Significance by Shelly Crane

Synopsis (from goodreads.com):

Maggie is a seventeen year old girl who's had a bad year. She was smart and on track but then her mom left, her dad is depressed, she's graduating, barely, and her boyfriend of almost three years dumped her for a college football scholarship. Lately she thinks life is all about hanging on by a thread and is gripping tight with everything she has.

Then she meets Caleb. She saves his life and instantly knows there's something about him that's intriguing but she is supposed to be on her way to a date with his cousin. But things change when they touch, sparks ignite. Literally.

They imprint with each other and she sees their future life together flash before her eyes. She learns that not only is she his soul mate, and can feel his heartbeat in her chest, but there is a whole other world of people with gifts and abilities that she never knew existed. She herself is experiencing supernatural changes unlike anything she's ever felt before and she needs the touch of his skin to survive.

Now, not only has her dad come out of his depression to be a father again, and a pain as well, but Caleb's enemies know he's imprinted and are after Maggie to stop them both from gaining their abilities and take her from him.

Can Caleb save her or will they be forced to live without each other after just finding one another?

Jillian’s Review:

This sucked me in from the very beginning. The romance was intense but not gross, though it felt like Maggie and Caleb were making out every five seconds. Caleb was great, but throughout the entire novel he felt way too perfect. Even their fight was nothing, lasting no more than a paragraph before they made up. They’re supposed to be the perfect match and can read each others' thoughts and all that, but it still felt like they were just a couple of infatuated, hormone driven teenagers. But I do have to say that I am proud of Crane for keeping it clean... it gets a bit steamy at times, but no more than many YA romances and they don't sleep together with is unfortunately rare for this genera.

I didn't care for Maggie who lets people push her around the entire time. And Caleb was constantly doing everything for her, from fastening her helmet to constantly steadying her when she felt faint (which happened every other page. And if he kisses her nose one more time I'm gonna scream!

This could have used a good editor, yet I was able to get lost in the romance most of the time.

 

Wings by E. D. Baker

Wings by E.D. Baker

Synopsis (from goodreads.com):

There’s always been something a little unusual about Tamisin. Her freckles look more like sparkles, and the full moon makes her want to dance.

But nothing could have prepared her for the day when real, working fairy wings sprout from her back. At school there’s a new guy names Jak, who seems to know something she doesn't. As her world get stranger by the minute Tamisin finds out more about herself and the fairy world.

Jillian’s Review:

This was really a cute story, with great detail, but it became silly (my nice word for stupid) when the fantasy land came into play (e.i. during a battle between goblins and fairies, the fairies throw pixie dust on the goblins which makes then grow really big noses, or shrink, or some such nonsense).  This is a middle grade novel which would explain the silliness, I guess.

That being said, I did enjoy the characters and Baker’s descriptions are wonderfully visual, I especially liked the description of the emerging of Tamisin’s wings.

I do think younger girls would enjoy this one a lot more than I did.

And Only to Deceive by Tasha Alexander

Synopsis (from goodreads.com):

From gifted new writer Tasha Alexander comes a stunning novel of historical suspense set in Victorian England, meticulously researched and with a twisty plot that involves stolen antiquities, betrayal, and murder. For Emily, accepting the proposal of Philip, the Viscount Ashton, was an easy way to escape her overbearing mother, who was set on a grand society match. So when Emily's dashing husband died on safari soon after their wedding, she felt little grief. After all, she barely knew him. Now, nearly two years later, she discovers that Philip was a far different man from the one she had married so cavalierly. His journals reveal him to have been a gentleman scholar and antiquities collector who, to her surprise, was deeply in love with his wife. 

Emily becomes fascinated with this new image of her dead husband and she immerses herself in all things ancient and begins to study Greek. Emily's intellectual pursuits and her desire to learn more about Philip take her to the quiet corridors of the British Museum, one of her husband's favorite places. There, amid priceless ancient statues, she uncovers a dark, dangerous secret involving stolen artifacts from the Greco-Roman galleries. And to complicate matters, she's juggling two very prominent and wealthy suitors, one of whose intentions may go beyond the marrying kind. As she sets out to solve the crime, her search leads to more surprises about Philip and causes her to question the role in Victorian society to which she, as a woman, is relegated.

Jillian’s Review:

This novel kept me turning the page, but unfortunately it was predictable and fizzled out in the end. The characters were interesting but I really didn't care what happened to any of them and there was barley any romance.

I don’t quite get the title. Maybe it’s because everything was so predictable for me, but I didn’t feel like Emily was deceived a whole lot if she’d just opened her eyes and used her brain.

Still, it was a fairly enjoyable, quick read.

<----- I don't have a star rating for this genera of books!

Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side by Beth Fantaskey

Synopsis (from goodreads.com):

Marrying a vampire definitely doesn’t fit into Jessica Packwood’s senior year “get-a-life” plan. But then a bizarre (and incredibly hot) new exchange student named Lucius Vladescu shows up, claiming that Jessica is a Romanian vampire princess by birth—and he’s her long-lost fiancé. Armed with newfound confidence and a copy of Growing Up Undead: A Teen Vampire’s Guide to Dating, Health, and Emotions, Jessica makes a dramatic transition from average American teenager to glam European vampire princess. But when a devious cheerleader sets her sights on Lucius, Jess finds herself fighting to win back her wayward prince, stop a global vampire war—and save Lucius’s soul from eternal destruction.

Jillian’s Review:

This was well written, but both the guy and girl were annoying. Jessica was unimaginative, weak, and only grew because a guy told that she was more than she thought she was. Ugh. And Lucius! He was as bad as his name: completely self-absorbed, arrogant, and disloyal. The only time I liked him was when the story was from his point of view (POV) in the letters he wrote to his uncle. Then we discover how sarcastic and intelligent he was.

I did like that Jessica is actually born a vampire and isn’t just corrupted as in most vamp stories. And the passion… it was pretty amazing. I was surprised how Fanstaskey was able to make the biting scene more steamy than any of the kissing scenes (no worries, it’s not too descriptive) combined. I never thought being bit by a vampire could be more tantalizing than being kissed by one! Lol

But, be warned: the audiobook SUCKED! I think most of me being annoyed was because of the narrator. She sounded like she was in her 40’s, which is really bad when you’re narrating from a 17 year old girl’s POV. And the fake, Count Dracula accent she used for Lucia was just heinous! The only time I could stand listening to Lucius was when it was in his POV (the letters) and a guy narrated… maybe that’s why I liked that part of the novel best.

I give it three generous stars all because of the romance.

The Wide-Awake Princess by E.D. Baker

Synopsis (from goodreads.com):

In this new stand-alone fairy tale, Princess Annie is the younger sister to Gwen, the princess destined to be Sleeping Beauty. When Gwennie pricks her finger and the whole castle falls asleep, only Annie is awake, and only Annie—blessed (or cursed?) with being impervious to magic—can venture out beyond the rose-covered hedge for help. She must find Gwen's true love to kiss her awake.

But who is her true love? The irritating Digby? The happy-go-lucky Prince Andreas, who is holding a contest to find his bride? The conniving Clarence, whose sinister motives couldn't possibly spell true love? Joined by one of her father's guards, Liam, who happened to be out of the castle when the sleeping spell struck, Annie travels through a fairy tale land populated with characters both familiar and new as she tries to fix her sister and her family . . . and perhaps even find a true love of her own.

Jillian’s Review:

Cute but predictable. Annie is a fun, energetic, and determined main character and was enjoyable to read about. I wasn’t a fan of what a negative image Baker gave Princess Gwennie (AKA Princess Aurora from Disney’s Sleeping Beauty), but I understand this isn’t Disney and Baker wanted to put a little twist to the storyline.

There were lots of little adventures that Annie encountered with her trusty Knight. Unfortunately everything was so predictable that it became almost mundane to read. If you have to choose between reading this or Tuesday at the Castle pick the Castle, it’s much better written and not nearly as predictable. Plus, the romance isn’t mushy and out of place like in Wide-Awake Princess.

I think this book is perfect for the younger reader, probably age 8-12.

 

The Gray Wolf Throne by Cinda Williams Chima

Synopsis (from goodreads.com):

Han Alister thought he had already lost everyone he loved. But when he finds his friend Rebecca Morley near death in the Spirit Mountains, Han knows that nothing matters more than saving her. The costs of his efforts are steep, but nothing can prepare him for what he soon discovers: the beautiful, mysterious girl he knew as Rebecca is none other than Raisa ana’Marianna, heir to the Queendom of the Fells. Han is hurt and betrayed. He knows he has no future with a blueblood. And, as far as he’s concerned, the princess’s family killed his own mother and sister. But if Han is to fulfill his end of an old bargain, he must do everything in his power to see Raisa crowned queen.

Meanwhile, some people will stop at nothing to prevent Raisa from ascending. With each attempt on her life, she wonders how long it will be before her enemies succeed. Her heart tells her that the thief-turned-wizard Han Alister can be trusted. She wants to believe it—he’s saved her life more than once. But with danger coming at her from every direction, Raisa can only rely on her wits and her iron-hard will to survive—and even that might not be enough.

The Gray Wolf Throne is an epic tale of fierce loyalty, unbearable sacrifice, and the heartless hand of fate.

Jillian’s Review:

It's been two years and about 200 books since I read the second book in this series and I was lost half the time because Chima doesn't reference past characters, especially the obscure ones, well. It was annoying to be 3/4 of the way through and still have side characters mentioned that I had no idea who they were or what they'd done in past novels.

