Blog Tour: Never Let You Fall by MIchele G. Miller

Welcome to my stop on the Never Let You Fall Blog Tour 

hosted by My Pathway to Books.

Blurb:

   Orphaned at 7, with no memory of her past or the family she lost, 17 year old Skye Martin is tired of being alone and afraid. After a hard night of partying, Skye wakes up alone in an unfamiliar hotel. All she can remember is the deep voice of her rescuer and his promise: “I am safe.”

   Xander has been tasked with watching Skye from afar for the past two years, in order to keep her safe from the demons that hunt her. An easy job - until a pair of red glowing eyes reveal themselves to Skye, and Xander, in a moment of weakness, is forced to break his cover to protect her. Never good at trusting people, Skye is inexplicably drawn to Xander and the immediate bond she feels for him. However, Xander is filled with secrets and ties to her past that threaten to thrust Skye into a world she could never imagine existed…

   As she begins to unravel the truth about who Xander is and the details surrounding her family, she discovers that she might just be the key to saving everything... And, most importantly, she finds that there has always been someone by her side who would never let her fall…

Cindy's Review: 
At a Glance/The Cover:
I don't really know what I expected from this book. My feelings changed throughout the whole book. When I first put it into my hands, I wanted this book to be a modern contemporary romance kind of book, since it took place in this era. I was annoyed to discover magic and demons. I like magic and paranormal books but I really don't like them mixing. Like mixing blood with oil. Ummmm. That just sounds disgusting. LOL.

But when Xander and Skye actually got to the magical land, the other dimension called Tycobol? Omfg. I just finished this book like seconds ago. And I can't even remember the name. Seriously. Ugh. And I"m LAZY. So sorry for not searching it up.  I found out I really loved the magic and demons. Because in this land, it was more of a medieval setting. I really love medieval settings, even better than dystopian! The idea of a king and a queen is just so intriguing. I love the royalties and stuff. And the authority they have. And the hot knights. LOL. Where had that come from?

The Characters/Mini Summaries:
Skye - Skye lived as an orphan in the modern era. Her parents died in a horrible fire explosion when she was seven. And she has no memories of it. To make matters worse, she have terrible nightmares of demons chasing her. For ten years, Skye lived in a group home, no one adopting her, feeling lonely. And all. 

That definitely changed when she was out partying one night and got really drunk. That wonderful knight in a shining armor came out. Of course, it didn't happen like that. Skye thought he was crazy telling her about these ummm.....awkward unreal things. But eventually, Skye accepted what Xander and Riorden said. I think Riorden's name is spelled that way. Gee. Yay for my bad memory. Again.

I think Princess Skye sounds really pretty. ;D 

Xander - Okay. So Xander. I really liked how the author described him. We know he has abs, but Michele didn't say, 'his rock hard abs' or 'chiseled chest'. I feel like a pedo when I think that. Michele simply said, in Skye's POV, of course,  'he could model for Calvin Klein underwear. That way, I don't have to think and try to imagine abs. LOL. I'll just think, 'ohhh, so he's good looking.' And end it there. Because I am definitely not a pedo. LOL. As far as I can tell. I mean, I stalk celebrities okay? But that's it! 

If you haven't guessed already, Xander is the knight in the shining armor. He had actually known Skye since they were like kids, like age 4.... but Skye lost her memory, and he can't exactly tell her everything in one heartbeat. 'It's really hard to explain.' I don't think he said the exact same words, but something like that. You get the idea. 

Since you read up there, from the blurb, Skye doesn't trust anyone, I'm glad to tell, Skye does trust Xander. And soon, their trust for each other turned to heart thumping every time they're near each other. Yeah. There's definitely romance. But they are like, so freakin cute. Omg. LOL. I just have to swoon and fangirl over their relationship. I really liked how this is a strictly young adult read, but can still make your fingers tingle and your heart beat. It's so cute. And there's no nasty details in bed. But they have cute ass hugging and kissing in bed. LOL. Nothing happened any farther. Cuz the princess can't loose her virtue.

