Secrets and Shadows Review

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

Nothing’s simple when you run with werewolves. Jess Gillmansen thinks she’s seen it all but her eyes are about to be opened to even more danger and a reality far more paranormal than she’s suspected. With Jess’s realization that the Rusakovas’ mother is still alive and imprisoned, the group’s choices become harder and trust more important. Lines are drawn and relationships change as the broken Rusakova family struggles to reunite long enough to free their mother and people who Jess always just took to be normal people show themselves to be much, much more.

  

Secrets and Shadows is the 2nd book to 13 to Life. It has ssooo much more going on and a little more originality compared to the 1rst book. I love how Jessie and Pietr's relationship tests out the bounds but Pieter is still too closed off. Answers to the questions in the first book are pretty much all answered in this one, and everything makes a lot more sense, you don't feel like your left hanging. I really like how they discover what the cure is, but I almost wish Cat remained as a werewolf like her brothers. One of the things I was hoping would happen, besides finding  a cure, was the Rusakovas getting their mother out, but they weren't able to, so I'm guessing that happens in the next book or two. All in all, this book was pretty enjoyable, definitely worth the read if your into werewolves and a little mystery.

13 to Life Review

Rating: ♥♥♥

Something strange is stalking the small town of Junction…

When junior Jess Gillmansen gets called out of class by Guidance, she can only presume it’s for one of two reasons. Either they’ve finally figured out who wrote the scathing anti-jock editorial in the school newspaper or they’re hosting yet another intervention for her about her mom. Although far from expecting it, she’s relieved to discover Guidance just wants her to show a new student around—but he comes with issues of his own including a police escort.

The newest member of Junction High, Pietr Rusakova has secrets to hide--secrets that will bring big trouble to the small town of Junction—secrets including dramatic changes he’s undergoing that will surely end his life early.

I went into this book not really expecting much, and that's pretty much what I got. It's just so typical, guy moves to new town, guy has secrets, girl meets boy, wants to know secrets and boy won't tell anything. I finished reading it pretty much only to find out what Pietr's 'big secret' was and to find out where Jessie and him ended up. I liked the ending enough though, to read the 2nd book. In this one, it leaves you with more questions than answers and leaves you feeling like, what was the point of that book? I have to say, there was at least one surprise near the ending, that I wasn't expecting. I feel like they should have taken the good points in this book, and made the 2nd book the 1rst book lol.

Betrayals Review

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

She's no angel . . .

Poor Dru Anderson. Her parents are long gone, her best friend is a werewolf, and she's just learned that the blood flowing through her veins isn't entirely human. (So what else is new?)

Now Dru is stuck at a secret New England Schola for other teens like her, and there's a big problem - she's the only girl in the place. A school full of cute boys wouldn't be so bad, but Dru's killer instinct says that one of them wants her dead. And with all eyes on her, discovering a traitor within the Order could mean a lot more than social suicide. . .

Can Dru survive long enough to find out who has betrayed her trust - and maybe even her heart?

I have to say, Betrayals kept my attention way better than Strange Angels did, I don't know why. I kind of like how in this book, Ash seems to be trying to protect Dru, and not kill her like in the first book, same with Christopher, I'm starting to like him more and more. Graves is still my favorite though. I kind of felt that Graves wasn't totally with it though, since him and Dru arrived at the new school and Graves has been making friends, it's like he's not there for Dru in the way he was before, but he's still trying, but somethings different. The characters definitely come more into their own, relationships are tested and secrets are discovered.   

Reviews to Come

I have been reading a lot of books lately, but have been too busy/lazy to write reviews for them. Here's a list of the books I will be doing reviews on very soon! 

     ♥ 13 to Life
     ♥ Secrets and Shadows
     ♥ The Summer I Turned Pretty
     ♥ Betrayals
     ♥ Claire De Lune
     ♥ What Happened to Goodbye
       ♥ Two Steps Forward  
     ♥ Hush, Hush

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Fate Fixed for review

Tears-Won this on goodreads.com

Strange Angels Review

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

Dru Anderson has what her grandmother called "the touch." (Comes in handy when you're traveling from town to town with your dad, hunting ghosts, suckers, wulfen, and the occasional zombie.)

Then her dad turns up dead—but still walking—and Dru knows she's next. Even worse, she's got two guys hungry for her affections, and they're not about to let the fiercely independent Dru go it alone. Will Dru discover just how special she really is before coming face-to-fang with whoever—or whatever— is hunting her?

It took me a little bit to get into this book, but by about chapter 5, I was so hooked! I like how you get to know Dru's dad through her, even though he turned into a zombie and dies...again. So many things happen through this novel, there wasn't any boring points at all. I read it so fast because I couldn't put it down! I also really like her best (and only) friend Graves, who is usually scared out of his mind, but always refuses to leave Dru's side, no matter what. When he got bitten by the werewolf, I was afraid he was going to turn into a nasty wolf and turn on Dru but he didn't, he has werewolf powers, but hes still Graves. Thank god I got out 'Betrayals' at the same time from the library! 

