Succubus Blues by Richelle Mead

#1 in the Georgia Kincaid series
Published in 2007 by Kensington

3 stars

Goodreads Review
When it comes to jobs in hell, being a succubus seems pretty glamorous. A girl can be anything she wants, the wardrobe is killer, and mortal men will do anything just for a touch. Granted, they often pay with their souls, but why get technical?

But Seattle succubus Georgina Kincaid's life is far less exotic. At least there's her day job at a local bookstore--free books; all the white chocolate mochas she can drink; and easy access to bestselling, sexy writer, Seth Mortensen, aka He Whom She Would Give Anything to Touch but Can't.

But dreaming about Seth will have to wait. Something wicked is at work in Seattle's demon underground. And for once, all of her hot charms and drop-dead one-liners won't help because Georgina's about to discover there are some creatures out there that both heaven and hell want to deny. . .

Review:  Richelle Mead's writing is so fun and charming in The Vampire Academy series, and the same can be said for Succubus Blues.  I liked this, but it wasn't as awesome as Vampire Academy. My intuition about certain characters were correct but I was still surprised by the (depressing) ending. 

I do want to continue the story because I really do like Seth and I want to find out what happens to him. I tend to root for the beta males (I don't do that whole macho man thing, it's annoying and not sexy!) and I thought he was a compelling and charming character.  I'm not so sure I really like Georgina though, she could really use a backbone. No means NO!  However, I really liked that she's a flawed character.  So often the heroines of paranormal romance are sweet and innocent.  I liked that Georgina has a history but also tries to make the most of who she is and her situation.  She accepts herself, which is refreshing because so many paranormal main characters can't come to terms with their moral conflicts of their nature.

I really love Richelle Mead's writing.   The dialogue is snappy and fun and we get the added bonus of fun sex scenes!  Succubus Blues felt a lot lighter than some of her other books.  There was still a good plot and well developed characters, but overall things were more light hearted, fun, and sexy! 

Overall Succubus Blues is a fun adult urban fantasy.  I would recommend it for anyone who wants a quick paranormal romance with some snark and sass.  Succubus Blues is a great vacation or summer read!

Paranormalcy by Kiersten White

#1 in the Paranormalcy series
Published August 31, 2010 by HarperTeen
3 Stars

Goodreads Review
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.

Review:  Paranormalcy is very cutesy and a little cheesy but overall enjoyable.  I'd really give it a 3.4, but not quite enough to earn a 4 star round up.  The characters are fun but kind of annoying at times, the plot is interesting but rather predictable, and the writing is definitely geared toward the younger end of the YA spectrum.  

Evie, the main character, was equal parts obnoxious and endearing.  I loved that her taser had rhinestones all over it, but hated that she called it "tasey".  I loved her girly sense of style, but hot pink boots and a zebra dress?  Come on.  However, I think a character that starts off rather naive has a lot of room to grow.  I loved her friendship with Lish and I wish we could have gotten to know Lish better.  I understood Evie and her motivations and my inner 16 year old girl could totally related to her.

Lend, the love interest was also great.  I thought their relationship was really well done, it developed at a believable pace and I thought their interactions were really cute.  He definitely helped bring the overall rating up.  The romance was believable and it also isn't the main focus of the book, which I found really refreshing for a YA paranormal book. 

I did have some problems with the pacing of the story.  I thought the characters were kind of going in circles and I wish the special powers and the mystery were explained better.   I finished the novel with a lot of questions unanswered, and while I suspect they might be addressed in the next book in the series it wavered between cliffhanger and unsupported plotting. 

Overall I found Paranormalcy a fun read that will appeal to fans of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.  Paranormalcy is a spunky coming of age story with a lot of heart, I would definitely recommend it for your summer reading list.

City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare

#4 in The Mortal Instruments series
Published April 5, 2011 by Margaret K. McElderry Books
3 Stars

Goodreads Review
The Mortal War is over, and sixteen-year-old Clary Fray is back home in New York, excited about all the possibilities before her. She's training to become a Shadowhunter and to use her unique power. Her mother is getting married to the love of her life. Downworlders and Shadowhunters are at peace at last. And - most importantly of all - she can finally call Jace her boyfriend.

But nothing comes without a price.

Someone is murdering Shadowhunters who used to be in Valentine's Circle, provoking tensions between Downworlders and Shadowhunters that could lead to a second bloody war. Clary's best friend, Simon, can't help her. His mother just found out that he's a vampire and now he's homeless. Everywhere he turns, someone wants him on their side - along with the power of the curse that's wrecking his life. And they're willing to do anything to get what they want. At the same time he's dating two beautiful, dangerous girls - neither of whom knows about the other one.

When Jace begins to pull away from Clary without explaining why, she is forced to delve into the heart of a mystery whose solution reveals her worst nightmare: She herself has set in motion a terrible chain of events that could lead to her losing everything she loves. Even Jace.

Love. Blood. Betrayal. Revenge. The stakes are higher than ever in City of Fallen Angels.

Review:  First I just wanted to mention that I listened to the audio book of City of Fallen Angels and was read by Ed Westwick (also know and Chuck Bass from Gossip Girl) and Molly C. Quinn (Alexis Castle on Castle) and they are both absolutely amazing.  I highly recommend this audio book.

