Review: Paranormalcy by Kiersten White

Title: Paranormalcy

Author: Kiersten White

Release Date: August 31th, 2010

Publisher: Harperteen

Age Group: Young Adult

Pages: 335

Source: Library

Series: Paranormalcy

Other Titles in the Series: Supernaturally (book #2, due out in stores August 30th, 2011)

Summary (goodreads.com): Evie’s always thought of herself as a normal teenager, even though she works for the International Paranormal Containment Agency, her ex-boyfriend is a faerie, she’s falling for a shape-shifter, and she’s the only person who can see through paranormals’ glamours.

But Evie’s about to realize that she may very well be at the center of a dark faerie prophecy promising destruction to all paranormal creatures.

So much for normal.

My Review:

When Evie said that she named her taser, Tasey and that it was hot pink and sparkly I knew this book was destined to be great. I was right. I didn’t know there was any hype about this book until just before I read it when I was about to add it to my ‘currently-reading shelf’ on goodreads. I’m not sure what kind of hype there was, but it doesn’t matter; this book was good. it’s a fun quick read and its not a typically YA fantasy. I loved Evie’s relationship with her best friend Lish (who is so bleeping awesome) and the mysterious Lend. I loved the idea of the International Paranormal Containment Agency, it's original which is a nice change. Usually I don’t really comment on covers but as pretty as this cover is its very misleading. It makes the book seem too dark and serious when it's also fun. I can’t wait to read the second book!

Review: The Beginning (An Original Glee Novel) by Sophia Lowell

Title: The Beginning

Author: Sophia Lowell

Release Date: August 5th, 2010

Publisher: Poppy

Age Group: I’m really not sure. I think if you can watch Glee you can read this book.

Pages: 216

Source: Library

Series: Glee #1

Other Titles in the Series: Foreign Exchange (Book #2)

Summary (goodreads.com): Calling all Gleeks!

Get more of your favorite characters in this official Glee prequel!

All great performances deserve a warm-up! Enroll early at McKinley High--before New Directions was even a glimmer in Mr. Schuester's eye. When did Rachel first decide Finn was more than just a jock? When did Puck and Quinn start their secret romance? And how did the fledgling Glee Club function without a fearless leader? Hint: It wasn't exactly a perfect melody.

Break out the gold stars and refill the slushies: It's time to find out what happened to all your favorite characters before the show-mance began.

My Review:

First off, I’m a gleek and proud of it so I just had to read this book. There’s a lot of depictions in this book that completely contradict things that actually happened in the show. One thing that REALLY bothered me was that they said that Puck’s name was “Puck Puckerman” as if Puck was his real name and not just a nickname (his name is Noah). I can’t figure out when exactly the show’s plot is supposed to fit in. I know this is a prequel but it's like the beginning of the show is completely disregarded. It's almost as if the author didn’t bother watching the series before she wrote it. But even with all the problems I really liked it because it captured the essence of Glee. I thought the characters of Coach Sylvester and Rachel were written splendidly; they both annoyed me just like they do in the show. I liked how this story develops the relationship between Puck and Quinn as well as the friendship between Kurt and Mercedes. So basically, if you’re a Gleek read it, if you’re not don’t bother. My rating of this is 4 hearts because I really liked it as a fan of Glee. However, I can see why other fans would hate it because of the discrepancies.

Review: Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld

Title: Leviathan

Author: Scott Westerfeld

Release Date: October 6th, 2009

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing

Age Group: Young Adult

Pages: 448

Source: Library

Series: Book #1 of the Leviathan series

Other Titles in the Series: Behemoth (book #2)

Challenge: Steampunk Challenge

Summary (goodreads.com): On the eve of World War I, conflicts in Europe are coming to a bloody boil. On every side, governments are frantically arming themselves with new weaponry and sorting out likely friends and foes. On the whole continent, perhaps the oddest pairing of all is the makeshift alliance bred in danger between Aleksandar Ferdinand, fugitive prince of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and Deryn Sharp, a daring British airwoman disguised as a boy. Both have secrets that they must conceal and now face dangers of literally global proportions. A steampunk series by the author of the Uglies and the Midnighters series.

