Book Review: Beyond by Willow Rose

Beyond (Afterlife #1) 
by Willow Rose
Release Date: September 9th, 2011
Publisher: DMC
Format: ebook, 267 pages
Source: Amazon/Barnes and Nobles
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Goodreads Summary: Meghan is 16 when she dies. 

She wakes up on a flying steamboat on her way to a school run by Angels in a white marble castle. On the boat she meets Mick who has been dead for more than a hundred years but still looks like a teenager. He helps her past the difficult beginning at the new school in a new world. One day some of Meghan's roommates find a mirror in the cellar of the school and they persuade her to go through it with them - well knowing it is strictly against the rules of the school. Meghan ends up back on earth where she meets Jason. But Jason is in danger and Meghan know something important. Something that is a matter of life and death. Soon she is forced to choose between the two worlds. The one she belongs to now and the one she left.

Beyond is the first novel in Willow Rose's Afterlife series. 

Cindy's Review: Sorry guys for not posting for one whole week. I've like so freakin busy with school and such. I had that major gameboard book report last week to to finish, in which I did it all Sunday. And I just don't have time to do reviews considering I have to do Eureka, orchestra, Falcon Work, Drama Work Day,  etc. And that's not even counting homework. And yesterday was the streetfest, so I was gone the whole day also. At least I'm back guys!! ;) And hope you enjoyed Liana's mini post there. ;) Alright, back to review mode. ;))

The Cover:

Well, can't say I gave any thought to the cover. To me, the cover portrayed a boring mermaid book. LOL. And the stories actually the opposite of the cover.

The Characters/Plot:

Okay. I read this book so so so so so long ago that I forgot all the characters. I just remeber the main ones. Like Meghan. That's a cool way to spell her name there. And speaking about names, I think the author's name is really pretty. 

Meghan - So  Meghan woke up being in a boat heading towards the Academy of Spirits. She does not know the reason she died or who she really is. She just knows that her name is Meghan and she is dead. Oh, and also that she can talk to other spirits on the boat. And some of them are mean. 

Jason - Jason is a random kid the mirror (the only exit known to Meghan from the academy {they are not allowed to leave the academy at all} ) led to. It turns out he was next on the to die list. And considering that Meghan fell in love with him, she tries her best to keep him alive.

WEE. I suck at explaining and summarizing so here we go. Just read the Goodreads Summary. Omg. LOL.

The Extras:

Waaa! Lovely book. Instantly caught my attention from the beginning till end. Such a fabulous book. <333 And ya know the romance. Mhhmmm.... ;) And the spirits aren't scary at all.

The fact that spirits can fly reminded me of Harry Potter for some reason. LOL. I'm just so weird. 

Oh. And that love-triangle. Like seriously, Meghan and Jason forever. But the end though, and Jason became........ugh. Why? Meghan should just have let Jason die and then he can be with her forever and ever.

And speaking of Jason's name reminds of Rick Riordan's the Heroes of Olympus series, book 1, The Lost Hero's main character, Jason Grace. The fact that Jason Grace can fly and that spirits can fly in this book makes me compare them even more. 

Anyways, I dunno what I mean. LOL. I'm talking in a mumbo-jumbo mess, huh? Well, that's just me. Omg. You should see me when I text people. Ugh. They end up saying "HUH?!?" 

Okay. I'm done with this nice, long chat....bubaii!!

Rate: (1-10): 8.8 

Happy Reading~ 

Blog Tour: The Alchemist Academy series by Kailin Gow

Welcome to my stop on the Alchemist Academy Tour

hosted by I Am A Reader, Not A Writer

Click HERE to check out the rest of the tour schedule.

This stop reviews both Book 1 and Book 2.

Stones to Ashes (Book 1) 

Blurb:

What do you learn here...at the Academy? Wirt asks. Magic? The responsibility to use your powers responsibly? Uh...something like that, his roommate Spencer said. More like how to rule worlds. Wirt, is used to being shuffled from foster home to foster home, adopting a devil-may-care attitude toward the world along the way. Now he s in a school he can t escape, learning to develop his latent magical abilities, for what use, he doesn't know...to save his world or to destroy it...

