Mini-Review: Wrecked by Anna Davies

Title: Wrecked
Author: Anna Davies
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers
Genre: Paranormal Young Adult
Release Date: 05/01/12
Reviewed by: Sara
Buy the Book:

Summary:

Secrets of the sea have never been sexier than this.
Ever since the death of her parents, Miranda has lived on Whym Island, taking comfort in the local folklore, which claims a mysterious sea witch controls the fate of all on the island and in its surrounding waters. Sometimes it’s just easier to believe things are out of your control.

But then a terrible boating accident takes the lives of several of her friends, and Miranda is rescued by a mysterious boy who haunts her dreams. Consumed by guilt from the accident, she finds refuge in late-night swims -- and meets Christian, a boy who seems eerily familiar, but who is full of mystery: He won’t tell her where he is from, or why they can only meet at the beach. But Miranda falls for him anyway... and discovers that Christian’s secrets, though meant to protect her, may bring her nothing but harm.

Seductive and compelling, Wrecked brings a contemporary, paranormal twist to a classic enchanting tale.

Mini-Review: I really wanted to enjoy the plot of this novel, but it lacked details. I didn't feel like I learned much about Miranda's friends, both before the accident and through her memories afterwards. We also only learn the basics about mermaids and betwixtmen. Christian's point of view was so few and far between, in comparison to Miranda's point of view, that it was quite jarring when he took over a chapter which in turn led to the pacing being very rocky. Miranda wasn't a very likeable character, especially when speaking to other characters. She wouldn't let anyone finish a thought, and she would abruptly end conversations or switch topics, even if the current conversation wasn't bothering her or bringing up memories. It was infuriating when she would do this after asking a direct question to the other character. Because of this, conversations within the novel didn't feel natural. The cover had some good elements, but was a little dark over all. I really liked the bubbles and the blue title, and I wish the scale pattern on the male model stood out a tiny bit more.

Plot: 2 Stars
Pace: 2 Stars
Characters: 2 Stars
Cover: 3 Stars
Overall: 2 Stars

Disclosure: I bought a used copy of this novel for my own reading pleasure... And an ARC arrived instead. You can read all about My Little ARC Saga for the details.

Review: Surrender the Dark by L.A. Banks

Title: Surrender the Dark
Author: L.A. Banks
Series: The Dark #1
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Release Date: 03/29/11
Reviewed by: Sara
But the Book:

Summary:

National bestselling author L.A. Banks’s electrifying new paranormal series is set in a sizzling world where Dark and Light are trapped in an eternal struggle for the fate of mankind.

Celeste Jackson has fought all her life against a fog of hallucination and substance abuse, but it’s not until she meets her protector, Azrael, an angel who has left the safety of the Light, that she learns of the evil forces that have been trying to ruin her, and why. A fierce battle for control of the mortal realm is brewing, and only Celeste -- with the help of the Remnant, her half-human, half-angel brethren -- can stand in the way. Together, Celeste and Azrael must gather an army of sensitives to defeat the dark powers that have ruled humanity for centuries, but time is running out. If Azrael surrenders to his growing desire for Celeste, he risks being trapped among humanity forever. But the longer he stays, the harder she is to resist. To save the world, Celeste must draw on her own dark experiences with addiction to help Azrael overcome the one temptation that could possibly make him an eternal prisoner -- his obsession with her.

Plot: 2 Stars
My biggest problem with this novel: I don't like my fallen angels to be tied to religion. I read paranormal fiction, not religious fiction, for a reason. Although Azrael explains that all religions tied together to the same God that he never really named, there was still a large amount of religion within the novel. I could almost deal with that, but there was a lot of preaching added on to that. In order to help Celeste, Azrael had to help her cleanse her body. Not just from alcohol and drugs, but from processed food and drink also. I could handle that, except for the delivery. Instead, I felt like the author was using these characters to preach to the reader about all of the horrible things humans put into their bodies. Also, I wouldn't recommend reading this novel unless you have the sequel ready to go right after it. This novel didn't end in a cliffhanger, but there wasn't much resolution.

Pace: 1.5 Stars
This book really dragged. It felt like everything had to be explained to Celeste in painstaking detail. Azrael was one of the most long winded characters I've ever read, and Celeste wasn't that far behind. The worst part about these super long explanations was that they didn't feel real. It didn't feel like conversation. It felt like I was back in college, sitting through a lecture for 400 pages.

