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Monday, January 20, 2014

Book Review: Shadowlands by Kate Brian

Shadowlands (Shadowlands, #1)Shadowlands (Shadowlands#1)
by Kate Brian
Release Date: January 8th, 2013
Publisher: Hyperion
ARC Paperback, 326 pages
Content: PG-13/YA 
Get a Copy: 
      B&N | Amazon

Goodreads Summary: Rory Miller had one chance to fight back and she took it. Rory survived and the serial killer who attacked her escaped. Now that the infamous Steven Nell is on the loose, Rory must enter the witness protection program. Entering the program alongside her, is her father and sister Darcy. The trio starts a new life and a new beginning leaving their friends and family behind without a goodbye.

Starting over in a new town with only each other is unimaginable for Rory and Darcy. They were inseparable as children but now they can barely stand each other. As the sisters settle in to Juniper Landing, a picturesque vacation island, it seems like their new home may be just the fresh start they need. They fall in with a group of beautiful, carefree teens and spend their days surfing, partying on the beach, and hiking into endless sunsets. Just as they’re starting to feel safe again, one of their new friends goes missing. Is it a coincidence? Or is the nightmare beginning all over again?


Cindy's Review: 
At A Glance/The Cover:
I got this book as from the library for this Teen Summer Reading Program prize thing. Some of the books doesn't look that interesting there so I wasn't expecting too much for this book. The teaser in the back didn't sound that amusing and interesting, so I put off this book for awhile. It wasn't as bad as I thought though. There's actually romance and everything.

The book mentioned that Rory had blond hair, but in the cover the girl has brown hair. Well. That always happen. 

And truly, the cover portrayed the title pretty well. Shadowlands. Crows often means bad luck and the clouds or mists in the background does create a dark, shadowy environment. 

The Characters/My Opinion:
Rory Miller - So the main character was victim to a serial killer, who was pretending to be her math teacher. I was kind of scary. And really gothic. Considering I just finished writing an on-prompt essay for my English final about the gothic elements of "Frankenstein", I was really surprised when the first 10 pages was running away from a serial killer. Right there, you have the elements of Pursued Protagonist, Entrapment, Suspense, Pursuit of the Heroin, and Revenge.  

So yes, the beginning was very action-packed. 

Steven Nell - He is the serial killer. I'm not sure if he's human though, because apparently, he can smell fear. I thought he was a demon or something but there was never proof about it throughout the whole book. Steven did have some POV in the book. Only about two pages long and once in a while, so he gave us insight on where he actually is and what he is doing. So we get dramatic irony from him. 

The action kind of starting slowing down in towards the middle. Rory; Darcy, her sister; and her Dad had to enter a witness program to Juniper Landing where it's totally a rich place and safe. It kind of gets confusing when you get to the end. Like I was surprised at the ending that I was kind of suspecting, but if you think back at it, how did Steven even get to Juniper Landing?

It's more of a theory how everything happened and why it happened. The title definitely gives a clue. So the reader can kind of imagine what happened on their own. 

Final Thoughts:
The conclusion was well thought out. I truly like that tiny twist there. And no cliffhangers. That's great! I kind of wish this was a stand-alone because ending the book like that would be great. I don't like how the second book creates a whole new problem and then they have make the third book solve it. Why not just make this a stand-alone?


The Rating: (1-10): 8

Happy Reading~

Friday, January 17, 2014

Book Review: Amy and Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson

Amy and Roger's Epic DetourAmy and Roger's Epic Detour 
by Morgan Matson
Release Date: May 4th, 2010
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
ebook, 352 pages
Content: PG-13/YA
Get a Copy:
      B&N | Amazon

Goodreads Summary: Amy Curry thinks her life sucks. Her mom decides to move from California to Connecticut to start anew--just in time for Amy's senior year. Her dad recently died in a car accident. So Amy embarks on a road trip to escape from it all, driving cross-country from the home she's always known toward her new life. Joining Amy on the road trip is Roger, the son of Amy's mother's old friend. Amy hasn't seen him in years, and she is less than thrilled to be driving across the country with a guy she barely knows. So she's surprised to find that she is developing a crush on him. At the same time, she's coming to terms with her father's death and how to put her own life back together after the accident. Told in traditional narrative as well as scraps from the road--diner napkins, motel receipts, postcards--this is the story of one girl's journey to find herself.