Cindy's Review: I decided to do the blog tour mainly because of the author. I love Kailin Gow's books. I find that she writes really awesome romance stories. But it turns out the Alchemist Academy Series wasn't as romantic as I thought, but the little romance between Wirt and Alana was enough to satisfy my hunger a little.

Stones to Ashes started off with Wirt living on Earth, living with yet another new set of foster parents. When he was bullied one day, he wished with his hardest might to be somewhere else. That wish had brought him to The Alchemist Academy which is an academy where you learn about magic. The whole Academy is in a tree. That's right. You didn't read wrong. It's in a tree and that tree is basically in the middle of nowhere. Don't worry, the tree is ginormous and it has this tree transporting system, where you step through a hole and wish to be somewhere. Then you'll fall and fall like Alice in Wonderland until you reach your destination. In that case, it kind of reminds me of The Magic Tree House Series by Mary Pope Osborne where Jack and Annie goes to a tree house and wishes to be somewhere while pointing to a book and the tree house would spin and spin until they get there. And well, the Alchemist Academy kinda is a magic tree house. It's more like a magic tree school though. ;)

At first, I was kind of disappointed that the book didn't have enough action. And I was bored with it, wanting to put it down. But they always saves the best for last, so I continued reading it, and I must the ending was much, much better. ;)

Rate: (1-10) 8 stars!!

Purchase

Amazon * Barnes & Noble

Elemental Explosions (Book 2)

Blurb: 

A new student has entered The Alchemists Academy, and he brings with him an explosive power that threatens the Academy and the legend of Merlin. Wirt thought he was the only bad boy at the Academy, but he was wrong. Not only is Roland Black worse than Wirt, but a new teacher had replaced one of their beloved teachers, and she has more planned for Wirt and his friends than just lesson plans. Alana, his crush has grown prettier, and now he is rivals for her attention with not only his best friend Spencer, but newcomer Roland, as well. On top of that, it is their second year, and the year where all the students must pass a test to move on to the Elite Class at the Academy. The Elite Class is the only class in the third year at the Academy, and the students who fail will be sent home, others will face something even deadlier.

Cindy's Review: The Elemental Explosions went by a whole lot faster than Stones to Ashes. Although I think there were more pages, the whole book was interesting from the front to the end. The new student Roland seems like something that may catch a reader's attention and hate him. While Spencer, Alana, and Wirt tires their best to get a spot in the 14 spots available for the the third year elite students, Roland seems like a threat to them. It's not that he's smart. Not that he's powerful. Just that he cheats. But no one else knows but Wirt and Spencer. As much as Wirt complains to Alana about Roland, Alana believes Roland to be a nice, helpful guy. Ugh. 

The Elemental Explosions reminded me a little of Harry Potter this time. Wirt is kinda like Harry Potter who tries to solve the problems brewing up at school. Like Hogwarts, Alchemist Academy is a boarding school that focuses on magic and could transport. And also like Harry Potter, there is Spencer for Ron (except their personalities are kinda the opposite, but they serve the same role.) and Alana for Hermoine. And Roland just reminds me of Draco, who never seems to get in trouble no matter whatever he does. The whole elite students thing reminds me of the head of each group in Harry Potter. Ex: Like Percy being the head in Gryffindor. 

Either way, I must the Elemental Explosions served as a great read and I can't wait for the next book to come, The Quamtum Games and see who wins the final place in the elite students. And also, another comparison. The Quamtum Games reminds me of Quidditch, a little. Yeah. ;) 

Rate: (1-10) 8.8!!

Purchase

Amazon * Barnes & Noble

Author Kailin Gow

Kailin Gow is the award-winning, international bestselling author of over 80 distinct books. 

