Review: Across the Universe by Beth Revis

Book: Across the Universe by Beth Revis
Publisher: Razorbill
Pages: 416
Source: Library
Links: Goodreads | Amazon

A love out of time. A spaceship built of secrets and murder.

Seventeen-year-old Amy joins her parents as frozen cargo aboard the vast spaceship Godspeed and expects to awaken on a new planet, three hundred years in the future. Never could she have known that her frozen slumber would come to an end fifty years too soon and that she would be thrust into the brave new world of a spaceship that lives by its own rules.

Amy quickly realizes that her awakening was no mere computer malfunction. Someone-one of the few thousand inhabitants of the spaceship-tried to kill her. And if Amy doesn't do something soon, her parents will be next.

Now Amy must race to unlock Godspeed's hidden secrets. But out of her list of murder suspects, there's only one who matters: Elder, the future leader of the ship and the love she could never have seen coming.

Guys, I believe with all my heart that science fiction is going to be the next big thing in the YA genre. Across the Universe is my first, real taste of science fiction in YA, and boy was it good! (Is it just me who barely noticed that the cover has two people facing each other? I thought it was just blobs.)

Anyways, ON TO THE REVIEW.

WHAT I LIKED:

• Intriguing mysteries? UNPREDICTABLE twists? WIN.
• If y'all know me, you know how much I enjoy those shocking twists that make you go, "OH WHAT THE FUDGE IS THIS?" This book is FILLED TO THE BRIM with these kinds of twists. Good gosh, I can't remember how many times I was surprised from this book.

• The storytelling in this book is just as entrancing and captivating like the stars in the galaxies.
• Ohohoho, Gianna has some poetic side to her after all! (Not really.) Point is, this book has super lovely prose and it was a key aspect of why I liked this book. If anything, this is what stuck me through the long, tedious lulls I experienced when I read AtU.

•  World building scores!
• Floppies, "frex", high tech gizmos and gadgets, Across the Universe had some fairly good world building, which I really liked. It was really fascinating to learn about the technology that was invented in this book and I could probably see these things happening in the future!

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE:

• I... couldn't really connect with the characters.
• Sure, they were enjoyable to read about but I found it so hard just to connect with Amy, Elder, and everyone else on the ship. 

• A love out of time? Psh, more like, "A love that needs more time!"
• Warning, folks: signs of instant love is definitely strong. I like Amy and Elder as a couple. They mesh well together, to put it in one way. 
• Here's the thing though: they hardly know each other. I wanted to see their relationship develop more in AtU, but unfortunately it didn't happen. In my opinion, I felt that things were moving a bit too fast between them and that is something that just doesn't sit right with me.

•  If this book was a reptile, it'd be a turtle that has a faulty rocket jet pack.
• Now, you may be going like, "WHAAA?" but I'm completely serious. You're also probably wondering how is it like that? Sometimes, the turtle's faulty rocket jet pack would work. In this case, that means the book would be fast paced and engaging. When the faulty jet pack wouldn't work, the turtle (the book) was very, very slow. (Am I making sense here?)
• Point is: book could be fast paced sometimes, book could be so slow sometimes.
• Slow paced books equals me getting heavy lidded eyes and my entertainment level on low.

 THE VERDICT:

• For the love of all things cute and adorable, I swear I really liked this book. It sounded like I didn't, but I really did. Sure, the romance and plot pacing fell a bit for me, but in all, it's a really great book. Across the Universe has some definite potential to be the start of one kick butt sci-fi series, a series I will definitely be on the lookout for.

 

ALA Recap: Day 2 + ALA Book Haul

Hello once again, everyone! :)

NOW, don't kill me but I barely have any pictures from Day 2. x-x (I relied on my dad to take pics of ALA like he did on Saturday, but... he got lazy too. EPIC FAIL.)

I do have pictures of my book haul later in the post, so if you want to skip this text filled part of the post, then by all means, go ahead~

Interesting Things That I Can Recall from Sunday (AKA Day 2)

A) I got there around 9:30ish and I wandered just for a bit till I found Kristin (again)!

B) Kristin and I went to Disney-Hyperion's booth and those lovely people over there gladly gave us the galleys we asked for. (Of course we asked in a very nice, almost shy kind of manner.)

