The Iron King

Author: Julie Kagawa

Source: Library

Summary: (back of book) Something has always felt slightly off in Meghan's life, ever since her father disappeared before her eyes when she was six. She has never quite fit in at school...or at home.

When a dark stranger begins watching her from afar, and her prankster best friend becomes strangely protective of her, Meghan senses that everything she's known is about to change. But she could never have guessed the truth--that she is the daughter of a mythical faery king and is a pawn in a deadly war. Now Meghan will learn just how far she'll go to save someone she cares about, to stop a mysterious evil no faery creature dare face...and to find love with a young prince who might rather see her dead than let her touch his icy heart.

Review: From the buzz that this series has created throughout the blogosphere, I was expecting a lot from this book. And it surprised me! I wasn't expecting Meghan Chase to be the character she was. Rough on the edges. Living in the middle of nowhere. Essentially identifying herself as a "backward hillbilly". She was such a different character from what I had gleaned from off the gorgeous cover of this book.

And she become almost unrecognizable by the end of it. Her growth was astounding! She became an amazing person who I would love to have as a friend. Meghan showed her ability to be mature and confident when the situation called for it. Her strength didn't come as much from within herself as it did from the loyalty she felt to the people around her even if they weren't always that nice. I felt that this book was very character driven.

The other people in the story were also vividly written and together, they were quite the motley crew. Ash was cold til pretty much the very end. I am anxiously awaiting getting to know him and what exactly goes on in his mind in the following books, but for now I am satisfied by the swoon-worthy factor. Robin Goodfellow, or Puck, is quite the sarcastic, sardonic, cynical, goofy faery. Or fairy? Or fae? Or fay? I get confused. I see that Puck's relationship with Meghan is the result of mutual disregard or attempt at disregarding the opinions of others towards them. Although they don't seem particularly close, Puck keeps the story interesting.

My absolutely favorite character of this crazy-weird-iron-fae land is Grimalkin. The talking cat. He is A-M-A-Z-I-N-G. Everything that should be in a cat is found in Grimalkin's voice. Begrudging respect toward Meghan after putting her through many side ordeals. A swishing fluffy tail. Seriousness and cranky wise-ness emanate from this lovely, darling (he would probably hiss at me right about now) kitty make him the endearing character he is.

Rating: 1 2 3 4 4.5 5

*Not a five, because Ash wasn't characterized enough for me to see his interaction with the other characters such as Meghan.

Waiting on Wednesday 26

Hello! Yes...for the past three Wednesdays it has only been WoWs on here. Too many good books to read. And that are due oh-so-soon at the library. Tomorrow in fact. D: Anyway, let us get on with it. Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill over at BreakingTheSpine that shines a light on a book we are anxiously awaiting the release of. Here is this week's pick:

Title: Croak

Author: Gina Damico

Release Day: March 20th, 2012

Summary: (goodreads) Sixteen-year-old Lex Bartleby has sucker-punched her last classmate. Fed up with her punkish, wild behavior, her parents ship her off to upstate New York to live with her Uncle Mort for the summer, hoping that a few months of dirty farm work will whip her back into shape. But Uncle Mort's true occupation is much dirtier than that of shoveling manure.

He's a Grim Reaper. And he's going to teach her the family business.

Lex quickly assimilates to the peculiar world of Croak, a town populated entirely by reapers who deliver souls from this life to the next. Along with her infuriating yet intriguing partner Driggs and a rockstar crew of fellow Grim apprentices, Lex is soon zapping her Targets like a natural born killer.

Yet her innate ability morphs into an unchecked desire for justice--or is it vengeance?--whenever she's forced to Kill a murder victim, craving to stop the attackers before they can strike again. So when people start to die--that is, people who aren't supposed to be dying, people who have committed grievous crimes against the innocent--Lex's curiousity is piqued. Her obsession grows as the bodies pile up, and a troubling question begins to swirl through her mind: if she succeeds in tracking down the murderer, will she stop the carnage--or will she ditch Croak and join in?

My Thoughts: First off, the heroine of this story sounds spunky. I want to read this because the character really seems to be lively and strong. Also, the cover is pretty! Oh and Croak is kind of an awesome name. Secondly, this is about grim reapers. Something a little different in between the myriad of fairy books I've been reading recently. Hopefully it is as cool as it sounds!

May I ask what it is that you, fellow readers, are waiting for?

