaged and lost, and Silla's insistence that her father is not to blame only alienates her further from her friends and family. When a mysterious spell book arrives, Silla hopes it will lead to some answers about her parents' killer. In her first attempt at magic, in an old graveyard near her home, Nick, the new boy in town spies on her; he recognizes the magic that Silla is performing as the same magic his mother performed with him, before she went mad.


Before long, Silla and Nick connect, though Nick is unwilling to share his history with blood magic with Silla. When Silla's friends start showing signs of possession, Silla, Nick and Silla's brother, Reese, must contend with a deadly, immortal woman who will stop at nothing to take the book of spells from them.

 

 

My thoughts:

Well this was certainly a lot darker than I expected. Very surprising. 

For those of you who have read quite a few of my reviews, you'll know that I love a dark, atmospheric tone to a story. If it's done right I immediately become completely enthralled - that was definitely the case with this book. I was, at points in the story, a little stunned by the level of horror or, I suppose you could call it, savagery. There were a few gory moments and a lot of blood for obvious reasons, but there was also some slightly disturbing moments where characters go a little crazy in their plight for revenge. So, yeah, surprising for a YA book.

I really liked the characters of Blood Magic. I thought they had a great depth to them, especially in their backstories. Silla was a joy to read about with her personality - this book was partly about Silla discovering who she really is on her own, without the support of her whole family. I loved reading about her finding out her true strengths as well as her weaknesses and how she overcame them. Nick was great in his own way. He was more or less clueless at the beginning of the book and yet by the end, he was pretty much the one holding everyone together in my opinion.

 

What I found a little frustrating with this read was the plot. I felt that it wasn't developed at the right pace for me to get the full level of anticipation I'm used to. Sometimes the plot would progress so quickly that I felt I was missing an entire book, and then other times there would be absolutely nothing happening plot wise and the focus was entirely on the romance side of things. If there was a perfect balance between the magic side of the story, and the romance, I would have considered this one a keeper.

 

Overall I liked this one and I would definitely recommend it. For the most part, it was brilliant to read. Full of action and suspense with an intense romantic relationship to boot!

 

My rating: 7/10

 

Tessa Gratton:

Goodreads | Website | Twitter

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Review: Poison Princess by Kresley Cole

Title: Poison Princess

Author: Kresley Cole

Series: The Arcana Chronicles #1

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Publication date: October 2012

Format: ebook

Genre: YA | Paranormal

Goodreads

Evangeline “Evie” Greene, 16, leads a charmed life until her horrifying hallucinations predict a disaster that decimates her Louisiana hometown. She joins classmate Jack - with his mile-long rap sheet, wicked grin, bad attitude - and 22 other teens, as an ancient prophesy re-enacts the ultimate battle between good and evil. But who is on which side?

My thoughts:

I did not expect this read to be as intense as it was.

At first I felt out of the loop a little with the way the story is set out. There was so much going on I struggled to place all of it on a timeline - it's not exactly set in chronological order and for so much happening, it was really confusing at first. I stuck with it though and it soon cleared itself up.

This was my first book by Kresley Cole and honestly, I can't wait to read more of her books. I thought her style of writing was really captivating. I didn't want to put this read down because the suspense was killing me which I chalk up to the writing.

The characters though, they were something else entirely. I loved how different Evie and Jack were - complete opposite ends of the spectrum and it worked all the better for them in my opinion. Evie was so vulnerable at first, even before the post-apocalyptic aspect of the story. Jack was already so strong and sure of himself so they made the perfect team. And eventually more characters were introduced, each with a different part to play and something new to bring to the book. Matthew was sweet, Selena a little too sassy and Finneas was hilarious.

As for the plot, it was certainly something new and different. I loved the idea of the Arcana - I won't go into it for fear of spoilers - it was most definitely original. The read was also surprisingly creepy. I wasn't expecting there to be quite so much gore and insane people who want to eat you.

Overall I really enjoyed reading this one. I can't wait until October for the next book in the series - I'm dying to know where this is going.

My rating: 9/10

Kresley Cole:

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Review: Velveteen by Daniel Marks

Title: Velveteen 

Author: Daniel Marks

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Publication date: Oct 9th 2012

Format: Hardcover | 464 pages

Genre: YA | Paranormal

Goodreads

Velveteen Monroe is dead. At 16, she was kidnapped and murdered by a madman named Bonesaw. But that’s not the problem.

The problem is she landed in purgatory. And while it’s not a fiery inferno, it’s certainly no heaven. It’s grey, ashen, and crumbling more and more by the day, and everyone has a job to do. Which doesn’t leave Velveteen much time to do anything about what’s really on her mind.

Bonesaw.

Velveteen aches to deliver the bloody punishment her killer deserves. And she’s figured out just how to do it. She’ll haunt him for the rest of his days.

It’ll be brutal... and awesome.

But crossing the divide between the living and the dead has devastating consequences. Velveteen’s obsessive haunting cracks the foundations of purgatory and jeopardises her very soul. A risk she’s willing to take—except fate has just given her reason to stick around: an unreasonably hot and completely off-limits coworker.

Velveteen can’t help herself when it comes to breaking rules... or getting revenge. And she just might be angry enough to take everyone down with her.

 

 

My thoughts:

This isn't going to be a good review, unfortunately, since I really didn't like this read.

This book became a chore for me to read which, of course, is what any reader does not want to happen. I think the biggest problem I had was that I couldn't connect to the author's style of writing. It seemed all over the place to me - I would find myself finishing a page and having to read it over because I didn't take anything in.

 

I also didn't like the main character, Velvet. I get that she was supposed to be a little bitchy but I think it was a little too much since I eventually just got sick of her. 

 

I did, however, like the other characters. I thought Nick was sweet and that the twins were hilarious. Also, I enjoyed how different the settings were and the creepy purgatory aspect to the story. Regrettably though, this wasn't enough to live up to my idea of a good read.

 

Overall, I wouldn't recommend this one. It has its moments, but it wasn't enough for me.

 

My rating: 3/10

 

Daniel Marks:

Goodreads | Twitter | Website | Facebook | YouTube

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