Riorden - Okay. I think Xander's uncle deserved a part. I don't want to reveal everything, but Riorden I really think that's not how you spell his name but oh well. raised Xander up. Oh yeah. I forgot to mention Xander is a guardian. And so is Riorden. But I think you know already. Riorden played a key part in Xander and even Skye's life. Or at that ten years.

Selene - To make things less complicated. Selene is the sorcerer's daughter and she helped guide Xander and Skye to the Tycalbol land thing. No questions. I'm too lazy to explain.

The Final Thoughts:
Let's just say, this was  a really entertaining medieval read. I just love medieval settings. Guys. 

The ending was a cliffhanger. Thank god, it wasn't a dying one. I meant the one where I feel like dying if I don't find the next book soon. Because if it was, I'll spend my precious next ten hours trying to search up information instead of doing this tour. And that's bad.

I must say, this was one amazing debut novel! :3

KK.

The Rating: 
<3 (1-10): 8.9~9.
Okay. Can't decide. It's leaning really close to that nine. 

Author Bio:
   Having grown up in both the cold, quiet town of Topsham, Maine and the steamy,
southern hospitality of Mobile, Alabama, Michele is something of a enigma.  She is an avid Yankees fan, loves New England, being outdoors and misses snow.  However she thinks southern boys are hotter, Alabama football is the only REAL football out there and sweet tea is the best thing this side of heaven and her children’s laughter!

   Her family, a doting husband and three awesome minions, have planted their roots in the middle of Michele’s two childhood homes in Charlotte, North Carolina.

   Never Let You Fall is Michele’s first novel and she is beyond thrilled to have finally followed up on a dream she has held for over 20 years!  God willing there will be many many more books to follow.

Links:
Blog: http://michelegmiller.blogspot.com/
Author Goodreads
Twitter
Amazon
Amazon UK
Barnes and Nobles

Book Review: The Quantum Games by Kailin Gow

The Quantum Games (The Alchemist Academy #3)
by Kailin Gow
Format: ebook
Source: Author
Genre: Fantasy
Get a Copy:  B&N | Amazon

Goodreads Summary: Wirt, Spencer, and Roland are thrown into the dangerous Quantum Games, and only 1 can move onto the Elite class.

Cindy's Review: 

There wasn't much information provided by Goodreads on this book. Sorry ~  Thanks to Kailin Gow for sending me the third book in The Alchemist Academy! I did a blog tour for the first two books and Kailin Gow offered to send me the third one. ;D

The Cover:
Personally, I don't think the cover really matches the story. Since I kind of expect Wirt, the main character, to be younger. Kind of like Harry Potter's age in The Sorcerer's Stone.

The Characters:
Wirt- Wirt is the main character in the book. He's like Alina, but Spencer is dating her. He's an advisor to the future king, but the king seems to be better at it than him. Worst, he knows he has to win the Quantum Games. But he's going against Spencer, whose his friend and Roland, whose his enemy. What a horrible year for Wirt.

Roland - Roland is evil. If he's not evil, he's possessed. He plans to take over the school and in order to do that, a step is to be in the Elite class. To be in the Elite class, though he has to win the Quantum Games. The Quantum Game is a game that you have to roll a black spinning ball at people to disintegrate your opponents. And Roland. Roland is good at that. 

The Extras:
I really like the way Kailin Gow plots this story. It's makes it a really fast read. The Alchemist Academy kind of gives a Harry Potter's School of Wizardy and Witchcraft vibe, but exactly like it either. Although no one can beat J.K. Rowling, I must Kailin Gow is pretty good~. ;D 

The Rating: (1-10): 7.6

Happy Reading~ 

Blog Tour: The Puppet Spell by E.L. Adams

Welcome to my Stop on the Puppet Spells Blog Tour
hosted by I Am a Reader Not a Writer.
You can find the blog tour schedule HERE. 

The Puppet Spell

Unlike her rebellious sister Lucinda, fifteen-year-old Lexa prefers to spend her free time playing video games, fighting the forces of evil with her partner-in-crime Marlon. But when Lucinda steals an invisibility potion from their uncle’s storeroom, she unleashes chaos into their lives. Lexa and Marlon find themselves catapulted into a world far more dangerous than any video game, full of misleading illusions, sinister Conjurors and deadly Fey, and threatened by a man with a grudge known as the Puppeteer. Accompanied only by Lexa’s uncle’s unreliable (and rather dangerous) Chimera, Lexa and Marlon must navigate this world to find Lucinda- before they too fall under the spell of the puppet master...