Waiting on Wednesday 25

I've been a terrible blogger lately. Sorry about that. I got my first job at a retail store and since it is the Holiday season...I've been a very tired worker afterwards. I've been reading A LOT. Just haven't been up to making the time to review, but I will get on that quickly now :)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at BreakingTheSpine and it highlights the books we are eagerly awaiting the release of.

Here is what I am waiting for:

Title: The Treachery of Beautiful Things

Author: Ruth Frances Long

Release Day: August 16th, 2012

Summary: (goodreads) The trees swallowed her brother whole. And Jenny was there to see it. Years later, when she returns to the woods where Tom was taken to say good-bye at last, she finds herself lured into a world where stunning beauty masks the most treacherous of evils, and strange and dangerous creatures await—creatures who seem to consider her the threat. Among them is Jack, mercurial and magnetic, with allegiances that shift as much as his moods. Determined to find her brother, with or without Jack’s help, Jenny struggles to navigate a faerie world where nothing is what it seems, no one is who they say, and she’s faced with a choice between salvation or sacrifice—and not just her own.

My Thoughts: I love the cover. I love the title. And it seems like a sort of historical type of fantasy books which I would absolutely love to read.Man-eating trees? Intruiguing!

What are you waiting for?

Waiting on Wednesday 24

I present to you this week's WoW. "Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly meme hosted by Jill over at BreakingTheSpine that highlights the books we are most looking forward to.

Here is what I am SUPER EXCITEDLY awaiting;

Title: Spell Bound (Hex Hall #3)

Author: Rachel Hawkins

Release Day: March 13th 2012

Summary: (goodreads) Just as Sophie Mercer has come to accept her extraordinary magical powers as a demon, the Prodigium Council strips them away. Now Sophie is defenseless, alone, and at the mercy of her sworn enemies—the Brannicks, a family of warrior women who hunt down the Prodigium. Or at least that’s what Sophie thinks, until she makes a surprising discovery. The Brannicks know an epic war is coming, and they believe Sophie is the only one powerful enough to stop the world from ending. But without her magic, Sophie isn’t as confident.

My Thoughts: I am in absolute awe with this series and I cannot wait to continue off from where the last book left off because it was quite the cliffhanger. And I also can't wait to possibly hear more about Cal? He is my second favorite character in the book. Oh alright. Archer too. :) I don't know if I can wait 'til MARCH!

What are you waiting for, fellow bookworms?

Hex Hall No. 2: Demonglass

Author: Rachel Hawkins

Source: Library

Summary: After Sophie Mercer's exciting semester at Hecate Hall, she finds out things she didn't want to know about herself. She is a demon and she would rather face the possibility of death. But that may not be her choice to make when what she thought she knew unravels before her and Archer Cross may be the only one willing to give her some of the answers.

Review: I've determined that the strongest aspect of this amazing series is Sophie Mercer. Her realness and personality are just empowering driving the story to the very end.

We hear more from the other characters in this book too. There is a different side to Mrs. Casnoff that kind of reminded me of how it can be weird to see your teacher buying groceries because in your mind they kind of belong with the school. Did that make any sense? Anyway, Sophie's dad joins the picture and their relationship is described very realistically.

Finally! Archer+Sophie becomes three-dimensional for me. In the first book, I couldn't really understand their connection. I love Archer as a character because he is so quirky and snarky and cool, but I didn't get what chemistry there was between him and Sophie. Although this book fleshed out their relationship more, it is rough going. I'm conflicted.

I actually have a preference for Cal who is supposed to be the groundskeeper at Hecate Hall. Just his personality is sweet, but strong and his amazing looks is enough to make the heart of any girl melt. Sorry Archer. Sophie should take note!

It might have even been better than the first book. Sophie's vulnerability is of doubting herself and the people around her. Learning to properly hold trust lets her mature toward the end a little more. This book ended with a horrid cliff-hanger, and I cannot wait for the next one. So excited! I love this addicting series.

Rating: 1 2 3 4 5

Other Books in the Series:

1. Hex Hall

3. Spell Bound

Waiting on Wednesday 23

WoW is a weekly meme highlighting the books we are most looking forward to. Check out the host, Jill at BreakingTheSpine, to find what other people are waiting for and to link up your WoW!