Wolfsbane Review

 Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

When Calla Tor wakes up in the lair of the Searchers, her sworn enemies, she’s certain her days are numbered. But then the Searchers make her an offer—one that gives her the chance to destroy her former masters and save the pack—and the man—she left behind. Is Ren worth the price of her freedom? And will Shay stand by her side no matter what? Now in control of her own destiny, Calla must decide which battles are worth fighting and how many trials true love can endure and still survive.

Wolfsbane, the sequel to Nightshade, starts out a little slow, but only because it answers so many questions that were left hanging in the first one. It gives some explanation to stuff it didn't in Nightshade, which I found very helpful. Honestly, I'm starting to like the idea of Shay and Calla together, but there just wasn't enough of them in this novel, I wish there had been at least a little more. I like what happens by the end of the book, I was pretty happy about it. At the very end, it's pretty clear how Bloodrose is going to start, and it's probably going to be better than this one. Also, I don't like how some of the good characters got killed off,  just didn't seem fair lol.

Wishlist Book

 Out In Blue by Sarah Gilman

This is book 1 in the Return to Sanctuary series. I want to read it ssooo bad, I love books about angels! It comes out between Aug 2011 and Sept 2011, each site I look at says something different, so i don't know when its out, unfortunately. 

In a violent world where fallen archangels are hunted for their valuable plumage, Wren knows one thing for certain: the human woman who saved him from a poacher attack will die if she stays with him. The demon responsible for his parents' gruesome deaths two decades ago pines for the chance to rip apart any woman who stands under Wren's wing. Wren doesn't expect Ginger to stay by his side once she discovers his ability to drain life with a mere touch, yet she lingers. When an unusual talent of her own reveals the location of Wren's father, Wren's isolated world implodes. With the help of the demon protectors he's sworn never to trust again, Wren risks everything to rescue his father, confront the demon who stalks his and Ginger's every step, and claim his eternity with the most courageous woman he's ever known.

Populazzi by Elise Allen

This is Populazzi by Elise Allen (Who pretty much co-wrote Hilary Duff's novels). It just came out Aug 1/2011 but I haven't gotten it yet, I so want to though! I love the cover, and the story sounds pretty good. 

WHAT WOULD YOU DO if you had the chance to erase your past and reinvent yourself as the person you’ve always wanted to be?  Would you grab it?  Would you stick with it, no matter what the consequences?

Cara Leonard always wished she could be one of  those girls: confident, self-possessed, and never at a loss for the perfect thing to say.  One of the Populazzi.

It always seemed impossible… but now could be her chance.

When Cara moves to a new school just before junior year, her best friend urges her to seize the opportunity and change her life… with the help of The Ladder.  Its rungs are relationships, and if Cara transforms herself into the perfect girlfriend for guys higher and higher on the Popularity Tower, she can reach the ultimate goal: Supreme Populazzi, the most popular girl in school.

The Ladder seems like a lighthearted social experiment — a straight climb up — but it quickly becomes gnarled and twisted.  And when everything goes wrong, only the most audacious act Cara can think of has a chance of setting things even a little bit right.

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Got this coming in the mail, I can't wait to read it :)

Love ties them together. Death can't tear them apart.
Best. Birthday. Ever. At least, it was supposed to be. With Logan's band playing a critical gig and Aura's plans for an intimate after-party, Aura knows it will be the most memorable night of her boyfriend's life. She never thought it would be his last.
Logan's sudden death leaves Aura devastated. He's gone.
Well, sort of.
Like everyone born after the Shift, Aura can see and hear ghosts. This mysterious ability has always been annoying, and Aura had wanted nothing more than to figure out why the Shift happened so she can undo it. But not with Logan's violet-hued spirit still hanging around. Because dead Logan is almost as real as ever. Almost.
It doesn't help that Aura's new friend Zachary is so understanding—and so very alive. His support means more to Aura than she cares to admit.
As Aura's relationships with the dead and the living grow ever complicated, so do her feelings for Logan and Zachary. Each holds a piece of Aura's heart...and clues to the secret of the Shift.