For me, I asked for The Archived by Victoria Schwab and Poison by Bridget Zinn! :D I was SO excited to see that they had galleys of Poison. It was one of the books that made my day!

C) I ended up meeting Ishita (The Reading Fish) and Zareen (Reach for the Stars... And the Books!) (FINALLY!) in the morning and they are such SUPER uber awesome people! 

It was a shame I didn't hang out with them for the entire time, but we did hang out for a bit. :)

D) For most of the time, my group consisted of: Kristin (Beneath Shining Stars, I Read), Molly AKA Usagi (Birth of a New Witch), Jill (Swimming in YA), my dad, and Kristin's HILARIOUS mom. 

E) For about a half hour, Jill and I went on an adventure to go find a mango smoothie! We wandered about in the non-bookish exhibit hall for like a half hour. We asked for directions after a while, and it turns out that the mango smoothies were in a WAY different part of the convention center.

Fail. (It was fun though!)

F) I attended a few signings, sent my dad off to other signings I couldn't make, stalked the publisher booths, and did some other things that I cannot remember for the life of me.

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Huge Thank Yous to These Publishers and their Publicists

Disney-Hyperion, Harper-Collins, Penguin, Harlequin TEEN, and Macmillian! You guys were so AWESOME and just plain out friendly. I enjoyed talking to all of your publicists and thank you so much for the galleys you gave me! <3

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ALA Book Haul

The moment you've all been waiting for (or not been waiting for since you may have just skipped here), MY ALA BOOK HAUL! YAAAY. 

Okay, I don't really know how many books I got. (I didn't want to count.) I did organize the books by their release date though. :3

Ignore my shoes. BUT YES! Swag! :D

ALA Recap Day 1: Entering the Fray

Guuuyyss! Hey there! :) I've only been gone from the blog for about a couple of days, but it feels like it's been FOREVER since I touched a computer. (Two days is a VERY long time for someone who's a computer freak like me.)

If you've been following me on Twitter, you'll know I've been at ALA this entire weekend! :D I also met some great bloggers, got AMAZING titles (which I cannot stop thanking the wonderful publicists for!), tortured my shoulders for two days nonstop, and just in all, had a REALLY great time. :) ♥

Prepare yourself for a long(ish) post ahead! O-O 

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 Day 1 (AKA June 23, 2012, the MOST overwhelming day EVAR)

IN THE BEGINNING...

Okay, well, as any ALA day would begin, I woke up freakishly early to get ready and drive to ALA with dear old father and cousin Kevin.

Oh joy! Time to pay the twelve dollar parking fee!

 We got there about half an hour early before the exhibit hall opened, which was great because we went to go get our badges and prepare to enter the fray!

9:00 AM arrived and we all were just wandering aimlessly around the publisher's booth until it was time for Marie Lu's signing (which is the author of Legend, that super kick butt book that EVERYONE needs to read).

LURKING ABOUT AND WHAT NOT

I was walking around and snagging a copy here and there, and there it was: HARLEQUIN. I've got mad love for this publisher, and at that time, I was feeling pretty ballsy and not like an awkward turtle. So what did I do?

I talked to the publicist! (LE GASP.)

Me in BALLSY mode.

She was like so freaking friendly. I never got the chance to ask her for her name, but she had some AWESOME recommendations, which she was so kind enough to let me have a copy of:

 The Goddess Test (E to the friggin' EEP) and an ARC of Speechless by Hannah Harrington. (She also wrote Saving June, which I have not read but is supposedly one of those emotional reads.)

Awesome publicist lady pointing with to awesome reads.

Dad, Kevin, and I wandered about for another 10-15 minutes. I do remember getting an ARC of What's Left of Me (the galleys were gone FAST) at HarperCollins.

10-15 minutes passed and it was time. What did I do? I went to my FIRST signing ever. No, like seriously, this was my first author signing. (ALA is my first book event, YAY!)

MARIE FREAKIN' LU TIME.

Gah, I don't even remember how early I got to the signing (which started at 10 AM) but this, my friends, is where I meet... KRISTIN! Dude, Kristin is like awesome and everything on Twitter so NATURALLY, I was like shy to approach her.

I eventually did though, and it resulted into a hug and happy smiles and awkward greetings. :D We stood in line for the first signing of the day, and unfortunately, it took longer than usual.

