Mini Reviews: Breathless by Brigid Kemmerer & Tormenting Lila by Sarah Alderson

Breathless

by Brigid Kemmerer 
Publisher: Kensington Teen

Release Date: April 30th, 2013

Format: ebook

Too many secrets. Not enough time.

 Nick Merrick is supposed to be the level-headed one. The peacemaker. Since it’s just him and his three hotheaded brothers against the world, that’s a survival tactic.

 But now he’s got problems even his brothers can’t help him survive.

 His so-called girlfriend, Quinn, is going quick as mercury from daring to crazy. Meanwhile, Quinn’s dancer friend Adam is throwing Nick off balance, forcing him to recognize a truth he’d rather shove back into the dark.

 He can feel it—-the atmosphere is sizzling. Danger is on the way. But whatever happens next, Nick is starting to find out that sometimes nothing you do can keep the peace.

FANTABULOUS.

That sums up this novella perfectly. :)

Nick has always been my favourite Merrick brother; while the all the brothers had to deal with drama after drama occurring in their lives, Nick was always the calmest and most level-headed of them all so I guess he stood out. I never liked Nick and Quinn in Storm/Spark as Quinn always, without fail, annoyed the living hell out of me with her over dramatic reaction and completely unnecessarily rude attitude towards Gabriel. (Okay, so maybe Gabriel was being a douchebag but STILL. NO ONE MESSES WITH GABRIEL!!) However, I think my hatred for Quinn diminished a tiny bit after becoming acquainted with her home life and relationship with Nick. Now, instead of hating her, I pity her.

Adam is a character I found immensely intriguing :) I’m looking forward to learning his backstory and of course, I hope he’ll play a bigger role in the upcoming sequels! I also genuinely hope Nick will eventually be able to sort out his feelings and resolve all complications in his life at the present time. No matter what, I STILL LOVE YOU NICK<3

A massive thank you to Kensington Teen for providing a copy of Breathless for review!

Tormenting Lila
by Sarah Alderson
Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Release Date: July 1st, 2013

Format: ebook

When Lila and Alex sneak off for a romantic weekend away, Lila’s hoping she’ll finally have a chance to work on Alex’s resolve. 

 But just as things start heating up news reaches them of a serial killer at loose on the island and it isn’t long before their intimate weekend away is interrupted. 

 A mind reader, a projector, a protective older brother and a serial killer. One of them is going to find Lila first. She's hoping it's the serial killer

Sarah Alderson’s back with another exciting story for us die-hard Alex fans! Reading Tormenting Lila made me realise how much I’ve missed Alex since Losing Lila last year….I’m so glad to be reacquainted with some of my favourite characters (though honestly, I was hoping for more Alex hotness!) 

 Just like with every other book by Sarah Alderson, I was grinning from ear to ear the whole time. I loved the reappearance of every character, and it was hilarious to see Jack's reaction whenever Alex and Lila are together :) I’ll have to admit, there isn’t much of a plot in this (even for a novella), but it was an entertaining read nonetheless.

 I liked meeting Ren and Jesse, the main characters in The Sound & I absolutely cannot wait to read The Sound now! :)

Review: Losing It by Cora Carmack

Losing It
by Cora Carmack
Publisher:William Morrow 

Release Date: February 26th,  2013

Format: Paperback, 288 pages

Virginity. 

 Bliss Edwards is about to graduate from college and still has hers. Sick of being the only virgin among her friends, she decides the best way to deal with the problem is to lose it as quickly and simply as possible-- a one-night stand. But her plan turns out to be anything but simple when she freaks out and leaves a gorgeous guy alone and naked in her bed with an excuse that no one with half-a-brain would ever believe. And as if that weren't embarrassing enough, when she arrives for her first class of her last college semester, she recognizes her new theatre professor. She'd left him naked in her bed about 8 hours earlier.

*I like this cover more than the new cover with half of Garrick's head cut off. The guy on the other cover is too pale soooo I'm using the old cover for my review!*

Losing It is one of those books that once you pick up, you literally cannot put down. I was grinning from ear to ear since the very first word and several times I laughed so hard my stomach hurt. Losing It is an easy and relaxing read, one you can finish in one sitting after a tiresome day at work/school :)

I honestly don’t know if I should pity Bliss or envy her. She has a knack for winding up in the most mortifying situations possible and making possibly the lamest excuses imaginable. So yeah, I guess I feel sorry for her. But the up-side of her humiliation? The guy who ends up witnessing her embarrassment not only finds her adorable, but falls for her. So I guess I envy her as well, especially since said guy is GARRICK. The jaw-droppingly gorgeous Garrick, with his sexy-as-hell British accent will have all the girls melting into a puddle with only a single glance in his direction. I would rather die than live with the humiliation; it would haunt me Every. Single. Day.

