Ashfall by Mike Mullin Review

Title: Ashfall (Ashfall #1)

Author: Mike Mullin

Genre: Young Adult, Apocalyptic/Post-Apocalyptic

Page Count: 466 pages

Publish Date: October 11, 2011

Book Type: Kindle galley from Netgalley 

Publisher: Tanglewood Press

ISBN: 9781933718552

 

From Goodreads: Under the bubbling hot springs and geysers of Yellowstone National Park is a supervolcano. Most people don't know it's there. The caldera is so large that it can only be seen from a plane or satellite. It just could be overdue for an eruption, which would change the landscape and climate of our planet.

Ashfall is the story of Alex, a teenage boy left alone for the weekend while his parents visit relatives. When the Yellowstone supervolcano erupts unexpectedly, Alex is determined to reach his parents. He must travel over a hundred miles in a landscape transformed by a foot of ash and the destruction of every modern convenience that he has ever known, and through a new world in which disaster has brought out both the best and worst in people desperate for food, water, and warmth. With a combination of nonstop action, a little romance, and very real science, this is a story that is difficult to stop reading and even more difficult to forget.

My Review: Oh I really enjoyed this book. One thing is for certain, if I was in Alex’s situation, I would totally be dead. What he went through was absolutely awful. I cannot imagine having to go through any of that. While this was a long book, the pacing was done very well, so it never felt like a long book--if that makes sense.

I was amazed, but I guess not that surprised, at how quickly the society crumbled. In Ashfall, there were the people who completely fell apart, the people who thrived, and then everyone else who were sort of in between. It was very interesting to see how the people a greater distance away from the supervolcano were handling it. I don’t want to say too much, because I think this is one that you should read for yourself, but the character development was pretty exceptional.  

One of my favorite aspects of this book was that I felt like I was really learning some survival skills while reading. I could definitely tell that Mike Mullin did his research, so I can’t wait to see what new skills Alex and the gang learn throughout the rest of the series. [Does anyone know if this is a planned trilogy? More? Just two?]

I’m so glad I have Ashen Winter waiting for me on my Kindle - I’m not sure I could wait until fall to read it!

The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa Review

Title: The Immortal Rules (Blood of Eden #1)

Author: Julie Kagawa @Jkagawa

Genre: Young Adult, Vampire, Dystopian, Post Apocalyptic

Page Count: 480 pages

Publish Date: April 24, 2012

Book Type: Kindle galley from Netgalley, Signed Hardcover

Publisher: Harlequin Teen @HarlequinTeen

ISBN: 9780373210510

From Goodreads: In a future world, Vampires reign. Humans are blood cattle. And one girl will search for the key to save humanity.        Allison Sekemoto survives in the Fringe, the outermost circle of a vampire city. By day, she and her crew scavenge for food. By night, any one of them could be eaten. Some days, all that drives Allie is her hatred of them. The vampires who keep humans as blood cattle. Until the night Allie herself is attacked—and given the ultimate choice. Die or become one of the monsters. Faced with her own mortality, Allie becomes what she despises most. To survive, she must learn the rules of being immortal, including the most important: go long enough without human blood, and you will go mad. Then Allie is forced to flee into the unknown, outside her city walls. There she joins a ragged band of humans who are seeking a legend—a possible cure to the disease that killed off most of humankind and created the rabids, the mindless creatures who threaten humans and vampires alike. But it isn’t easy to pass for human. Especially not around Zeke, who might see past the monster inside her. And Allie soon must decide what—and who—is worth dying for.

My Review: The cover model isn’t exactly how I pictured Allison Sekemoto to look, but I like how it’s essentially black and white with only the red accent. Plus, I read this book in two days--which for a 480 page book is pretty good for me. It was a pretty hard book to put down!

Julie Kagawa did something really smart here. She combined two of the most popular Young Adult genres: dystopian and vampires. This may seem like overkill, but it actually worked really well. I was starting to get sick of vampire books because they all seem to have a very similar Twilight-esque formula. This is why I absolutely adored the addition of the dystopian society.

The registered and unregistered humans in The Immortal Rules reminded me a lot of my favorite Young Adult vampire series, The Morganville Vampires, by Rachel Caine. This made me really excited and added an extra element of danger to the world Kagawa created. Kagawa is an amazing world builder and a master of character development. In all of her books, I can picture everything vividly. It makes the reading experience that much more enjoyable.

