Darkness Becomes Her by Kelly

Darkness Becomes Her by Kelly Keaton
Release Date: February 22, 2011
Publisher: Simon & Schuster 
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 288
Source: Library
Buy the Book: Amazon

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 just one 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.

To describe this book in one word, I would say it's dark. If you couldn't guess from the cover.
I honestly picked up the because I love this movie called Death Becomes Her with Meryl Streep, and the title is so similar to this one.

Most of this story takes place in New 2, or New Orleans after another disaster has occurred and ruined the country for good. The main character Ari, is self conscious, brave and determined to find a cure for her curse. The other character were also very interesting and I wish I knew more about them, their personalities made me more curious about the characters. Sebastian was such a nice guy, and Violet just broke my heart. They are such unusual children with good intentions.

There are many books nowadays with vampires, witches and shape-shifters and this book doesn't disappoint. It includes all three! Not only do we get mythical creatures but the story behind them is very fascinating
I really like the references to Greek mythology. It intrigued be further and I could help finishing the book in one sitting.

Now most problems were unsolved by the end of the book and I'm worried about Violet (I probably shouldn't have said that but I don't think it gives away too much) But there will be a sequel to this book which is why the story is left somewhat unfinished.

Overall, great plot and storyline. I couldn't help but finish it all in a matter of hours!

Linger by Maggie Stiefvater

Linger by Maggie Steifvater

Release Date: July 13, 2010

Publisher: Scholastic Press

Age Group: Young Adult

Pages: 360

Source: Library

Buy the Book: Amazon

In Maggie Stiefvater's Shiver, Grace and Sam found each other. Now, in Linger, they must fight to be together. For Grace, this means defying her parents and keeping a very dangerous secret about her own well-being. For Sam, this means grappling with his werewolf past . . . and figuring out a way to survive into the future. Add into the mix a new wolf named Cole, whose own past has the potential to destroy the whole pack. And Isabel, who already lost her brother to the wolves . . . and is nonetheless drawn to Cole.

I've just finished reading Linger, with a tear or two sliding down my cheeks. I'm not exactly sure what my feeling are for this book, but I Loved It!

This story is beautiful, pure and simple. Maggie has a wonderful style of wrting, almost poetic. There are moments in the book where I reread a certain phrase of paragraph over and over again because I loved the ways the words were written up together.

In this series, becoming a werewolf is scientific and not in any case, magical like many other stories. Maggie takes the popular werewolf story and creates a new beautiful love story, like no other.

Linger may be one of the best books I've read this year. Everything we thought was solved in Shiver, is far from it. I was completely and utterly shocked by the course of direction the storyline was taken after everything had worked out so perfectly. But I suppose that without these twist and turns, we wouldn't such a magnificently written story. I hated it and loved it all at the same time.

The changes in points of view did wonders to the story. We got an insight on what other characters were thinking and doing. Isabel was an interesting character to follow. Although she may seem like a heartless person on the outside, especially after her brother dies, we see that there is a different side of her. A side that cares for the well being of the wolves and Grace. Theres also a new character introduced, Cole. We get to see some kind of relationship grow between Isabel and Cole. It's seems at first its just lust, but they connect because they both have some problem the're trying to deal with to deal with.Cole was a refreshing new character. Instead of dreading the transformation to werewolf, like Sam, he craves it. He wishes to forget his memories. Almost like running away but without all the work.

My favorite part out of the whole book had to be in the last page, the last three paragraphs. They made me cry, and my heart went out for poor Sam. Ahh, I loved it!

I'm absolutely dieing to know what happens next. If you haven't read, Shiver and/or Linger add it to your list, or better yet, go out and buy it immediately!

