Book Review: Dead Beautiful

Publisher: Hyperion

Series: Dead Beautiful #1

Edition: Paperback

Pages: 455

Rating: 4/5

Genre: Paranormal Romance

*Bought*

On the morning of her sixteenth birthday, Renée Winters was still an ordinary girl. She spent her summers at the beach, had the perfect best friend, and had just started dating the cutest guy at school. No one she'd ever known had died. But all that changes when she finds her parents dead in the Redwood Forest, in what appears to be a strange double murder. 

After the funeral Renée’s wealthy grandfather sends her to Gottfried Academy, a remote and mysterious boarding school in Maine, where she finds herself studying subjects like Philosophy, Latin, and the “Crude Sciences.”
It’s there that she meets Dante Berlin, a handsome and elusive boy to whom she feels inexplicably drawn. As they grow closer, unexplainable things begin to happen, but Renée can’t stop herself from falling in love. It’s only when she discovers a dark tragedy in Gottfried’s past that she begins to wonder if the Academy is everything it seems.
Little does she know, Dante is the one hiding a dangerous secret, one that has him fearing for her life. 

This book was really unique and I am always looking for something really creative to read since I get pretty sick of the same story over and over again. I read this pretty quickly and was happy to have found a nice gem in my bookstore since I haven't heard a lot of things about it. I was a little nervous thinking this might be another vampire book but nope! It's not! 
I won't give anything away but what I will say is how gripping this book was for me. The element of mystery and the love interest had my heart pounding and my mind racing from page to page and had me completely hooked from beginning to end. The only negative I have was that the beginning was a little slow but that was needed for the dramatic twists and turns that were coming ahead.
The love interest was awesome and it had the element of "I want to love you, but you scare me" thing to it, which is always exciting! 
There were times that I was reading this and thought I completely figured this book out but I was completely wrong and just shocked by what was really going on.
If you want a book with a conflicting love interest, mystery and mind games check this book out!!


I will definitely be giving the next book a read. Check it out below!


February 24th 2012

Book Review: Ashes by: Estevan Vega

Publisher: StoneGate Inc

Series: Arson #1

Edition: E-book

Rating: 5/5

Genre: Paranormal

*Received by author* 

Taken from goodreads:

More than three months have passed since Arson and Emery were taken. Taken and then separated.

And experimented on.
Salvation Asylum is more like a prison than a psychiatric facility. Unknowingly, Arson has become a vital instrument in a campaign set to genetically alter mankind. Enraged, confused, trapped, and unable to fully manifest his abilities, he wonders if he will ever see Emery again. His new existence is one crawling with questions. Is Grandma alive? Where does the fire come from? Can he become more than a monster?
In Ashes, book two of the ARSON series, nightmare and reality collide as Arson must embrace what he is and the haunting realization that there may be others out there, others like him.

Wow, this book was absolutely amazing. I read the first book "Arson" and really enjoyed it, but WOHOO this book was great! It was so fast paced and just a thriller right to the core. I love when a book can absoultely captivate me from beginning to end. This book did exactly that.

Ashes will keep your heart racing and your mind guessing. You will not want to take your hands off the pages. I was absolutely captivated reading this book. The difference between Arson & Ashes was how dark, psychological, and suspenseful Ashes is compared to Arson. Ashes takes you on a ride to find out what kind of experiments they have been doing to Arson and what toll that takes on him psychologically.

This is one of the best psychological thrillers I have read and something I will have on my re-read list for sure!

I love Estevan's ability to switch point of views between Emery & Arson, it's flawless and I admire a writer who can do that without disrupting the story. Estevan is a fantastic suspenseful writer and I look forward to see what else he will do! 

Make sure to check out the first book "Arson" !

Harper Inprint challenge (Starting January)

This is going to be my first challenge on this blog and I am super excited! I saw this through a couple blogs I follow and decided I had to be apart of it!

This challenge is hosted by Starry Sky Books make sure to check that out for a full list of rules, guidelines and questions! To make this short and sweet it is a challenge to read as many HarperCollins imprints that publish YA books in that month!

• This challenge is open to anyone, that can be if you blog, youtube or don't do either!
• Books started before January 1 do not count
• Your books can be crossovers with other challenges

Me being the challenge seeker that I am, I'm going to attempt to do the hard level! Which is 9-12 books!

Right before the start of this challege I will list all books I will be reading that month and add my progress to each. I am also going to do a youtube video about this challenge to get as many people in this as possible!!

Okay, now I need to go make a list fo the books I want to read!

GOODLUCK!!

Book Review: Arson by Estevan Vega

Publisher: StoneGate Inc

Series: Arson #1

Edition: E-book

Pages: 318

Rating: 4/5

Genre: Paranormal


Summary taken from goodreads:
Arson Gable feels like a freak. He can create fire. He never asked for it. He never wanted it. But he can't shut it off. Before now, three things were true: he both loved and despised his grandmother; his life was going nowhere; and he was alone. But when a strange girl—who feels more normal behind a mask than inside her own skin—moves in next door, Arson hopes to find something he's never had: purpose. Using what he fears most about himself, Arson must face his consuming past and confront the nightmare that is his present as he walks the fine line between boy and monster. Dark, moody, and breathtakingly relevant, Arson, the chilling chronicle of an isolated boy with unimaginable ability, is sure to ignite the hearts and minds of a new generation.