While most of the characters felt realistic and I certainly enjoyed meeting every single one of them, I can’t say the same about the relationships between some of the characters. I was frustrated and a little annoyed that Bliss failed to be truthful with her best friend Kelsey. I hated how she lied to Kelsey again and again; I mean, the two are best friends for a reason and I really didn’t think she had a legitimate reason (as a best friend) to lie to her about certain things. Then there’s Bliss’s relationship with Garrick. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE these two, but sometimes I felt they didn’t understand each other at all and their love was based purely on their lust for one another. I also didn’t feel Garrick’s character was ‘complete’; he felt like a hollow character, where I could only see the outside and there’s nothing else inside for me to get to know better. Fortunately though, the book was so fun and hilarious, that this didn’t bother me!

Losing It is a light and delightfully amusing read for anyone interested in the New Adult genre. Don’t think too much, just read purely for the fun of it!

A massive thank you to William Morrow for providing a copy of Losing It for review!

Review: When We Wake by Karen Healey

When We Wake 
by Karen Healey 
Publisher: Allen & Unwin 

Release Date: January 27th. 2013

Format: Paperback, 291 pages 

The last thing Tegan remembers is the crack as the gun went off, intense pain, and everything fading to black. One hundred years later, she wakes up. A fast-paced near-future romance.

Sixteen-year-old Tegan is just like every other girl living in 2027 - she's happiest when playing the guitar, she's falling in love for the first time, and she's joining her friends to protest the wrongs of the world: environmental collapse, social discrimination, and political injustice.

 But on what should have been the best day of Tegan's life, she dies - and wakes up a hundred years in the future, locked in a government facility with no idea what happened. 

 Tegan is the first person to be cryonically frozen and successfully revived, which makes her an instant celebrity - though all she wants is to rebuild some semblance of a normal life ...
 including spending as much time as possible with musically gifted Abdi, even if he does seem to hate the sight of her. But the future isn't all she hoped it would be, and when appalling secrets come to light, Tegan must make a choice: Does she keep her head down and survive, or fight for a better future.

The first word that comes to mind when I think of When We Wake is 'interesting'. I know that's an extremely vague term to describe the book...but it pretty much sums up my feelings for it. I found the premise fascinating, and the characters were generally likeable but there were parts that I felt could've been handled better. Overall though, it was like I said , an 'interesting' read.

We have our main character, Tegan or 'Teeg' who recently died and woke up 100 years in the future. I'm sure that alone is enough to pique anyone's interest! The idea of a corpse being ‘cryonically frozen’ and then revived a century later was certainly refreshing, thought-provoking and intriguing. It left me wondering; could it possibly aid the future if dead people were able to be revived? And what would the future be like granted this was possible? And of course, there're also questions of just how ethical this is... I love books that make me think so I was really pleased with this!

The characters were all extremely likeable, though admittedly forgettable. One reason would probably be the fact that their names were so hard to remember and no one really…stood out. ( Try remembering names like Abdi / Zaneisha/ Bethari/ Joph; I honestly forgot ALL those names two minutes after finishing the book). Names aside, I really enjoyed Teeg, Bethari & Joph’s friendship; they might not have know each other for long, but they shared this special bond & their friendship was so genuine and endearing<3 There's also Abdi, who helps and supports Teeg along during her ‘second’ life; they got off to a rocky start, but I love how they were able to bond over their mutual love for music, or more specifically, mutual love for The Beatles! The romance takes a backseat, and was a nice addition to the main plotline.