Characters: 2 Stars
The novel starts off with Celeste thinking she's schizophrenic and using alcohol to make the voices go away. She is also living with an abusive boyfriend who is a horrible person. Azrael comes into her life because she is a piece of the puzzle between good and evil. He cleanses her body of her addiction, and it's like Celeste had never had alcohol before. It just wasn't a very realistic description of an addict fighting to stay sober. I understand that this was an Urban Fantasy, but I think Celeste would've been a much stronger character if she continued to fight with her addiction throughout the rest of the drama. In regards to Azrael, I don't think the book's description found on the back cover holds true. It talks a lot about Azrael's obsession with Celeste and how awful it could turn out. But in the novel, he is intrigued by her and develops feelings, but it is never portrayed as an obsession.

Cover: 3 Stars
I applaud Pocket for embracing these characters and not white-washing the cover. The characters were people of color, so they used models who were people of color. I think the cover model chosen for Celeste was a great match to the descriptions within the novel. I wish that the cover model they chose for Azrael wasn't facing away from the reader. Although it allows for a better shot of his wings, I would've liked to see him turned towards Celeste since he was sort of a Guardian Angel to her. The greens in the title blended well with the background were a good choice for the cover. It stands out on the shelves in a genre that has much more reds, oranges, purples, and blues.

Overall: 2 Stars

Disclosure: I bought this novel for my own reading pleasure.

Review: NUM8ERS by Rachel Ward

Title: NUM8ERS
Author: Rachel Ward
Genre: Young Adult
Release Date: 02/01/10
Summary:

Ever since she was child, Jem has kept a secret: Whenever she meets someone new, no matter who, as soon as she looks into their eyes, a number pops into her head. That number is a date: the date they will die. Burdened with such awful awareness, Jem avoids relationships. Until she meets Spider, another outsider, and takes a chance. The two plan a trip to the city. But while waiting to ride the Eye ferris wheel, Jem is terrified to see that all the other tourists in line flash the same number. Today's number. Today's date. Terrorists are going to attack London. Jem's world is about to explode!

Plot: 2 Stars
The plot could've been fantastic. Seeing the date that any person you make eye contact with will die seemed like such a great plot point. But in the end, for me, it just didn't play the part I wanted it to. This was a Contemporary Young Adult novel with slight psychic overtones, whereas I thought it was going to be a cool Urban Fantasy Young Adult novel. The running away and hiding out also isn't a plot point I often enjoy, and nothing about this novel really stood out for me.

Pace: 2 Stars
Everything seemed to take a bit too long to happen, and as a result, the novel seemed to drag as I was reading. I personally didn't need to know every detail while Jem and Spider were on the run, because it got a bit boring and repetitive.

Characters: 1.5 Stars
I didn't really connect with Jem or Spider. Instead of saying, "Even though my childhood was bad, I'm gonna rise up and be the best I can" they both just kind gave up on themselves. They let society's assumptions come true and I just wanted them to be a bit more motivated. I did like Spider's Nan though, and I wish we could've seen more of her.

Cover: 2.5 Stars
The cover was OK. I liked how the number theme transferred to the pages when chapters started and the embossing on the cover. But the eye was just a little creepy to me. Maybe if the iris was a natural color and not blood red. Altogether though, it just wasn't very eye-catching.

Overall: 2 Stars

Disclosure: I received my copy for review from Big Honcho Media and Scholastic.

Anthology Review: The Eternal Kiss (Part 2)

Title: The Eternal Kiss: 13 Vampire Tales of Blood and Desire
Edited by: Trisha Telep
Genre: Young Adult
Release Date: 07/28/09
Summary:

Supernatural forces and desires come alive in these thirteen vampire tales. Like love, the adventures are never safe and hungers never die. And chances are taken. If you are seduced by the mystery of the heart, beating for a destiny unknown, you will helplessly follow the characters' in this collection - longing for one to call their own.

Title: Undead is Very Hot Right Now
Author: Sarah Rees Brennan
Rating: 3.5 Stars
The idea of using vampires as a gimick to make a band popular is kinda lame, but definitely silly. I liked how Christian just wanted to be normal. The other members of the band were kind of annoying though. I liked this story, but the ending was a bit lackluster for me.

Title: Kat
Author: Kelley Armstrong
Rating: 4 Stars
I loved how this story vaguely tied into Armstrong's YA Darkest Powers series without having many spoilers. I liked the relationship between Kat and Marguerite, I just wish there had been a touch more background. I feel like I didn't get to know them as well as I would've liked.

Title: The Thirteenth Step
Author: Libba Bray
Rating: 2 Stars
For thirty pages, it didn't feel like much happened in this story. There was a little too much filler and not enough action. The characters came across flat, and the relationships were either non-existant or not quite believeable.

Title: All Hallows
Author: Rachel Caine
Rating: 4.5 Stars
I enjoyed how this story tied into the Morganville Vampire series. Although I was confused about a couple characters (because I've only read books #1-3), there were no spoilers. I also liked that the story was from Eve's point of view because she's always been my favorite.

Disclosure: I bought this book for my own enjoyment.