The Gathering (Darkness Rising #1) by Kelley Armstrong

The Gathering (Darkness Rising #1)

by Kelley Armstrong

Hardcover, 359 pages

Published April 12th 2011 by Harper (HarperCollins), New York
Source: Personal Collection

Plot:
Sixteen-year-old Maya is just an ordinary teen in an ordinary town. Sure, she doesn't know much about her background - the only thing she really has to cling to is an odd paw-print birthmark on her hip - but she never really put much thought into who her parents were or how she ended up with her adopted parents in this tiny medical-research community on Vancouver Island.

Until now.

Strange things have been happening in this claustrophobic town - from the mountain lions that have been approaching Maya to her best friend's hidden talent for "feeling" out people and situations, to the sexy new bad boy who makes Maya feel . . . . different. Combine that with a few unexplained deaths and a mystery involving Maya's biological parents and it's easy to suspect that this town might have more than its share of skeletons in its closet.

In The Gathering, New York Times best-selling author Kelley Armstrong brings all the supernatural thrills from her wildly successful Darkest Powers series to Darkness Rising, her scorching hot new trilogy. 

My Thoughts:

This novel to me just set up book two. I feel like Ms. Armstrong allowed us to dip our toes in the story with this one. I finished this novel with more questions than what I had while I was the middle of the plot. There are so many things I am curious about and I can't go into detail because that would just spoil the book for you guys, but I can tell you the mystery surrounding the town and her biological parents has me hooked. Sure there are parts of this novel that seem just like every other paranormal on the shelf, but this book has more mystery than just the paranormal elements. And that is very refreshing. 


I loved Maya's ability to get close with animals. It made me curious about her. Also I am still puzzled about the best friend who drowned. She actually start out with the friends death scene, but never get our answers about what really happened to her. Maybe we'll get that in book two...


Oh and Rafe. More of him please! He was one hot love interest. He was the token new guy who all the girls wanted but only had eyes for out main character, Maya. That seems to be the formula in YA now-a-days. And Daniel, Maya's closest friend...I'm left to wonder if he is hiding some secrets of his own. I kinda liked him and rooted for him and Maya to become something more.


If this series is anything like the Darkest Powers plot line, I know each book is just going to keep getting better. Can't wait for book two! I need these questions answered!


Pick this one up if you are into paranormals with animal-like bad boy love  interests.

A Beautiful Dark (A Beautiful Dark #1) by Jocelyn Davies

A Beautiful Dark (A Beautiful Dark #1)

by Jocelyn Davies
Source: Ebook

Hardcover, 390 pages

Published September 27th 2011 by HarperTeen

Plot: 

On the night of Skye's seventeenth birthday, she meets two enigmatic strangers. Complete opposites;like fire and ice; Asher is dark and wild, while Devin is fair and aloof. Their sudden appearance sends Skye's life into a tailspin. She has no idea what they want, or why they seem to follow her every move only that their presence coincides with a flurry of strange events. Soon she begins to doubt not just the identity of the two boys, but also the truth about her own past.
In the dead of a bitingly cold Colorado winter, Skye finds herself coming to terms with the impossible secret that threatens to shatter her world. Torn between Asher, who she can't help falling for, and Devin, who she can't stay away from, the consequences of Skye's choice will reach further than the three of them could ever imagine.

My Thoughts:

This novel was just okay for me. I enjoyed the story line, but I felt like I'd read it before. There really wasn't any huge shock or twist until the very, very end, so the plot was predictable. Maybe it was because I'd read a crap ton of YA paranormal/fantasy novels in the last few years. Who knows. But I didn't hate the book or anything, it was just an easy read for me. Nothing about it made it stand out.

What I did love about the novel was the secondary characters. Skye's best friend, Cassie, stole the show. She was funny, spunky, was in a bad. I totally loved her. Oh and I am still a sucker for bad boys, so I was team Asher throughout the whole book.

So read this one if you need your next angel book fix.

Shatter Me (Shatter Me #1) by Tahereh Mafi Review

Title: Shatter Me

Author: Tahereh Mafi

Hardcover, 338 pages

Published November 15th 2011 by Harper/HarperCollins
Source: Personal Collection

Plot:

Juliette hasn't touched anyone in exactly 264 days.

The last time she did, it was an accident, but The Reestablishment locked her up for murder. No one knows why Juliette's touch is fatal. As long as she doesn't hurt anyone else, no one really cares. The world is too busy crumbling to pieces to pay attention to a 17-year-old girl. Diseases are destroying the population, food is hard to find, birds don't fly anymore, and the clouds are the wrong color.

The Reestablishment said their way was the only way to fix things, so they threw Juliette in a cell. Now so many people are dead that the survivors are whispering war-- and The Reestablishment has changed its mind. Maybe Juliette is more than a tortured soul stuffed into a poisonous body. Maybe she's exactly what they need right now.

Juliette has to make a choice: Be a weapon. Or be a warrior.

In this electrifying debut, Tahereh Mafi presents a world as riveting as The Hunger Games and a superhero story as thrilling as The X-Men. Full of pulse-pounding romance, intoxicating villainy, and high-stakes choices, Shatter Me is a fresh and original dystopian novel—with a paranormal twist—that will leave readers anxiously awaiting its sequel.