Now, the character I absolutely despised was The Father. He's the leader of a cult called he has the weirdest, most corrupt logic in the world. He wants Teeg to kill herself, because her second chance at life is going against God's wishes. Religious beliefs aside, it was so hypocritical of him to expect her to kill herself because apparently 'murder is a sin' and he didn’t want to get his own hands dirty. Though he’s never killed anyone, he’s known all along that innocents were being murdered but he never intervened. So apparently, as long as it’s not him committing the murder with his bare hands, he'll be exempt from punishment. What on earth? The guy seriously drove me nuts. He was a freaking raging lunatic. (He doesn’t even deserve his own paragraph but I HATE HIM SO MUCH. )

Now, a couple of 'it's-not-you-it's-me' issues. We're educated on a lot of the economic, political and science matters currently taking place in 2128. I think it's great that those details are being touched upon; it gives great background to this futuristic world. However, my problem is that I got bored. I can't sit through an economic, political, nor science lecture without falling asleep.  Looks like I can't read several pages of this without yawning either. That's just me though. Then there's the fact that, even though it was obvious to the readers that something was going on within the government, Teeg and her friends seemed to jump to conclusions so easily. There wasn’t much planning and they just jumped headfirst into dangerous situations. I guess some parts just seemed a little...rushed.

My restlessness in regards to certain matters aside, When We Wake is a unique and thought-provking YA dystopian that I would definitely recommend! It's relatively short, so you can finish it in one sitting :)

       A massive thank you to Allen & Unwin for providing a copy of When We Wake  for review! 

I'm also giving away 3 copies of this lovely book to Australian readers. 

Click HERE for the giveaway :)

Blog Tour: Rouge - Review

Welcome to my stop on the Rouge Blog Tour hosted by YA Bound.  Click HERE to check out the full blog tour schedule!

Rouge

by Leigh T. Moore
Publisher: Self-published

Release Date: November 27th 2012

Format: e-ARC

Purchase: Amazon | B&N | Kobo |  Smashwords

Trapped in the underground theater world of 1890s New Orleans, Hale Ferrer has only one goal: escape. But not without Teeny, the orphan-girl she rescued from the streets and promised to protect. Freddie Lovel, Hale's wealthy Parisian suitor, seems to be the easy solution. If only his touch could arouse her interest like Beau's, the penniless stagehand who captures her heart. Denying her fears, Hale is poised to choose love until an evil lurking in their cabaret-home launches a chain of events that could cost her everything.

Transporting readers back to the 19th Century, we are exposed to a world where only the rich and white citizens will survive, while the poor, the ones with nothing, must do anything and everything to ensure their own survival. Rouge is a dark and edgy historical romance, ominous and thought-provoking, and at its core it prompts the readers to choose between love or survival.

I very much admired our main character Hale. Orphaned at a young age, she was brought up by the theatre her mother worked at and her constant companion, the person she cares about most in the world is Teeny, an orphan she picked up off the streets several years ago. Her constant selflessness, while aggravating at times-especially when it came to her own happiness- was also really admirable. Everything she does, she would first think of the consequences it would have on Teeny. They're not blood-related in any way, and she has no obligation to take care of her, but she's willing to risk her life and soul to protect the little girl. And yet, sometimes it was so frustrating that she never thought for herself or anyone else other than Teeny; the fact that she was willing to hurt multiple people just to save Teeny didn't sit well with me.

There is a love triangle in this book but it plays a major role in driving the story forward so I guess...I wasn't too annoyed by it. On one hand we have Freddie who is rich and can take care of Hale and Teeny forever. They'll never have to suffer and be forced to...well...become 'prostitutes' at the theatre when they come of age. Then we also have, Beau, the new stage hand at the theatre who Hale has fallen deeply in love with. But he's poor, and won't have the money nor the necessities to take Hale and Teeny away from the theatre. Hale must therefore choose between love and survival.

I initially loved Beau (my feelings changed slightly after he did something unforgiveable...or at least it was unforgivable to me) ; he was so kind and considerate, and so selfless when it came to protecting Hale. Their relationship may have progressed a little rapidly, but there was so much chemistry between the two. I was rooting for the two throughout the majority of the book, but every now and then, I did try to put myself in Hale's shoes and I guess...I did understand why she was so reluctant to continue seeing Beau. At times I also despised Hale for being so hostile to Beau, accusing him being penniless and lying about making promises to her when he lost his job; she was constantly saying "You can't take care of us - you have no money. Stop making promises" (something along those lines). While I understood her feelings, what came out of her mouth was really...despicable in my opinion.

I know many people who cry at the ending...it certainly was heart-breaking. But for me? Well...Beau did something that I couldn't forgive and I guess from then on, my feelings towards the two changed. I still liked them, but...I didn't care that much about them anymore. There was also too much kissing for my liking. Remember in Twilight/Eclipse when Edward and Bella would kiss like every 2 seconds, and each time, it was described almost the same way? Well...that's what it felt like here. Beau and Hale would kiss and touch at every possible moment and readers must put up with it. I don't know...it just felt really annoying and tedious after a while.