I actually liked this a lot more than the previous couple of Mortal Instruments books. If Clary and Jace hadn't been so terribly annoying throughout 98% of this I think It would have been my favorite of the series (Also freaking Alec gave me a migraine. Seriously, I can't tell who has more stupid angst, him or Jace. It's a tie for most obnoxious). As it stands they really knocked it down a few notches. However, I really enjoyed Simon's story. He's becoming a much more interesting character than...morewITH THAT SAID i'M GOING AGAINST THE GRAINwITH I actually liked this a lot more than the previous couple of Mortal Instruments books. If Clary and Jace hadn't been so terribly annoying throughout 98% of this I think It would have been my favorite of the series (Also freaking Alec gave me a migraine. Seriously, I can't tell who has more stupid angst, him or Jace. It's a tie for most obnoxious). As it stands they really knocked it down a few notches. However, I really enjoyed Simon's story. He's becoming a much more interesting character than the Nephilim. I'm curious to see what will come from his mark and I'm hoping he will become more vampire-y as the series goes on. He's basically the only interesting character at this point.  I also didn't hate his love triangle, though I thought he was pretty stupid about the whole thing.  I could relate to liking two people at the same time and not being able to choose one and worrying about hurting the other. I did think the story was interesting as well, at least on Simon's side.  Without giving away spoilers, I liked the cult a lot and hope they show up more.  I was a little disappointed by how the villain was delt with, it felt a little too easy/convenient.  I also thought the cliffhanger ending (and of course there's a cliffhanger) was ok, but I thought it was a little obvious (because Jace always has to have angst). So overall I enjoyed City of Fallen Angels a lot more than I expected.  Cassandra Clare does recycle plot points and characters and nothing in this book is all that original, but it was an interesting set up for a new "trilogy" in The Mortal Instruments series.

City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare

#2 in The Mortal Instrument series
Published in 2008 by Margaret K. McElderry Books
2 Stars

Goodreads Review
Clary Fray just wishes that her life would go back to normal. But what's normal when you're a demon-slaying Shadowhunter, your mother is in a magically induced coma, and you can suddenly see Downworlders like werewolves, vampires, and faeries? If Clary left the world of the Shadowhunters behind, it would mean more time with her best friend, Simon, who's becoming more than a friend. But the Shadowhunting world isn't ready to let her go — especially her handsome, infuriating, newfound brother, Jace. And Clary's only chance to help her mother is to track down rogue Shadowhunter Valentine, who is probably insane, certainly evil — and also her father.

To complicate matters, someone in New York City is murdering Downworlder children. Is Valentine behind the killings — and if he is, what is he trying to do? When the second of the Mortal Instruments, the Soul-Sword, is stolen, the terrifying Inquisitor arrives to investigate and zooms right in on Jace. How can Clary stop Valentine if Jace is willing to betray everything he believes in to help their father?

In this breathtaking sequel to City of Bones, Cassandra Clare lures her readers back into the dark grip of New York City's Downworld, where love is never safe and power becomes the deadliest temptation.

Review:  Ugh this book.  It's really bad you guys.  The characters are boring or stupid, the plot is a scattered mess, and the writing is full of really bad descriptions and terribly lame jokes.  It's just not good.  The only reason I didn't give this a 1 star is because the ending was moderately interesting and City of Ashes didn't fill me with blinding rage like my other 1 star reviews.  I think the best way to review City of Ashes is to talk about the characters, because there really isn't much plot to speak of.

Let's start with Clary and Jace.  They sends shivers of disgust down my spine.  Seriously, every time I read anything with Clary and Jace together I felt like I needed to take a shower.  With a Brillo pad. and some bleach.  I don't get squicked out by many things, but incest is one of them.  I honestly feel like this whole brother/sister thing isn't true and is just added in for some tension that will be revealed later to not be true when it's inconvenient. 

Simon.  He pissed me off so bad at the beginning of this book.  Look, just because you're a "nice guy" doesn't mean your girl "friend" has to like you back or should consent to your advances!  Like seriously, if the only reason you're being nice to a girl is because you think she'll one day wake up and realize she's been in love with you the whole time, you're not a very nice guy! 

***spoilers but I have to rant*** 

When Simon all of a sudden was a vampire I was seriously just like whaaa??  That came out of left field!  They like leave the Seelie court and Simon storms off then it literally cuts to him being almost dead and changing.  We don't get any kind of transition, it was just like Simon's a vampire now ok?

The Inquisitor is totally the Dolores Umbridge of The Mortal Instruments.  She basically exists to get in the way and to be as antagonistic as possible without any reason (ok we kind of get a reason at the end of the book, but in my opinion it's not justified.  How did this person get elected to such an important position if they're unable to be rational or objective?  SMH)

Other random thoughts:

• The faeries in this are rather weak.  Seriously, the biggest mischief you can get up to is forcing a brother and sister to kiss?  Boring!
• The snark that I enjoyed in City of Bones is completely gone.  These characters do not sound like teenagers, they just sound lame.
• Magnus has that creepy I'm-a-900-year-old-supernatural-being-who-creeps-on-18-year-old-mortals vibe going on *cough*Edward Cullen stalker*cough*  (Seriously though, I feel like Clare put Alec and Magnus together because she can't bare to have one of her characters be single.  They so do not work together, they are awkward and in my opinion it really drags down Magnus's character, who could be really awesome if Clare let him).
• Clary is such a special snowflake.  I really hate how her special rune power seems to have no limitations. 
• I had to get through 75% of this book (roughly 340 pages) for anything interesting to happen and to really see any development in the main story arc.  That is not good friends.  Not good.

So yeah.  To say I was not impressed was an understatement.  At this point I'm only reading this series so I can know what other people are talking about and because I own most of these so I might as well read them before I get rid of them.

The Diviners by Libba Bray

Published September 18, 2012 by Little Brown Books for Young Readers

#1 in The Diviners series

5 stars

Goodreads Review
Evie O'Neill has been exiled from her boring old hometown and shipped off to the bustling streets of New York City--and she is pos-i-toot-ly thrilled. New York is the city of speakeasies, shopping, and movie palaces! Soon enough, Evie is running with glamorous Ziegfield girls and rakish pickpockets. The only catch is Evie has to live with her Uncle Will, curator of The Museum of American Folklore, Superstition, and the Occult--also known as "The Museum of the Creepy Crawlies."

When a rash of occult-based murders comes to light, Evie and her uncle are right in the thick of the investigation. And through it all, Evie has a secret: a mysterious power that could help catch the killer--if he doesn't catch her first.

Review:  The Diviners by Libba Bray is a dense book. This is by far one of the most historically rich young adult books I have ever read. The amount of effort and research Bray put into The Diviners is immediately apparent. Not only do we get the more surface historical elements such as bobbed hair and flappers and speakeasies, but we also get the political, social, and economic climate of the time period in a masterfully subtle way. I think that is the greatest strength of The Diviners. The historical elements are fully integrated into the story in a beautifully seamless way.