My Review:

I’ve never really particularly liked World War I. For some reason I always forget what happened, why it started and who was involved. Leviathan changed all that. It creates its own version of WWI and yet it still sticks to the facts. I liked learning about Alek’s side of things with all the machines and what not but I was truly fascinated by Deryn’s aide of the war with the fabricated animals. I was a Bio Chemistry major in high school and even though I hated it some of it (unfortunately) stuck with me. In my HS I could have chosen one of three majors, Bio Chemistry, computers or engineering. I hate computers (I tend to break them a lot) so I obviously didn’t choose that and I could honestly care less about machines and building things so engineering was also out. Even though I sucked at science even back then I chose it because there was no where else for me to go (well I could have gone to a different high school but I really liked mine). I came to loath science by the way because of majoring in it. Okay, here’s the point of that long rambling tangent: I think it sort of explains why I like Deryn better than Alek. Alek was interesting I guess, but Deryn’s story made the book good. It's what kept me from giving up on it all together. Once the stories of the two main characters combined however I knew I wouldn’t be able to put it down. I plan on reading Behemoth soon because Leviathan was in fact really good. I also really loved the illustrations in this book they were wonderful. I recommend this to steam punk fans as well as WWI fans or just history in general.

Review: The Vespertine by Saundra Mitchell

Title: The Vespertine

Author: Saundra Mitchell

Release Date: March 7th, 2011

Publisher: Harcourt Children's Books

Age Group: Young Adult

Pages: 293

Source: Ebook from Publisher via NetGalley

Summary (goodreads.com): It’s the summer of 1889, and Amelia van den Broek is new to Baltimore and eager to take in all the pleasures the city has to offer. But her gaiety is interrupted by disturbing, dreamlike visions she has only at sunset—visions that offer glimpses of the future. Soon, friends and strangers alike call on Amelia to hear her prophecies. However, a forbidden romance with Nathaniel, an artist, threatens the new life Amelia is building in Baltimore. This enigmatic young man is keeping secrets of his own—still, Amelia finds herself irrepressibly drawn to him.

When one of her darkest visions comes to pass, Amelia’s world is thrown into chaos. And those around her begin to wonder if she’s not the seer of dark portents, but the cause.

My Review:

Saundra Mitchell did such a good job of making me think I was in Baltimore in 1889. I’ve always loved historical novels but this one is just fantastic! The language is perfect for the time period. From the way things are described to the dialect everything is said just right. It's as if Saundra traveled back into time to write this and came back to us just so she could deliver us this amazing story. I forgot I was reading a book that was written in the 21st century and not the 19th. I can tell that Saundra Mitchell not only loved the story and the setting and the characters but the language itself. And no matter what the situation whether normal or psychic it always fits perfectly in with the storyline and it never feels out of place. About a quarter of the way through the novel or so, Amelia, Zora and Thomas go to see Lady Privalvna who is a medium. At one point in the lady's show she is overcome with tremors and a doctor comes out. The doctor’s companion yells out to the audience that they shouldn’t be alarmed because the man is a doctor. If I was there I would still be alarmed, so what if he’s a doctor! It’s the 1800’s for heaven’s sake, they knew nothing about medicine! It’s a good thing I was not a time traveler in this book or I would have pointed this out to Amelia and her friends. I loved the character of Nathaniel. I really did. He was so adorable I wish there was more of him in the story but then again if there was I wouldn’t have gotten so excited every time his name was mentioned or Amelia saw him. I probably wouldn’t love him quite so much if his name wasn't Nathaniel though either (I adore that name). I especially liked the way Saundra Mitchell had the ability to rip out my heart and STOMP on it in one chapter and then completely mend it in the next! This had the potential of becoming another one of those I want a re-do on the ending kind of books, but in the end it really did work out just the way I planned (for two of the characters at least). I fully recommend this to fans of historical fiction or people who are looking to try it out.

Review: Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

Title: Anna and the French Kiss

Author: Stephanie Perkins

Release Date: December 2nd 2010

Publisher: Dutton

Age Group: Young Adult

Pages: 372

Source: Library (but I’m going to be buying asap)

Series?: Technically it is a Stand Alone, but there will be companion novels.