Desires of the Dead by Kimberly D

Desires of the Dead by 
Kimberly Derting
Release Date: February 15, 2011
Publisher: HarperCollins
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 368
Source: Library
Buy the Book: Amazon

The missing dead call to Violet. They want to be found.
Violet can sense the echoes of those who've been murdered—and the matching imprint that clings to their killers. Only those closest to her know what she is capable of, but when she discovers the body of a young boy she also draws the attention of the FBI, threatening her entire way of life.
As Violet works to keep her morbid ability a secret, she unwittingly becomes the object of a dangerous obsession. Normally she'd turn to her best friend, Jay, except now that they are officially a couple, the rules of their relationship seem to have changed. And with Jay spending more and more time with his new friend Mike, Violet is left with too much time on her hands as she wonders where things went wrong. But when she fills the void by digging into Mike's tragic family history, she stumbles upon a dark truth that could put everyone in danger.

If you've read my review for Kimberly's debut, The Body Finder, you'll see that I loved it! 

(side note: I've noticed that this is the second book I've read this year, where the main character's name is Violet. And I've enjoyed both very much!)

Desires of the Dead, was the perfect mix of gut-wrenching suspense and mystery. Not far off from this first book in the series. Violet and Jay are quite the perfect couple, they understand each other and their chemistry is perfect. But as you can expect from almost all second books in a series, there is some drama-rama in their perfect love life. (Is is just me, or is there some rule about this?)

Although we know what is going on in the 'bad guys' head, it is far from predictable. Ther are some twists in the plot that will keep you reading this until the very last page. Violet's character changes quite a bit in the book and she is more open and coming out of her shell.

If you haven't read the first in the series, read it immediately so that you can read this one!

The Lost Saint by Bree Despain

The Lost Saint by Bree Despain

Release Date: December 28, 2011
Publisher: EgmontUSA
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 416
Source: Library
Buy the Book: Amazon

A family destroyed. A love threatened. An enemy returns. 
Grace Divine made the ultimate sacrifice to cure Daniel Kalbi. She was infected with the werewolf curse while trying to save him, and lost her beloved brother in the process. 
Desperate to find Jude, Grace befriends Talbot, a newcomer to town. But as the two grow closer, Grace's relationship with Daniel is put in danger - in more ways than one. 
Unaware of the dark path she is walking, Grace begins to give into the wolf inside of her - not realizing that an enemy has returned and a deadly trap is about to be sprung. 
Bree Despain delivers sizzling romance and thrilling action in the heart-pounding sequel to the The Dark Divine

 The title of this book couldn't be more perfect. It describes entirely Grace's feelings and the plot of the book. 

When reading the sequel to most books, I worry that it won't be as good as the first or even that it might stop me from continuing the series. But that was not the case with The Lost Saint. It definitely tops its predecessor, The Dark Divine. With its mysteries, suspense and unpredictable scenes, I myself wasn't sure who to trust.

The book is told in Grace's perspective. I enjoyed that it was because this way we only know what Grace knows, leaving us to question the motives of the other characters and whether they should be trusted or not. I particularly love when my predictions are wrong. Otherwise I would get bored and not enjoy the book as much. And The Lost Saint did not disappoint me. Page after page, Bree kept me second and triple guessing myself. I did not see where the story was leading up to, until the last couple of pages, where we are left with quite a big cliffhanger.

Agh. Cliffhangers are really frustrating!

Point blank, The Lost Saint was GREAT! Can't wait to read its follow up. Does anyone know when it will be out?

Haven by Kristi Cook

Release Date:February 22, 2011

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Age Group: Young Adult

Pages: 416

Source: Library

Buy the Book: Amazon

Synopsis:

One month into her junior year, sixteen-year-old Violet McKenna transfers to the Winterhaven School in New York’s Hudson Valley, inexplicably drawn to the boarding school with high hopes. Leaving Atlanta behind, she’s looking forward to a fresh start--a new school, and new classmates who will not know her deepest, darkest secret, the one she’s tried to hide all her life: strange, foreboding visions of the future. But Winterhaven has secrets of its own, secrets that run far deeper than Violet’s. Everyone there--every student, every teacher--has psychic abilities, 'gifts and talents,' they like to call them. Once the initial shock of discovery wears off, Violet realizes that the school is a safe haven for people like her. Soon, Violet has a new circle of friends, a new life, and maybe even a boyfriend--Aidan Gray, perhaps the smartest, hottest guy at Winterhaven. Only there’s more to Aidan than meets the eye--much, much more. And once she learns the horrible truth, there’s no turning back from her destiny. Their destiny. Together, Violet and Aidan must face a common enemy--if only they can do so without destroying each other first

One Word: Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious. Absolutely fantastic. I devoured this book. As soon as I started reading, I knew there was no way I could do anything else until I finished it. This was one of those rare books where I stayed up all night to finish it  I was really surprised when we find out the truth about Aiden. Not what I expected but it wasn't a bad thing either.