Besides the awesome historical element, I really enjoyed the occult aspect to The Diviners. I loved "The Museum of the Creepy Crawlies" as well as the various rituals and ghosty things that happen. I think there's a wonderful blend of fact and fiction that creates a really interesting story. I think some people may be initially turned off by the occult elements, but I think if you just remember that this is 100% fictional it will be ok. (I personally love creepy Halloween stuff so that was a huge selling point for me).

Now let's just take a minute to discuss Naughty John. That is one CREEPY mofo. Seriously, Naughty John is one of the best villains I have ever read. I would say he is on par with Stephen King's ghostly bad guys, which are really about as good as you can get. I think a lot villains in YA are watered down but not Naughty John. He's a great villain and I'm really excited when YA authors take their villain out of the box the way Bray did.

The other characters were also wonderful. I really liked Evie, even if she started off rather shallow, I think there will be a lot of growth with her character. I also really liked Theta and Mable, Evie's two friends. I liked their friendship a lot. I've said it before, but I love YA that has girls being friends with other girls. I think it's really important to include in YA and I think The Diviners does a great job.

My only real complaint about The Diviners is the sheer density of the book. Not only is it almost 600 pages, but the story is so full of background and historical elements that it can be a little daunting. This really isn't a negative, more of an observation that The Diviners was a slow burn for me.

Overall The Diviners is an impressive YA novel and really stands above a lot of historical fiction (YA or not). The excellent paranormal mystery woven into one of the most comprehensive historical novels that I've ever read makes The Diviners by Libba Bray an achievement for the YA genre.

The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting

#1 in The Body Finder series
Published March 16, 2010 by HarperTeen
4 Stars

Goodreads Review
Violet Ambrose is grappling with two major issues: Jay Heaton and her morbid secret ability. While the sixteen-year-old is confused by her new feelings for her best friend since childhood, she is more disturbed by her "power" to sense dead bodies—or at least those that have been murdered. Since she was a little girl, she has felt the echoes that the dead leave behind in the world... and the imprints that attach to their killers.

Violet has never considered her strange talent to be a gift; it mostly just led her to find the dead birds her cat had tired of playing with. But now that a serial killer has begun terrorizing her small town, and the echoes of the local girls he's claimed haunt her daily, she realizes she might be the only person who can stop him.

Despite his fierce protectiveness over her, Jay reluctantly agrees to help Violet on her quest to find the murderer—and Violet is unnerved to find herself hoping that Jay's intentions are much more than friendly. But even as she's falling intensely in love, Violet is getting closer and closer to discovering a killer... and becoming his prey herself.

Review:  The body finder has a really interesting premise that I thoroughly enjoyed.  I really liked the idea of the echos, how they worked and how they helped Violet solve the murders.  For me they were a unique concept that really added to the suspense of the mystery. 

Violet was a fairly likable main character in general, even if she is obsessively boy crazy.  I mean, I know most 16 year old girls are obsessively boy crazy, but Violet was taking it to a new level.  The teenager angst was a little too heavy for my taste, and I would have preferred more murder and mayhem, and less high school drama.  (though I have to admit the kissing scenes were pretty great, Derting knows how to write sexual tension (comeone adult romance novel!))

Speaking of murder and mayhem, I really loved the serial killer!  Some of the chapters were written from his perspective and they were FREAKY!  I really loved these chapters beacuse they were perfectly timed and added a lot of great suspense to the story. I was really surprised by some of the plot twists and had absolutely no idea about the killer's identity, so that's a pretty good sign of a good mystery in my book!

Overall The Body Finder is a really cool start to this unique murder mystery series.  I'm really curious to see what kind of bad guy will show up in the next book, Desires of the Dead.  The title hints that maybe there will be more ghosty happenings?  Who knows, but I'm really excited to find out!

Bad Girls Don't Die by Katie Alender

#1 in Bad Girls Don't Die series
Published 2009 by Hyperion
4 stars

Goodreads Review
When Alexis's little sister Kasey becomes obsessed with an antique doll, Alexis thinks nothing of it. Kasey is a weird kid. Period. Alexis is considered weird, too, by the kids in her high school, by her parents, even by her own Goth friends. Things get weirder, though, when the old house they live in starts changing. Doors open and close by themselves; water boils on the unlit stove; and an unplugged air conditioner turns the house cold enough to see their breath in. Kasey is changing, too. Her blue eyes go green and she speaks in old-fashioned language, then forgets chunks of time.

Most disturbing of all is the dangerous new chip on Kasey's shoulder. The formerly gentle, doll-loving child is gone, and the new Kasey is angry. Alexis is the only one who can stop her sister — but what if that green-eyed girl isn't even Kasey anymore?

Review:  Bad Girls Don't Die is an excellent mystery and horror novel.  I thought it did an excellent job of balancing the scare factor while still keeping it age appropriate.  I think this is an excellent book for younger teens who are interested in ghost stories but don't want a lot of gore.

The best part of this book, hands down, was Kasey.  There's something that is just terrifying about creepy little girls, and Kasey is a perfect example of this.  When possessed she's sinister and manipulative and completely unsettling, which creates a fantastic tension.  The buildup of Kasey's descent is very well paced.  I really liked the main character Alexis as well, I'm so jealous of her pink hair. Actually all of the characters were great, I really enjoyed Megan and Carter as well. Unfortunately the story gets a little messy near the end and it's a bit hard to follow (and freakishly easy to predict) but the creep factor is still there.

Overall Bad Girls Don't Die is an excellent introduction to the horror genre.  I think people who aren't big on the blood and gore of some of the more hardcore books of the genre will really enjoy Bad Girls Don't Die.  It has the mystery and suspense without straying into the more gross aspects of the genre.  (Oh and what is is about creepy dolls that just strikes terror into the heart?)