Praise
'OMG, my hat goes off to Miss Adams. "The Puppet Spell", is a mind-bogglingly crafted novel...I love the intricate web that is interwoven throughout the story. It leaves you wondering what's real and what has been created from the mind of Adams. It's Harry Potter meets The Matrix. It's a fast-paced story that left me gripping the end of my seat waiting for the next scene to start. Adams's debut novel is a must have! Its original take on magic and other worlds will have you placed under a spell of its own.' - YA author Elle A. Rose (Amazon review)

'Adams has crafted an entertaining fantasy tale with some nicely creepy moments. This novel is aimed at a young audience and should be extremely well received...a brilliantly written adventure story.' - Fantasy author Sharon Stevenson (Amazon review)

"it is easy to see that you are a very gifted writer. I am so impressed by your talent and the story. It has appeal not only for kids but adults as well. I think you will go far with this. Six stars!" - Authonomy review

"You have a wonderful narrative voice for children’s literature." - Authonomy review

"To me it felt like a mixture between Narnia and Dr Who, whilst at the same time being very original and not easy to predict." - Authonomy review

"You have a great idea and have written it wonderfully! The writing is clean and consice, with no words wasted. Your settings and circumstances are described vividly and placed me in the story. All of the characters have distinct personalities and their quirkiness is fresh. You are obviously very talented! This story is put together incredibly well. Highly marketable, very highly starred, and most enjoyable." - Authonomy review

"High stars from me – this is one of the most satisfying reads in this genre I’ve come across in a while." - Authonomy review

Cindy's Review: 

 I think this book was a one amazing read! It was entertaining from start to finish with the magical spells and the twins adventures, which got you clinging to the edge of your seat! Although the cover is a little scary. LOL. You learn to never judge a book by its cover. I read this book because I know the author from Twitter (kind of) and I knew she was trying really hard to get her book published, so I decided to give it a try. Not bad was the first thought I had when I started reading this.

Amazing! was the thought I had when I finished. If E. L. Adams was writing a sequel, I would definitely read that one.

So the main character of the book is Lexa. Lexa is a quiet, calm, smart, and responsible type of girl as her twin sister, Lucinda is the troublemaker, the queen bee, and the snotty kind of girl. Lexa and Lucinda started living with their uncle  Steven. Their uncle moves around a lot so Lexa had to change schools a lot. But during that past two years, she still went to the same school.

One day, when their uncle left for somewhere, Lucinda was naughty enough to look into their uncle's storeroom. and there they discovered an invisibility potion and a whole other world. When Lucinda decides to use the potion and ends up going to the other world, Lexa had no choice but to follow. Along with the Chimera, whom is Steven's pet and Marlon, Lexa's best friend.

Although the Chimera was somewhat, cruel, I never hated him. I mean, he did save Lexa from dying a lot of times, so when the Chimera led Lexa into a trap, I was like "The Chimera isn't like that, is he?"

Either way, this book was one, big, entertaining read!! Loved it! Although I do kind of wish Marlon and Lexa fell in love. Cuz you know, if your best friend is a guy in a book, you'll always fall in love with them. It's kinda like an unwritten rule. LOL.

 I rate it an 8.6!

Read Chapter One:

http:// throughthegateway.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/the-puppet-spell-teaser.html

Purchase
Amazon * Kobo</ a>

Goodreads

Author E.L. Adams

Emma is a 21-year-old author from Birmingham, UK. When she isn't reading voraciously, studying, or taking every opportunity to travel, she can be found in front of her writing desk.

Having aspired to be a writer since the age of ten, Emma aims to give life to her (admittedly bizarre) daydreams, through creating weird and wonderful alternative worlds. Her debut novel THE PUPPET SPELL, published in January 2013 by Rowanvale Books, is a fantasy tale for young adults and the young at heart, inspired by her lifelong love of traditional fantasy, mythology, and video games.

