Hex Hall (Hex Hall Series #1) by Rachel Hawkins

Blurb about this book:

     Three years ago, Sophie Mercer discovered that she was a witch. It’s gotten her into a few scrapes. Her non-gifted mother has been as supportive as possible, consulting Sophie’s estranged father—an elusive European warlock—only when necessary. But when Sophie attracts too much human attention for a prom-night spell gone horribly wrong, it’s her dad who decides her punishment: exile to Hex Hall, an isolated reform school for wayward Prodigium, a.k.a. witches, faeries, and shapeshifters.

     By the end of her first day among fellow freak-teens, Sophie has quite a scorecard: three powerful enemies who look like supermodels, a futile crush on a gorgeous warlock, a creepy tag-along ghost, and a new roommate who happens to be the most hated person and only vampire on campus. Worse, Sophie soon learns that a mysterious predator has been attacking students, and her only friend is the number-one suspect.

My POV:

     This book is the farthest thing from boring.  It's a perfect novel filled with paranormal creatures, dark mystery, romance, and strange societies.  Every chapter had some sort of action in it so there wasn't a chance to get bored.  Not to mention, after reading the first few sentences you get reeled in and want more.  I loved the author's sense of humor and the quips she blended so perfectly into the dialogue. 

    

     With that being said, the only issue I had was the "Trinity", (which is a coven of witches at her school), reminded of the movie The Craft, kinda hokey.  Other than that, I am very excited to read the next installment. 

My Score:

     Eagerly anticipating the next one.  ♥♥♥♥♥ (5 hearts).

Matched (Matched Trilogy Series #1) by Ally Condie

Blurb about the book:

     Cassia has always trusted the Society to make the right choices for her: what to read, what to watch, what to believe. So when Xander's face appears on-screen at her Matching ceremony, Cassia knows he is her ideal mate . . . until she sees Ky Markham's face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black. The Society tells her it's a glitch, a rare malfunction, and that she should focus on the happy life she's destined to lead with Xander. But Cassia can't stop thinking about Ky, and as they slowly fall in love, Cassia begins to doubt the Society's infallibility and is faced with an impossible choice: between Xander and Ky, between the only life she's known and a path that no one else has dared to follow.

My POV:

     Condie's dystopian world is believable and imaginative.  Some say that she borrowed the exact society imagined in The Giver for her storyline, but since it's been forever since I've read that, I have no basis to judge it.  I do, however, believe that the plot in this book is slightly lacking.  There are only two main issues going on, her decision between two guys and her decision about the society.  If this story were based purely on love, I have to say that in comparison to the deep, justifiable romance seen in the Hunger Games, it feels shallow and forced. 

     She also makes numerous references to the color of Ky's eyes, which is slightly annoying.  We get it already, he has nice eyes.  Anyway, I continued to read, feeling like it was building up to throw us something at the end, but the climax never happened and I was disappointed.  It's possible that in the second book she will dig deeper into the characters, giving them more depth and I hope that's true, otherwise, I will be disappointed for a second time.   

My Score:

     It could have been better.  ♥♥♥ (3 hearts)

The Hunger Games Trilogy (Hunger Games, Catching Fire & Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

Blurb about the book:

     Book One (The Hunger Games):  In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV. Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she is forced to represent her district in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before-and survival, for her, is second nature. Without really meaning to, she becomes a contender. But if she is to win, she will have to start making choices that weigh survival against humanity and life against love.

     Book Two (Catching Fire):  Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has won the annual Hunger Games with fellow district tribute Peeta Mellark. But it was a victory won by defying the Capitol and their harsh rules. Katniss and Peeta should be happy. After all, they have just won for themselves and their families a life of safety and plenty. But there are rumors of rebellion among the subjects, and Katniss and Peeta, to their horror, are the faces of that rebellion.

     Book Three (Mockingjay):  The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge.  Who do they think should pay for the unrest? Katniss Everdeen.

