Book Review: The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong

Title: The Summoning (Darkest Powers #1)
Author: Kelley Armstrong
Pages: 390
Published: March 31st, 2009
Publisher: HarperCollins
Buy: Here!, Here!, OR Here!

“That's what being crazy was, wasn't it? You thought you were fine. Everyone else knew better.” 

Today's review is over a book I read at the beginning of April. It is a book I read off a whim based on a recommendation from a friend, and the quality of this entire trilogy was a very welcomed and pleasant surprise! Of course I am talking about The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong which is the first book in the Darkest Powers trilogy.

Goodreads Synopsis:

After years of frequent moves following her mother’s death, Chloe Saunders’s life is finally settling down. She is attending art school, pursuing her dreams of becoming a director, making friends, and meeting boys. Her biggest concern is that she’s not developing as fast as her friends are. But when puberty does hit, it brings more than hormone surges. Chloe starts seeing ghosts–everywhere, demanding her attention. After she suffers a breakdown, her devoted aunt Lauren gets her into a highly recommended group home. 
At first, Lyle House seems a pretty okay place, except for Chloe’s small problem of fearing she might be facing a lifetime of mental illness. But as she gradually gets to know the other kids at the home–charming Simon and his ominous, unsmiling brother Derek, obnoxious Tori, and Rae, who has a “thing” for fire–Chloe begins to realize that there is something that binds them all together, and it isn’t your usual “problem kid” behavior. And together they discover that Lyle House is not your usual group home either…

 My Thoughts:

This book was a quick and fast paced read. Being at almost 400 pages one wouldn't think this could constitute as a 'quick read' but I found myself devouring these pages. I was engrossed in this story 100% of the time and I could not put it down. Kelley Armstrong laced these pages with a story that touched on each emotion and connected with the reader in a refreshing way.

Characters/Character Development:

-The main character in this story is Chloe, she is a character that is easy for the reader to relate to, whether the reader be male or female.
-The relationships between Chloe, Derek, and Simon play such a dynamic role in the development of the story and I adored them as a trio.
-Derek was a character that I did want more from in the beginning chapters, I was not drawn to him as much in the beginning as I was by the end of the book, Derek was a brilliant character.
-Unfortunately, Simon was not a character I felt as strongly about. I definitely feel like he was an essential character throughout the whole trilogy and he had his stronger moments, but overall I don't feel like I connected with him as much as Derek and Chloe.
-Something I really loved about the supporting characters in this book is how much they aided in carrying the plot. A couple of the supporting characters were serious game changers and (after reading the whole trilogy) really changed the outcomes of some of the plot lines.

Plot/Pacing:

-This book started with a bang. Kelley Armstrong wasted no time in developing the main plot line in this book, I find that when some books take this approach the plot becomes *blah* and lackluster, it was not the case, however, for this book.
-I found this plot line exciting, interesting and easy to follow.
-The pacing was quick but not so quick that I felt like I was missing pieces of information

Overall:

Over all I feel that Kelley Armstrong started off her Darkest Powers trilogy on the perfect note. I was so excited to continue on with the series (especially after the ending) that I read the other two in less than a week! I gave this book a 5/5 stars and would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a good series!

Jonathan's Showcase Sunday 4-28-2013

 Ba da. Ba da. Ba da da da da da.

Here's my very first Showcase Sunday! SPOTLIGHTS!

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas 

I’m a little slow getting on the train to this one, but this is the acclaimed story of friendship between two boys, one of whom is in a concentration camp. I’ve been looking at this book for a while, but just recently bought it since reading Annexed reawakened my interest in the Holocaust. I’m very excited to read it and see how it turns out, since there seems to be a lot of hate for it on Goodreads.

The God Box

Written by Alex Sanchez, this is a story about a guy named Paul, content with dating his girlfriend and being active in his religion based high school. His life gets complicated when a new student named Manuel arrives and tests what he thinks he knows about himself, his faith, and the world he lives in.

I always see the Rainbow Boys series at the library and I want to get into those, but I figured I’d try another book of Sanchez’s first.

Avalon High

This is a purely guilty pleasure read. Meg Cabot wrote this book about a girl who goes to a school and realizes that everyone seems to have a connection to Camelot and the world of King Arthur. I have to say I loved The Princess Diaries series. I found them laugh out loud funny, and I can’t wait to see what Meg Cabot does with these well known characters. 