Damn line cutters. Nonetheless, Kristin and I got our books signed! :D We also had to pay for another copy of Legend for $10 in order to get an ARC of Prodigy, which was pretty lameballs for me since I had an e-copy of Legend in the Kindle. :P

Ew, it's me. But YAY! It's Kristin! :D

Yeah, I'd cross my face out too BUT I post this for the sake of Marie Lu. ♥

Oh haiii, Kristin with awesome hair and lovely Penguin books! ;D

After finding Kristin, we decided to become lurking buddies! (Which basically means we wander around, looking and trying to resist awesome titles.) 

Our parents attended Libba Bray's The Diviners signing for us, which was awesome sauce.

Lunch time came, and we parted ways for a bit. I ended up attending Morgan Matson's signing for Second Chance Summer. No pictures for this signing because I was kind of rushing, but Morgan is SUCH a nice person. Ohmygosh. <3 

OTHER SIGNINGS AND MORE LURKING

Random pic: ALA was a tad packed.

 Okay, now my memory is a little fuzzy from this point of the day because I remember that:

A) I was tired as heck already, and it was only a little after noon.

B) The sandwich I ate made my stomach sour, so I had like miniscule sized stomach cramping throughout the entire day.

C) Since I was tired, I was in an incredibly dazed mode, which I just nod and shake my head. I also tend to become much more quiet. 

Now, what I do remember (in no particular order):

A) I got a copy of The Raven Boys! (Dad got TOO lazy to go get it signed, so he just grabbed one. Thanks, Dad, lol. But seriously, thank you Dad! ♥)

Random pic: S&S display. ENSHADOWED!!! ♥

B) Kristin and I acquired more books at different booths, which for the LIFE of me, I cannot remember right now. 

 

(I DO remember the people at Disney's booth were SO amazing. They were super kind, and just plain sweethearts. They gave me and Kristin a stack of each of their titles! <3)

C) I saw the line for Tahereh Mafi's signing. INSANELY LONG I TELL YE. No Unravel Me ARC for me. :P

D) Kristin and I went to go wait about an hour early for Melissa Marr's Carnival of Souls signing. The wait was WORTH IT. We ended up getting a sweeeet shirt, a mask, and of course, an ARC of Carnival of Souls.

 

Me waiting and Kristin getting her copy signed!! :D

 

 

Showing Melissa my name so she could personalize the signing!

 

Talking to Melissa Marr = AWESOME. :D And my cousin Kevin in a mask. XD

After this signing, Kristin was tired and we parted ways until tomorrow! And for me, I had one last signing to go to... THAT'S RIGHT. Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas.

E) After waiting another hour for Throne of Glass's signing, I finally got it signed and I chatted for a bit with Sarah J. Maas! 

:DDD

After that, I headed home. :) It was a very tiring day and I needed to rest up for the next day! (So did my dad. Poor him, he drove back and forth for me for two days straight! GO DAD.)

My book haul of the day:

 It's about 25 books. :)

I'll be doing another recap post of today at ALA on Tuesday, as well as a wrap up post! :) I'm SUPER tired, so I'm heading off to sleep.

Review: Legend by Marie Lu

Overall Thoughts: 

Legend is a wonderfully written, captivating book. It has everything a dystopian thriller could dream of: heart racing action, intriguing plot, and awesome characters! However, being an insanely quick read at 305 pages, it lacked in world building and relationship development between our two main characters, June and Day. 

Told in alternate point of views, June and Day's voices were realistic and raw with emotions that leaped off the pages. If you're looking for a quick, engaging start to a dystopian series, look no further! Legend awaits you.

Genre: YA dystopia with a dash of romance
Links: Goodreads | Amazon
Pages: 305

For a more in-depth review, please continue reading below.  

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Book: Legend by Marie Lu
Publisher: Putnam Juvenile
Pages: 305
Source: Bought
Links: Goodreads | Amazon

What was once the western United States is now home to the Republic, a nation perpetually at war with its neighbors. Born into an elite family in one of the Republic’s wealthiest districts, fifteen-year-old June is a prodigy being groomed for success in the Republic’s highest military circles. Born into the slums, fifteen-year-old Day is the country’s most wanted criminal. But his motives may not be as malicious as they seem.