Overall, Rouge was a solid read. I enjoyed it and it was rather thought-provoking, which was great :) I actually have no idea if this is a stand-alone or a series, but if there's a second book, I'm most definitely reading it! 

Book Review: The Golden Lily by Richelle Mead

The Golden Lily 

by Richelle Mead 
Publisher: Penguin Australia

Release Date: June 12th 2012

Format: Paperback

Purchase: Book Depository 

Sydney Sage is an Alchemist, one of a group of humans who dabble in magic and serve to bridge the worlds of humans and vampires. They protect vampire secrets—and human lives.

Sydney would love to go to college, but instead, she’s been sent into hiding at a posh boarding school in Palm Springs, California–tasked with protecting Moroi princess Jill Dragomir from assassins who want to throw the Moroi court into civil war. Formerly in disgrace, Sydney is now praised for her loyalty and obedience, and held up as the model of an exemplary Alchemist.

But the closer she grows to Jill, Eddie, and especially Adrian, the more she finds herself questioning her age–old Alchemist beliefs, her idea of family, and the sense of what it means to truly belong. Her world becomes even more complicated when magical experiments show Sydney may hold the key to prevent becoming Strigoi—the fiercest vampires, the ones who don’t die. But it’s her fear of being just that—special, magical, powerful—that scares her more than anything. Equally daunting is her new romance with Brayden, a cute, brainy guy who seems to be her match in every way. Yet, as perfect as he seems, Sydney finds herself being drawn to someone else—someone forbidden to her.

When a shocking secret threatens to tear the vampire world apart, Sydney’s loyalties are suddenly tested more than ever before. She wonders how she's supposed to strike a balance between the principles and dogmas she's been taught, and what her instincts are now telling her.

Should she trust the Alchemists—or her heart?

The Golden Lily is possible one of the most, if not the most anticipated title of the year; and I, like 95% of the book-loving population waited eagerly for its release. While The Golden Lily did not disappoint, unfortunately it did not impress either. I don't know if it's because I'm subconsciously comparing Sydney to Rose as a result of me comparing Bloodlines to The Vampire Academy, but I feel that The Golden Lily ( and even Bloodlines for that matter) lacks...this spark. Thats the only way I can describe it. While I did enjoy it (quite a lot actually while I was reading it at least) it failed to leave a memorable impact on me upon finishing.

Adrian *swoon* No book is complete without Adrian'a presence. I cannot believe I never appreciated his role/appearances in VA, (probably because I was too obsessed with Dimitri) but I can say, I absolutely LOVE Adrian now!So, Adrian and Sydney are perfect together!Adrian himself, even admits some very interesting things about him and Sydney- I won't spoil them for you but they're definitely swoon-worthy! I'm sure many people DIED after reading that ending- it was like...all our anticipation for the climax; our prays were finally answered, and we had several seconds or minutes of squealing and laughing and joyous moments and then BAM. That last sentence killed us. I for one, am considering hibernating until early next year, and re-enter the world when The Indigo Spell releases! 

And now...onto a few things I wasn't entirely content with; firstly, no matter how much I absolutely adore Richelle Mead's books, I wasn't happy with the plot line of The Golden Lily. In fact, there seemed to be a lack of plot; basically we follow Sydney's mundane life as a high school student, while simultaneously protecting Jill. Every now and then, something close to exciting may happen- but overall, I really have no idea where the series is heading. Since this will be a 6 book series, I hope a solid storyline will begin to unravel, one that will take up a span of 6 books. 

Secondly, I love some thrilling action. Unfortunately, The Golden Lily lacked action- I understand that action probably wouldn't suit the story since Sydney's an alchemist, and she uses her knowledge rather than physical exertion, but still...a little action involving some badass guardians and strigoi would be welcome :) And last, not a huge issue, but I'm sick of Jill. She's never been a favourite character of mine, but the fact that Eddie, who is one of my favourite characters lusts after her when I clearly cannot understand why, has dampened my tolerance of her character even further.(Don't kill me Jill fans!) I'm hoping something will happen between Eddie and Angeline :) But...that's just me :D

The Golden Lily will no doubt be a 2012 favourite for most people, and clearly it was a well-written sequel, but I suppose I just have high expectations. Nevertheless, I'm anticipating The Indigo Spell...and maybe we'll have more Adrian/Sydney romance? Pretty pleaseeeee Richelle Mead! Us Sydrian fans are dying here!!