Jessi's Showcase Sunday: 4/28/13

It's Sunday! Which means we're due for another Showcase sunday which is brought to us by Vicky at Books, Biscuits, and Tea. It is an opportunity for us to show books that we have recently received for review, purchased, been gifted or borrowed from the library!

The first two books i'm featuring for this Showcase Sunday I received for review and they are:

The Alchemist War by John Seven

and

The Siren's Secret by Heather Ostler

The Alchemist War is a middle grade/historical fiction book set to be released in July 2013, I'll post my review of it a little closer to that time.

And The Siren's Secret is the second book by Heather Ostler in the Shapeshifter's Secret series which is set to be released June 11th!

The third book is Black City by Elizabeth Richards, which I purchased so I could participate in the Book Twerps May read along, which starts May 1st and end May 31st! The schedule for the read along is not out yet so it's not too late to join! My review of that will be up shortly after the read along ends.

Thanks for reading, and as always keep on the lookout for more reviews!

-Jessi-

Book Review: City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare

Title: City of Bones (The Mortal Instruments #2)
Author: Cassandra Clare
Pages: 453 pages
Published: March 25, 2008
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Buy: here!

"If you can't tell the truth to the people you care about, eventually you stop being able to tell the truth to yourself"

Hello friends!

Today's review is on City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare which as many of you know is the second installment in the Mortal Instruments series, first being City of Bones. I won't lie, at first I was having a tough time getting through this book, but fear not lovers of this series, my heart fell hard, if not harder for these characters by the end of this book and I applaud Cassandra Clare on one of the best sequels i've read!

Goodreads Synopsis:

Clary Fray just wishes that her life would go back to normal. But what's normal when you're a demon-slaying Shadowhunter, your mother is in a magically induced coma, and you can suddenly see Downworlders like werewolves, vampires, and faeries? If Clary left the world of the Shadowhunters behind, it would mean more time with her best friend, Simon, who's becoming more than a friend. But the Shadowhunting world isn't ready to let her go — especially her handsome, infuriating, newfound brother, Jace. And Clary's only chance to help her mother is to track down rogue Shadowhunter Valentine, who is probably insane, certainly evil — and also her father.
To complicate matters, someone in New York City is murdering Downworlder children. Is Valentine behind the killings — and if he is, what is he trying to do? When the second of the Mortal Instruments, the Soul-Sword, is stolen, the terrifying Inquisitor arrives to investigate and zooms right in on Jace. How can Clary stop Valentine if Jace is willing to betray everything he believes in to help their father?

My Thoughts:

Like I said above, when I first started this book I was finding it much slower paced than City of Bones, which took off right from the get go. I was discouraged because a lot of sequels nowadays shine much dimmer in the light of the books before it, and based on the first 100 or so pages I was afraid City of Ashes was going to fall into the 'good, but not as good as the first' category.

STOP: IF YOU FEEL THIS WAY…KEEP GOING!!! It get's better, promise :)

Characters/Character Development:

-The development of the relationship between Jace and Clary is SO WELL WRITTEN. You never know quite where they stand and I love it. Their relationship is one that I can feel the tension and desire between them. GAH, couldn't get enough.
-Something else that City of Ashes developed for me, which was surprising, was a serious love for Magnus Bane, he was a character in City of Bones that I didn't hate but I also didn't love. Clare makes it impossible for the reader to not fall in love with him. I need a Magnus Bane in my life, is a sassy, gay warlock in my life REALLY too much to ask??
-I really feel like City of Ashes made HUGE strides in the 'character development' department. Cassandra Clare has her characters so interwoven and the backstory SO intricate that falling in love with these characters and watching them make mistakes, fall in love, and grow as people is a real joy.

Plot/Pacing:

-The plot (as I mentioned above) was slow going at first. It wasn't uninteresting or boring, I did feel however, that with City of Bones being SO fast paced even from the beginning; I came in with a sort of expectation of the plot that just wasn't met in my opinion.
-I would say about 150-200 pages in (so roughly half way through) Clare throws some curveballs and certain events take place that I powered through the last half because I just could not stop. The fact that the middle and end were SO good and so well developed made up for the lackluster beginning.
-The content of the plot itself is a subject I could write a small novel about, so we'll leave it at this: the details and the actual development of the plot are hands down amazing. The descriptive details Clare includes transport you into the world of the shadowhunters. I can't say enough about how beautifully written these books are.