I really enjoyed the characters in The Immortal Rules. Allie was an excellent protagonist and pretty badass. Zeke was a complex character who made some very interesting choices. I want to get to know Kanin more because of his extremely rich history. I have a feeling we will get to know more about him in future books and that makes me so excited. The rabids in the book were pretty genuinely terrifying. I definitely wouldn’t want to face them.  

Overall, this is one of the best Young Adult vampire novels I have read in a long time. I’m impatiently waiting for the sequel!

Side note: The excerpt from the next Iron Fey novel was kind of awesome! 

Thanks to Harlequin Teen, NetGalley, and Julie Kagawa for this review copy. Also, a special thanks to Harlequin Teen and Julie Kagawa for the signed copy and Immortal Rules hoodie I won on Twitter! 

Goddess Interrupted by Aimee Carter Review

Title: Goddess Interrupted (Goddess Test #2)

Author: Aimee Carter @aimee_carter

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Mythology, Paranormal

Page Count: 296 pages

Publish Date: March 27, 2012

Book Type: Kindle Galley

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

ISBN: 9780373210459

From Goodreads: KATE WINTERS HAS WON IMMORTALITY.

BUT IF SHE WANTS A LIFE WITH HENRY IN THE UNDERWORLD, SHE'LL HAVE TO FIGHT FOR IT.

Becoming immortal wasn't supposed to be the easy part. Though Kate is about to be crowned Queen of the Underworld, she's as isolated as ever. And despite her growing love for Henry, ruler of the Underworld, he's becoming ever more distant and secretive. Then, in the midst of Kate's coronation, Henry is abducted by the only being powerful enough to kill him: the King of the Titans. 

As the other gods prepare for a war that could end them all, it is up to Kate to save Henry from the depths of Tartarus. But in order to navigate the endless caverns of the Underworld, Kate must enlist the help of the one person who is the greatest threat to her future. 

Henry's first wife, Persephone.

My Review: I am not quite as fond of this cover as I was of the first, but it is still fun. The tagline, “What if immortality isn’t forever?” is pretty intriguing. The tagline on The Goddess Test was “Become immortal or die trying,” so the contrast between Book 1 and Book 2 is pretty strong. In Book 1, everything was about becoming immortal and the journey there, while Book 2 seems to suggest that immortality might not be everything Kate had expected.

I loved how we got to know more of the characters throughout Goddess Interrupted. Persephone actually played a fairly large role which created some delicious tension between Henry and Kate. It was nice to be able to see the familial interactions between Kate, Persephone, and their mother as well.

Henry and Kate drove me nuts throughout much of the book, however, it didn’t detract from the story. There was tension between the two of them, but it was a good kind of tension. I’m telling you... sometimes I just wanted to shake them. If they would just talk about the issues they are having, half of the problems wouldn’t exist!  

The ending will leave you yearning for the next book in the series. Talk about an epic cliffhanger. Jeeze. Actually, there were a few moments throughout the book where I found my jaw dropping. Aimee Carter really stepped it up with the plot twists. 

Books based on Greek mythology get a big thumbs up from me!

Thanks to Aimee Carter, NetGalley, and Harlequin Teen for this e-galley!

The Girl in the Clockwork Collar by Kady Cross Review

Title: The Girl in the Clockwork Collar (Steampunk Chronicles #2)

Author: Kady Cross

Genre: Young Adult, Steampunk

Page Count: 416 pages

Publish Date: May 22, 2012

Book Type: Kindle Galley

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

ISBN: 978-0373210534

From Goodreads: In New York City, 1897, life has never been more thrilling - or dangerous. 

Sixteen-year-old Finley Jayne and her "straynge band of mysfits" have journeyed from London to America to rescue their friend Jasper, hauled off by bounty hunters. But Jasper is in the clutches of a devious former friend demanding a trade-the dangerous device Jasper stole from him...for the life of the girl Jasper loves. 

One false move from Jasper and the strange clockwork collar around Mei's neck tightens. And tightens.

My Review: Love this cover! That necklace/collar is crazy looking. Imagine having that thing strapped to you. The colors are also amazing.