The House of Dead Maids by Clare B. Dunkle

Published September 14, 2010 by Henry Holt and Co.
4 Stars

Goodreads Review
Young Tabby Aykroyd has been brought to the dusty mansion of Seldom House to be nursemaid to a foundling boy. He is a savage little creature, but the Yorkshire moors harbor far worse, as Tabby soon discovers. The ghost of the last maid will not leave Tabby in peace, yet this spirit is only one of many. Why do scores of dead maids and masters haunt Seldom House with a jealous devotion that extends beyond the grave? 

As Tabby struggles to escape the evil forces rising out of the land, she watches her young charge choose a different path. He is determined to keep Seldom House as his own. Though Tabby tries to befriend the uncouth urchin, her kindness cannot alter his fate. Long before he reaches the old farmhouse of Wuthering Heights, the boy who will become Heathcliff has doomed himself and any who try to befriend him. 

Review:  Confession time.  I have never read Wuthering Heights.  I don't really know what it's about.  I know there's a boy named Heathcliff and he's a bit of a douche to a girl named Cathy, but beyond that I got nothing.  The House of Dead Maids reads like a middle grade prequel/inspiration story for Wuthering Heights.  I think it would be great for a middle school student to help introduce them to the more Bronte/Austen style of writing.  I could see The House of Dead Maids being used in a middle school classroom and then Wuthering Heights being taught later in High School. 

The House of Dead Maids is very creepy.  I could totally see it being an episode of Are You Afraid of the Dark.  The story telling and pacing are very well done and while it isn't extremely scary, it maintains a level of suspense throughout the entire novel.  I also thought the ending of The House of Dead Maids was very clever.  I liked how it ties in the Bronte sisters and hints at the inspiration for Wuthering Heights.  It an interesting addition to the Wuthering Heights tale, and it has definitely made me want to read Wuthering Heights. 

Overall The House of Dead Maids is a great middle grade Gothic tale that maintains a a suspenseful tone without becoming too scary.  I think will help spur an interest in classics in young readers and I would recommend it to any reader who is looking for a quick and ghostly story.

Last Sacrifice by Richelle Mead

#6 in the Vampire Academy Series
Published December 7, 2010 by Razorbill
5 Stars

Goodreads Review
The astonishing final novel in Richelle Mead's epic series!

Murder. Love. Jealousy. And the ultimate sacrifice. Now, with Rose on trial for her life and Lissa first in line for the Royal Throne, nothing will ever be the same between them.

Review:  I really enjoyed the end to the series, and I would say that this is one of the best paranormal romance YA series out there, and way better than certain other vampire series. I loved all of the twists and turns, there were a lot of things that took me totally by surprise. 

For the first time ever I can say that I really loved what happened to Lissa and the transformation she went through. I had always thought that once the girls left school Lissa became a rather unimportant character to the main storyline, but I really enjoyed what she had to go through in this book.  I don't want to give away spoilers, but I think that her ending was perfect for her character.  I will be reading Bloodlines soon, and of all of the vampire academy characters, she is the one I am most anxious to continue reading about.  I want to know what she will do and who will she become. 

Sure I was kind of sad about Adrian, but seriously, did we really ever doubt Rose and Dimitri? I know I didn't.  I did feel like this aspect of the story was rushed and that Adrian didn't get a very good resolution.  He basically just threw up his hands and stormed out.  That is the one aspect of the story that didn't give me a sense of completion.  However, I do know that Adrian is a big part of the Bloodlines series, so I know we aren't done with him yet.  

Overall the entire Vampire Academy series is just excellent.  It has a well thought out society and history that really supported the main story line.  The main characters Rose is awesome.  She is spunky and sexy and loyal to the people she loves.  She isn't perfect and makes mistakes, but in the end she will do whatever she has to in order to protect her family and friends.  I highly recommend this series to everyone who wants to read a compelling paranormal romance.  It's one of the best in the genre.

Spirit Bound by Richelle Mead

#5 in the Vampire Academy Series
Published May 18, 2010 by Razorbill
5 Stars

Goodreads Review
After a long and heartbreaking journey to Dimitri's birthplace in Siberia, Rose Hathaway has finally returned to St. Vladimir’s—and to her best friend, Lissa Dragomir. It's graduation, and the girls can’t wait for their real lives outside of the Academy’s cold iron gates to finally begin. But even with the intrigue and excitement of court life looming, Rose’s heart still aches for Dimitri. He's out there, somewhere.

She failed to kill him when she had the chance, and now her worst fears are about to come true. Dimitri has tasted her blood, and she knows in her heart that he is hunting her. And if Rose won't join him, he won't rest until he's silenced her...forever.

But Rose can't forget what she learned on her journey—whispers of a magic too impossible and terrifying to comprehend. A magic inextricably tied to Lissa that could hold the answer to all of Rose's prayers, but not without devastating consequences. Now Rose will have to decide what—and who—matters most to her. In the end, is true love really worth the price?

Fall in love with Rose and Dimitri all over again in Spirit Bound, the eagerly awaited fifth novel in Richelle Mead's enthralling Vampire Academy series.

Review:   After reading this book I had to breath a huge sigh of relief.  I'm glad to see the series back on track. For anyone who is like me and hated Blood Promise, trust me when I say that was a hiccup in an otherwise excellent series. Spirit Bound is as full of awesome as the first three books. This is a difficult review to write because I don't want to spoil any of the crazy things that happen.  Let's just say that I really like what happened to Dimitri.  It's a really cool idea, even if it was presented in a rather convenient way.  I also really liked Abe and I'm very curious to see what he will do in the next book (turns out he's awesome lol). 

On the whole romance thing, I'm very anxious to see what will happen with the Rose-Dimitri-Adrian love triangle, but I have a few ideas.  I'll write this part like I haven't read the series and say that I never was team Adrian, and I don't really get the people who are on his team.  I mean, if you had the choice between a 6'7" awesome ninja fighter with respect and morals AND a super sexy Russian accent or a scrawny chain smoking alcoholic who is mentally unstable and makes thinly veiled sexual innuendos, who would you pick? 