Book Review: The Night She Disappeared by April Henry

Title: The Night She Disappeared
Author: April Henry
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.
Release Date: 13th March, 2012
Format: e-ARC
Source: Publisher for review via Netgalley (Thank you!)

Gabie drives a Mini Cooper. She also works part time as a delivery girl at Pete’s Pizza. One night, Kayla—another delivery girl—goes missing. To her horror, Gabie learns that the supposed kidnapper had asked if the girl in the Mini Cooper was working that night. Gabie can’t move beyond the fact that Kayla’s fate was really meant for her, and she becomes obsessed with finding Kayla. She teams up with Drew, who also works at Pete’s. Together, they set out to prove that Kayla isn’t dead—and to find her before she is.

The Night She Disappeared is a fast-paced thriller that prompts readers to consider the severity of kidnapping/ disappearances that has happened around the world. While it did have its ‘ups’ and ‘downs’, I thoroughly enjoyed this book!

As a hardcover crime fiction fan, I’ve always been fascinated by crime scene investigations, autopsy reports, transcripts of interviews between police and suspect etc. I loved how in addition to the story, there were also newspaper clippings, phone transcripts and even an autopsy report! I was literally over the moon every time I read a police report/transcript/clipping, since these files are such a rare sight in YA fiction these days! 

The story is told through multiple perspectives – Kayla (victim), Drew, Gabie, and even the perpetrator! While I must admit, had I not read the title of each chapter (which specifies whose POV we’ll be reading from), I wouldn’t have been able to tell.  Drew's and Gabie's ‘voices’ were indistinguishable, in my opinion anyway, but funnily enough, it wasn't a huge problem. But I felt the fact that we got to read from the perspective of the victim & perpetrator defeated the purpose of unravelling the mystery behind the girl’s kidnapping- half the book,everyone were freaking out over whether Kayla was dead or not, but since I knew she was still alive, it just…sort of ruined the mystery :/.

I also had a little issue with the characters. It was difficult to connect with Gabie and Drew; I just couldn’t understand Gabie’s rash decisions and while I did understand her feels of guilt, her actions seemed a little..’over the top’. My biggest issue however, was with the police officer- his actions were unbelievable and just so un-police-like. I highly doubt, even with my very limited experience with cops, that they would yell at a guilt-ridden girl and accuse her of not contributing at all to the investigation? (i.e. yelling “you’ve been no help at all”.) I personally find that a little hard to believe.

And before I finish off, as a crime-fiction freak, I’ve always believed one shouldn’t announce a person has died, until the body is found. (It’s common sense, right? Or…not?) But here, the theories were all over the place and even with inconclusive evidence, it seemed the police, and everyone else, decided to believe this particular theory just to achieve some sort of closure. And guess what? I find that hard to believe.

Overall, I found this a very entertaining read, despite the lack of intense mystery & suspense.Even though it was so short, this still managed to get me thinking about some local, and globally known kidnapping cases. (which reminds me...there was an attempted kidnapping incident near my school! *scary*) Anyway, for a 240-page book, this was pretty good! :)

Book Review: Illuminate by Aimee Agresti

Title: Illuminate (Gilded Wings #1)
Author: Aimee Agresti 
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt 
Release Date: March 6th, 2012
Format: eARC 
Source: Publisher for review (Thank you!)

Haven Terra is a brainy, shy high school outcast. But everything begins to change when she turns sixteen. Along with her best friend Dante and their quiet and brilliant classmate Lance, she is awarded a prestigious internship in the big city— Chicago—and is sent to live and work at a swanky and stylish hotel under the watchful eyes of a group of gorgeous and shockingly young-looking strangers: powerful and alluring hotel owner Aurelia Brown; her second-in-command, the dashing Lucian Grove; and their stunning but aloof staff of glamazons called The Outfit.

As Haven begins falling for Lucian, she discovers that these beautiful people are not quite what they seem. With the help of a mysterious book, she uncovers a network of secret passageways from the hotel’s jazz-age past that leads her to the heart of the evil agenda of Aurelia and company: they’re in the business of buying souls. Will they succeed in wooing Haven to join them in their recruitment efforts, or will she be able to thwart this devilish set’s plans to take the souls of her classmates on prom night at the hotel?