I really enjoyed The Girl in the Steel Corset last year and was excited to enter the wonderful steampunk world again in The Girl in the Clockwork Collar. This time, the gang traveled to New York City to try to save their friend Jasper after he was arrested at the end of Book 1. Naturally, nothing goes as planned and Finley, Griffin, Jasper, Sam, and Emily find themselves in the middle of trouble.

One of my complaints from Book 1 was that I felt the characters weren’t developed enough. This all changed in this book and I got to know them much more. Finley and Jasper were the two characters that the readers will really get to know. Some new characters were also introduced and I hope we get to see a few of them again. Although mentioned quite a few times, Jack Dandy wasn’t in the book. Maybe he will be in the next one.

The relationships were fleshed out some--although Finley and Griffin still drive me crazy. Just make it work, you two crazy kids. I had wished there was more Sam and Emily, but the moments that were there were completely precious. 

While I was able to predict the answers to some of the mysteries, the very end was actually pretty surprising. I didn’t see that one coming--you’ll have to let me know if you do. Hopefully some of the consequences will play out in the next book.

The Girl in the Clockwork Collar was packed with action and adventure. It was really exciting and I had a hard time putting the book down. 

This sequel really solidified my love for steampunk and I cannot wait for the next book to come out! I’ll be glad for the trip back to London, even though I enjoyed them crossing the pond for a bit.

Thanks to NetGalley, Kady Cross and Harlequin Teen for this review copy!

Calli by Jessica Lee Anderson Review

Title: Calli

Author: Jessica Lee Anderson

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary

Page Count: 198 pages, 315 KB

Publish Date: September 13, 2011

Book Type: Kindle e-galley from NetGalley

Publisher: Milkweed Editions

ISBN: 9781571316998

ASIN: B005EFW3S8

Picture from Amazon

From Goodreads: Fifteen-year-old Calli has just about everything she could want in life—two loving moms, a good-looking boyfriend, and a best friend who has always been there for support. An only child, Calli is excited when her parents announce that they want to be foster parents. Unfortunately, being a foster sister to Cherish is not at all what Calli expected. First Cherish steals Calli’s boyfriend, then begins to pit Calli’s moms against one another, and she even steals Calli’s iPod. Tired of being pushed around and determined to get even, Calli steals one of Cherish’s necklaces. But this plan for revenge goes horribly awry, and Cherish ends up in juvenile detention.

Isolating herself from her moms, her boyfriend, and even her best friend, Calli wrestles with her guilt and tries to figure out a way to undo the damage she’s caused. When her moms are asked to take on another foster child, Calli sees an opportunity to make amends for her past mistakes.

Funny, moving, and emotionally rich, Calli is a portrait of an endearing young woman caught between adolescence and adulthood, striving to do the right thing even when all of her options seem wrong.

My Review: This cover is fine. I enjoy how the letters in the title have some design to them. I don’t know the technical term for this, but I like the look of it. I actually really do enjoy the bottom of the cover, but the top of it I am sort of indifferent about. I think this must be because that is not how I pictured Calli... at all.   

The story was interesting, yet I couldn’t bring myself to be completely invested in it. I think I was expecting a story that would tug at my heartstrings a bit more than Calli did. I was looking for a contemporary YA novel that was emotional and made my heart heavy. What I got was a realistic look into the everyday life of Calli. At times, the story could be a bit boring, but I definitely became more interested near the end. Maybe if I had gone into Calli with different expectations, I would have enjoyed it more. 

I thought that Calli was well developed, but the other characters could have been given a bit more depth. This may have been different if the book wasn’t written in first person. So many layers would have been added to the story if Calli’s foster sister, Cherish, had been a more developed character. I just wish that I would have gotten to know the characters more--I finished the book not really knowing who many of the characters were.

What about you, have you read Calli yet? What were your thoughts?

Queen of the Dead by Stacey Kade Review

Title: Queen of the Dead (The Ghost and the Goth #2)

Author: Stacey Kade

Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal Romance

Page Count: 266 pages

Publish Date: May 31, 2011

Book Type: eGalley from NetGalley and signed copy won from a contest

Publisher: Disney Hyperion

ISBN: 9781423134671

Picture from Amazon

From Goodreads: Minor Spoilers from The Ghost and the Goth 

After being sent back from the light, Alona Dare - former homecoming queen, current Queen of the Dead - finds herself doing something she never expected: working. Instead of spending days perfecting her tan by the pool (her typical summer routine when she was, you know, alive), Alona must now cater to the needs of other lost spirits. By her side for all of this - ugh - “helping of others” is Will Killian: social outcast, seer of the dead, and someone Alona cares about more than she’d like. 

