Hereafter by Tara Hudson Review

Title: Hereafter (Hereafter #1)

Author: Tara Hudson

Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal Romance, Ghosts

Page Count: 416 pages/533 KB

Book Type: Kindle e-galley

Publisher: HarperTeen

ISBN: 9780062026774

ASIN: B004GUSHVE

Picture from Amazon

From Goodreads: Can there truly be love after death?

Drifting in the dark waters of a mysterious river, the only thing Amelia knows for sure is that she's dead. With no recollection of her past life—or her actual death—she's trapped alone in a nightmarish existence. All of this changes when she tries to rescue a boy, Joshua, from drowning in her river. As a ghost, she can do nothing but will him to live. Yet in an unforgettable moment of connection, she helps him survive.

Amelia and Joshua grow ever closer as they begin to uncover the strange circumstances of her death and the secrets of the dark river that held her captive for so long. But even while they struggle to keep their bond hidden from the living world, a frightening spirit named Eli is doing everything in his power to destroy their newfound happiness and drag Amelia back into the ghost world . . . forever.

Thrilling and evocative, with moments of pure pleasure, Hereafter is a sensation you won't want to miss.

My Review: The colors included in this cover are absolutely gorgeous. We’ve been seeing a lot of really pretty covers lately, haven’t we? I just love how it turns from dark blue to light blue to a yellow. Plus, the transparency of her dress is awesome. “A stranded spirit. A sudden love.” To me, this promises a powerful love story.

Honestly, I wasn’t sure I was going to enjoy this book. I am not 100% in love with paranormal romance stories, but there are a few certain ones that I do love. The synopsis had me intrigued, but skeptical. A ghost and a boy falling in love? I wasn’t quite sure how (and if) this would work. Oh, was I wrong.

Hudson’s writing style was really beautiful. She definitely has a way with words. I was completely engrossed in the story from start to finish. Hudson paints a picture with her words and it really allowed me to visualize everything that was happening.

I thought Amelia’s form of ghost-amnesia was very interesting. Would ghosts remember their previous lives or would they have no recollection? I enjoyed taking the journey of discovering Amelia’s past with her. Joshua’s character was a really good one. I want to learn more about him! I loved how the characters in this novel were really fleshed out. They weren’t just caricatures. They all had strengths and flaws. 

I cannot wait for the sequel. How will the story play out with Amelia being a ghost and Joshua being alive and well? Can they have a happy ending? I know that I am rooting for them.

For the comments: What is your favorite paranormal love story? 

Thanks to NetGalley, HarperTeen and Tara Hudson for this review copy!

Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini Review

Title: Starcrossed (Starcrossed #1)

Author: Josephine Angelini

Genre: Young Adult, Mythology, Fantasy

Page Count: 496 pages, 833 KB

Book Type: e-galley

Publisher: HarperTeen

ISBN: 9780062011992

ASIN: B004JN1D3W

Picture from Amazon

From Goodreads: How do you defy destiny?

Helen Hamilton has spent her entire sixteen years trying to hide how different she is—no easy task on an island as small and sheltered as Nantucket. And it's getting harder. Nightmares of a desperate desert journey have Helen waking parched, only to find her sheets damaged by dirt and dust. At school she's haunted by hallucinations of three women weeping tears of blood . . . and when Helen first crosses paths with Lucas Delos, she has no way of knowing they're destined to play the leading roles in a tragedy the Fates insist on repeating throughout history.

As Helen unlocks the secrets of her ancestry, she realizes that some myths are more than just legend. But even demigod powers might not be enough to defy the forces that are both drawing her and Lucas together—and trying to tear them apart.

My Review: I love this cover. I cannot wait to go and get a physical copy of this book--it’s that beautiful. The colors and her flowing dress are gorgeous. The black and white version on the Kindle does not do it justice. The blurb doesn’t even really bother me since it is so small and isn’t a main focus (and you know how much I hate blurbs on the front of books). The only problem I have with this cover is that it seems like her face is cut off at a weird part. It’s not too big of a deal though.