From very different worlds, June and Day have no reason to cross paths—until the day June’s brother, Metias, is murdered and Day becomes the prime suspect. Caught in the ultimate game of cat and mouse, Day is in a race for his family’s survival, while June seeks to avenge Metias’s death. But in a shocking turn of events, the two uncover the truth of what has really brought them together, and the sinister lengths their country will go to keep its secrets.

Full of nonstop action, suspense, and romance, this novel is sure to move readers as much as it thrills.

Legend is a book that totally went under my radar. I didn't find the cover to be that eye catching, but after seeing all the hype and excitement for the upcoming sequel, Prodigy, I just knew I had to get my hands on this book!

Was I disappointed? Just a bit. Did I enjoy it? Heck to the yes!

WHAT I LIKED:

• The plot kept me on my toes! This calls for a, "YAY!"
• When I'm reading a book, nothing satisfies me more than a plot keeping me on my toes. (That and well written steamy romance, but that's not the point here.) This story right here has everything from intriguing mysteries the government hides to absolutely surprising twists that left my mouth agape.

• This book made me FEEL.
• Already in the beginning, I could feel tears welling up in my eyes. I used to think it wasn't possible for me to feel emotional from a character's death that I hardly knew, but obviously Legend is an exception! 

•  Me gusta the action scenes. A LOT.
• It is a very rare occasion when I'm thoroughly engaged in the action scenes. I tend to get bored easily.
• However, Lu conducts a nice blend of action scenes throughout the novel which kept me breathless and dying to know what would happen next! To all the authors who struggle with writing action scenes, take note of Legend! Lu left me a very pleased reader at the end.

• Is it possible to love a heroine this much?
• June was one of the best characters I've ever had a pleasure to meet. Quick on her feet and not a total dim-wit, I loved reading about this girl. 
• I think what I really enjoyed the most about her was her calculating, deductive thinking and her precise, dexterous moves in battle. She's too cool for me, man.

• Relationship between Day and June? Win.
• What I really enjoyed about the relationship between these two is that they're like two peas in a pod. Equally cunning and fast on their feet, they're the perfect match for each other! I also loved the conversations between the two when they were together.

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE:

•  Despite being a captivating, quick read, one downfall of this would have to be it was too quick of a read.
• Personally, I could have used a bit more world building to see how everything got to be in Legend. It felt just a bit vague when I was reading this book, but seeing how Prodigy is a near 100 pages longer than Legend, I can only hope that Lu elaborates more on this in the next book.
• Relationship between Day and June? Fail.
• Sure, these two are fit each other like two jigsaw puzzle pieces, but the book was so short that it hardly allowed any more development between the two other than a strong, physical attraction to each other.
• Not that the strong attraction to each other is bad, it would have been nice to see a bit more progression between the two.

 
Legend was pretty awesome. It's got amazing potential to what seems to be a great series. I personally think if Lu works more on elaborating the world building and relationship development, this series has got a really good chance of being the next big hit!

Top Five Reads of 2012 (So Far!)

Okay, it's the middle of the week and it's somewhat close to the middle of the year (July 2nd, 2012), so I decided to do my top five reads of 2012 so far. :) Aaand, in no particular order, here we go!

1. Nevermore by Kelly Creagh: Deliciously creepy with a well-written romance? Um, of course this would be one of my favorites! ♥ DO NOT judge this book by its cover. It's so so SO worth the read.

2. Sweet Evil by Wendy Higgins: OHMAHGAWRSH. This book is so so good. It totally seems like a generic paranormal romance, but it's way different! I don't know how to explain it. (And Kaidan was definitely one element of this book that made it my favorite!)

3. Finnikin of the Rock by Melina Marchetta: If I had to say one book from here that was my TOP all time favorite, it'd have to be this book. Gorgeous prose, amazing world building, and OH THE TWISTS. PEOPLE NEED TO READ THIS.

4. Kill Me Softly by Sarah Cross: This is a book that people need to know more about. Despite the fact I found the heroine not to my liking, the whole thing was just so good. ESPECIALLY THE PROSE.

5. Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry: Um. YEAH. Me too guys, I never expected a contemporary to be on my top five list for 2012. At first glance, I totally thought I figured out the plot and it was just going to be a cliche novel. Eh.

BUT THIS. The characters made me FEEL. The plot made me FEEL. This whole damn book made me FEEL. <3 And needless to say, it was super addicting to read!