The story itself was interesting and I was grateful to only have to read from two different POV (it seems like the first two novels were written in several different POV, but I could be remembering incorrectly). I enjoyed it fairly well, but I think half the book could have been cut and it would have made for a better read. Some of the descriptions were unnecessarily long (e.i. it took nearly a full paragraph to describe a character braiding his hair). It was interesting enough that I lost a couple good nights of sleep because I couldn’t put it down.

I'm glad to see the princess heir has learned a lot from the past two books, yet I can't fathom why she would still be willing to kiss every guy who shows interest in her. And I really would like to know more about what's happening to her poor, little sister, but maybe that's because I was the youngest and was picked on, too! ;)

Yet another in this series without a proper ending, one major event resolved but nothing else. I most seriously hope that everything will finally be resolved in the fourth and final book, The Crimson Crown, dated to come out October 23, 2012.

Forbidden Sea by Sheila A. Nielson

Tuesday got away from me again... let's just go back for a moment!

Synopsis (from goodreads.com):

A mermaid haunts Adrianne's dreams . . . is she coming to warn her, save her, or drag her down into the depths of the briny sea forever? When Adrianne comes face-to-face with the mermaid of Windwaithe Island, of whom she has heard terrible stories all her life, she is convinced the mermaid means to take her younger sister. Adrianne, fierce-willed and courageous, is determined to protect her sister from the mermaid, and her family from starvation. However, the mermaid continues to haunt Adrianne in her dreams and with her song.

Jillian’s Review:

A refreshingly clean YA fantasy loosely based on Hans Christen Andersen’s The Little Mermaid. The story was great though Nielson has a tendency to tell rather than show. I really enjoyed reading about a young girl who had an amazing strength though wasn’t so strong she was unrealistic. I appreciated that the guy she loved didn’t even notice her. It was a great change from the usual YA where every guy notices the beautiful main girl and the guy she likes and she fall desperately in love with each other. That’s just not true to teenage life.

I wish more time had been spent underwater instead of the daily grind that Adrianne had to face. Some descriptions were a bit tedious and I found myself skimming through some of it. However, every character was realistic, the scenery was descriptive easy to envision, and it had a great ending.

This would be perfect for girls ages 10 up.

Delirium (Delirium, Book 1) by Lauren Oliver

Synopsis (from goodread.com):

Before scientists found the cure, people thought love was a good thing. They didn’t understand that once love -- the deliria -- blooms in your blood, there is no escaping its hold. Things are different now. Scientists are able to eradicate love, and the government demands that all citizens receive the cure upon turning eighteen. Lena Holoway has always looked forward to the day when she’ll be cured. A life without love is a life without pain: safe, measured, predictable, and happy.

But with ninety-five days left until her treatment, Lena does the unthinkable: She falls in love.

Jillian’s Review:

If you’ve read Matched then don’t bother reading this one. It’s almost the same as Matched, but the society is even more underdeveloped. Also, the thing that makes the society in Delirium so freaky (making people have a surgery to keep them from feeling love) was too unrealistic.

The characters were realistic enough. I enjoyed the main girl, Lena’s, personality but I liked her friend even more. THE GUY was great. I really liked him. The chemistry between Lena and said boy was pretty terrific and I was rooting for them the whole way through. I really cared about Lena’s youngest cousin and hoped Lena would [spoiler alert] take her with her when she left, but there was a good enough resolution that I was satisfied.

But the ending [spoiler alert]… I HATE sad endings and this one was sad. It could have totally been written differently. I understand that not every story is going to have a happy ending, but this one stunk. I may read the next one in the series Pandemonium (expected released date February 28, 2012) just so I know what happens to poor Lena.

The Realmsic Conquest, Book 1 by A. Demethius Jackson

Synopsis (from amazon.com):

Throughout its history, the kingdom known as the Realm has never known peace. From its establishment, it has possessed the gift of magic, which is a treasure that exists no other place in the world! As a result, the Realm has endlessly defended itself against conquerors, but now faces its greatest peril. As our heroes battle the wicked and unlock mysteries, they must also face overwhelming circumstances as they are guided by ancient lore on a quest to find the greatest treasure their kingdom will ever know... peace.

Jillian’s Review:

Jackson takes us to a realm of magic and war, and introduces us to characters who are surprisingly developed in such a brief story. Jackson’s use of simple verse (like that of Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales) is unique to this age and his rhythm and rhymes are at times ingenious, especially the conversations between characters, such as:

KELM:

1. Damian simply is much too strong

2. for us to continue to fight head on.