Illuminate is an exciting saga of a teen’s first taste of independence, her experience in the lap of luxury, and her discovery she may possess strength greater than she ever knew.

*Phew*! Finally finished it! So, immediately after finishing it, I heaved a sigh of relief and gave myself a pat on the back for sticking with in until the end. Don't get me wrong, the book itself wasn't necessarily bad, but it WAS unnecessarily LONG. I started it last year, read until half-way, picked up another book, and didn't come back to it until early this year. I'll be honest, I did skim through quite a lot of pages, and due to the incredibly long time in which it took to build up the suspense and tension, the climax unfortunately felt very anti-climatic to me. I was reading for the sake of finishing, so the second- half of the book didn't appeal to me the way I would've liked it to.

The characters unfortunately felt bland to me; I never connected with Haven nor Lance, and they just seemed devoid of personality. While I didn't dislike Haven, she truly doesn't stand out amongst all the other YA heroines out there. The only characters that made an impression on me were Lucian, and Aurelia, but neither were exceptionally memorable either ( unfortunately ). I remember Aurelia as the cold, stony-faced boss who would order Haven around and demand everything be done on time, yet there was also a frightened and vulnerable side to her; one that she kept hidden behind her mask of beauty and confidence.  Other than her, ( and sometimes Lucian) the other character failed to leave a lasting impression on me.

Like I said above, the book's downfall is definitely its overly long length. It really killed all my initial excitement until I was soon begging for something, ANYTHING interesting to happen. I'm certain that had this been half as long, with all the parts that dragged cut out, I would be here, gushing and raving about how incredibly amazing it was!

What did leave an impression on me was the special friendship the main characters shared with one another. For a change, friendship takes priority over romance, and I'm sincerely glad for this change! While I wasn't overjoyed at what became of Haven's relationship with Lance (friendship definitely suits them more!), but I'll take comfort in the months they spent as trusted, loyal friends who worked together and helped each other out in times of crisis.

Overall, a highly recommended read for anyone who likes a change from the normal, romance-driven PNR, ( and of course who isn't affected by scary 500+ pages of words to read). There is definite potential in this series, so I'll be looking out for the second book!

Blog Tour: Destiny's Fire by Trisha Wolfe -Review

Title: Destiny's Fire 
Author: Trisha Wolfe 
Publisher: Omnific Publishing 
Release Date: January 10th 2012
Format: eARC
Source: Blog Tour/Publisher for review (Thank you!)

Sixteen-year-old Dez Harkly is one of the last of her kind—a part of a nearly extinct race of Kythan descended from ancient guardians who protected the pharaohs of Egypt. As Shythe, they must keep their shape-shifting ability and electric power hidden from the humans of their steam-powered world.

It’s the year 2040 and the Shythe Council has lowered their barrier, allowing the Narcolym—the dominant race of Kythan whose Flame ushered in the steam era—to enter their haven. As the Narcolym airships get closer, Dez secretly trains for an attack that her best friend Jace believes is coming despite the Treaty Act. Not only is Dez wary of war, and her growing affection for Jace, but she fears the change her fast-approaching birthday will bring.

When her power rockets out of control, Dez knows she’ll never attend the Shythe Academy with her friends, and worse, her mother’s planning to run. But a Narco named Reese could change her fate . . . if she can trust him. After Dez discovers why the Narcos have really come to Haven Falls, her guarded world crumbles. She’s forced to choose between the race who’s raised her and the enemy she’s feared her whole life.

DESTINY’S FIRE is an emotional journey of Dez’s struggle to overcome her fear and embrace her power—her destiny.

So after reading one of the most anticipated reads of 2012, Destiny’s Fire and harbouring mixed feelings about it, I’ve decided to change the format of this review to my very rarely used Likes/Dislikes form.

Likes

Unique and Imaginative world

Wow. Seriously Wow. No more vampires, werewolves, mermaids and paranormal creatures of the sort. Instead, we have Kythans, who are shape-shifter descendants of guardians who watched over European Pharaohs. There are two races, the Narcolym and Shythe, the latter being on the brink of extinction due to centuries of long-standing war. However, the two races want peace now, and must learn to live together in Haven Falls. The Narcolym/Shythe relationship reminded me a bit of the Moroi/Strigoi relationship from Vampire Academy since both are on the verge of killing off the other. I was immediately drawn to the world Wolfe has created, and it was interesting learning about the different abilities of the two races.