Kailin Gow is also the President of a media company, a media personality, and has been writing full-time since she was first published. Holding a Masters in communications management and leadership positions in Fortune 500 corporations, she puts her leadership abilities, her experience, and desire to help others into her fiction books. As a result, she has written the forthcoming, Finding the Heroine in You book which is also a national tour. She is a mother and spends whatever spare time she has volunteering at the Red Cross, Battered Women's Shelters, and other organizations. 

Currently her Frost Series is in development for a major international MMO Game, and she has over 14,000 and growing Frosters on her facebook fan page. 

Links:

Facebook * Twitter * Book Club

Website * Blog * Goodreads

Book Review: City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare (The Mortal Instruments #1).
Book Summary: When Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder. Much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with markings. This is Clary's first meeting with the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons - and keeping the odd werewolves and vampires in line. It's also her first meeting with gorgeous, golden-haired Jace. Within twenty-four hours Clary is pulled into Jace's world with a vengeance, when her mother disappears and Clary herself is attacked by a demon.. But why would demons be interested in an ordinary mundane like Clary? And how did she suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know....

Cindy's Summary: When I was looking through the Goodreads review on this book, it was either they totally loved it, or they hate like forever. I don't hate this book. In fact, it's pretty good. But it's not so awesome that it gets a dazzling 10/10. NO offense. I think this counts one of those dystopian books. I'm not sure. I know it's fantasy and everything. 
   
So the books starts off with Clary and her best friend Simon going to the Pandemonium Club. They can go to clubs? They're still in school. Oh well. Then, Clary learns about the Shadowhunters, the other world. And of course, she falls for Jace. Simon gets jealous of them. Team Jace!!!! And like it isn't till like the near end of the book till I remember that Magnus Bane was in Harry Potter. OMG. Harry Potter is so good. Well. The romance isn't so good. I"m getting so off topic right now. I think this is gonna be a really short opinion area since I'm like horrible at summaries. And I have to do five more for today. Omg.

Rate:(1-10): 9.5

So yeah. Have a nice day. 

Book Review: Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

 Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl.
Book Summary: Lena Duchannes is unlike anyone the small Southern town of Gatlin has ever seen, and she's struggling to conceal her power and a curse that has haunted her family for generations. But even within the overgrown gardens, murky swamps, and crumbling graveyards of the forgotten South, a secret cannot stay hidden forever.
Ethan Wate, who has been counting the months until he can escape from Gatlin, is haunted by dreams of a beautiful girl he has never met. When Lena moves into the town's oldest and most infamous plantation, Ethan is inexplicably drawn to her and determined to uncover the connection between them.
In a town with no surprises, one secret could change everything.

Cindy's Summary/Opinions: This book was recommended to me by a friend named Wen Ma. I bought the whole series, or the three books that's out from our school's Scholastic Book Fair. Since I needed more books to be on my "to-be-read" list, I decided to buy the books and read them, since they were nice and thick. ;) I can't say buying them is a bad choice. When I first started reading this book, I thought it would be like just any normal book I've read. It'll be interesting, but it will leave my mind sooner or later. I can't say the same for this book though.
 
   The first 50 pages of this book, I actually thought it was like any normal book, but as I got further and further, deeper and deeper into the book, it pulled me in more and more. Soon, I couldn't stop picking up the book. The whole Casters thing and the curses has got me addicted to the book. Since, as a reader, I'm a sucker for romance, like really bad. I enjoyed the romance too, but unlike other paranormal romance books, I was interested in the plot itself.
 
   Now that was all my opinions and stuff, like how I always do a book review. Here comes the horrible summary LOL. Because I'm quite bad at them. At least it will help my essay writing, which last time I checked wasn't so bad.  Anyways, back to topic:
 
   As you know from the book's summary, there are basically two main characters. Two people who fell in love but couldn't be together. First, there's Lena Duchannes who is a 'witch'. Or the idea of a witch. Precisely, she's a Caster, a Natural Caster. There are two types of Casters in the world. A Dark Caster and a Light Caster. You will be Claimed by the moon on your sixteenth birthday. Lena isn't sixteen yet, but it's coming soon.
 