My POV:

     If you have any doubts about reading this series, you should get rid of them right now. Both adults and teens will find this series entertaining. From the very first book it was captivating and addicting.  Once I started it, I couldn't put it down. It had everything a great book should; an amazing plot line, great character development, cliff-hangers at the end of almost every chapter, and so many heart-wrenching moments.  The writing style and editing were fantastic.  I highly recommend this trilogy!

My Score:

     Fantastic but beware, you might not want to sleep, eat or use the bathroom while reading. 
     ♥♥♥♥♥ (5 hearts)

Dragon's Oath by P. C. Cast and Kristin Cast

Blurb about the book:

     In early 19th century England, long before he’s a professor at the Tulsa House of Night, Bryan Lankford is a troublesome yet talented human teen who thinks he can get away with anything… until his father, a wealthy nobleman, has finally had enough, and banishes him to America. When Bryan is Marked on the docks and given the choice between the London House of Night and the dragon-prowed ship to America, he chooses the Dragon – and a brand new fate.

     Becoming a Fledgling may be exciting, but it opens a door to a dangerous world.... In 1830’s St. Louis, the Gateway to the West, Dragon Lankford becomes a Sword Master, and soon realizes there are both frightening challenges and beautiful perks. Like Anastasia, the captivating young Professor of Spells and Rituals at the Tower Grove House of Night, who really should have nothing to do with a fledgling…

     But when a dark power threatens, Dragon is caught in its focus. Though his uncanny fighting skills make him a powerful fledgling, is he strong enough to ward off evil, while protecting Anastasia as well? Will his choices save her—or destroy them all? 

My POV:

     If you love the House of Night series like I do, then you definitely should read this!  Beautifully written and keeps you entertained the whole way through.  Yes it's a novella, but its 100+ pages long, way better than the 25 page ones I've read lately.  Plus, it gives you a brief back story on Dragon Lankford, who is going to be a major character in the new book Destined.  This is just enough of a bite to satisfy me until then.

My Score:

     Loved it.  ♥♥♥♥♥ (5 hearts)

Loved (Book #2 In The Vampire Journals) by Morgan Rice

Blurb about the book:

     Caitlin and Caleb embark together on their quest to find the one object that can stop the imminent vampire and human war the Blacktide Coven is hellbent on starting: the lost sword. An object of vampire lore, there is grave doubt over whether it even exists. If there is any hope of finding it, they must first trace Caitlin's ancestry. Is she really the One? Their search begins with finding Caitlin's father. Who was he? Why did he abandon her? As the search broadens, they are shocked by what they discover about who she really is.

My POV:

     Yowza.  This book isn't nearly as terrible as the first one, but it's still not great.  There were tons of grammar/editing errors (i.e. Caitlin and Caitlin ran when it should say Caleb and Caitlin, etc.) and way too much description about things that didn't matter.  Personally, I found that for a little over half of the book I was just skimming the pages looking for dialogue to pique my interest again.  She squandered a fantastic storyline; it had amazing potential, but she didn't do it justice. 

My Score:

     I won't be reading the rest of the series.  ♥♥ (2 hearts)

Turned (Book #1 In The Vampire Journals) by Morgan Rice

Blurb about this book:

     Caitlin Paine finds herself uprooted from her nice suburb and forced to attend a dangerous New York City high school when her Mom moves again. The one ray of light in her new surroundings is Jonah, a new classmate who takes an instant liking to her. But before their romance can blossom, Caitlin suddenly finds herself changing. She seeks answers to what's happening to her, and her cravings lead her to the wrong place at the wrong time. Her eyes are opened to a hidden world, right beneath her feet, thriving underground in New York City. She finds herself caught between two dangerous covens, right in the middle of a vampire war.

     It is at this moment that Caitlin meets Caleb, a mysterious and powerful vampire who rescues her from the dark forces. He needs her to help lead him to the legendary lost artifact. And she needs him for answers, and for protection. Together, they will need to answer one crucial question: who was her real father? But Caitlin finds herself caught between two men as something else arises between them: a forbidden love. A love between the races that will risk both of their lives, and will force them to decide whether to risk it all for each other...