Before Alona can make a final ruling on Will’s “friend” or “more” status, though, she discovers trouble at home. Her mom is tossing out Alona’s most valuable possessions, and her dad is expecting a new daughter with his wicked wife. Is it possible her family is already moving on? Hello! She’s only been dead for two months! Thankfully, Alona knows just the guy who can put a stop to this mess. 

Unfortunately for Alona, Will has other stuff on his mind, and Mina, a young (and beautiful) seer, is at the top of the list. She’s the first ghost-talker Will’s ever met—aside from his father—and she may hold answers to Will’s troubled past. But can she be trusted? Alona immediately puts a check mark in the “clearly not” column. But Will is - ahem - willing to find out, even if it means leaving a hurt and angry Alona to her own devices, which is never a good idea. 

Packed with romance, lovable characters, and a killer cliffhanger, Queen of the Dead is the out-of-this-world sequel to The Ghost and the Goth.

My Review: I love the covers of these books! I miss Will being in his hoodie, but good old Alona is still in her gym uniform. I also love how Alona manages to look transparent without being too ghost like. If that makes sense.

I love how both books in this series are quick reads, yet they still manage to be highly character driven. I tend to find quick reads like this usually have me feeling like the whole point of the book was to get from Point A to Point B--no character development. This isn’t the case for Stacey Kade’s books. Love!

We find out more about Will’s past in this book (i.e. his family) and it was really interesting. There are also some developments with some of the ghosts from the previous book and their journey to “make it back to the light.” I’m trying not to get too spoiler-y here, but I really liked how two of the ghosts thought they were being held back for one reason and it ended up being another. This part of the book really made me think.

As much as Alona would probably annoy me in real life, I actually love reading about her. Her actions are always surprising me. The end of the book leaves her in a position that I am really curious about. It made me squirm and I wonder if it had this effect on others as well? So, if you’ve read it.. let me know!

If you enjoyed the first in the series, you will like this one as well! I can’t wait to see where Kade takes these crazy kids (ghosts).

Thanks to NetGalley and Stacey Kade for this review copy!

Putting Makeup on Dead People by Jen Violi Review

Title: Putting Makeup on Dead People

Author: Jen Violi

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary

Page Count: 336 pages

Publish Date: May 24, 2011

Book Type: E-Galley from NetGalley

Publisher: Hyperion Books

ISBN: 9781423134817

Picture from Amazon

From Goodreads: In the spring of her senior year, Donna Parisi finds new life in an unexpected place: a coffin.

Since her father’s death four years ago, Donna has gone through the motions of living: her friendships are empty, she’s clueless about what to do after high school graduation, and her grief keeps her isolated, cut off even from the one parent she has left. That is until she’s standing in front of the dead body of a classmate at Brighton Brothers’ Funeral Home. At that moment, Donna realizes what might just give her life purpose is comforting others in death. That maybe who she really wants to be is a mortician.

This discovery sets in motion a life Donna never imagined was possible. She befriends a charismatic new student, Liz, notices a boy, Charlie, and realizes that maybe he's been noticing her, too, and finds herself trying things she hadn’t dreamed of trying before. By taking risks, Donna comes into her own, diving into her mortuary studies with a passion and skill she didn’t know she had in her. And she finally understands that moving forward doesn’t mean forgetting someone you love.

Jen Violi’s heartfelt and funny debut novel is a story of transformation—how one girl learns to grieve and say goodbye, turn loss into a gift, and let herself be exceptional...at loving, applying lipstick to corpses, and finding life in the wake of death.

My Review: The cover and the title are totally what drew me into this book. I love the lipstick color, and then when I noticed what the title was, it made me giggle. Clearly I would be the one to like a lipstick that they use on dead bodies. Hey... I’m really pale!

For some reason, even though I liked this book, I’m finding that the review is really hard to write. I hate when this happens. Here we go: I thought Donna made her decision to be a mortician very quickly, but hey... I guess when you know, you know. That whole part of the novel was very interesting. I don’t know if I have ever heard of a character in YA wanting to become a mortician? The struggles she had with her mother over this decision were heart-wrenching to read. I think all teenagers just want that support from their parents.  