Overall:

Overall I feel like City of Ashes was fantastic, a phenomenal sequel and an exciting read. The pace, while at the beginning lagged was perfect through out the rest of the novel. I cannot wait to continue on with this series. Cassandra Clare has a way of wrapping you into her stories and she doesn't let you go until you turn the last page.

Rating:

4.5/5 Stars

Waiting on Wednesday! 4/24/2013

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine where we highlight books that us as readers are looking forward to!

This week, I have picked The Chaos of Stars by Kiersten White! I stumbled across this book on Goodreads, read the synopsis and immediately started anticipating September. Plus this book offers a serious amount of cover porn…i mean…look at the cover, it's beautiful.

Good reads synopsis:

Of course, as the human daughter of Egyptian gods, that pretty much comes with the territory. She’s also stuck with parents who barely notice her, and a house full of relatives who can’t be bothered to remember her name. After all, they are going to be around forever—and she’s a mere mortal.
Isadora’s sick of living a life where she’s only worthy of a passing glance, and when she has the chance to move to San Diego with her brother, she jumps on it. But Isadora’s quickly finding that a “normal” life comes with plenty of its own epic complications—and that there’s no such thing as a clean break when it comes to family. Much as she wants to leave her past behind, she can’t shake the ominous dreams that foretell destruction for her entire family. When it turns out there may be truth in her nightmares, Isadora has to decide whether she can abandon her divine heritage after all.

 This book sounds fantastic, I have never read anything by Kiersten White, but after reading the synopsis of this one I may have to pick one up!
The release date for The Chaos of Stars is September 10th, 2013 and it will be published by Harper Teen.
Find this book on Goodreads here!

-Jessi-

Newsflash!

Newsflash to brighten up your Monday!

Jessi and I are on Twitter! Follow us if you love to read and we'll follow you back.

Reading is awesome! Join the conversation!

https://twitter.com/bookshelf308

Book Review: Burned by Ellen Hopkins

Title: Burned
Author: Ellen Hopkins
Pages: 544
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Published: October 23, 2007
Buy: Here 

Hello fellow readers,

As I sit here in this dismal college computer lab waiting for my class to start I started pondering really good books. Being an avid reader does have its advantages, one being finding a really good book. But even beyond finding a really good book, finding a book that surprised you. That was Burned by Ellen Hopkins for me. I picked this book up sometime last summer as a quick 'beach' read to get me through a blazing northern Michigan afternoon, and this book whisked me away into the life of Pattyn Von Stratten.

Goodreads snyopsis:

It all started with a dream. Nothing exceptional, just a typical fantasy about a boy, the kind of dream that most teen girls experience. But Pattyn Von Stratten is not like most teen girls. Raised in a religious -- yet abusive -- family, a simple dream may not be exactly a sin, but it could be the first step toward hell and eternal damnation.
This dream is a first step for Pattyn. But is it to hell or to a better life? For the first time Pattyn starts asking questions. Questions seemingly without answers -- about God, a woman's role, sex, love -- mostly love. What is it? Where is it? Will she ever experience it? Is she deserving of it?
It's with a real boy that Pattyn gets into real trouble. After Pattyn's father catches her in a compromising position, events spiral out of control until Pattyn ends up suspended from school and sent to live with an aunt she doesn't know.
Pattyn is supposed to find salvation and redemption during her exile to the wilds of rural Nevada. Yet what she finds instead is love and acceptance. And for the first time she feels worthy of both -- until she realizes her old demons will not let her go. Pattyn begins down a path that will lead her to a hell -- a hell that may not be the one she learned about in sacrament meetings, but it is hell all the same.
In this riveting and masterful novel told in verse, Ellen Hopkins takes readers on an emotional roller-coaster ride. From the highs of true love to the lows of abuse, Pattyn's story will have readers engrossed until the very last word.

My thoughts:

-While initially I was not a fan of the layout that Ellen Hopkins used in this book (and all her other books for that matter) I dismissed that complaint quickly as the in depth and  heart wrenching story line took me under. I loved the development of Pattyn as a character, but also as a person. At the beginning of the book she was a very meek character who answered promptly and unquestioningly to her overbearing parents. The end of the book brought an entirely different Pattyn to light, the development brought on a Pattyn with a new mind set, and an understanding of true love.