Blood Promise by Richelle Mead

#4 in the Vampire Academy Series
Published August 25, 2009 by Razorbill
3 Stars

Goodreads Review
The recent Strigoi attack at St. Vladimir's Academy was the deadliest ever in the school's history, claiming the lives of Moroi students, teachers, and guardians alike. Even worse, the Strigoi took some of their victims with them . . . including Dimitri.

He'd rather die than be one of them, and now Rose must abandon her best friend, Lissa the one she has sworn to protect no matter what and keep the promise Dimitri begged her to make long ago. But with everything at stake, how can she possibly destroy the person she loves most?

Review:   I have to admit that after the awesomeness that was Shadow Kiss my expectations where VERY high for Blood Promise.  Sadly, I was disappointed.  Blood Promise was the only weak point in the entire series and it was very weak for 75% of the book.  With that said, there are still some really great parts of the book (mostly the ending, very awesome) and the introduction of some cool new characters (Sydney is super great as is Abe), but the book as a whole is far below the bar the rest of the series sets.

So, let's review the positives first.  Sydney is introduced in this book, and she becomes a pretty cool character in the rest of the series and in the spin off series Bloodlines.  However, in this book she's not that awesome, it's mostly just a way to put her in Rose's life.  I also really enjoyed the ending.  The final "battle" is exciting and really made me interested in the next book.  I don't want to give any spoilers, but trust me that the last 100ish pages are totally awesome.

However, there are 300 pages of BORING before you get to the awesome.  This book really takes a hit with the separation of Lissa and Rose.  Mead tries to have both their story lines run congruently, but neither are very interesting.  I found myself not really caring about Lissa when Rose wasn't around.  I didn't think the information revealed about spirit was that great, and most of Lissa's plot was just filler to give her something to do while Rose was away.  Also while Rose is in Siberia, we meet a lot of character that (with the exception of Sydney and Abe) serve no purpose to the main storyline and are basically just filler.  Which is very obvious.  Not to mention the way over use of flashbacks.  There was just TMI.  I don't care about the conversations that Rose had with Dimitri a couple months ago, I want to know what they're doing now.  This entire book (with the exception of the last 100ish pages) is just filler that doesn't do anything to push the main story along.

OK, even with all of that said, this is still an enjoyable read, just not as TOTALLY FREAKING AWESOME OMG! as the rest of the series.  Don't let this book stop you from the final two books.  They are super excellent, especially Last Sacrifice.  Overall Blood Promise is a bit of a hiccup in an otherwise enthralling series.

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

#1 in The Mortal Instrument series
Published in 2007 by Margaret K. McElderry Books
3 Stars

Goodreads Review
When fifteen-year-old 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 strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Then the body disappears into thin air. It's hard to call the police when the murderers are invisible to everyone else and when there is nothing - not even a smear of blood - to show that a boy has died. Or was he a boy? 

This is Clary's first meeting with the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. It's also her first encounter with Jace, a Shadowhunter who looks a little like an angel and acts a lot like a jerk. 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 ordinary mundanes like Clary and her mother? And how did Clary suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know. 

Exotic and gritty, exhilarating and utterly gripping, Cassandra Clare's ferociously entertaining fantasy takes readers on a wild ride that they will never want to end.

Review:  City of Bones has some really awesome things going for it, and some not so awesome things as well.  This review is going to be a little different because I'm going to make a pros and cons list.  Because I feel like it.  And I can do what I want.


Pros

• The Setting - I almost always love books set in New York City.  It's one of my most favorite places in the world, and I loved the whole paranormal underground club scene. 
• Snark and Sarcasm - I can be a pretty cynical beyotch when I want to be, so I found myself giggle-snorting at a lot of the one liners and quips that the characters toss at each other.
• HOTHOTHOTHOT - Jace may be an a-hole, but he's a sexy a-hole.
• Clary is a red head - She's a pretty good heroine.  She deals with all of the bad stuff that happens to her and doesn't take shit.  She's not afraid to stand up for herself and that is awesome.
• Shadowhunter Mythology - I really enjoyed the overall mythology and I think there's a lot of cool stuff to develop in future books. 

Cons

• Repeating the same stuff over and over - There were just too many repeated jokes, references, and phrases for me to really enjoy the writing.  I HATE it when the same adjective gets used twice on a page, and I kept noticing that happening (Brindle.  All the time.  Everyone and everything is brindle colored).  It's called a thesaurus.  Get one.
• Every character is the same - All of the characters have the same sarcastic sense of humor and after a while they all blended together into one giant ball of snark.
• Random plot tangents - There were a lot of sub-plots that didn't really support the main story arc.  I would read a hundred pages and then go "why did we just do that?"  They serve absolutely no purpose for the main story.
• GROSS - I'm not going to spoil anything, but ew.  People who've read it know what it is.  One of the plot points takes a really icky turn that I just do not like to read about.  I was not please that that's the way the story went.

Overall City of Bones has a lot of potential, but I think it was failed by its editors.  I am excited to read the next book in the series because even though I was not in love with this book there were a lot of great moments.  I'm hoping that as the series continues some of the technical kinks will be worked out so the awesome story idea can shine through.

The Morganville Vampires Vol. 1 by Rachel Caine

#1 and #2 in the Morganville Vampires Series
Published November 3, 2009 by NAL Trade
4 Stars

Goodreads Review
The first two novels in the New York Times bestselling Morganville Vampires series together for the first time in a new trade paperback edition.

Morganville is a small college town in the heart of Texas-not a place that exactly screams "hotbed of creatures of the night". But college freshman Claire Danvers is about to discover why, in Morganville, you should never, ever stay out after dark...

Glass Houses
College freshman Claire Danvers moves off campus and into an old house in the small town of Morganville. Her new roommates have her back when the town's deepest secrets come crawling out, hungry for fresh blood...

The Dead Girls' Dance
Claire may have a great roommate and a new boyfriend, but when she's invited to the Dead Girls' Dance all hell breaks loose-literally. Because this time, the living and the dead are ready to tear up the night...