I loved the characters in this book, totally believable. Main characters as well as the supporting characters felt like people I could relate to. Violet is a strong and beautiful girl. She's new to the school but took everything she learns in stride. And we meet Aiden, dark and mysterious and not interested any of the girls at the school, until Violet comes along. Swoon. He definitely seems like the type of guy I would have a crush on if he went to my school. Not only is he smoking hot, but he loves Violet and puts he's life at risk for her.

The twists in the book had my hurt lurching and my hand flipping the pages as fast as I could. Not only did the suspense make me read faster but it helped she the book into a great story.

I feel that Haven has many things in common with Hex Hall by  Rachel Hawkins, which I enjoyed reading very much. New school, magical powers and hot mysterious boy. If this is what you like, then Haven is a must read.

Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater

Release Date: June 1, 2010

Publisher: Scholastic Inc.

Age Group: Young Adult

Pages: 392

Source: Bought

Buy the Book: Amazon

Synopsis:

the cold. Grace has spent years watching the wolves in the woods behind her house. One yellow-eyed wolf—her wolf—watches back. He feels deeply familiar to her, but she doesn't know why. 
the heat. Sam has lived two lives. As a wolf, he keeps the silent company of the girl he loves. And then, for a short time each year, he is human, never daring to talk to Grace...until now. 
the shiver. For Grace and Sam, love has always been kept at a distance. But once it's spoken, it cannot be denied. Sam must fight to stay human—and Grace must fight to keep him—even if it means taking on the scars of the past, the fragility of the present, and the impossibility of the future.

Shiver was one of those books I thought a lot about before I finally gave in and decided to read. With many conflicting reviews regarding this book, I wasn't sure what to expect when I started in.

This book is told in alternating point of views between Sam and Grace. It focuses mostly on there relationship now that Sam is human and not a werewolf. It mostly talks about his struggle to stay human now that the temperature is dropping. There's not much suspense and action, so if that's what your going for, look some where else.

Besides that, Shiver was a very interesting novel that kept me turning it's pages worrying about whether Sam was about to turn back into a wolf and leave Grace all alone. The words written by Stiefvater are beautiful and had me thinking about them days after I finished reading the book.

The fantasy world created by Maggie was believable. As well as the extraordinary characters. I'm excited on reading the rest of the series.

Beastly by Alex Flinn

Release Date: October 1, 2007

Publisher: HaperTeen

Age Group: Young Adult

Pages: 304

Source: Bought

Buy the Book: Amazon

Synopsis:

I am a beast.
A beast. Not quite wolf or bear, gorilla or dog but a horrible new creature who walks upright—a creature with fangs and claws and hair springing from every pore. I am a monster.
You think I'm talking fairy tales? No way. The place is New York City. The time is now. It's no deformity, no disease. And I'll stay this way forever—ruined—unless I can break the spell.
Yes, the spell, the one the witch in my English class cast on me. Why did she turn me into a beast who hides by day and prowls by night? I'll tell you. I'll tell you how I used to be Kyle Kingsbury, the guy you wished you were, with money, perfect looks, and the perfect life. And then, I'll tell you how I became perfectly . . . beastly.

I'm going to watch the movie this weekend, so I decided to reread Beastly in order to refresh my memory.

The movie was amazing in it's own way. I don't think it could compare to the book because there were a lot of things that were changed but, what more can we expect from a movie based on a book. The movie made me "awww" in the appropriate places and I even laughed at parts that weren't funny in the book, but were definitley funny in the movie. Overall, I thought the movie was very cute.