Here's what I'm waiting for today:

Title: The Savage Grace

Author: Bree Despain

Release Day: March 13, 2012

Summary: (goodreads) Wrestling with the werewolf curse pulsing deep inside of her, Grace Divine was finally able to find her brother, but it nearly cost her everything.

With her boyfriend, Daniel, stuck in wolf form and Sirhan's death approaching, time is running out for Grace to stop Caleb Kalbi and his gang of demons. If she fails, her family and hometown will perish. Everything rests on Grace's shoulders. The final installment in The Dark Divine trilogy brings Daniel and Grace's love story to a breathtaking conclusion.

My Thoughts: The first two books in the series were amazing and I cannot wait to read the rest of the story. Book number two ended on a huge cliffhanger after an amazing action scene that left me breathless. I need to know what happens to Daniel! So excited!

Other Books in the Series:

1. The Dark Divine

2. The Lost Saint

The Secret Sisterhood of Heartbreakers

Author: Lynn Weingarten

Source: Around The World Tours - ARC

Summary: (goodreads) When her boyfriend breaks up with her on the first day of sophomore year, Lucy has no idea how she’s going to make it through homeroom, let alone the rest of her life. Enter three stunning girls with a magical offer Lucy can’t refuse. All she has to do is get a guy to fall in love with her in the next seven days, and then…break his heart and collect one of his brokenhearted tears. As the girls teach Lucy how to hook a guy (with the help of a little magic), she quickly discovers how far she is willing to go—and who she is willing to cross—to get what she wants.

Review: Lucy's life changes dramatically and her character's growth is magnificent throughout the novel. She goes from heartbroken and uncertain of herself in every way to dealing with her problems in a manner that strengthens her emotionally. Lucy did have the help of magic, but there actually isn't much of that at all. The most powerful magic is the one Lucy believes she has inside of her. The message of this book is having confidence and self-esteem and as corny as I make it sound, this book is amazing at convincing me of that argument unlike no other.

I was kind of expecting a cute read. Lucy is sweet in nature, but this book is actually a bit more raw than what I thought it was going to be. I felt for Lucy. Although she was full of flaws and clung too long to the wrong person, her struggle was very realistic. The heartbreak was painful for all the characters involved and the book was really intriguing because of the subject matter.

I read this book in one sitting, so I would say it had a strong plot. Lucy definitely made some bad choices throughout the novel, but I think that only made her growth as a person more real. Nobody changes from one day to the other. I loved the way the writing was descriptive and made the book colorful (there is also some colorful language) which gave it the whole magic aspect of it a stronger presence. All of the characters were fairly well developed and although I wasn't surprised by the ending at all, it was still an enjoyable read that left me wanting more and a tidier resolution.

Rating: 1 2 3 4 5

Wither

Author: Lauren DeStefano

Source: Library

Summary: (goodreads) Obviously, something went terribly wrong. Genetic mutations have festered, reducing human longevity to twenty-five, even less for most women. To prevent extinction, young girls are kidnapped, mated in polygamous marriages with men eager to procreate. Sixteen-year-old Rhine Ellery, a recent victim of this breeding farm mentality, has vowed to break loose from its fetters; but finding allies and a safe way out is a challenge she can only hope she will survive.

Review: I am a little conflicted on this book, so forgive me if I contradict myself a bit throughout.

The writing is amazing! I can see, feel, smell every detail the author writes and the main character experiences. There were some very dreamy scenes and I felt whatever Rhine is going through. Her grief is very palpable as is her ambivalence about where she is and what she wants.

Although the writing is mesmerizing and sensory, there were some things that I wasn't completely convinced of. Like the virus. It is a little out there to expect me as a reader to believe that a disease can kill everyone when they reach a certain age. Everyone's body is different, so I can't wrap my head that it would occur like that.

Another point is that only North America supposedly exists. The other countries blew themselves up to smithereens. It is really hard to imagine that happening and the book didn't convince me of it as well as I think it could and should have.

For technicalities, this book isn't going to float your boat if you are picky about the realistic-ness of the settings. If you pay any attention to the lack of world-building, then it is going to impede how you enjoy the book.

If none of the above bothers you, and all you care about is the characters and story line, then you will love this book. The vividness of the posh lifestyles, Rhine's friends, the need to get away...this author's writing is beautifully done to reach you.

Rating: I don't even want to rate it, so read the review before making up your mind based on the numbers!

Technicalities: 2

Story: 4.5