-I think this book brings about a revelation of religious freedom as well, while parents might raise a child to believe a certain religion or even political view, ultimately it is up to the child to decide their own beliefs. I think especially in this day in age that there is a certain standard that children feel that they must live up to and this book gives a refreshing take on that issue.

-Pattyn and Ethan: ermergerd. There are feels that I cannot even begin to describe here. The development and timing of their romance was beautiful and pure. I can't...just...no words.

-Lastly, this book is probably one of the most beautifully written, but also saddest books I have ever read to date. It is one that leaves you staring into a mind numbing oblivion when you finish the last page. If you read this book, give your feels time to recover.

Overall, 5/5 stars. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a quick read but wants some depth to their story lines. Well done Ellen Hopkins!

-Jessi-

A quick take on Annexed

Hey people,

I recently finished Annexed by Sharon Dogar, so I wanted to share a few thoughts.

Annexed is a fictionalized story about Peter Van Pels, "suggested from real life events" as written in Anne Frank's diary, which she kept during the two years she and her family spent hiding from Nazi's in Germany. If you don't know the story of Anne Frank, you can read some about her here, and I highly suggest you read The Diary of Anne Frank. 

ANYWAY.

I still can't place my feelings for this novel. Obviously it's fiction, so it was a little jarring to hear a character talking to Anne and know that it was Anne Frank. The cover touts it as a love story, but that ends up kind of being secondary to the story which is mostly Peter talking about his wishes for freedom, understandably. 

This book just didn't leave me with a feeling of knowing someone and having my eyes opened to a part of history like reading Anne's diary did. And again, that could be because it was fiction, but I just expected more from this book when deciding to read it.

At the end of the book, the author gives a true account of what happened to everyone in real life after the family was found hiding in the secret annex, which affected me more than anything in the book. I guess if you're truly curious I would suggest this book, otherwise pick up a copy of The Diary of Anne Frank and you can hear about Peter in Anne's own words.

Happy Sunday night!

-Jonathan

Showcase Sunday! 4-21-2013

Hello fellow book nerds!

Today's post is going to be a showcase Sunday which is a weekly meme hosted by Vicky at Books, Biscuits, and Tea to highlight books you've recently received for review, purchased, been gifted or borrowed from libraries!

• Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake
• Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins
• Delirium by Lauren Oliver
• A Face Like Glass by Frances Hardinge

Currently I'm still trucking through City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare, you can track my progress here. I am enjoying it WAY freaking more than I was about 100 pages ago, there's a big game changer around page 200, which was refreshing and gave me the boost I needed to power through it.

What would be on your showcase Sunday?

-Jessi-

Friday Reads: 4/19/13

Helloooooo again!

Smell that? That's the smell of Friday, which means its time for Friday reads!!

This weekend I only work 1/2 a shift at work, which in and of itself is a HUGE breath of fresh air. This also means I'll have some reading time!!

This weekend I hope to finish City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare:

as many of you know this is the second installment in the Mortal Instruments series. I'm a little less than half way done so we'll see how that works out for me.

Now, I don't usually read two books at once, I find its a little distracting, however, I recently was sent an ARC copy of The Siren's Secret by Heather Ostler, and it is the sequel to The Shapeshifter's Secret.

Which, I figure if i'm going to do a review on The Siren's Secret, I better read the one that comes before it (freaking duh).

What are you reading this weekend??

-Jessi-

Jonathan's Waiting on Wednesday

Jessi got on the ball early (as usual) for our first Waiting on Wednesday, so I thought I'd follow and post mine!

I'm actually waiting on two books, the first of which is already released but isn't getting much buzz. It's True, by Hilary Duff and Elise Allen.

I loved the first two. I thought Elixir was paced well, adventurous, and interesting. Devoted was a great follow up, and was nowhere near as boring as some sequels to three part series can be. (I'm looking at you, Crossed by Ally Condie).

I'm excited to see how this series concludes. There's several mysteries to be revealed and (of course) a love triangle to be resolved. Thankfully, the romance comes second to the paranormal and supernatural globetrotting Clea and her crew embark on in the series, and, for me, what sets it apart from similar novels in this genre.