Insatiable Review

Rating: ♥♥♥

Not that Meena isn’t familiar with the supernatural. See, Meena Harper knows how you’re going to die
But not even Meena’s precognition can prepare her for what happens when she meets—then makes the mistake of falling in love with Lucien Antonescu, a modern-day prince with a bit of a dark side.. a dark side a lot of people, like an ancient society of vampire-hunters, would prefer to see him dead for.
The problem is, he already is dead. Maybe that’s why he’s the first guy Meena’s ever met that she could see herself having a future with. See, while Meena’s always been able to see everyone else’s future, she’s never been able look into her own…

Meg Cabot is one of my most favorite authors, has been for a pretty long time, ever since I read 'The Mediator" a few years back. BUT. She, I guess you could say, flunked a bit on this one. I was pretty disappointed, she could have made it SO much better. All the main characters share their view point from chapter to chapter and at first it's hard to follow and not much goes on. The only thing I really liked about it was that Meena and Lucien have this amazing passionate romance for a period in the book, but otherwise, it's just..meh. The characters don't feel very structured, the story just feels a little all over the place and Meena is a freaking cry baby that cries over every little thing. Let's just say I'll be getting the sequel 'Overbite', from the library.

Upcoming Novel

O.M.G.! This book looks freaking amazing and sounds just as good! Its expected publication is December 13th/2011..just in time for Christmas!! ;) I am sssooo asking for this for Christmas, if I don't get it for xmas then I'll just have to pick it up boxing day.

Nancy Holder and Debbie Viguie, the New York Times bestselling authors of the Wicked series, have created an entirely new trilogy with the passion of Twilight and the grandeur of Fallen. The Wolf Springs Chronicles introduces readers to a town of secrets and the new girl who's about to start believing in werewolves.

Unearthly Review

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

In the beginning, there's a boy standing in the trees . . . .

Clara Gardner has recently learned that she's part angel. Having angel blood run through her veins not only makes her smarter, stronger, and faster than humans (a word, she realizes, that no longer applies to her), but it means she has a purpose, something she was put on this earth to do. Figuring out what that is, though, isn't easy.

Her visions of a raging forest fire and an alluring stranger lead her to a new school in a new town. When she meets Christian, who turns out to be the boy of her dreams (literally), everything seems to fall into place—and out of place at the same time. Because there's another guy, Tucker, who appeals to Clara's less angelic side.

As Clara tries to find her way in a world she no longer understands, she encounters unseen dangers and choices she never thought she'd have to make—between honesty and deceit, love and duty, good and evil. When the fire from her vision finally ignites, will Clara be ready to face her destiny? 

I had first seen this novel on a book blog and it instantly caught my eye, so I read what the person had to say about it and how it had surprised them that it was so good. I later found it at the bookstore and HAD to buy it!! The cover is so pretty with his silver shiny writing on the front, I couldn't resist. I wasn't sure if it was actually going to be any good since pretty covers on a book usually mean the story is total crap. But this novel is AMAZING! By the end it totally took my breath away, it wasn't what I was expecting at all! It's also not one of those kind of books where the 'human' discovers they're not human, and blah blah. It's actually WAY better. Clara ends up liking two guys, but it's not the typical 'torn between two guys' type thing. On the one hand, Tucker is this totally down to earth, make-you-fall-in-love with him easy going guy, that also happens to be the brother of one of Clara's best friends. On the other hand, Christian turns out to be different than originally thought, but in a good way and this thing (I can't give it away if you haven't read it yet), brings Clara and Christian together in a way they never even thought possible. It swept me off my feet and I just can't wait for 'Hallowed' to come out to see what happens next!

Upcoming Novel: Lost In Time

After their beautiful yet brief bonding ceremony in Italy, Schuyler Van Alen and Jack Force are forced to separate. To fulfill the Van Alen Legacy, Schuyler travels to Alexandria to search for Catherine of Siena and the Gate of Promise. But Schuyler quickly discovers that everything she believed about the Gate to be wrong. Meanwhile, Jack makes the difficult decision to return to New York to face his twin and former bondmate, Mimi. But instead of a bitter reunion, he is faced with a choice for which there is no good option.

Mimi, with a most unexpected travel companion in Oliver Hazard-Perry, jets off to Egypt, too, to search for Kingsley Martin, her long lost love. With all roads leading to Hell, Mimi learns that not all love stories have happy endings. But she'll have to put her own feelings aside if she's going to save her crumbling Coven.

I am SSOOO excited for this book! It's the 6th book in the 'Blue Bloods' series by Melissa De La Cruz. Its expected publication date is September 27th/201l, which is next month!!! Honestly, I AM rooting for Schyler and Jack, but at the same time, I think they're pretty doomed with Mimi in the picture..so I don't know how this is all gonna go down! xox

House of Night Movie

So I know the news about the 'House of Night' series becoming a movie/s has already been out for a while, but I just thought I'd post it anyway, since I'm really excited about it! I have heard that they are more leaning towards a 'Harry Potter' type direction series of movies, but I don't know if it's for sure yet. I just hope they choose a really good cast that actually suits this series, unlike the 'Twilight' saga movies with *cough* Kristen Stewart..

If you aren't familiar with the 'House of Night' series, or haven't been sure if they're worth reading, (which they are!), you can go to this link to the official website, they have descriptions for all 8 books and even the first novella of the mini series, 'Dragon's Oath'. 

http://www.houseofnightseries.com/books