Cindy's Review:
At a Glance/The Cover:
This book was recommended to me by the Goodreads brain computer thingy. And since the cover was so cute. :) And it sounded like a great romantic novel. And there were so much great reviews. Although there was one where the reader tried to read it three times already and still DNF. I have no idea why, because I definitely finished this book in one sitting. BECAUSE, IT'S SO LOVELY. AND CUTE. OH. I JUST LOVE THIS BOOK. 

Yes. Definitely on my summer reads list. I think I really should start creating this list. Hmmm. 

The Characters/My Opinions: 
Amy Curry - Amy is totally short for Amelia. I really had nothing against her name. I just thought it was quite common but I moved on. Really. Amy suffered through a tragic accident. And truly, I'm glad it wasn't a sexual harassment, because most of the books I read of girls who is scared of something experienced the feeling of sexual harassment. I'm kind of getting tired of those. 


Roger Sullivan - Ay. He is so cute. His name was the one name I got stuck on. Cuz I was like what kind of name is Roger? Forreal tho. I thought it was sounded like a dog's name. You know, Roger, the dog? Or like, that radio walkie-talkie thing, which I still don't understand what it's supposed to mean. Like Roger that. Or Roger over. Maybe it means I understand. BUT NOW, after I finished reading the book....you know what....WHO CARES? He is amazing~


Gosh. I swear I sound so scary. Like. I don't even know him. He's not even alive. And I truly cannot imagine liking a 19-year-old guy. But he was so romantic and caring in the book. OH. Totally worth fangurling over. I swear. Amy is so lucky. I'm not jealous tho. CUZ I TOTALLY SHIP THEM. Ouu. Totes. 


I finally can see what the reviewers of this are all raving about. And yannoe, I was never big about road trips. But this one tho. Swerve. I'm reading more road trip novels from now on. I feel like I'm talking too ghetto over here. Hope no one's offended. Welps. Continuing on.

Even though this book, I've decided, is to be one of my summer reads and I rave all about them and move on to the next, I've gone a bit crazy raving this book. I went went on Goodreads and recommended it to most of my friends who liked "romance". Oh. Hope they took that advice well. Haha. 

Either way, throughout the book, Roger and Amy's chemistry totally took my attention. I swear t.5hose are some awesome detours they took. And I just totally love how Roger is 19 and Amy is 17. Two-year-apart romances are the best! Fooreaal. Although 19 and 17 is the age where the guy just went to college so it never works out in a high school environment. :) 

Final Thoughts: 
If you guys just happened to skip straight down to my final thoughts or something, here's the summary what I just said. GO READ IT!


The Rating: (1-10): 9.5~

Happy Reading.

Tuesday, January 14, 2014

Cress Sneak Peek!

Some of you guys probably already know about this.
Typically, I'm late since these chapters were made available more than a month ago.
But I'll take anything I can take. :D
Because I definitely still want to tell the those who have not yet read the first FIVE chapters of Cress!
YEP. FIVE CHAPTERS! Like it was in Scarlet.
Oh Marissa Meyer is so generous. 
I wish all authors were like that.

Okay. Let's get on.
It's available on Amazon.com
for FREE!

*clicking on the picture won't lead you to the website, because I haven't mastered that art yet. :( 
But clicking on the Amazon.com link does lead you there.

We finally get to meet the 'Rapunzel' Cress. It also is in Cinder's POV....I think. But it certainly still talks about Cinder and her adventure. :)

ENJOY~

 

Saturday, January 11, 2014

Book Review: United We Spy by Ally Carter

United We Spy (Gallagher Girls, #6)United We Spy (Gallagher Girls #6)
by Ally Carter
Release Date: September 17th, 2013
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Hardcover, 293 pages
Content: PG-(13)/Middle Grade (YA)
Get a Copy: 
       B&N | Amazon

Goodreads Summary:  Cammie Morgan has lost her father and her memory, but in the heart-pounding conclusion to the best-selling Gallagher Girls series, she finds her greatest mission yet. Cammie and her friends finally know why the terrorist organization called the Circle of Cavan has been hunting her. Now the spy girls and Zach must track down the Circle’s elite members to stop them before they implement a master plan that will change Cammie—and her country—forever.