When not living the crazy life of an English Literature with Creative Writing student at Lancaster University, Emma reluctantly resides in the attic in her parents' house in Birmingham. Local rumour is that she is working on a dark fantasy series for mature young adults featuring demons and other assorted night terrors.

Facebook * Twitter</ a> * Website

Tour Giveaway
$25 Amazon Gift Card
Ends 3/10/13

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer http://iamareader.com and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.


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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
Get a Copy:
      Barnes and Nobles
      Amazon:

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~ 

Book Review: Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

Shadow and Bone (The Grisha #1)
by Leigh Bardugo
Release Date: June 5th, 2012
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. LLC
Format: Paperback ARC, 356 pages
ISBN: 978-0-8050-9459-6
Get a Copy:
      Barnes and Nobles
      Amazon

Goodreads Summary: Surrounded by enemies, the once-great nation of Ravka has been torn in two by the Shadow Fold, a swath of near impenetrable darkness crawling with monsters who feast on human flesh. Now its fate may rest on the shoulders of one lonely refugee.

Alina Starkov has never been good at anything. But when her regiment is attacked on the Fold and her best friend is brutally injured, Alina reveals a dormant power that saves his life—a power that could be the key to setting her war-ravaged country free. Wrenched from everything she knows, Alina is whisked away to the royal court to be trained as a member of the Grisha, the magical elite led by the mysterious Darkling.

Yet nothing in this lavish world is what it seems. With darkness looming and an entire kingdom depending on her untamed power, Alina will have to confront the secrets of the Grisha…and the secrets of her heart.

Cindy's Review: This book is another one of the books I got from Teen Read Week all the way back in October. And today's December 1. Well, I read like 15 of them already so making progress! 

The Cover:

 This was the cover of my book. Since this cover wasn't in any of the Goodreads editions, I decided to post up the real one. Just from the cover, the title, and the teaser, I thought this one of those scary, eerily, dark, nights and werewolves or whatever. I thought this book would be something about dark magic. Even though, yes, there is some involve of magic, okay maybe a lot, it isn't at paranormal and scary as I thought it would be. 

I mean, this turned out to be a really really good book. It kind of reminded me of The Selection by Kiera Cass and Graceling by Kristin Cashore. More details later. 

The Characters:

The book started off with a prologue when Alina Starkov, the main character, and Mal were little kids, both an orphan at a duke's house. Chapter 1 started with Alina and Mal all grown-up, either 16, 17, or 18, I forgot. My memory isn't so good with these things. I guess it's a dystopian genre since people are separated into groups from Mapmakers to Grishas and jobs. When they were little, they get tested to see what jobs they would get when they grow up. Alina became a mapmaker. Mal became a tracker. But deep inside, Alina wasn't supposed to be a tracker. Alina is something special, something way special that she can change the society forever. She is a sun summoner, a Grisha, whom is a group of elite girls led by the Darkling. 

Okay. So you can tell a bit from the beginning that Alina has a crush on Mal. But the word, crush is too mushy for it. So you can say Alina likes Mal. Then the Darkling came in and took Alina away to become a Grisha when Alina's power showed up to save Mal in the Fold. 

Okay. The Darkling sounds hot. But as hot as he is, I still think Mal is better for Alina. And sadly, though, the Darkling actually turned out to be evil. I wanted him to be a good guy. A really, hot, sexy, mysterious, good guy. Only, it's hot, mysterious, bad guy instead. Since the Darkling wanted to go on too far with Alina, ugh, I don't like him now. 

The Plot: 

When Alina, Mal, and the rest of the town members were being attacked by volcras on the Fold. I don't know what volcras are, but they have wings, nails, and screeching sounds, kinda like herpes of Greek mythology or Percy Jackson. ;) Omg. I realized I haven't even finished my sentence. Anyways, when Alina and Mal and all the others were being attacked, Alina saved Mal's life by summoning bright light, that could drive away the volcras. No one has had that ability. And the Darkling is waiting till one day, someone does. And when he finally finds her, the Darkling takes her to the palace where she got to dress in gorgeous, luxurious, Grisha stuff. 

Alina was being trained in many ways to become a Grisha and a Sun Summoner. She was trained to use her powers, which later on, turned out to be very useful. 