EPIC Cover Discovery! Prophecy by Ellen Oh

Book: Prophecy by Ellen Oh
Publisher: HarperTeen
Release Date: 2013
Source: Goodreads

The greatest warrior in all of the Seven Kingdoms . . . is a girl with yellow eyes.

Kira’s the only female in the king’s army, and the prince’s bodyguard. She’s a demon slayer and an outcast, hated by nearly everyone in her home city of Hansong. And, she’s their only hope. . . .

Murdered kings and discovered traitors point to a demon invasion, sending Kira on the run with the young prince. He may be the savior predicted in the Dragon King Prophecy, but the missing treasure of myth may be the true key. With only the guidance of the cryptic prophecy, Kira must battle demon soldiers, evil shaman, and the Demon Lord himself to find what was once lost and raise a prince into a king.

Intrigue and mystery, ancient lore and action-packed fantasy come together in this heart-stopping first book in a trilogy.

Finally, a cover that goes against the eye catching but generically boring girls in pretty dresses. <3

GAAAAAAAAH. Guys do you understand what this IS? DO YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT THIS SUMMARY IS? IT'S AWESOME.

Inspired by Ancient Korea, it's high fantasy, it has a demon slaying badass heroine, and the slight  possibility of romance? Yes to ALL! Well, naturally, I'm excited for this because it has Asian inspired elements plus my favorite genre of all time, fantasy.

Posting this cover discovery goes against my personal rule of posting once a day. o-o I JUST HAD TO SHARE THIS THOUGH. <3

Okay, I'm going to stop going all CAPS lock on you guys. Have a nice day, everyone! Feel free to get excited with me about this book on Twitter (@bookstoinfinity) ;D

Review: Nevermore by Kelly Creagh

Book: Nevermore by Kelly Creagh
Publisher: Atheneum
Pages: 543
Source: Library
Links: Goodreads | Amazon

Cheerleader Isobel Lanley is horrified when she is paired with Varen Nethers for an English project, which is due—so unfair—on the day of the rival game. Cold and aloof, sardonic and sharp-tongued, Varen makes it clear he’d rather not have anything to do with her either. But when Isobel discovers strange writing in his journal, she can’t help but give this enigmatic boy with the piercing eyes another look.

Soon, Isobel finds herself making excuses to be with Varen. Steadily pulled away from her friends and her possessive boyfriend, Isobel ventures deeper and deeper into the dream world Varen has created through the pages of his notebook, a realm where the terrifying stories of Edgar Allan Poe come to life.

As her world begins to unravel around her, Isobel discovers that dreams, like words, hold more power than she ever imagined, and that the most frightening realities are those of the mind. Now she must find a way to reach Varen before he is consumed by the shadows of his own nightmares.

His life depends on it.

Before I start my letter, I would like just like to say to you all: OH SWEET GOD. THIS BOOK MADE ME FEEL. This was such a gorgeously written book, a true hidden gem in the endless plains of generically made YA. People should know more about this book. FORREAL. *calms down, takes a deep breath*

Dear Ms. Creagh,

I'm at a loss for words. What can I say? Well, I know I can say thank you. Thank you for writing this amazing novel, which picked me up when I was in a tough time. It helped me escape the troubles and sorrows that was tying me down to this world. Needless to say, I was incredibly entranced by your writing and just the whole story itself.

I would also like to say a few things:

•   I also loved the characters you created, especially Isobel and Varen. 
• Isobel was such a well written heroine. Her personality and determination shined in this book, and I found it very admirable. I would love to meet this girl in real life!
• Varen, on the other hand, was weaved with intricacies that made him a complex and swoon worthy character nonetheless. 
• I loved how I couldn't just label him as a good or bad boy; he was his own personal brand of loveliness. ♥

• The dreamlike world you breathed life to was deliciously creepy and fascinating.
• I completely admire with all of the world building you have done in this book. I expected something rather simple, but you absolutely blew me away! 
• I was haunted by the lush, morbid depictions of this dark phantasm with its grotesque creatures, and yet, I absolutely loved every second of it.

