Teaser Tuesday (5)

                        Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by Mizb at Should be Reading

                        ·         Grab the book your currently reading

                        ·         Open to a random page

                        ·         Share two “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

                        ·         Be careful not to include spoilers

                        ·         Be sure to include the title and author

Chime by Franny Billingsley

You don't have to be big to do a lot of damage with your elbow.  I jabbed mine into the front bit, where Petey's ribs gave way to some softer stuff.

January's Bookshelf

1. Dark Seeker by Taryn Browning
2. Patrick Patterson by James Edward Fryar
3. Chime by Franny Billingsley
4. Graveminder by Melissa Marr
5. Paranormalcy by Kiersten White
6. Supernaturally by Kiersten White
7. Fallen in Love by Lauren Kate
8. Hallowed by Cynthia Hand
9. Angel Burn by L.A. Weatherly
10. Beastly by Alex Finn
11. Halflings by Heather Burch
12. Goddess Interrupted by Aimee Carter
13. Angelfire by Courtney Allison Moulton

Review: Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake

Title: Anna Dressed in Blood

Author: Kendare Blake

Publisher: Tor Teen

Publication Date: August 30, 2011

Genre: YA

Main Themes: Ghosts, Revenge, Death, Romance, & Magic/Voodoo

Pages: 316

Plot: (From Dust Jacket)

“Cas Lowood has inherited an unusual vocation: he kills the dead.

So did his father before him, until his gruesome murder by a ghost he sought to kill.  Now armed with his father’s mysterious and deadly athame, Cass 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: move, 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, but now stained red and dripping blood.  Since her death Anna has killed any and every person who has dared to step into the deserted Victorian house she used to call home.

But for whatever reason, she spares his life.”

This is another book that I have heard a lot about and it had me with one look at the cover.  Again all the talk about this book was well deserved!  As vividly gruesome, brutally gory, and viciously bloody as it was; it was still a stunning read. 

Kendare Blake wrote a truly spellbinding book that was enthralling and horrific.  I was trapped and very curious about this ghostly world full of hauntings and murders that it kept me reading.  This really is something because ghost stories normally scare the crap out of me!  While some parts did kind of scare me, it didn’t stop me from continuing.  Most people say that it was the blood and gore that bothered them but I think that was what kept me going. 

Cas was an exceptional character as he was cocky, strong, persevering, persuasive, and dedicated.  I found that it was endearing to watch Cas grow friendships with people and create a place for himself.  Even though it wasn’t something he was accustomed to, he finally broke down the walls and let a few people in.  Then there’s Anna a homicidal ghost that Cas took on as his next job.  Anna was another great character but she was hard to trust.  She was brutal and ruthless but she was also sincere and sympathetic.  Even though she took many lives she was still remorseful.

As sinister and brutal as Anna Dressed in Blood may have been, I still rated it an A+.  The story was original and the writing style was gorgeous and the plot left me breathless.  I couldn’t get enough of this book and again I’m left waiting and waiting until the nest installment is released.  If blood and gore makes you queasy then this might not be the book for you but I would strongly recommend this one to everyone else!

My Rating: 20/20

Originality: 5

Plot: 5

Characters: 5

Writing Style: 5

Review: Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

Title: Shatter Me

Author: Taherah Mafi

Publisher: Harper Teen

Publication Date: November 2011

Genre: YA
Main Themes: Superhuman Powers, Romance, Captivity, Military, & Death

Pages: 342

Plot: (From Goodreads)

“Juliette hasn't touched anyone in exactly 264 days.

The last time she did, it was an accident, but The Reestablishment locked her up for murder. No one knows why Juliette's touch is fatal. As long as she doesn't hurt anyone else, no one really cares. The world is too busy crumbling to pieces to pay attention to a 17-year-old girl. Diseases are destroying the population, food is hard to find, birds don't fly anymore, and the clouds are the wrong color.

The Reestablishment said their way was the only way to fix things, so they threw Juliette in a cell. Now so many people are dead that the survivors are whispering war-- and The Reestablishment has changed its mind. Maybe Juliette is more than a tortured soul stuffed into a poisonous body. Maybe she's exactly what they need right now.