I’ll have to admit, I’m loving this Greek mythology trend in books. I first read The Goddess Test and now Starcrossed. I’ve enjoyed both of them! Granted, I really know nothing about Greek mythology, so I don’t really know if sticklers would enjoy this book or not. If you’re not sure if you want to read this, based on accuracy in Greek mythology, please remember that this is a work of fiction. If you can’t invent something in a fictional world, when can you? (/endrant)

I am insanely jealous of Helen getting to spend time with the super-large Delos family. They seem like such a fun group of people. The supporting characters in this novel were just as fabulous as the main characters. Helen’s best friend, Claire, had me laughing out loud a few times. I can’t say too much without spoiling it, but look for the part where Helen goes to Claire’s house to talk with her (and the following scene). Claire is so funny throughout. 

I read this book very quickly because every time I would put it down, it was all I could think about. This, I think, is a testament to how much I enjoyed it. 

There was a little bit of insta-love (or, more accurately, insta-hate turned insta-love), but at least it was explained. I cannot wait to see where Josephine Angelini takes this series. Definitely one of my favorite reads of 2011 so far. I can’t wait to re-read this one. Cliff-hanger warning! Go. Buy. This. Book. Now.

Thanks to NetGalley, HarperTeen, and Josephine Angelini for this review copy!

Have you read this? Did you love it as much as I did? I would love to hear your thoughts! (Side note: sorry for the huge gust-fest!)

Beastly by Alex Flinn Review

Title: Beastly

Author: Alex Flinn

Genre: Young Adult, Fairy Tale Retelling

Page Count: 336 pages

Book Type: Movie-tie-in Paperback

Publisher: HarperTeen

ISBN: 9780061963285

Picture from Amazon

From Goodreads: Love is never ugly

Now a major motion picture starring Vanessa Hudgens and Alex Pettyfer

I am a beast. A beast! Not quite wolf or bear, gorilla or dog but a horrible new creature who walks upright. I am a monster.

You think I'm talking fairy tales? No way. The place is New York City. The time is now. It's no deformity, no disease. And I'll,stay this way forever—ruined—unless I can break the spell.

Yes, the spell, the one the witch in my English class cast on me. Why did she turn me into a beast who hides by day and prowls by night? I'll tell you. I'll tell you how I used to be Kyle Kingsbury, the guy you wished you were, with money, perfect looks, and the perfect life. And then, I'll tell you how I became perfectly . . . beastly.

My Review: I like the cover for this movie-tie-in edition! I usually am not too much of a fan of when they change the covers for movies, but this one is pretty good. I do like the original more, but Bookperk was offering a deal for this one and a cute lipstick that I couldn’t pass up.

This was the first time I have read a fairy tale retelling and I am really excited to read some more. It was fun to see the story I grew up with morphed into the modern world. My favorite part of the book was the chatroom sequences! I loved the glimpse at all of the characters from the fairy tales we know and love. Kyle Kingsbury (aka “Adrian”) was funny as the beast and I found myself starting to like him as a character. I love how we see Kyle’s whole transformation from start to finish.  

This may be a first (and last) for me, but I think I actually enjoyed the movie more than the book! I know, I know, that never happens. I liked the transformation of the beast (looks wise) in the movie more than the book. I enjoyed both of them, but maybe the visual edge of the movie prevailed. Can I also say that Neil Patrick Harris as the tutor was amazing? His role was fantastic. I also loved Miss Olsen as Kendra. No more “Full House” for her!

Have you read this one? Have you seen the movie? Do you prefer the book or the movie? Also, are there any book to movie adaptations where you actually prefer the movie?

Gone by Michael Grant Review

Title: Gone (Gone #1)

Author: Michael Grant

Genre: Young Adult, Dystopian, Sci-Fi, Fantasy

Page Count: 576 pages (575 KB)

Book Type: ebook (Kindle)

Publisher: HarperTeen

ISBN: 9780061448788

ASIN: B0029PBVKM

Picture from Amazon

From Goodreads: In the blink of an eye. Everyone disappears. GONE.

Except for the young. Teens. Middle schoolers. Toddlers. But not one single adult. No teachers, no cops, no doctors, no parents. Just as suddenly, there are no phones, no internet, no television. No way to get help. And no way to figure out what's happened.