Review: You can tell that Rachel Cain has a foundation in adult urban fantasy.  I felt like I was reading more of a  toned down adult book than YA.  However I think this makes the series stand out from other YA vampire series.  Cain isn't afraid to show you the sexy make out scenes, rather than just tell you it happened and gloss over the actual hooking up.  I really appreciated that because what can I say?  I like a little hot kissing every now and then.     


Cain also puts her characters into very adult situations.  In the first two books we already faced drinking, bullying, drugs, attempted rape, murder, and suicide.  This is almost a bad thing because SO much bad stuff happened already I can't imagine where the series will go without becoming so dramatic it becomes ridiculous.  And there's a lot more in the series (11 books so far).  

Glass Houses 
In the first book in the series we're introduced to 16 year old college freshman Claire.  She is being horribly bullied by some BEYOTCHS and decides to move out of the dorms into an old house with three other teens Eve, Michael, and Shane.  And then the shit hits the fan because Claire finds out there are vampires running this town and the girls who have been bullying her are tight with some scary vamps.  Now Claire and her friends have to basically find a way to save their asses from being beaten or blood sucked to death.  This book was super exciting and really caught my interest because the writing was just so different from all the other YA paranormals.  I also loved that Claire was super smart and didn't abandon school just because of a little vampire problem.  Eyes on the prize girl!


Dead Girls Dance
If you thought things were tense in the first book, then be prepared to be blown away by the second.  Things really get crazy in this book when Shane's dad and his biker gang roll into Morganville to do some major vampire revenge massacre.  In this book I would almost say things were TOO cray-cray because the resolution of all of the drama seemed to quick and easy.  I do like how Claire seems to grow a pair in this book.  She's a lot more resourceful and daring (maybe a little too daring at times).  I also really liked learning more about the vampires and how they work (or don't work) as a society.  (However the title is misleading because there's hardly any dancing).  


I have to admit I was a little wary because of all the hype, but after reading the first two books I see that the series is deserving and am very anxious to read the next bind up. 

Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake

#1 in the Anna series
Published on August 30, 2011 by Tor Teen
5 Stars
DAC 2011

Goodreads Review
Cas Lowood has inherited an unusual vocation: He kills the dead.

So did his father before him, until he was gruesomely murdered by a ghost he sought to kill. Now, armed with his father's mysterious and deadly athame, Cas travels the country with his kitchen-witch mother and their spirit-sniffing cat. Together they follow legends and local lore, trying to keep up with the murderous dead—keeping pesky things like the future and friends at bay.

When they arrive in a new town in search of a ghost the locals call Anna Dressed in Blood, Cas doesn't expect anything outside of the ordinary: track, hunt, kill. What he finds instead is a girl entangled in curses and rage, a ghost like he's never faced before. She still wears the dress she wore on the day of her brutal murder in 1958: once white, now stained red and dripping with blood. Since her death, Anna has killed any and every person who has dared to step into the deserted Victorian she used to call home.

But she, for whatever reason, spares Cas's life.

Review:  Anna Dressed in Blood is an excellent and creepy ghost story that is sure to thrill readers.  It's a perfect book for the Halloween season.  This mystery is excellent for anyone interested in ghosts and their motivations for haunting and how the living can help them.

I seriously loved everything about this book.  First off, the title is perfect.  Man I love a good title.  Also the setting is fantastic.  The descriptions of Anna's house is so freaky and just the perfect place to be haunted.  It really adds to the mystery of the whole story, and I really liked the history of the house.  The house is even more scary once you learn what happens in the house while people were still alive.

I also really liked Blake's writing style.  The pacing of the book is very well done.  The way the mystery unravels never feels forced nor predictable.  I was constantly guessing what was going to happen next, and in a mystery/thriller that is a MUST.  If I can guess what's going to happen within the first 50 pages you're doing it wrong.  I really enjoyed the humor in this book as well.  It's subtle and well placed.  The overall tone of the book is firmly on the dark side, but the instances of lightness really help maintain my interest in the book.  

The other thing that I really appreciated was the Wiccan and witchcraft aspect of the book.  Cas's mom is a pagan who does things like cleanse tools used to hunt ghosts, purifies their home and casts protection spells, and creates candles, herbal mixes, and other items that are infused with a specific intention that are sold online and at various metaphysical shops.  What I loved about this is the fact that what Cas's mom does IS REAL WITCHCRAFT.  This is what real witches do.  They don't fly or turn into cats or shoot lasers of the their eyes (oh wait that was x-men).  I loved how the witchcraft in Anna never goes into the made up "Hollywood" witchcraft that is in pretty much every book about witches ever.  It's real, and I loved it.  

I'm very excited there's going to be another book because I am not ready to let go of Anna and Cas.  The ending of Anna Dressed in Blood is exciting, suspenseful, and fairly cliff-hangery so I definitely want to read more.  

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

#1 in the Daughter of Smoke and Bone series
Published on September 27, 2011 by Little Brown & Co.
5 stars

Goodreads Review
Around the world, black handprints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky.

In a dark and dusty shop, a devil's supply of human teeth grown dangerously low.

And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherwordly war.

Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real; she's prone to disappearing on mysterious "errands"; she speaks many languages--not all of them human; and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she's about to find out.

When one of the strangers--beautiful, haunted Akiva--fixes his fire-colored eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself?

Review: The Daughter of Smoke and Bone is a PERFECT example of paranormal romance done wonderfully right.  Everything about this book is fantastic.  The characters are all well developed and supported, the setting is imaginative and descriptive, and the plot is fresh and unique while still having the classic elements of the paranormal romance genre.

First let's discuss the characters.  The entire cast is charming, interesting, and very well written.  I absolutely love Karou.  I love her physical description with her blue hair and the double life she leads.  She's interesting and smart but still can make mistakes.  She goes through a lot of growth because she starts off very sheltered and a bit precocious and by the end of the book she has become a strong heroine.  I also liked Karou's love interest, Akiva, but not as much.  He was a bit more of a stereotypical paranormal romance "bad boy" but near the end of the book when we learn about his past he grows on me and I actually really liked him. 