This book was not available when I went to buy it yesterday at Target (too much space devoted to 50 Shades knockoffs I'm guessing), so I may be ordering it from Amazon or manning up and paying full price at Books a Million, or even (shudder) making a solo trip to Walmart.

The second book I'm waiting for releases in August, and it's written by David Levithan. The cover is worth a thousand words, so I will let that do the talking.

I can't wait to read this book based on the cover alone, and I connect to this sort of literature for personal reasons (wink, wink) and I hope that this turns out to be romantic and uplifting. So much literature written for the LGBTQ audience ends with sadness, no matter the age of the intended readers or general plot lines.

This book releases August 27, and as much as I know so far it is about two boys who try to break the Guinness Book of World Records for the longest kiss. I can't wait to read this. I may preorder it from Amazon so it can come directly to my door and I can lock myself in my room and live vicariously read it as soon as possible.

So now you have two posts for books we are waiting for! Quit being shy and share your own!

 Happy Hump Day!

-Jonathan

Jessi's "Waiting on" Wednesday: Never Fade by Alexandra Bracken

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine

which highlights upcoming those books that we just can't wait for!

My selection for this week comes in lieu of one of my most recent reads "The Darkest Minds" by Alexandra Bracken, which was amazing, I could not get enough of that book.

The Darkest Minds is going to be a trilogy with the second installment called "Never Fade" set to be released in late 2013, rumors say November. This is a book I am definitely anticipating, the first book was incredible and there are a lot of plot lines and relationships that I am eager to see develop.

Currently, there is no cover released for it yet! Rumors have it that it is going to be released in mid summer.

What are your picks for Waiting On Wednesday??

-Jessi-

April Book Haul 2.0!

Today my friends, was a good day. In light of Jonathan and I's most recent video, which was also a book haul, my adventure to Books-A-Million today was meant only to be a way to kill time, maybe sip a little coffee and  just browse through the store. However, what was waiting for me in the clearance section of that store was better than Lindsay Lohan as she's stumbling out of her last day in rehab. I feel like every book I have been wanting to purchase was on that shelf for less than $5.00.

It was a glorious day.

1. The Outsiders by S.E Hinton

2.Evernight by Claudia Gray

3. Torment by Lauren Kate

4. Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly

5. The Gathering by Kelley Armstrong

6. Heist Society by Ally Carter

7. Betrayed by P.C Cast and Kristin Cast

8. Spirit Bound by Rachelle Mead

Total cost for my frugal-as-hell shopping trip? Less than $25.00, winning.

Have you read any of these??

-Jessi

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Review: The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken

Title: The Darkest Minds
Author: Alexandra Bracken
Pages: 496
Publisher: Hyperion Book CH
Published: December 18th, 2012
Buy: Amazon

"I had the strangest feeling-like I had lost something without ever really having it in the first place-that I wasn't what I once was, and wasn't all that I was meant to be. The sensation made me feel hollow down to my bones"

There are very few books that I have read that make me feel such a strong array of emotions like The Darkest Minds did. Alexandra Bracken set the stage for her trilogy in the perfect way. This book is every shade of dark as it is light, Bracken laces the pages with such an in depth, imaginative and innovative perspective that I could not put this book down.

This book takes place in what is best described as an American "post apocalyptic" setting, where a disease has killed off almost all of the children, the ones that do survive have developed powers and abilities that they can't control. The main character, Ruby, and all of the other survivors are sent to government run 'rehabilitation' camps where they are brutally mistreated and brainwashed. The book follows the journey of Ruby and the friends she meets along the way as they escape their camps and try to seek refuge in East River, home of the slip kid, who may be the only person who can help them.

Something that I definitely appreciated about this book was the a-typical approach to the romantic center piece in the story; Ruby and Liam. Bracken took an approach unlike any author/book I've read, waiting until a little over 100 pages in to introduce Liam, and taking the time to build upon the relationship he and Ruby were building. Many YA books take a more 'wam bam thank you ma'am' approach and waste no time getting the romance going. Bracken's advent was different but was a welcomed change in my book. In my opinion it didn't take away from the validity or addictive qualities that novel romances have. I was in love with Ruby and Liam as a couple but was finally given a chance to love them as individual characters.

Overall, I give this book a 5/5 stars. I don't know what else I can say about it, the character development was on point, the setting and pace of the novel were above average and flowed together perfectly. I am eagerly and desperately anticipating the second book in this trilogy!