Endearing side characters

I definitely liked the supporting characters more than the main one. We have Jace, Lana, and Nick, who are triplets, and long-life friends of Dez, our heroine. Lana was such an endearing best friend; I loved how she took care of Dez and she was so sweet and supportive the whole time! I really liked Jace as well, despite his stubbornness which annoyed me at times. But he was also caring, and everything he did was for the benefit of his family and friends. Which reminds me, I hated what Dez did to Jace! How could she treat such a sweet  and considerate guy so horribly?!?!?1

Heart-pounding Action

I loved the last 30 pages of action! But I have to admit, it was mainly the thrilling action that made up for the well…parts that I didn’t quite like.

Dislikes

An Unnecessary Love Triangle

Yes. Unnecessary. I’m sick of the whole best friend/MC/Prince charming love triangle, and truthfully, most of the time they don't work well. (Or maybe it's just me). The thing is, if the love triangle were to be removed, it would have no effect on the major storyline, but the book would be reduced by almost 50 pages. Why can’t the heroine’s best friend REMAIN her BEST FRIEND instead of being put in as a potential love interest? It feels like a girl can’t have a male best friend without the guy developing more-than-a-friend feelings for her.

A very indecisive and slightly irritating heroine

I’ll admit, I admired her determination to succeed, her strength and perseverance during the worst times, but the fact that she ‘toyed’ with her best friend really irritated me. She was leading on her best friend while having feelings for someone else; I wish she could’ve made up her mind about who she wanted to be with, instead of two-timing and hurting both parties. Apparently she was lying because she ‘doesn’t want to hurt his feelings’. *facepalm* I was honestly really annoyed being inside for head for half the book because of her selfishness and indecision.

Truthfully, Destiny’s Fire didn’t live up to my expectations, but I was certainly impressed with the mythology and action. I’m definitely in the minority here, so I’m sure a lot of you would enjoy this more than me. 

Visit Trisha Wolfe on Facebook Here. If you're interested in following what comes next for Jace, Reese and Dez, make sure to 'Like' the page! There will be updates on BOOK 2, so be sure to check it out :D

Grand Prize 

• Egyptian/steampunk necklace 
•  print copy of DF
• DF bookmark
• signed bookplate.
  
  Wow, that's an awesome prize pack!
  To win this, make sure you enter on the last stop on the tour at A Tale of Many Reviews.

Check out the entire schedule!

Blog Tour: Air (Elemental #2)

Title: Air (Elemental #2)
Author: Shauna Granger
Publisher: Self-published
Release Date: October 31st, 2011
Format: ebook
Source: Blog Tour/From Author

It was a rough start to the school year for Shayna and her friends, Jodi and Steven, but thankfully summer break is near. Trying to sort out her feelings for the new guy in town, Shayna agrees to let Jensen join her on a group date with her friends. While out they end up at a local coffee house where their classmate, social outcast Jeremy McCormick, is humiliated by his baseball star brother. When Jeremy runs away from the jeering crowd, Shayna and Jodi hear the unmistakable sound of a thousand wings chasing after him, but no one else seems to hear them. These are not like any air elementals that Shayna or Jodi have ever encountered before and they fear Jeremy has gotten himself tangled up in something too dangerous for him to handle. But when Shayna tries to help Jeremy control his magical abilities she realizes it might be the biggest mistake of her life.

Air takes place several months after the ending of Earth, right before school ends for the Summer holidays. The story centres around a classmate of Shayna’s called Jeremy,  who, after being publicly humiliated attracts the attentions of Shay and Jodi. It seems that wherever he goes, a buzzing noise, like the fluttering of wings seem to follow. Shay, Jodi and Steven take it upon themselves to uncover the mystery behind these faerie-like things and save Jeremy before it’s too late. 

One of the things I was anticipating most in Air was the complicated relationship between Shay and Jensen. If you’ve read my Earth review, you would know that I LOVED the undeniable chemistry between the two! They were constantly bantering, and Shay never admitted to liking him, but you know that something was going to happen between the two!  So, I was eagerly anticipating how the relationship between the two would work out, but I suppose it’s because of my unbelievably high expectations that I was left slightly disappointed by the development between the two. Their relationship seemed more like a hook-up rather than ‘dating’ and in this instalment, I felt that what Shay and Jensen shared was merely a physical attraction rather than something deeper and more real. 