Juliette has to make a choice: Be a weapon. Or be a warrior.”

There is a lot of hype over this book, so I thought I should check it out because I have heard many great things.  I found that it is all well deserved because this book was amazing!  Shatter Me was astoundingly mind-blowing, startling merciless, and maliciously vindictive!  I fell in love with this novel, for it is a remarkable story and it is beautifully written. 

Tahereh Mafi writing is poetic and lyrical.  She does it so well that the words almost flow right off the page.  The imagery she captures is astonishing!  It literally paints a picture in your head that moves with the story.  The ways she portrays her characters, she makes you feel as if you are living the role of Juliette.  It is an incredible feat to accomplish and I’m so glad I read and experienced it. 

Many people find that this story is like The Hunger Games but with an X-Men twist.  I honestly have to agree with that.  As weird as it may sound that is a great way to described it.  It has the dystopian feel and many dangerous life or death choices, like The Hunger Games.  Juliette’s superhuman powers are actually a lot like Rogue’s from X-men. 

Juliette is a very interesting character, from the moment I opened the book I realize that the poor girl has been held captive in solitary confinement for close to a year.  So immediately you understand the way she thinks and talks.  As you unravel the rest of her history you find that even though she has been treated like a monster her whole life; she is really compassionate, very strong willed, fiercely persevering.  Her cellmate, Adam, is amazing supportive and caring; you can’t help but fall for him throughout the tale. 

I honored this marvelous book and gave it an A+, as it was as touching as it was ruthless.  I would strongly suggest giving this inspiring novel a read.  I have yet to find out when the second novel to this series is going to be released but I will be on the lookout for it!

My Rating: 20/20

Originality: 5

Plot: 5

Characters: 5

Writing Style: 5

Review: Switched by Amanda Hocking

Title: Switched

Author: Amanda Hocking

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

Publication Date: Jan. 24, 2012

Genre: YA

Main Themes: Family Ties, Magic, Romance, Trolls, and Hierarchy

Pages: 293

Plot: (From Goodreads)

“When Wendy Everly was six-years-old, her mother was convinced she was a monster and tried to kill her. It isn't until eleven years later that Wendy finds out her mother might've been telling the truth.

With the help of Finn Holmes, Wendy finds herself in a world she never knew existed - and it's one she's not sure if she wants to be a part of.”

This book had me at the cover.  The cover is really amazing as I’m sure you can see.  Then I read the summary on Goodreads, it was very intriguing.  When looking into this novel, I discovered that Amanda Hocking was a self published author that got everyone raving and St. Martin’s Press caught notice and not only was she signed but the movie rights have been sold!

I was so excited to get my hands on this book!  I had it posted on my conspicuous covers, (covers that I love), which one of my friends seen and had a copy.  So, she contacted me and passed it on before she even read it!  So thank you Jordanne for loaning me your copy!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book.  To read something besides vampires and fallen angels was a great change of pace.  I found that this novel was vibrant, stunning, and dramatic. Since this was a straight through read for me, I found that it was very fast paced-there weren’t any slow parts for me to get caught up in .  It held my attention from opening the first page! 

Amanda Hocking painted a beautiful world of magic in a secret society made for a mythical creature that is so unique and natural that you can’t help but be fascinated and absorbed by the story.   I found myself getting so wrapped into the plot that I couldn’t stand to not know what was going to happen next. 

There were many characters in this tale that were very charming and captivating but then there were also many more that seemed deceitful and scheming.  At first I really didn’t know how to feel about Wendy; she seemed like a little spoiled kid, throwing temper-tantrums and stomping her feet.  But she grew on me and in the end I decided that I liked her.  Finn was definitely my favorite character from the beginning.  He seemed strong, protective, brazen, and little mischievous.  Oh and attractive, can’t forget that!  There are many more but if I go into describing it will give things away that you don’t want to know, so, I’ll suggest you read the book and decide for yourself.