Cindy's Review: 
At First Glance/The Cover:
She's finally graduating! We've come to a conclusion of this teen spy's years. I've waited for the ending of the Gallagher series for years. Not that I was waiting for it to end. At the end of book 5, Out of Sight, Out of Time, we learn that it's time for Cammie to hunt down the Circle of Cavan. This is exactly what the 6th book is for, to clean off the bad guys.

I haven't done a book review in 3 months! Forreal. Since October. So sorry for my rusty review skills. Not that I was good to begin with anyways.

The Characters/My Opinons: 
Cammie - Of course, the chameleon, our main character. The one that graduates. The one that was sought after bad the Circle of Cavan. Now it's her turn to end their treacheries. 

In this finale, we follow Cammie to meet and stop the Circle of Cavan leaders. The two main villains are Preston's dad and Zach's mom. Not getting into details, but those two cause a whole lot of trouble in the final book. 
  
And yes, Zach is definitely there. Yay! The perks. But yannoe, Zach kind of got more serious. Certainly loss some of his playfulness. Kinda miss that. But we still get to read from Cammie's funny, teenager-ish attitude. I love that about her.

This ending was kind of the last of the killings. It wasn't exactly a hurried ending. But then Cammie, Liz, Macey, Bex, and Zach was definitely trying to finish their mission. And let's not forget Preston. Of course, even after everything, they have to face against the final challenge of Zach's mother. 

Final Thoughts:
This final conclusion was satisfactory. Even though Out of Sight, Out of Time basically told us what was going to happen, I really wanted Cammie to turn out to be someone special. Someone more special than just being a girl who has a list of names in her mind. Maybe royalty or something. I dunno.

The true ending of United We Spy is kind of what everyone predicted. Literally. I read numerous fanfics like this ending. You don't even know how similar the real is ending is to fans' ideal ending. Of course, without the marriage and the babies. 

But Ally Carter does leave us something to hang on to. That means she just might write a companion series. Ally introduced us a young, freshman Gallagher Girl. Her name is Amirah. And I think she's actually royalty or something, but she has a future. And plus, Cammie's in college. Who knows what can happen in colleges where she's not in a spy school. Accessibility to normal guys, durr. But she has Zach. :)   

I would like for the series to end as it is though. Although I kind of wouldn't mind an intro into Cammie's college life.

The Rating: (1-10): 9.5~
Oh. It ended. *cries. It's like my daughter is graduating and leaving me for college. I don't even know the feeling of having a daughter. What I just said didn't even make sense. But truly, I understand a parent's feeling of saying good-bye to their children, even though they can see (reread) them anytime. 

Happy Reading~

Sunday, January 5, 2014

Juicy January Releases~

Happy New Year, guys!
A new year means new beginnings. :)
Gonna try to post more this year despite how busy school keeps me. Creating good habits.
Writing posts instead of watching a movie. 
Hmm. How at least one post per movie I watch. 
Haha. Let's start today. 

So here some January new releases! 
Enjoy! 


The Destiny of Violet & Luke (The Coincidence, #3)The Destiny of Violet & Luke (The Coincidence #3)
by Jessica Sorensen
Release Date: January 27th, 2014

Thoughts: If I'm not mistaken, Luke is from The Coincidence of Callie and Kayden. It's a really cute book. SO. Why not help promote. :D Jessica Sorensen books are pretty entertaining. I enjoy reading them. :) Although I'm not sure if I would read this one though. Maybe if I have time.

Tagline: Luke Price's life has always been about order, control, and acting tough on the outside.
See. I never really loved Luke in the first place, but feelings can always change. Maybe we get to see more Callie and Kayden in this novel. 


by Jessica Khoury
Release Date: January 14th, 2014

Thoughts: OMG. ABSOLUTELY CAN'T WAIT FOR THIS. LOVE JESSICA KHOURY'S BOOKS. I only read one though, but seriously I loved it so much. Origin was pretty much the best stand-alone I ever read. I'm glad Vitro is also a stand-alone because I absolutely love stand-alones. They make the best novel ever. <3  Hopefully, guys, look forward to a review. I'll try to commit a review.

Tagline: On Skin Island, even the laws of creation can be broken.
A legit tagline this time. :D Love it. Even though it's a bit broad and widely used. Hope Khoury can make this special.
  
 
Shaken Not Stirred (Mixology) 
Shaken Not Stirred (Mixology#1)
by Alyssa Rose Ivy
Release Date: January 7th, 2014

Thoughts: Another Alyssa Rose Ivy novels. Even though I don't really keep up and read all her new releases, it's nice to just promote her. :) Hmm. Well, another new adult novel. 