• I absolutely adore how the romance was crafted in this book.
• Slow burning and steadily growing best describes how you wrote the romance in this book. The romantic tension between Varen and Isobel was laid on thick, which had my heart pounding and me squealing like a little girl. 
• This is a how romance should be written, and I thank you once more for not making me  have to put up with another over saturated, instant love that was heated in a microwave for five seconds.

Oops, I ended making my letter longer than I originally intended! Ending on that note, I'm in (author) love with you and your writing, Ms. Creagh, and I look forward to reading the sequel and the rest of your future works. ♥

Stacking the Shelves (6/16/12)

Stacking the Shelves is hosted by the lovely Tynga!

Hello, everyone! :) I didn't get a huge book haul this week, but I got three awesome books nonetheless!

Bought on the Kindle:

Legend by Marie Lu
  

For Review:

The Assassin's Curse by Cassandra Rose Clarke (Thank you, Netgalley and Angry Robot!)

Unspoken by Sarah Rees Brennan (Thank you, Netgalley and Random House!)

 

I got Legend for dear ol' father since he does have a thing for dystopian/sci-fi books, and he just devoured it in a day!

Conversation between Dad and I:
Dad: I finished it.
Me: Finished what?
Dad: Legend by Marie Lu.
Me: WHAT IT'S ONLY BEEN A DAY WTH.
Dad:
Me:
Dad:
Me:
Dad: Yeah. I really liked it. *does a small smile*

Now, I'm super excited to read it! It looks so good and everyone is saying that it's made of awesome sauce. *-*

I did a back flip in the air (in my head of course) because I was so excited to see that I got approved for The Assassin's Curse! It supposedly has assassins, adventure, romance, ROMANCE WITH SAID ASSASSIN, gaaahhh~ I've been WANTING a deadly assassin and kick butt heroine love for forever! <3

When I saw I got approved for Unspoken, I did a "E" to the freakin "EEEEP"! Can you believe how awesome this book sounds?! Unfortunately, it's pulling a Glitch with me right now.

Don't get it? Glitch by Heather Anastasiu used to not have a Kindle reading option. Then, BAM. Kindle option shows up few weeks later! So here's to hoping there will be a Kindle reading option in the future. x-x

What I finished last week:

I finished Nevermore and Across the Universe. Oh my goodness gracious, for the LOVE of all things sweet and cuddly, you all MUST MUST MUST read Nevermore if you haven't already. It's absolutely just a gorgeous, engrossing read that will not let you go. It's definitely one of my favorites for 2012!

ALSO, do NOT let Nevermore's cover fool you. It may be creepy (well, it is to me) but I had a picture of Ezra Miller (Ezra Miller is on the left) on my phone which perfectly depicts Varen Nethers in all of his amazing glory. Needless to say, I was looking at it the entire time while I was reading Nevermore so I can get that creepy guy out of my head. x-x

Across the Universe was also such an awesome sci-fi read, and I cannot wait for the sequel! Although I'm not raving about it as much as I am with Nevermore, it was still REALLY good.

Be on the lookout for my reviews to come up next week!
I know Nevermore will be up on Monday. :D

Reviews: Would you like some snark with that?

Wow, my title... it's so lame. "I'd like to order a review please." "Alright, would you like some snark with that?" Get my joke? You know, because fries? *awkward silence* Okay, never mind. I didn't necessarily come here to make a joke, but to ask you all a question:

How do you all like your reviews?

How I Like My Reviews

Personally, I like it when I read short to medium book reviews that are bubbling with personality with a dash of snark, but still able to make their point across eloquently about how they felt. :3

My face when I see a really long review

 I find it hard to be engaged in a long review unless the writing is compelling and I'm not feeling too lazy at the time. Usually, I'm still intrigued to read what the person has to say but I just skim it over and read their overall thoughts. (I hope I'm not the only one who feels this way about long reviews. o-o)

Thoughts and Past Reviewing Styles

I know, I know, I've asked this question so many times already. I'm curious to see your answers and I want to help better my reviewing system. :3 I like to switch up the reviewing system from time to time, mostly because of my fickleness and because I personally feel using just one system is kind of boring!

