Review: Blue Moon by Alyson Noel

Title: Blue Moon
Author: Alyson Noel
Genre: Young Adult
Release date: 07/07/09
Summary:

Just as Ever is learning everything she can about her new abilities as an immortal, initiated into the dark, seductive world by her beloved Damen, something terrible is happening to him. As Ever’s powers are increasing, Damen’s are fading — stricken by a mysterious illness that threatens his memory, his identity, his life.

Desperate to save him, Ever travels to the mystical dimension of Summerland, uncovering not only the secrets of Damen’s past — the brutal, tortured history he hoped to keep hidden—but also an ancient text revealing the workings of time. With the approaching blue moon heralding her only window for travel, Ever is forced to decide between turning back the clock and saving her family from the accident that claimed them—or staying in the present and saving Damen, who grows weaker each day...

Plot: 3 Stars
I enjoyed finding out more information involving Damen's past, and I hope we continue to get more in future books. It was also fun to see more of the Immortal powers and Summerland. But other than that, the plot seemed a little basic. Girl and boy are in love, something happens and now boy is unavailable, girl must save the day. It's a common theme in YA, and I wish the author could've had a slightly more unique spin.

Pace: 2 Stars
There was a large chunk of the middle of this book where it seemed like nothing was happening to further the plot. And then the conflict and resolution at the end was a whirlwind that lasted only a few pages. I wanted to love this book after enjoying Evermore so much, but there were points where I had to force myself to keep reading.

Characters: 2 Stars
There wasn't much character growth in this novel. Every student in school except Ever is under mind-control, so they all act exactly the same. Damen is ill for the majority of the book, so he's basically absent. And I felt like Ever was still a little too stuck in the past. All the progress she had made seemed the fly out the window the moment Damen was ill, and I wanted her to be stronger than that.

Cover: 3 Stars
I know this is gonna sound kinda picky, but I wish the fingers holding the glass orb was blue like the rest of the cover. I also thought the way the top of the image was chopped off right through the cover model's nostrils was an odd choice.

Overall: 2.5 Stars

Disclosure: I bought this book for my own enjoyment.

Teaser Tuesday (7)

This weekly book blog meme is hosted by Misb at Should be Reading.

Here are the rules:
- Grab your current read
- Open to a random page
- Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page
- BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (Make sure that what you share doesn't give too much away. You don’t want to ruin the book for others.)
- Share the title & author too, so that other Teaser Tuesday participants can add the book to their TBR lists if they like your teasers.

Title: Blue Moon
Author: Alyson Noel
Genre: Young Adult
Release date: 07/07/09

I'm a YouTube star. Apparently the footage of me untangling myself from a seemingly never-ending string of Victoria's Secret bras, thongs, and garter belts has not only earned me the oh so clever nickname Spaz but has also been viewed 2323 times. -- pg. 116

Review: Evermore by Alyson Noel

Title: Evermore
Author: Alyson Noel
Genre: Young Adult
Release date: 02/03/09
Summary:

Since the accident that claimed her family, 16-year-old Ever can see auras, hear people's thoughts, and know a person's entire history through one touch. She's been branded a freak at her new high school, but everything changes when Ever meets the mysterious Damen Auguste.

Plot: 3.5 Stars
The plot has slight similarities to Twilight, but I really don't think it's a rip off. I think if Ever had some other ability that was not mind reading, there would be less comparisons to Twilight. Either way, I thought Evermore was a fresh take on the YA love story with paranormal elements. I really enjoyed the lack of vampires, werewolves, and faeries.

Pace: 4 Stars
The book flows smoothly and keeps up a swift pace. This was the second time I've read Evermore, and both times I've finished it rather quickly because I couldn't put it down. There were no points in which the story started to lag, so there were no points where I got bored and put the books down for a while.

Characters: 4 Stars
I love Ever's best friends, Mile and Haven, even when Haven was making bad decisions and getting worked up over nothing. It was nice to see these relationships because so many YA and UF novels tend to keep the main character isolated. Riley, Ever's little sister, was amusing with her celebrity gossip and costume changes. Ever herself wasn't my favorite, but I definitely appreciated the depth the author brought to her character.

Cover: 4 Stars
I love the way the red tulips really pop off of the otherwise monochromatically purple cover. The cover model was also a great choice. The photo really portrayed Ever and her emotional turnmoil quite well.

Overall: 4 Stars

Disclosure: I bought this book for my own enjoyment.