Charlie is my favorite character. I wish we could have seen more of him in the book. I love how his parents are hippie-like and his lunches are totally random. Plus, when Donna is in the car with another boy and notices the coffee cups all over the floor... I love when she thinks about Charlie and his reusable mugs. Super cute. I liked how most of the characters seemed realistic. I could imagine them being real teenagers. That’s what makes a good contemporary.

The new girl in school, Liz, was kind of iffy for me. I can’t really pinpoint it, but somethings about her just didn’t sit right with me. I think she’s a character that everyone needs to form their own opinions on, so I will leave it at that. 

All in all, this is a nice coming-of-age, contemporary story. I can’t wait to see what Jen Violi writes in the future.     

Thanks to NetGalley, Hyperion Books and Jen Violi for this review copy!

Sharks and Boys by Kristen Tracy Review

Title: Sharks and Boys

Author: Kristen Tracy

Genre: YA, Contemporary

Page Count: 272 pages

Publish Date: June 28, 2011

Book Type: ARC that I won and e-galley from NetGalley

Publisher: Disney-Hyperion

ISBN: 9781423143543

Picture from Amazon

From Goodreads: When 15-year-old Enid Calhoun follows her boyfriend Wick to Maryland for a party, fearful that he might be intending to cheat on her, she finds herself sneaking on board a houseboat where Wick and his friends plan to have a wild night. But before the boys discover their stowaway, a hurricane strikes, and the teenagers are carried miles from the shore and shipwrecked. What follows is a harrowing, yet heartwarming, story of survival, as the teens battle hypothermia, dehydration, man-eating sharks--and along the way, confront their own deepest secrets, including their catalytic roles in the disaster.

My Review: This book is part of the Contemps reading challenge. The cover for this one is really cute. I love how blue the ocean is and after reading the book, I really appreciate the shark fin in the water. Also, I love how the green bracelet from the book made it onto the cover. It’s always fun when the cover for a book actually matches the content of the novel. It doesn’t always happen.

I honestly had a love/hate relationship with many of the characters in this book. I don’t want to go as far as telling you their fates (because this is a main part of the story), but Kristen Tracy really made me feel bad for some of them...and not feel bad for other ones. It’s funny... I think the characters I liked the most were not really the main focus of the story. I liked Munny and Landon way more than I liked Enid and Wick. Munny was a “fact box” and was always telling everyone random stories and statistics. I often wish I retained so much knowledge where I had a fact I could throw into every situation. [tangent ] Much like Dr. Spencer Reid on “Criminal Minds.” If you don’t watch “Criminal Minds,” you probably should. Reid is amazing. Garcia is such a techo-nerd that I absolutely love her. [ /endtangent] Landon seemed like such a genuinely good person. I wish he was real! Enid, at times, was very needy and insecure, but with what has went on in her life, I feel like it is natural for her to be a bit insecure. I don’t really know how to express my feelings for Wick. So, I’m just going to let everyone form their own opinions on him.

I love how the characters were all twins and that they met through a study at a college. I always find anything involving twins fascinating. I found myself thinking about what happened to these characters well after I was finished reading. This may be because Tracy ended the novel very abruptly. Some people may not like this, but I found it kind of nice.

Tracy did an excellent job of describing the locations and effects of being shipwrecked. I felt as if I was lost at sea while reading. It’s definitely not a situation I want to be in anytime soon. 

What is your favorite shipwrecked/stranded at sea novel? Sometimes, I enjoy a really good pirate novel!

NetGalley July

Just like in April, Emily from Red House Books is hosting NetGalley month!

I'm hoping to read a decent number of books from NetGalley this month. I'll be traveling, so we'll see if I am successful.

Here is what I plan on reading:

Sharks and Boys by Kristin Tracy (6/28/11)

Queen of the Dead by Stacey Kade (6/7/11)

Legacy by Cayla Kluver (6/28/11)

Misfit by Jon Skovron (8/1/11)

The Near Witch by Victoria Schwab (8/2/11)

Super Mario by Jeff Ryan (8/4/11)

Sign up--it should be fun!

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!