My Thoughts:

This novel took me a while to get into it. I would say I struggled through the first 60-90 pages to find the flow of the book and whether I was going to like it or not. I’m glad I stuck with it, because once Warner came into the picture, things really took off for me.

The writing style is very different. It’s not like any other book I’ve ever read, which totally makes it stand out amongst the sea of YA novels out there. And the plot line is strange. Strange in a sense that you don’t really know what’s going on. Which is good. I like to be surprised. The plot just kept twisting and dragging me further and further into the story.

The only thing I would say I didn’t like about the novel was the quick emotional changes of the characters. Love just felt so rushed. I couldn’t see how this love triangle developed so quickly. I know that the MC and Adam have a past, but it was just a little hard for me to buy into a quick love story. They hadn’t seen each other in years, and even at that they never really spoke to each other before they are reintroduced in the current time frame of the novel.  But other than that I loved the book. The action was spot on and I enjoyed watching the MC morph into a strong female lead.

I recommend this novel to any YA Dystopian lovers!

 

The Iron Queen (Iron Fey #3) by Julie Kagawa

The Iron Queen (Iron Fey #3)

by Julie Kagawa

Paperback, 358 pages

Published January 25th 2011 by Harlequin Teen 

Source: Netgalley

Plot:

My name is Meghan Chase.I thought it was over. That my time with the fey, the impossible choices I had to make, the sacrifices of those I loved, was behind me. But a storm is approaching, an army of Iron fey that will drag me back, kicking and screaming. Drag me away from the banished prince who's sworn to stand by my side. Drag me into the core of conflict so powerful, I'm not sure anyone can survive it.
This time, there will be no turning back.

My Thoughts:

I am absolutely in love with this series. The Iron Fey series is one of my all time favorite series. This series has taken me on a whirlwind journey and I have loved every second of it. Throughout this series there has been tons of actions and stakes that make me hang on to the edge of my seat and forgo nights of sleep just to see what happens next.

The love story between Ash and Meghan is so epic. Their love for each other shines on every page and I can only pray the next book in the series The Iron Knight continues this pattern.

The end to the series in Meghan's point of view broke my heart. I so didn't want it to end like that. But I have faith that Ash's story, The Iron Knight, will mend the pieces.

Kudos Ms. Kagawa on a kick ass series!

Trickster's Girl (Raven Duet #1) by Hilari Bell

Author: Trickster's Girl (Raven Duet #1)

Author:Hilari Bell 

Hardcover, 288 pages

Published January 3rd 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Source: NetGalley 

 

 Plot:

In the year 2098 America isn't so different from the USA of today. But, in a post-9/11 security-obssessed world, "secured" doesn't just refer to borders between countries, it also refer to borders between states. Teenagers still think they know everything, but there is no cure for cancer, as Kelsa knows first-hand from watching her father die.

The night Kelsa buries her father, a boy appears. He claims magic is responsible for the health of Earth, but human damage disrupts its flow. The planet is dying.

Kelsa has the powers to reverse the damage, but first she must accept that magic exists and see beyond her own pain in order to heal the planet.

My Thoughts:

The concept of this novel sounded really promising and I was excited to dive in, unfortunately I had a little problem focusing on this one. While the plot was fresh, the characters didn't force me to care about them enough to stay engaged in the story. I think the main problem for me was the romance didn't seem to progress, which is what keeps me hooked. I enjoyed the dystopian aspects of the novel and the ungraded technology that was represented in the book though. I just wish I would have been a little more vested into the characters.

The Vespertine (The Vespertine #1) by Saundra Mitchell

Title: The Vespertine (The Vespertine #1) 
Author: Saundra Mitchell

Hardcover, 293 pages

Published March 7th 2011 by Harcourt Children's Books

more details...

http://www.thevespertine.com

Characters: Amelia van den Broek, Zora Stewart, Nathaniel Witherspoon, Thomas Rea

Plot:

It’s the summer of 1889, and Amelia van den Broek is new to Baltimore and eager to take in all the pleasures the city has to offer. But her gaiety is interrupted by disturbing, dreamlike visions she has only at sunset—visions that offer glimpses of the future. Soon, friends and strangers alike call on Amelia to hear her prophecies. However, a forbidden romance with Nathaniel, an artist, threatens the new life Amelia is building in Baltimore. This enigmatic young man is keeping secrets of his own—still, Amelia finds herself irrepressibly drawn to him. When one of her darkest visions comes to pass, Amelia’s world is thrown into chaos. And those around her begin to wonder if she’s not the seer of dark portents, but the cause.

 My Thoughts:


I have to admit, I am not a historical fiction lover. The genre just isn't usually for me. Frankly the line heaving bosom makes me giggle every time. So when I started The Vespertine I had my doubts that I would love it. But after the first ten pages into this novel I found myself pleasantly surprised at how hooking this novel was. Sure it's historical, but the paranormal element and forbidden love plot lines were strong enough to keep me engaged in the story til the end. 


Amelia's relationship with the artist, Nathanial was so swoon worthy. He would drop these lines that would cause my pulse to race and, like Amelia, draw me in further to him. The only thing I thought was the relationship felt a little instantaneous, but that was easily forgotten because of the likable characters. 


The visions in this story were great. I loved getting glimpses into Amelia's future. The paranormal element was tightly written and had some twists at the end that simply wowed me. I really liked this one.


I recommend this novel to anyone who loves historical romances with a heavy paranormal twist.