Book Comparisons:

I decided to add this new section here because I realized I compare books, A LOT. 

So I said Shadow of Bone kind of reminded me about The Selection by Kiera Cass. I said that because the main character's life was similar. They both came from the poor and was suddenly moved to the palace to live in luxuriant. And they both have a boy/lover that became a guard/tracker (you know, to help the palace) because of her. Except, I only agree with Alina and Mal being together. In The Selection, Prince Maxon is actually a good guy. And he actually is really nice. And he sounds hot. ;)

Shadow and Bone also reminded me about Graceling by Kristin Cashore. I don't know if I spelled her name right. Last time, I spelled her name wrong. The Reason. Everyone in Grisha have their own special skills. And plus, both Grisha and Graceling started with a G.Graceling! Like Katsa! But Shadow and Bone is fantastic in their own way. 

The Ending: 

Well, it kinda ended with Alina running away from the palace, from the Darkling, who trying to use her power to expand his magic. He was going to put a claim on Alina. I can't say Alina made it away successfully, but if you're really interested, you should totally read the book. ;)

The Bad: 

Despite the romance being perfect and everything, a little more romance would be appreciated. ;)

The Good:

Too fab to compliment~ JK. It was GOOD. Trust me. They say good isn't enough to describe something, but if you really meant it, it is. 

And it also went by real fast. I was at 100 pages in just 20 minutes ;D

Rating: (1-10): 9.5

What did I say? It was Good!

Quote Time? Sure. I got a few~ 

"Because everything she cooked taste like mud."

UGH. I love how Mal and Alina are so close when they were young.

"It was always just you and me, Alina."

Awww. Mal <3

"So I'm the Darkling's prisoner?"

In other words, YES.

That's it for now, since I got too absorbed in the book. :)

Happy Reading~

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!

Cindy's Book Review: The Hunter's Moon by O.R. Melling

 The Hunter's Moon by O.R. Melling (The Chronicles of Faerie#1).

Book Summary: A fantasy "shimmering with magic, myth, and romance,"* now available in paperback 
Gwen travels to Ireland to visit her cousin Findabhair, expecting a summer of backpacking, late nights, and the usual road trip adventures. But when Findabhair is kidnapped by the King of Faerie, Gwen must race to save her cousin before the rise of the Hunter's Moon, when the fairies need a human sacrifice. 
This first novel in "The Chronicles of Faerie" was praised for "Melling's taut plotting, with its unexpected turns, that] moves the story quickly to a climax and leaves readers wanting more." ("School Library Journal") 
* from "Booklist" (starred review) 
Praise for "The Hunter's Moon" 
*"A compelling blend of Irish mythology and geography." - "School Library Journal" (starred review) 
..." This] sensation-loaded celebration of Ireland and Faerie will be a powerful draw for many readers." - "The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

Cindy's Summary: When I first saw this book, I honestly didn't want to read it. Well, let's just say, when I first saw this book, I was like, "FREE BOOK FROM LIBRARY! WANT! WANT! WANT!" It was like Black Friday when I got it! So our San Leandro Public Library - Main was like having this Teen Party for the Reading Program at the end of each summer, and each summer, they give away free books. There were like very few left when I got there. So yeah. Then, I brought it home and went, "EW. The cover doesn't seem interesting. The teaser doesn't have any romance in it. I'm not reading it!" So I put it on my desk for a while. Then one day, I went like: "I'm so bored. No books to read. Nothing to do. I'm just going to read this."

I did not regret this decision. It's like it's the best book I ever read in my life, but it is not as boring as I thought it would seem. The summary made it seem like those normal fairy books about kidnapping humans and stuff. I really got tired of those books, so I was like "I really don't want to read this." 

Even though it really is about kidnapping humans and stuff, the real criminals are actually not the fairies. That's what is surprising. And not only that, there is actually romance in it. 

To be truthful, the whole 'The Chronicles of Faerie' also discouraged me from reading it. I thought the book was from the middle of a series and I hate starting to read in the middle of a series. So yeah.. 

Oops, this is more like about me and the book instead of a summary. I should really change it to 'Cindy's Opinions" LOL. 