My thoughts:

When I first started reading this book I couldn't help but think about the movie Fire starter with Drew Barrymore, I was so excited to find out that this was not only way better but much different then what I expected. I will start off by saying that it was a little difficult to get into this book however thats usually the thing with the first books in a series. It's trying to set up for upcoming books that will have massive amount of action so of course after reading for a little bit longer...moreWhen I first started reading this book I couldn't help but think about the movie Fire starter with Drew Barrymore, I was so excited to find out that this was not only way better but much different then what I expected. I will start off by saying that it was a little difficult to get into this book however thats usually the thing with the first books in a series. It's trying to set up for upcoming books that will have massive amount of action so of course after reading for a little bit longer I was hooked. The connection between Arson and Emery was extremely real and genuine. Their romance truly has the making of a really powerful paranormal love story. Arson is completely drawn to her and feels the need to protect her from everything and it was extremely beautiful to read that. Of course that wasn't the only thing in the book because I get really annoyed with books that have an easy romance and no action. The pace of the book started to become heavy near the end of the book. (Sequel is going to be really dark) I give a lot of credit to authors who are able to switch up point of views in a book without completely disrupting the story. Estevan has a gift of keeping up with the flow with the book with the flawless transitions between characters. I loved that, and that is something I really love in books. What Arson has to go through with his grandmother really breaks my heart. I won't give anything away but at times it was difficult to read those parts because I felt horrible and sad for Arson. He still loves his grandmother no matter what she says to him. I can't wait to read book #2 and see what happens to Arson and Emery!

Teaser Tuesday { 3 }

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along!

1.  Grab the book you are currently reading
2. Open to a page
3. Share two sentences from somewhere on that page

DO NOT INCLUDE SPOILERS!!

This week it's...

"All at once there was a shifting, a stirring. I felt myself growing taller, and then I was in the air, hovering over my human body as it crouched on the dry, scrubby ground below. I had and angel's body, pure white, brilliant in the sun. There was no fear, only determination. They were not going to kill me, and they were not going to kill Alex." 

I love angels, you will notice I will pretty much any book that has an angel in it. THIS BOOK IS SO AWESOME! :) Read for yourself!

Cascade: Book Review

What if you not only fell back through time... but fell in love, too?

Publisher: David C Cook

Series: The River of Time Series book 2

Edition: Paperback

Pages: 399

Rating: 5/5 

Genre: Young Adult

Summary is taken from goodreads.

Gabi knows she’s left her heart in the fourteenth century and she persuades Lia to help her to return, even though they know doing so will risk their very lives. When they arrive, weeks have passed and all of Siena longs to celebrate the heroines who turned the tide in the battle against Florence—while the Florentines will go to great lengths to see them dead.

But Marcello patiently awaits, and Gabi must decide if she’s willing to leave her family behind for good in order to give her heart to him forever.

Give me one sec while I go all fan girl. *Screams tears of joy while jumping up and down*

Whew, glad to get that out of my system. Let me start off by saying this series is SO AMAZING!!! Why haven't you read it yet? Whats wrong with you!!!

So the story continues with Gabi and her sister Lia and it does NOT disappoint. The first book in every series is always meant to set up the scene for some action to go down in the upcoming books. This is book # 2 in The River of Time series so you guessed it, theres a lot of action. Gabi is so smart and strong that deserves to be my favorite heroin ever, the connection she has to her sister Lia so unbelievably real, and sweet. They truly, deep down, care for each other and are always there to protect one another. I loved that this book had not only true love, action, but it also had a beautiful connection between sisters.

My heart was racing as I read every page of this book, every moment I was dying to read and know more and more what was going to happen. The amount of conflict in the second book is definitely heart wrenching. The writing is absolutely captivating and the scenes leap off the page and bind themselves straight to your heart.

Book cover: Beautiful, my favorite of the three. The girl on the front is exactly how I picture Lia and it has that soft buttery feel again to the cover.

Characters: There is not one flaw I see in any of these characters. Completely pure and perfect.

Writing: Beautiful and Captivating

Ending: As soon as I was at the end of this book I immediately grabbed Torrent. (Book 3)

IMM [ 2 ]

In My Mailbox was created by Kristi at The Story Siren.

Heres my IMM for this week! :) Books all linked below as well.

         For Review


            Bought

   

Waiting on Wednesday { 1 }

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

I CAN'T WAIT FOR THIS BOOK!!
January 24th 2012


LOOK AT THIS COVER!!!! The synopsis sounds absolutely fantastic so make sure to check it out. I love this type of paranormal book. *Jumps up and down from excitement*

Book review: Anna Dressed In Blood

Publisher: Tor Teen

Series: Anna # 1

Edition: Hardcopy

Pages: 316

Rating: 4.5/5

Genre: Paranormal

Summary from Goodreads:

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.

My Thoughts: 


I was really excited to see this book in my Barnes and Noble and immediately moved it into my halloween reads! I love reading about ghosts so this seemed right up my alley. I was extremely drawn into this book, It was beautifully written and had me captivated. It was from a male perspective so for me to give it such a high rating is pretty amazing since I usually don't like reading books from a males point of view but it really was perfect! I love getting attached to characters and root for them and that is exactly how it went for me with this book. There was a lot of mystery because you wanted to know what happened to Anna and since it was a short book it didn't drag.


If I had to be critical about anything it would be the fact that there was some romance in this book which I mean I guess thats fine and everything, but the way it happened didn't exactly make much sense to me since I don't think it was needed. The story was perfect the way it was but to put the romance in their kind of felt a little bit of an afterthought.


Overall I really loved this book! It's a series so I will definitely give the next one a try. Heres the cover art for the next one! It's just as beautiful as the first.


**Also something really cool, the font color in the book is blood red. Really nice touch!