Overall I gave this splendid novel a solid A-, as I feel it a great start to a beautiful and brilliant fairy tale.  I would strongly suggest that you pick up this book when it is released on January 24, 2012.  I know I can’t wait for the second novel, Torn, to be released February 28, 2012!

My Rating: 18/20

Originality: 4

Plot: 5

Characters: 4

Writing Style: 5

Review: Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare

Title: Clockwork Prince

            Author: Cassandra Clare

            Publisher: McElderry Books

            Publication Date: December 2011

            Genre: YA

            Main Themes: Supernatural, Demonology, Orphans, Romance, & Secret Societies

            Pages: 498

            Plot: (From the Dust Jacket)

“In the Magical underworld of Victorian London, Tessa Gray has at last found safety with the shadowhunters.  But that safety proves fleeting when rogue forces in the clave plot to see her protector, Charlotte, replaced as head of the Institute.  If Charlotte loses her position, Tessa will be out on the street- and easy prey for the mysterious Magister, who wants to use Tessa’s powers for his own dark ends.

With the help of handsome, self-destructive Will and the fiercely devoted Jem , Tessa discovers that the Magister’s war on the Shadowhunters is deeply personal.  He blames them for a long-ago tragedy that shattered his past life.  To unravel the secrets of the past, the trio journeys from mist-shrouded Yorkshire to a manor house that holds untold horrors, from the slums of London to an enchanted ballroom where Tessa discovers that the truth of her parentage is more sinister than she imagined.  When they encounter a clockwork demon bearing a warning for Will, they realize that the Magister knows their every move- and that one of their own has betrayed them.

Tessa finds her heart drawn more and more to Jem, though her longing for Will, despite his dark moods, continues to unsettle her.  But something is changing in Will- the wall he has built around himself is crumbling.  Could finding the Magister free Will from his secrets and give Tessa the answers about who she is and what she was born to do?

As their dangerous search for the Magister and the truth leads the friends into peril, Tessa learns that when love and lies are mixed, they can corrupt even the purest heart.”

Clockwork Prince left me awestruck, I found this novel to be vividly engaging, amusingly deceiving, and tragically distressingly.  I had a lot of trouble putting it down for the night… and I couldn’t stop thinking about it until I picked up again.  This endearing book had me trapped in the story and now that I have finished it, I’m left begging for more and I’m terribly upset that I have to wait a year for the next one!

Cassandra Clare’s writing style is truly magnetic and is persuasively inviting; from the very first sentence, to the intercut storyline with her entrancing love triangles, as well as the tantalizing page.  Her stories always catch me off guard, there are so many twists… you could never guess what is going to happen next.  Clare is always thinking the unthinkable.  Just masterful!     

As Clare’s characters have grown and developed they are in more danger than ever before.  As they are uncovering the truth of the Magister, they are also discovering the truths about themselves.  Tessa continues to draw strength from her reading trying to live up to the characters she adores.  But she is confused by her affections between the two Shadowhunter’s that continue to protect her.  Jem is still the man who is calm under pressure and continues to be the nice guy; although he is a lot stronger in this part of the tale.  Then there’s Will, along with Tessa he might be my favorite character of the story. There is much to learn and much is revealed about Will in this novel.  As his walls are coming down, you start to see a very different side of Will.  A side that I positive readers are going to enjoy.

I felt this engrossing novel earned an A+, as it pulled me heart strings- it had me laughing, crying, and sometimes both at once.  I was in constant distress for the characters in this tale.  I feel the next novel the stakes are going even higher and only time will tell what is in store for them. 

My Rating: 20/20

Originality: 5

Plot: 5

Characters: 5

Writing Style: 5

Teaser Tuesday (4)

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by Mizb at Should be Reading

·         Grab the book your currently reading

·         Open to a random page

·         Share two “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

·         Be careful not to include spoilers

·         Be sure to include the title and author

Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake

Anna is descending upon me, coming down the stairs without taking any strides.  Her feet drag horribly along like she can’t use them at all.