So here's the real summary:

This book starts off having a cousin reunion. Findabhair lives in Ireland while Gwen lives in America. Both girls are sixteen and Ireland is apparently where all the magic is, where there are fairies or faeries in this case. The two girls go to a road trip taken by bus, and that's when Findabhair gets kidnapped by the king of faeries. Wanting to save her cousin, Gwen follows the faeries and tries to save her cousin. While Gwen believes that the faeries are harming and stealing her cousin away from her, Findabhair thinks the opposite. Findabhair thinks she's helping the faeries from a deep, dark enemy. Both are right. A human cannot live in a fairy realm without dying  in the human world, but if a human does not sacrifice herself for the enemy, The Hunter, then the faeries would not live on. 

So in this exciting adventure, both cousins find out things change when you actually go to a real adventure. (Not the ones, they were daydreaming before.)

Rate:(1-10): 8.3

This book is really not as bad as I thought the fairy books would be. 

Quotes!

"Have you forgotten how to sing?"

How can that happen? LOL.

"Dear Findabhair"

I find this name like really unique. Like what kind of name is Findabhair? Not to be mean or anything. LOL.

"Or you  may be remembering the future."

WHAT?! How is that even possible?

"We're hopeless romantics."

It's me and Liana, guys!!! (Don't correct my grammar, I know it's there.)

"....they always give her the heebie-jeebies"

LOL. Heebie-jeebies.

"Mattie O' Shea, at your service."

Why are all elves named O' something, like O' Reilly or something. Oh, really!

"Was she hallucinating?"

Yeah, probably. 

"Kathleen Quirke"

I like your  name. Sounds really perky. (It rhymes! LOL)

"ANCIENT EATING PLACE." 

Oh, please. Ancient Eating Place? LOL. I never knew that existed.

"Yes, she had definitely became a flirt."

Omg. Who admits those things?

"....for they knew The Queen of Faerie had lost her King."

That sounds really sad, but she's like sixteen!

Yeah, that's it for the quotes. Hope you enjoyed the review, LOL. And I hope it wasn't too long!

Cindy's Book Review: Entwined by Heather Dixon.

Entwined by Heather Dixon.
Book Summary: Azalea and her younger sisters dance in the mysterious silver forest every night, escaping from the sadness of the palace and their father’s grief. What they don’t understand—although as time passes they begin to get an inkling of the danger they are in—is that the mysterious and dashing Keeper is tightening his snare with deadly purpose. Luckily, Azalea is brave and steadfast. Luckily, a handsome young army captain also has his eye on Azalea. . . . Lush, romantic, and compelling, this debut novel by Heather Dixon will thrill fans of Shannon Hale, Robin McKinley, and Edith Pattou.

Cindy's Summary: This book is based on The Twelfth Dancing Princesses. The oldest princess is called Azalea and she promised her mother to take care of her eleven younger sisters, whose names are in alphabetical order in the names of flowers.When her mother dies, the king doesn't allow the princesses to dance so they found this enchanted place where they can dance in. This enchanted place have this mysterious Keeper who steals stuff. For a while, Azalea actually likes him, but later on, found out that he stole stuff from the princesses. Either way, Azalea loses her trust in him and tries not to go back, but Keeper actually makes her go to the enchanted place to dance the Entwined.

Rate: (1-10): 7.6

Cindy's Opinion's: I really don't have that much opinion about this book. Just that Keeper is a disgusting pervert and Lord Bradford sounds really old. I thought he was an old man. I think that's it.

Now, to the short quotes.. I don't have very much.

" 'Your mother is dead.....she died last night.' "

What kind of person tells you one day after your mother died as in nothing was wrong the night you danced...

"....sisters had been named alphabetically, as the King liked everything very much in order."

For real, alphabetically. Are you kidding me, who gets this crazy.;/

"....umpteenth time."

I don't know why I found this interesting but no one uses the word umpteenth anymore.

" 'Who the devil are you?' "

This sounded like a very interesting phrase to say.

"You know I know where you go, and I know you know I know of it."

So confusing.....

"What a fire poker!"

 I actually like this phrase.

Okay, that's it (Liana's exact words.)

~ Cindy ;)