Tagline: Finding the perfect guy is like mixing the perfect drink. It's all about the taste and presentation.
Good point there. Hmmm. Sounds like this will cook up a great story. 


by Cassandra Clare
Release Date: January 21st, 2014

Thoughts: Oooh. Finally. A modern one. For MAGNUS BANE and ALEC LIGHTWOOD. For Maglec shippers Or Algnus shippers. Alenus? Okay. I like Maglec better. Maga. Amag. LOL. Lecnus. I'm done. Just stick with Maglec. For Maglec shippers, here's one for you! :D Haha. And let's hope we get more of a peak at Jace and Clary. Cuz they so cute <3

 Tagline: Magnus Bane and Alec Lightwood might fall in love—but first they have a first date. One of ten adventures in The Bane Chronicles.
Haha. First date. Enjoy.


Pretty in Pearls (Fins, #3.5)Pretty in Pearls (Fins #3.5)
by Tera Lynn Childs
Release Date: January 7th, 2014

Thoughts: What's this? A Fins series! It's still going on? Remember Forgive My Fins? I dunno if you guys ever read this, but I read this way back in 7th grade. Which is only two years ago. Haha. Seriously though, I did not know Fins was a continuing series. I might give this a read. Might. It's pretty much a middle grade book.

Tagline: Undersea romance with captivating merboys, deep friendship, and spectacular pearls.
Spectacular. 
 

Uninvited (Uninvited, #1) Uninvited (Uninvited #1)
by Sophie Jordan
Release Date: January 28th, 2014

Thoughts: Ooh. This really sounds good. That line on the cover: "They say she's a killer. One day she will be." is such a teaser. Yes. I want to read this. A dystopian novel from the looks of it. I don't like murders but this truly sounds lovely. Uninvited. That's quite a sad title. And from the Goodreads synopsis, there's probably going to be romance between Davy, the main character, and Sean. 

Tagline: The Scarlet Letter meets Minority Report in bestselling author Sophie Jordan's chilling new novel about a teenage girl who is ostracized when her genetic test proves she's destined to become a murderer.
Well. Never read The Scarlet Letter or Minority Report but hope it sounds good.


High Time for Heroes (Magic Tree House #51) High Time for Heroes (Magic Tree House #51)
by Mary Pope Osbourne
Release Date: January 7th, 2014

Thoughts: A Magic Tree House book! That was back in third grade! Like 6 years ago, man. BACK IN MY DAY.... 

Haha. Can't believe Jack and Annie are still the same age. Definitely haven't been keeping up with this series. Last time i read one was #41. Quite long ago. 

Tagline: Err. Are there even any taglines? They're all the same. Introducing this book basically. Here's a sum up. Jack and Annie will be in Egypt searching for another secret of greatness for Merlin. 

by Elizabeth Scott
Release Date: January 28th, 2014

Thoughts: Huh. Great cover. It looks really cute. I love YA romance. I think it is one. Hold up. Lemme read the synopsis first. Aww. It's kind of a tragic teenage story and her miseries. All the suffering she's living through that's not the typical teenager problems. I would definitely read this if I was asked to. I could use some tears. :D If there is any.

Tagline:  Life. Death. And...Love?
Yes, sweetie, there's always time for love. Go and live on. There's something out there for you. 
 

Into the Still Blue (Under the Never Sky #3)Into the Still Blue (Under the Never Sky #3)
by Veronica Rossi
Release Date: January 28th, 2014

Thoughts: It's like all the Harper Collins January releases are all releasing on this date. Oh. Such a treat. We still have to wait. On the other hand, OMG. THE LAST INSTALLMENT OF UNDER THE NEVER SKY GUYS! In the beginning, I didn't love this book as much, but then I read the second novel and it turns out that I it isn't as bad as I thought it was. So yeah. I'm gonna continue and read the third and final book of Veronica Rossi's Under the Never Sky. 
Tagline: The world needs them. They need each other.
That is so freakin' cute.


Hmmm. It seems that's it for now.
Not much January novels.
Well, hope there's more next month. 
Cuz I'm coming back!
And if you're interested, I'm watching Ender's Game cuz the book was awesome! :D
And if you guys know some other juicy January releases, comment and I'll post it also!
Enjoy.