   Then there's Ethan Wate. The narrator of the story. The simple 'Mortal'. But is he really? He is currently seventeen, but they're both sophomores so basically same year. For some reason, I like the guy older than the girl. Seems more romantic that way. Either way, without his brain knowing, his heart fell in love with that new girl, the mysterious Lena, who everyone hates at school and who has special superpowers that everyone is scared of. And not before long, his brain knew it too. Okay. Maybe that's the way I wanted it to be. Love at first sight isn't my thing, but really, Ethan had been dreaming of her every night. How do you even dream of someone you don't know and fall in love with them and they actually turn up at your high school? How much does that happen these days?
 
   But it's not only Ethan. Lena have dreams of Ethan too. And they also found out they can do Kelting, which is basically talking to another person in your head without saying anything out loud. You know, communication using your mind. Yep. Before, I leak too much out, I should talk about the curse. Even though I'm not so sure I know what it is. LOL.
 
   Never mind, officially, I don't really know the curse. Or maybe just telling you the curse is like telling you the ending of the story. The ending is great. I cried. Like really. Just like in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. And I won't tell you the reason, because that might give it away, but Harry Potter fans might already know the reason I cried, because they probably cried when they read 'that' part of the book. Okay. Now, I'm talking nonsense. Getting on with the rate.

Rate: (1-10): 9.5
It's really not that bad, but no offense, it doesn't beat my precious dystopian books. Delirium! Divergent! Yeah. That. But don't be offended. I hardly give out ten starts. For real. Maybe like three books ever.

Normally, I will have like a lot of quotes from the book, but you know how I get lazy. And this is getting real long. I hate reading really long summaries. Yeah. Like really really long. I'll give out like three quotes. LOL.

" 'Get the hell away from my boyfriend, witch.' "
Yep. Yep. Boyfriend. Witch. Totally into it. ;)

" I looked into her eyes, I noticed for the first time that one was green and one was hazel - more like gold."
This is a really big part of story. That changed almost everything. But you don't know what and I can't help me from fandoming. Reminds me of Graceling. Omg.

Okay. Quotes stop here. Because I have more to share.

Does anyone know about the CYRM thing that happens each year? You know, The California Young Reader Medal? If you don't live in California, you probably don't. But basically the CYRM is an organization, I can say that have different categories of books and select three nominees for each category. Middle school students read them and vote on which book they like the best per category. I"m really bad at explaining, so here is the link, if you want more information: http://www.californiayoungreadermedal.org/
So I"m excited to say, Beautiful Creatures is one of the nominees!!! And so is Matched by Ally Condie. OMG. I really don't know which I'm choosing. So if you want the list of nominees for this year, here it is: http://www.californiayoungreadermedal.org/nominees.htm

And last thing. I kind of like the song in the book. So I want to piece it together and get the readers more interested.

Sixteen moons, sixteen years
Sixteen of your deepest fears
Sixteen times you dreamed my tears
Falling, falling through the years...

Sixteen moons, sixteen years
Sound of thunder in your ears
Sixteen miles before she nears
Sixteen seeks what sixteen fears...

Sixteen moons, sixteen years,
Sixteen times you dreamed my fears,
Sixteen will try to Bind the spheres,
Sixteen screams but just one hears...

Sixteen moons, sixteen years,
The Claiming Moon, the hour nears,
In these pages Darkness clears,
Power Bind what fire sears...

Sixteenth Moon, Sixteenth Year,
Now has come the day you fear,
Claim or be Claimed,
Shed blood, shed tear,
Moon or Sun-destroy, revere.

It seems so mysterious. I would totally read that book if I were you. Stay tuned for the sequel, Beautiful Darkness. And there is even a Seventeen Moons in there!