As a bit of a side note, I really appreciated how the secondary characters (namely Karou's BFF Zusana) don't get forgotten about half way through the book when the romance starts to heat up.  This happens countless times in paranormal romance and it really grinds my gears.  I think the fact that Karou doesn't just forget about her friends is refreshing and shows her as a strong woman, capable of making decision and not defining herself by the man she is (or is not) with.

Now let's just talk for a second about my favorite character, Brimstone.  Oh my gosh, I loved him so much.  This could be partially due to the fact that I imagined him as the faun from Pan's Labyrinth:

Am I right?  Brimstone is hella awesome, I wish we had learned more about him from his point of view, not from other people telling us about him.  I LOVE his teeth collection and the magic behind them.  His home/workshop is just so creepy but at the same time the way Karou describes it makes it feel safe and secure.  Everything about Brimstone could be terrifying, but because we know Karou we see him as a fatherly figure.  He is an interesting character and despite what happens (no spoilers!) I really hope to see more of him in the next book. 

I was a little worried that this book was just going to be a run of the mill paranormal romance.  I had just read a book that I thought was going to be sweet but fell into that category, and I really didn't want to repeat the same mistake.  Lucky for me this was paranormal romance done so, so right.  I love the ending.  We get a lot of interesting back story which is almost a whole new book within a book (inception anyone?) but it never feels awkward or forced.  It totally fits the story and is integrated flawlessly into the pacing of the book.  (Dang writing this review is making me want to read it again lol)

Overall The Daughter of Smoke and Bone is a fantastic fantasy that doesn't sacrifice any action or explanation of the mythology in order to have a spicy romance (and believe me, there is some fantastic romance too).  It's a perfectly paced and balanced story that does a great job of setting up the series story arc while still being an independent book in it's own right.  I highly recommend The Daughter of Smoke and Bone; it's in my top 10 for 2011 for sure :).

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

#1 in the Mara Dyer series
Published September 27, 2011 by Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing
3 stars
DAC 2011


Goodreads Review
Mara Dyer doesn't think life can get any stranger than waking up in a hospital with no memory of how she got there.

It can.

She believes there must be more to the accident she can't remember that killed her friends and left her mysteriously unharmed.

There is.

She doesn't believe that after everything she's been through, she can fall in love.

She's wrong.


Review:  This book was a major disappointment for me, and this review may get a bit ranty but I'll try and reign it in.  Now, I'm not saying that it was bad or poorly written.  But I was expecting an exciting and fresh murder mystery/ghost story, and what I got was an overdone and tired paranormal romance.  It's not a poorly written paranormal romance, but it was unoriginal.  People who liked Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick will really enjoy this.  I think if I had read this book in January or February, which is when I first started reading YA, I would have absolutely loved this book.  However I feel like I've read way too many YA books that go down the same road TUoMD did. 


This book divides into two parts for me.  The first part is a ghosty murder mystery where we don't know what is going on with Mara and it full of WTF moments (it's the part I really loved) and the second part falls into the stereotypical paranormal romance.  That's when TUoMD lost a lot of appeal for me.  It became predictable and I started to care less and less about the characters because the focus shifted from an awesome mystery to a boring romance. 

I'll start with the things I liked.  I loved the mystery around why Mara was in the hospital, what happened to her friends, and what the hell is currently going on.  I loved all of the scary stuff that happened and I wanted so much more of that.  When this book is good, it's damn good.  Which is why it was so frustrating too.  I don't understand why this book couldn't have been a paranormal mystery or even horror book.  It had SO much potential and great marketing.  I also LOVE the cover, it's so cool and mysterious. 

I had problems with the ending, mostly because I had a very hard time understanding what was going on.  I have pretty good reading comprehension skills and I found myself re-reading paragraphs because I was trying to understand what was happening.  Now, part of this was probably because I finished the book at around 3am, but it also was the unclear writing.  I think this was partially due to the fact that the story hadn't focused on the mystery for so long that at the end when it tried to go back to that it was underdeveloped. 

The other parts that I had an issue with was how the relationship was handled and how the friendships developed (or didn't).  Mara made a friend at school but he really seemed like a device to introduce Noah, the love interest, and once that relationship had started he was unceremoniously dumped from the story.  This pissed me off.  I hate it when romance=no other character is important in the MC's life.  I kept expecting the friend to make another appearance, but he never did.  He was just gone.  The romantic relationship between Mara and Noah was very Twilight-y.  Noah was too perfect (hot, smart, rich as balls) and Mara was too insecure about him and  her feelings.  And then the paranormal aspect of Noah was also too convenient.  It literally was like "oh, you have magic powers? I have magic powers!  What a coincidence!"  Their whole relationship and the plot devices used to move their relationship were frustrating, illogical, and too perfect to be realistic.

The final issue I had is a minor one that I didn't like but many people may, and that's the writing style used to create humor in conversations.  I know the author was trying to be amusing and teenager-y but it came across as too crude for my taste (and that's saying something because I'm a pretty crude person).  There were just too many immature boner jokes and sexual innuendos that didn't really fit with the voices of the characters nor the overall tone of the book.

Now, don't let this review get you down.  I still really enjoyed this book, even with all of the complaints I have.  I think I feel this way because I was hoping for something amazing, and what I got was a story I'd already read in 20 other books.  Many people will love TUoMD, I just wasn't one of them.

Shadow Kiss by Richelle Mead

#3 in Vampire Academy Series
Published in 2008 by Razorbill
Ages 15+
5 Stars

Goodreads Review
For Rose Hathaway, everything seems out of kilter. Ever since she made her first Strigoi kills, a dark shadow has been creeping over her. Looming in the background, too, is another realization: If she follows her forbidden love for guardian Dimitri Belikov, she might lose her best friend forever. And these sleep-shaking worries couldn't have come at a worse time. The immortal unloving are prowling everywhere, famished for vengeance against her. An adrenaline-laced episode of the teen pop favorite Vampire Academy.


Review:  The third book in the Vampire Academy series, Shadow Kiss is where the story really takes off.  In this book we learn a lot more about the vampire lore and also get to read some awesome action sequences and an ending that will seriously make you lose. your. shit.