Some (if not, all) of my past reviewing styles:

• Regular paragraph reviews.
• I've seen a vast majority of the bloggers type their reviews like this, some I really like, some are okay.
• Example(s): Falling Under by Gwen Hayes
• Dear Author letters.
• I'm not sure if this is entirely original or not, but I really liked writing Dear Author letters. 
• Example(s): Angelfire by Courtney Allison Moulton
• ABC Style Reviews.
• Well, this may be my least favorite kind of reviewing system. I only dislike this because I had to think so much than I needed to when I was writing the review. I thought it was rather creative at the time...
• Example(s): Touch of Frost by Jennifer Estep
• Outlining.
• This is my current style of reviewing. I haven't gotten tired of this yet, but I'm kind of itching to write a review paragraph style again. 
• Example(s): Kill Me Softly by Sarah Cross, Taste by Kate Evangelista

Reviewing Styles I Actually Enjoy Reading

I enjoy reading a LOT of bloggers' reviews but a few that really stand out in my mind would be (and coincidentally, they're also on my blog roll):

• Mimi from Mimi Valentine's YA Blog.
• I've been following this girl since I first started blogging, and her reviews are awesome! They are quick, bubbly, but in the end, it totally gets the point across. 
• Sarah from saz101.
• Sarah writes, in my opinion, well thought out, long reviews. She's one of the very few bloggers that I actually enjoy reading long reviews from. o-O
• Sophie from Sweet Sweet Pages.
•  Sophie's reviews are also fun to read! She always explains in this lovely, coherent manner, and it's short and sweet which is how I like it.

EGADS, I made this post longer than I intended. Well, if you stuck around and read all of this, that was awfully nice of you. :D

The question still stands --- how do you like your reviews? Short and sweet? Snarky? Professional and well thought out?

Waiting on Wednesday (6/13/12)

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Breaking the Spine.

This week, my picks are:

In a city of daimons, the Carnival of Souls hosts a deadly competition. Once in a generation, every citizen can fight to join the ruling elite. Without the competition, Aya and Kaleb would both face bleak futures—if for different reasons. For each of them, fighting to the death is the only way to try to live.

In our own world, Mallory knows that her father—and every other witch—fled the daimons’ city long ago. She trains to be lethal because it’s only a matter of time until the daimons catch up with them.

While Mallory possesses little knowledge of The City, every inhabitant of The City knows of her. There are plans there for Mallory, and soon she, too, will be drawn into the decadence that is the Carnival of Souls.

From Melissa Marr, bestselling author of the Wicked Lovely series, comes a brand-new tale of secrets, love, and the struggle to forge one’s own destiny.

Summary from Goodreads.

When I first saw this, I was like, "Oh."
Then, when I read the summary, I was like, "Ohhhhh. ;)"
And, when I saw it's not going to be published till September, I was like, "Oh. :c"

---------------------------------

“There are only two reasons a non-seer would see a spirit on St. Mark’s Eve,” Neeve said. “Either you’re his true love . . . or you killed him.”

It is freezing in the churchyard, even before the dead arrive.

Every year, Blue Sargent stands next to her clairvoyant mother as the soon-to-be dead walk past. Blue herself never sees them—not until this year, when a boy emerges from the dark and speaks directly to her.

His name is Gansey, and Blue soon discovers that he is a rich student at Aglionby, the local private school. Blue has a policy of staying away from Aglionby boys. Known as Raven Boys, they can only mean trouble.

But Blue is drawn to Gansey, in a way she can’t entirely explain. He has it all—family money, good looks, devoted friends—but he’s looking for much more than that. He is on a quest that has encompassed three other Raven Boys: Adam, the scholarship student who resents all the privilege around him; Ronan, the fierce soul who ranges from anger to despair; and Noah, the taciturn watcher of the four, who notices many things but says very little.

For as long as she can remember, Blue has been warned that she will cause her true love to die. She never thought this would be a problem. But now, as her life becomes caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she’s not so sure anymore.

From Maggie Stiefvater, the bestselling and acclaimed author of the Shiver trilogy and The Scorpio Races, comes a spellbinding new series where the inevitability of death and the nature of love lead us to a place we’ve never been before.

Summary from Goodreads.

I did the same, "Oh, Ohhhhh, Oh." cycle with this book too. Alas, it's yet to be published till September as well. :'(  September is my birthday month, and I see some delicious looking titles coming out... I think I'll treat myself. ;D

I've never read anything by Stiefvater. I have the Shiver series on my shelf, but I'm not really itching to start them because I am not a huge fan of werewolves. *hides from werewolves fans* Maybe I'll start it one day.