Hunger threatens. Bullies rule. A sinister creature lurks. Animals are mutating. And the teens themselves are changing, developing new talents—unimaginable, dangerous, deadly powers—that grow stronger by the day.

It's a terrifying new world. Sides are being chosen, a fight is shaping up. Townies against rich kids. Bullies against the weak. Powerful against powerless. And time is running out: On your birthday, you disappear just like everyone else...

My Review: The cover for this one is fine. I like the blue color scheme, but it looks as if the people on the cover are older than the almost 14-year olds they are supposed to represent. Perhaps my age calculator is off. They are pretty similar to how I pictured them, though. The tagline, “This is the way the world ends” is pretty interesting and ominous!

This is a long book, but it didn’t feel quite as long as it actually was, which is a good thing. I can’t imagine what I would do if suddenly everyone over the age of 14 disappeared and then people started to develop all kinds of crazy powers. Probably about 75% of people under 14 are not mature enough to handle this. Some of the children find ways to handle this unimaginable scenario they are thrown into and I have a few favorites. Lana had to survive all by herself when everyone went “poof” and I thought that her segments were some of the more interesting ones. Edilio seemed like an all around good guy and I really started to care for him. Edilio is faithful and genuinely nice. Sam and Astrid are also among my favorites. There are a lot of characters, but as a reader, you really do get to know the majority of them. 

Just like with Lord of the Flies, there are power struggles and fights throughout the book. Some people are forced into a power position while, on the other hand, some people want to forcefully take the power positions away from others. This book has a little bit of everything: science fiction, fantasy, romance, action and so much more. I found it really nice that Gone switched points of view. A nearly 600 page book could get monotonous with a single narrator, but this one stayed fresh. I am very excited to read the rest of this series and the fourth one, Plague, was just released April 5. 

Have you read this series yet? Which is your favorite in the series?

Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging by Louise Rennison Review

Title: Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging (Confessions of Georgia Nicolson #1)

Author: Louise Rennison

Genre: YA

Page Count: 272

Book Type: Paperback (Owned)

Publisher: HarperTeen

ISBN: 9780064472272

Picture from Amazon

Summary from Goodreads: She has a precocious 3-year-old sister who tends to leave wet nappies at the foot of her bed, an insane cat who is prone to leg-shredding "Call of the Wild" episodes, and embarrassing parents who make her want to escape to Stonehenge and dance with the Druids. No wonder 14-year-old Georgia Nicolson laments, "Honestly, what is the point?" A Bridget Jones for the younger set, Georgia records the momentous events of her life--and they are all momentous--in her diary, which serves as a truly hilarious account of what it means to be a modern girl on the cusp of womanhood. No matter that her particular story takes place in England, the account of her experiences rings true across the ocean (and besides, "Georgia's Glossary" swiftly eradicates any language barriers).

The author, Louise Rennison, is a British comedy writer and it shows. Whether Georgia is dealing with wearing a bra ("OK, it's a bit on the loose side and does ride up round my neck if I run for the bus"), pondering kissing and how to know which way to turn your head ("You don't want to be bobbing around like pigeons for hours"), or managing the results of an overzealous eyebrow-plucking episode ("Obviously, now I have to stay in forever"), she always cracks us up. Georgia struggles with the myriad issues facing teen girls--boys, of course being at the forefront--but she does it with such humor and honesty it almost seems like a good time. This refreshingly funny book is ripe for a sequel, which readers will await in droves.

My Review: The cover is super cute and I love how the cat is included in it. I haven’t read the rest of the series, but I love how all of the covers have a similar style. 

This was an extremely fast, but extremely fun read. Georgia had me cracking up and the best feature of this book was how it was written in diary format. Sometimes this can backfire, but it fully worked in this book. She is snarky, hysterical, overly dramatic, boy crazy and has a flare for theatrics. Georgia made me feel like a 14-year-old girl again.  

I actually laughed out loud a couple of times while reading, which is always a good thing. I have heard the movie is funny too and I’ve been meaning to check it out. There is a glossary of words in the back of the book that helps out a lot for those of us living in the United States and is just plain fun to read. There really isn’t too much to say about this book other than the fact that it is really funny and I fully recommend it!

Have you read just this one, the whole series or none at all? Does the rest of the series match up with the first?