I absolutely love fairy tales. Growing up, they were all I watched. My absolute favorite is Beauty and the Beast, so as soon as I saw this book I knew I had to read it.

Beastly, is a modern take on, you've guessed it, Beauty and the Beast. Instead of the prince and his castle, there is Kyle Kingsbury and his brownstone in Brooklyn. He is very good looking and of course, a jerk. But being a jerk gets him into trouble with a witch and gets him turn int a beast!

This book is one of the few books I have read that is told from a male's perspective. And I think it was the best way to write this novel. It showed us how someone as self centered as Kyle could fall in love and be loved in return.

And just like any other fairy tale, this story has a moral. Beauty lies within. You are only as ugly as your personality.

Here's the trailer to the movie! I'm so excited, I can't wait to watch it!:

"Love is never ugly"

If you read, the book or watched the movie already, or both, tell me what your thoughts. :)

The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting

Release Date: March 16, 2010

Publisher: HaperCollins 

Age Group: Young Adult

Pages: 336

Source: Bought

Buy the Book: Amazon

Synopsis:

Violet Ambrose is grappling with two major issues: Jay Heaton and her morbid secret ability. While the sixteen-year-old is confused by her new feelings for her best friend since childhood, she is more disturbed by her "power" to sense dead bodies—or at least those that have been murdered. Since she was a little girl, she has felt the echoes the dead leave behind in the world . . . and the imprints that attach to their killers.
Violet has never considered her strange talent to be a gift; it mostly just led her to find dead birds her cat left for her. But now that a serial killer is terrorizing her small town, and the echoes of the local girls he's claimed haunt her daily, Violet realizes she might be the only person who can stop him.
Despite his fierce protectiveness over her, Jay reluctantly agrees to help Violet find the murderer—and Violet is unnerved by her hope that Jay's intentions are much more than friendly. But even as she's falling intensely in love, Violet is getting closer and closer to discovering a killer . . . and becoming his prey herself.

Could not put it down! I finished this book about a couple hours ago and I still can't stop thinking about it. The mystery the suspense. And even the perfect boyfriend. All these things made The Body Finder very captivating.

Although I pretty much knew where the story was going I couldn't help feeling a little scare for Violet as the story progressed. Kimberly Derting  gave me goose bumps. Whether, I was reading about the creepy murderer or a kiss shared by Violet and Jay, . Speaking of Jay, can I say just how perfect he was? I can see why Violet fell in love with him. Who wouldn't?

Not only did the story have a great plot, but characters were interesting enough to make me want to get to know them better. Each character in the book had a unique personality that made them stand out on their own. 


I can't wait to get my hands on the next installment........Desires of the Dead. The title itself sounds thrilling and exciting!

Nevermore by Kelly Creagh

Release Date: August 24, 2010

Publisher: Scholastic Press

Age Group: Young Adult

Pages: 398

Source: Bought

Buy the Book: Amazon

Synopsis:

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

Nevermore is a 2010 debut novel. It was unlike anything I've read in a long time. There are definitley parts in this book that mad me shiver. Of course that has to do with the fact Edgar Allen Poe's work has a big part in this book. Kelly Creagh is an obvious fan of Poe and works it nicely into the story with the writing that gave me chills.

Isobel appears to be the cliche cheerleader with the jock boyfriend and her "crew" but we learn that she's caring and Open minded. And what make this story so unique is not only the realtionship between Isobel and Varen but the realms of reality and dreams.

I was completely unaware that Nevermore will be a trilogy. By the last 15 pages I thought everything was going to be resolved. But I was left with a confusing ending and a dreadful cliffhanger. Now that I know there is a sequel, this doesn't bother me as much. The only complain I did have about the book was that it was slow at parts and at the climax of the story every happened too quickly.

Besides that, I'm dying to know what's going to happen to Varen and Isobel. Too bad I have to wait until 2012! How could they do this to me?

If you haven't read Nevermore and you enjoy lenghthy books go get a copy and start reading.