Summary (goodreads.com): Anna is looking forward to her senior year in Atlanta, where she has a great job, a loyal best friend, and a crush on the verge of becoming more. Which is why she is less than thrilled about being shipped off to boarding school in Paris—until she meets Étienne St. Claire: perfect, Parisian (and English and American, which makes for a swoon-worthy accent), and utterly irresistible. The only problem is that he's taken, and Anna might be, too, if anything comes of her almost-relationship back home.

As winter melts into spring, will a year of romantic near-misses end with the French kiss Anna—and readers—have long awaited?

My Review:

I read this ages ago, but I’m having the hardest time thinking of something to write about it other than BEST BOOK EVER, READ IT NOW! It seems that the more I love a book the less I have to write about it because I’m afraid I will give something big away. So maybe it’s a good thing I plan to keep this review on the shorter side.

Everything about Anna and the French Kiss is perfectly executed. I loved every single character and every scene was written beautifully. I felt like I was in Paris with St. Claire (I wish). I just loved this book. It's really funny and romantic and it's also quotable, if that makes sense. Before I had read this book I read a ton of reviews like I always do and I haven’t read a single word against it. Anna was the talk of the blogosphere, but upon reading the summary on goodreads I couldn’t figure out why. After I read Anna I knew why, but I still can't really explain why.

Let me just say that every single person on the planet should read Anna and the French Kiss. Oh and that I want Stephanie Perkins’ hair (that blue stripe is Awesome)!

Review: Clarity by Kim Harrington

Title: Clarity

Author: Kim Harrington

Release Date: March 1st, 2011

Publisher: Point (imprint of Scholastic)

Age Group: Young Adult

Pages: 246

Source: ARC from Publisher

Series: Clarity, Book #1

Other Titles in the Series: Perception, Book #2 (due out March 2012)

Challenge: 2011 Debut Author Challenge hosted by The Story Siren

Summary (goodreads.com): When you can see things others can't, where do you look for the truth?

Clarity "Clare" Fern sees things. Things no one else can see. Things like stolen kisses and long-buried secrets. All she has to do is touch a certain object, and the visions come to her. It's a gift.

And a curse.

When a teenage girl is found murdered, Clare's ex-boyfriend wants her to help solve the case--but Clare is still furious at the cheating jerk. Then Clare's brother--who has supernatural gifts of his own--becomes the prime suspect, and Clare can no longer look away. Teaming up with Gabriel, the smoldering son of the new detective, Clare must venture into the depths of fear, revenge, and lust in order to track the killer. But will her sight fail her just when she needs it most?

My Review:

When I opened the package that contained Clarity I squealed (my dad thought I saw a bat or something. Nope, I had just received a book I had been pining for for months). I just knew this book wouldn’t let me down. I had high hopes for it and Clarity didn’t disappoint. I loved this book, it was so good. I have never read anything quite like it. Clarity is part paranormal, part murder mystery and completely awesome. I love how Clare is psychic but she doesn’t let her ability control her. She works with her mother and big brother at their family business like a lot of teens do, her family’s business just happens to be a whole lot cooler than a motor shop or something, the Ferns run psychic readings out of their home in Eastport on Cape Cod. Clare is a really believable character and super entertaining. I love Clare’s family, I am uber jealous of her. I think its so funny that her mom can read minds even though I wouldn’t want her reading mine. Perry, her big brother, reminded me a little of Jason from True Blood in that he’s a player who becomes suspect in a small town’s murder. Perry though is infinitely less annoying, he’s one of my favorite characters. There’s also a kind of love triangle type thing. Her Ex-boyfriend really wants her back and the new detective in town’s son may have feelings for her despite her abilities. I think I’m leaning towards her Ex Justin but I’m not sure yet, I’ll wait to read Perception next year to decide; I need more evidence. Clarity is also a small book at just under 250 pages, it’s a great book to read while sitting on the beach or even in your own back yard. I read this in February and it had me longing for summer (and I hate summer). Clarity is just a great read; I highly recommend it.