Review: Hourglass by Myra McEntire

Book: Hourglass by Myra McEntire
Publisher: Egmont USA
Pages: 387
Source: Bought
Links: Goodreads | Amazon

One hour to rewrite the past . . .

For seventeen-year-old Emerson Cole, life is about seeing what isn't there: swooning Southern Belles; soldiers long forgotten; a haunting jazz trio that vanishes in an instant. Plagued by phantoms since her parents' death, she just wants the apparitions to stop so she can be normal. She's tried everything, but the visions keep coming back. So when her well-meaning brother brings in a consultant from a secretive organization called the Hourglass, Emerson's willing to try one last cure. But meeting Michael Weaver may not only change her future, it may change her past.

Who is this dark, mysterious, sympathetic guy, barely older than Emerson herself, who seems to believe every crazy word she says? Why does an electric charge seem to run through the room whenever he's around? And why is he so insistent that he needs her help to prevent a death that never should have happened?

I'm not so much for time travel novels; they just never seemed to appeal to me. However, after requesting Timepiece (the sequel to Hourglass), I felt like I had to read Hourglass. And lo and behold, Hourglass went on sale for Kindle, so...I bought it! (Obviously.)

I read it, and this book gave me a somewhat dangerous disease: mixed-feeling-itis! (OH, THE HORROR! *cue the dramatic music*)

WHAT I LIKED:

• This heroine is the bomb diggity.
• After a few pages, I already knew that I was going to love Emerson. She has the best sense of humor and I just love how strong and independent she is. McEntire strayed far far away from the whiny heroine path, which is an A plus in my book.

• This book has vacuum-like qualities.
• Vacuum-like meaning it sucked me in and didn't let me go! I swear, McEntire must have some magic voodoo skills in her writing because I was pretty much dying to know what would happen next after each chapter.

• I really liked the idea of the Hourglass.
• As the title suggests, the book revolves mostly around the Hourglass and Emerson herself. A little reminiscent of X-Men, the whole idea was pretty unique and it left me pleasantly surprised when I found out what the Hourglass really was.

•  When Emerson met Michael, d'aaww.
• Well, okay, I don't know why, I just do. I completely adored the scene when Emerson met Michael for no reason. The instant click between them, the emotions, the hotness radiating off Michael like he's some dazzling star, just everything! ♥ It was an incredibly well written scene, and perhaps my most favorite scene in the book.
• Emerson's inner dialogue during this scene was also pretty hilarious at times.

• Kaleb, you make my heart race. *swoon*
• Kaleb is just so swoon worthy. If the hotness radiating off Michael is like a dazzling star, well the hotness radiating off Kaleb was like of a thousand suns! Flirty with a wicked sense of humor, McEntire did not fail at all to make him one-dimensional at all. Go, complex secondary characters!

 

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE:

• The thing that bothers me the most is the instant love in this book.
• If I may recall (and correct me on this if I'm wrong), the time frame for all of the events in this book took two weeks, right? I firmly believe it is not possible to fall in love in two weeks. 
• Of course there's an underlying, deep physical attraction between Em and Michael but two weeks can't cut it for me.
• I didn't even swoon over Michael and Emerson, save a couple of scenes. The romance between them just didn't light any kinds of sparks in my heart. And although Michael was pretty hot, I just couldn't bring myself to like him for some reason. Le sigh.

•  The major plot twist in this book wasn't entirely surprising.
• As a reader, I like to be kept on my toes with my heart pounding and teeth chattering. It just disappointed me that I kind of saw what was going to happen. However, not to say I completely saw it coming, the plot twist did manage me to let out a small gasp. 

• I couldn't feel anything for this book.
• Aside from the humorous scenes and banters between characters, the sad scenes just weren't that... er, sad. 
• I mean, I want to be bawling and have my heart ripped into pieces on the floor (okay, maybe, that's a bit too gruesome) but my main point is that the emotion-packed scenes didn't necessarily warm or break my heart, which made me feel rather disappointed.

THE VERDICT:

• Being the fast-paced, engaging read that it was, Hourglass had many positives for me. I enjoyed the realistic banter exchanged between characters, I swooned and squealed over a few things here and there, I even adored the heroine to bits! However, there were too many negatives that brought it down for me, so in all, it was just an okay read.