I’ve always considered Shay a strong and capable heroine, and boy, did she not disappoint in Air! Always taking care of her friends, and those around her, she was certainly a character worthy of respect and admiration! However, I’ll admit that I was annoyed with her at times,; her stubbornness really did get on my nerves. Okay, after some thought, I think I’m just annoyed at at the way she treated Jensen!

I loved the friendship between Shay, Jodi and Steven! I can’t believe I never appreciated just how close and loyal everyone was in Earth. In Air, I really understood the depth of what each one of them would do for their best friends. They looked out for one another, and the three were literally unseparable! This is definitely what I call TRUE FRIENDSHIP!

Shauna is still a master of writing heart-thumping, edge-of-your-seat action scenes! Those were definitely my favourite parts of the books, and there was certainly a great deal of such action! 

The second installment in the Elemental series will surely please readers, with its well thought out storyline, which remained the central focus of the story. I’m anticipating the release of the third book next year! 

~Grand Prize Giveaway~

There is a grand prize for ONE lucky winner! You must comment on every post on the tour. 

US addresses only.

Prize consists of:
- signed copy of Air 
-  a matching bookmark
 - a holiday candle, 
- Christmas ornament, 
- Solstice sun sugar cookies 
- snowflake peppermint bark candy.

Check out the schedule for the rest of the tour, and make sure to comment on every post in order to win these awesome goodies!! 

Click here for the AIR Tour Schedule
GOOD LUCK <3

Book Review: Elixir

Title: Elixir

Author: Hilary Duff, Elise Allen 
Publisher: Simon & Schuster 
Release Date: October 12th, 2010
Format: Paperback
Source: Library

Clea Raymond has felt the glare of the spotlight her entire life. The daughter of a renowned surgeon and a prominent Washington DC politician, she has grown to be a talented photojournalist who takes refuge in a career that allows her to travel to the most exotic parts of the world. But after Clea’s father disappears while on a humanitarian mission, Clea’s photos begin to feature eerie, shadowy images of a strange and beautiful man—a man she has never seen before.

When fate brings Clea and this man together, she is stunned by the immediate and powerful connection she feels with him. As they grow closer, they are drawn deep into the mystery behind her father’s disappearance, and they discover the centuries old truth behind their intense bond. Torn by a dangerous love triangle and haunted by a powerful secret that holds their fates, together they race against time to unravel their pasts in order to save their lives—and their futures.

My Thoughts:

Hilary Duff’s debut? Trust me, I never would have picked this up under normal circumstances, but my copy of Devoted was looking very lonely and dusty on my shelf, so I decided to give Elixir a try. Frankly, I really enjoyed Elixir; I wasn’t mind-blowing or anything, but it was certainly captivating enough for me to want to read the next book.

The plot was very complex; on one hand, we have Clea trying to unravel the mystery behind her father’s disappearance. We also have Clea meeting her soul mate, Sage and discovering that she has been in love with him in her past lives only to die horribly each time. Then we have The Elixir of life and I liked how everything seemed to link back to the Elixir of Life.  But I felt Hilary Duff had a difficult time striking a balance between all these intricately linked plots, since all of them seemed significant and focusing too much on one, meant neglecting another.

The romance between Sage and Clea reminded me of Luce & Daniel’s relationship in Fallen; the girl gets reincarnated every few decades or so while the guy stays eternal and in every lifetime, he falls in love with each reincarnation of the girl. The only problem is, here, there didn’t seem to be a proper lead-up to their romance in the present day except for those bizarrely realistic dreams or ‘memories’ Clea’s been having. I swear, the two hardly had a decent conversation before Clea demanded to know whether Sage loved her or the other versions of her. Put it bluntly, it seemed too fake 

Romance aside, I loved reading about the mystery surrounding the ‘mysterious guy’ who’s constantly popping up in her photos. I don’t think it was meant to be scary, but I totally creeped out a little! I mean, how creepy is to find the same man in almost all of your photos even though you’d never set eyes on him, and then also to see his shadow in a photo of your closet?

Hilary Duff sure will delight fans with her surprisingly well-written YA debut. A complex and fascinating plot complete with likable characters, romance and action, Elixir was certainly a fast and interesting read! Every moment was filled with something that was essential to the plot; there wasn't one boring moment!Give this one a try; I’m sure many of you will enjoy it!

“Who are you?" I asked. 
"You know who I am," he replied. "I'm yours."