The book starts off dealing with the tragedy from the end of Frostbite.  I love the bittersweet feeling of the molnija marks and how Rose is trying to move on, but seeing the ghosts of dead students really isn't helping.  It was interesting to read about Rose starting to question the life of a guardian and how dhampirs really get the shit end of the stick in society's arrangement.  Rose goes through so much growth and evolves from a mouthy teenager in the first book to a seasoned fighter by the end of the third.  I thought the legend of the shadow kissed was really cool.  I think it's a really interesting way of explaining Rose and Lissa's special relationship and definitely opens the door for more development and exploration of their powers and their connection.


The books starts off a little slow, but WOW what an ending.  It was action packed, thrilling, and completely unexpected.  What a heart breaking turn of events!  (I don't want to give away any spoilers but HOLY GOD).  This ending was one of the very best endings I've ever read in YA, and it's what earned this book a five star rating.  This ending is a strong transition from the atmosphere of the first three books to the final three books.  It sets up the rest of the series and I cannot wait to continue!


Overall Shadow Kiss is an interesting continuation of the series that delves deeper into the vampire lore and ends with a bang that is sure to have readers crying out in indignation, anger, and despair (I know I did!).

Carrier of the Mark by Leigh Fallon + ARC Giveaway (CLOSED)

#1 in the Carrier series
Published October 4, 2011 by HarperTeen - ARC
3 Stars
DAC 2011

Goodreads Review

Their love was meant to be.

When Megan Rosenberg moves to Ireland, everything in her life seems to fall into place. After growing up in America, she's surprised to find herself feeling at home in her new school. She connects with a group of friends, and she is instantly drawn to darkly handsome Adam DeRís.

But Megan is about to discover that her feelings for Adam are tied to a fate that was sealed long ago—and that the passion and power that brought them together could be their ultimate destruction.

Review:  I'm sad to say I came away from this book pretty disappointed.  There was a lot of hype around this book so when I received an ARC I thought I was in for an interesting and unique read.  Instead I found myself reading yet another unoriginal paranormal romance info dump.  

The first third of the book was Twilight in Ireland.  New girl at school who makes instant friends and then fall head over heels in love with a guy who treats her like smelly garbage.  The middle of the book is insta-love and a massive info dump.  Seriously page after page of "oh you must be confused, here's tons of information about our secret powers.  Come back tomorrow for more and more pages of information".  I didn't think it was well written at all, and there was a lot of potential for Megan to discover this information in much more interesting ways, not just being told in one big conversation.  And then because this magical family decides they can trust Megan, the boy who was treating her like disgusting trash for the first 100 pages is suddenly madly in love with her.  That doesn't make any sense!  

The final third of the book we read about all of this drama about why Megan and Adam can'tbe together and how their love may not even be real, but just their powers being drawn together.  I actually really liked that idea and I hoped the book would explore this more, but pretty much the characters went "Nope, we're actually in love" and that was the end of it.  The whole mythology behind their powers was very weird too. It wasn't explained well and had an awkward incestual tone lurking around it which I just couldn't get over.


There were some good parts though.  I really enjoyed the descriptions of Ireland.  I've never been there so it was fun to read about the towns and the marina.  The setting was very well described and very interesting to read.  I also thought there were some cute moments between Adam and Megan.  I liked the small moments when they weren't acting like their love was this magical destiny and were just joking around.  The book only got bad when it started to take itself too seriously.


Overall Carrier of the Mark had an interesting premise, but fell far short of my expectations.  It seemed like a weak mashup of Twilight and any book series with elemental powers such as House of Night or Vampire Academy.  

Congratulations to angelface0911 on youtube, the winner of the giveaway!

Frostbite by Richelle Mead

#2 in Vampire Academy Series
Published in 2008 by Razorbill
4 Stars

Goodreads Review

Rose loves Dimitri, Dimitri might love Tasha, and Mason would die to be with Rose…

It's winter break at St. Vladimir's, but Rose is feeling anything but festive. A massive Strigoi attack has put the school on high alert, and now the Academy's crawling with Guardians—including Rose's hard-hitting mother, Janine Hathaway. And if hand-to-hand combat with her mom wasn't bad enough, Rose's tutor Dimitri has his eye on someone else, her friend Mason's got a huge crush on her, and Rose keeps getting stuck in Lissa's head while she's making out with her boyfriend, Christian! The Strigoi are closing in, and the Academy's not taking any risks… This year, St. Vlad's annual holiday ski trip is mandatory.

But the glittering winter landscape and the posh Idaho resort only create the illusion of safety. When three friends run away in an offensive move against the deadly Strigoi, Rose must join forces with Christian to rescue them. But heroism rarely comes without a price…

Review:  Frostbite is the thrilling continuation of the Vampire Academy series.  There is even more action, mystery, and suspense in the second installment of this exciting series.  Rose our heroine is still as engaging as ever, ensuring the reader will not be missing the atmosphere so wonderfully set up in the first novel.

Frostbite shows a lot of growth for our characters, especially Rose.  This is the first time she experiences true loss and she comes to terms with the full responsibility of being a guardian and that people could die if she doesn't take her role seriously.  She also grows a lot with her relationship with Dimitri and with love in general.   There's still tons of the sexual tension we loved so much in the first book, but now their relationship has reached a new level.  There's an understanding that if you love someone you need to be willing to let them go so they have can happiness.  Rose stops being so self centered and learns how to put others before herself.


I really enjoyed the action sequences in this book.  There are some great training sessions with Rose and Dimitri and Rose and her mom Janine.  The ending is way more exciting than Vampire Academy.  I found myself staying up late into the night because I had to know how it ended!


The only negative is this book takes a while to develop and is very slow at the beginning.  There are some side stories that I don't think are very important to the book nor to the series story arc.  I also think this book felt like a transition book.  Frostbite read a bit like it was just all of the information you needed before you could get to the real story in the next book.  However, it was still very entertaining and a great continuation of the series.


Overall Frostbite is an exciting second book in the Vampire Academy series that introduces new characters, information, and dangerous situations.  Fans of the first book will not be disappointed!