SARAYA:

3. Then what do you think our approach should be?

LEODEN:

4. It should be to rethink our strategy!

Though cleverly written, the rhyming was quite distracting. I found myself often skipping the last word of each line just so I could focus on the story. The rhyming stuck in my head long after I closed the cover, like when I’ve read a Dr. Seuss book to my four year old.

I did, however, really enjoy the story and the characters. I would like to read another by Jackson, but would much prefer it to be written in prose form.

I received a copy of The Realmsic Conquest: The Candle of Crest from the author in exchange for my unbiased review.

The Poison Diaries by Maryrose Wood

Synopsis (from goodreads.com):

In the right dose, everything is a poison. Even love . . .

Jessamine Luxton has lived all her sixteen years in an isolated cottage near Alnwick Castle, with little company apart from the plants in her garden. Her father, Thomas, a feared and respected apothecary, has taught her much about the incredible powers of plants: that even the most innocent-looking weed can cure -- or kill.

When Jessamine begins to fall in love with a mysterious boy who claims to communicate with plants, she is drawn into the dangerous world of the poison garden in a way she never could have imagined . . .

Jillian’s Review:

I loved most of this book. It was intriguing and captivating. The main character, Jessamine, was a light in her dark world and she was so kind. Unfortunately she was also naive and blind to the truth that could have saved her a lot of grief.

And then enters Weed, the poor boy. I loved him from the start. There was something so mysterious and tragic about him. His connection to plants was fascinating however his background wasn’t as well developed as I would have liked.

But when Jessamine gets sick near the end of the book, the story turns really weird and evil. She has psychedelic visions and conversations with poisonous plants. Weed has to fulfill certain tasks given to him by those poisonous plants which he has to complete in order to save Jessamine from her sickness. These tasks grow in their horror and Weed does something unforgivable, something that goes against anything that could make a true hero, at least in my eyes. It was so upsetting to see him fall.

This story had such potential but it all ended in disappointment. I don’t think I can bring myself to read the next book in this series.

Perception (The Tigers' Eye Trilogy, Book 1) By Heather Cashman

Synopsis (from jacket flap description):

Your perception will sharpen once you see through a tiger’s eyes.

More than five hundred years after the apocalypse, the survivors of off-grid genetic experimentation have refined their mixed DNA to the point that humans and their animal counterparts share physical and mental links. Varying species have divided into districts, living in a tenuous peace under the President of Calem.

Ardana and her tiger ingenium Rijan leave their life of exile and abuse in the Outskirts, setting out with their twin brothers to redeem themselves and become citizens of the Center. But shedding their past isn’t as easy as they had hoped. When the system that shunned them becomes embroiled in political conflict and treachery, their unique abilities and experiences from the Outskirts make them invaluable to every faction. The runaways become pawns to friends as well as enemies, and with every step it becomes more difficult to tell which is which.

Jillian’s Review:

The plot of this novel was intriguing. I was almost intently caught up with what was happening and the characters were extremely realistic. I didn’t like that Ana seemed to be the weak link but was glad she was able to grow and develop throughout the novel.

The strange, long names of everyone were confusing and difficult to keep track of. I even found myself forgetting who was the tiger and who was the Ana’s twin brother. And it didn’t help that Ana called people in her mind by made-up names; it only made it that much harder to remember what their real names were.

Cashman's writing style is very descriptive and I could easily see what she was describing, yet the majority of her similes were long and unnecessary. Such as: The false bottom was like the lid of a coffin that concealed the life that had died with my father, and If it was closed, it was a wall so thick that my thoughts felt like thousands of tiny balls that bounced off the inside of my skull with no hope of release. The flow of the writing would have been much smoother had these been shortened or eliminated all together. That being said, I could clearly see what Ana looked like, including her cool vine “tattoos”. I could see and love Kliax’ awesome eyes and fun Robert Pattinson-like hair.

There was a wonderful amount of (clean) romance that kept me turning the page and I really liked Kliax. And I loved that Ana had to overcome her abusive past to be able to love Kliax, though I would have liked to know more of how Ana felt when they finally kissed and she actually enjoyed it.

The relationship between Ana, her twin brother and their ingenium tigers was wonderful. I loved that they could read each others' thoughts and feeling because of their relationship to their mother’s ingenium. The very idea of people having a connection that close with an animal or plant was intriguing and very well displayed, though I would have been lost from the beginning had I not read the synopsis of the novel before hand.

The last part of the novel included a whole bunch of twists and turns as the hidden agendas of some of the characters were revealed, but it was done in such a confusing way that I was lost half the time. And the Campaign felt like a copy of scenes from The Hunger Games, which felt out of place from the rest of the story. It would have been much better had this part had not been as detailed.

I’m not a fan of novels concluding with obvious “to be continued” endings but I’m willing to read the next in the Tiger’s Eye series as long as those similes are dealt with and the steady stream of romance continues. ;)