My POV:

     Another book with an interesting summary but when read is quite disappointing.  Enough with the terrible editing already, it's giving me a migraine.  There are words in sentences that should not be there and that makes it hard to understand where the writer is going.  It was also overly descriptive with things that didn't matter when the focus needed to be more on the main plots.  Once again, one of the main love interests is shoved into the last few chapter's and after barely meeting they profess their undying love for each other.  Really?  They hardly know one another, how could that be plausible?  Regardless, the plot is interesting enough for me to give the second book a shot.

My Score:

     It's piqued my interest ♥♥ (2 hearts)

Immortal by Lauren Burd



Blurb about the book:

     The wound inflicted only a few minutes before was nearly healed. A small cut was the only sign that anything had occurred. I watched in disbelief as it finished closing and eventually disappeared. "What are you?" Gods, demons,vampires eighteen year old Alina doesn't believe in any of them, until she meets Samuel and Duncan, and discovers a world that could destroy everything she loves.

My POV:

     Another interesting summary which got me excited to read the book and was only slightly less disappointing than the Shadow Vampires series.  There are so many similarities to Twilight though that I wanted to gag.  Where is the creativity people?  She meets a hot guy that all the girls flock to but is standoffish with her, they share a class together and sit next to each other where she shies away from him, he saves her from a car, he whisks her away when a "hunter" goes after her etc. etc.  Lame.  Halfway through the book it switches gears a bit and gets better but ends on a cliffhanger that drives you nuts.  I'm now left wondering whether I should purchase the next one or not.  Probably not.  Also, while the editing in this book wasn't as bad as other's I have read, it still isn't great. 

My Score:

     Stop being a copycat and think for yourself.  ♥♥ (2 hearts)

Saved (Book #1 of the Shadow Vampires) by Allegra Skye

Blurb about the book:

     Keira and Amanda, twins, move with their family to a new town, and start their senior year at a new high school. But though they are twins, the girls have different fates. Amanda, beautiful, popular, is sought out by everyone. Keira, who has always lived in Amanda’s shadow, is smaller, awkward, different. It becomes clear that something strange is going on in Everstock. The town and the school are very divided. After a terrible accident involving the twins, not only are Keira and Amanda’s lives changed forever, but a new dimension of life begins to open to Keira.

My POV:

     When I read the summary before I purchased this book, I got really excited.  It seemed like something new/different and I was eager to dive right in.  Turns out, I was completely mislead.  This book is filled with really annoying contradictions, underdeveloped characters and in the end it left way too many things unanswered.  Not mention, the main character's love interest was a complete bore.  It isn't until close to the last 3 chapter's that they get together and she starts using her "powers."  She shouldn't have dragged out the beginning and shoved everything in at the end.  Also, terrible editing.  She would say so and so was wearing a pink dress but the next paragraph she would say they were wearing something else.  Which is it?  Didn't you proofread?  Sheesh.

My Score:

     It had potential but I'm not biting.  ♥ (1 heart)

First Frost (Mythos Academy Series Prequel) by Jennifer Estep

Blurb about this book:

     I am Gwen Frost, and I have a Gypsy gift. It's called psychometry - that's a fancy way of saying that I see images in my head and get flashes of other people's memories off almost everything I touch, even guys.

     My gift makes me kind of nosy. Okay, okay, maybe a lot nosy--to the point of obsession sometimes. I want to know everything about everyone around me. But even I don't want to know the secrets my friend Paige is hiding or the terrible loss that will send me to a new school - Mythos Academy, where the teachers aren't preparing us for the SATs, but to battle Reapers of Chaos. Now I have no friends and no idea how my gift fits in with all these warrior whiz kids. The only thing I do know is that my life is never, ever going to be the same. . .

My POV:

     Stupid novellas strike again!  Wish I would have realized that before I had bought it.  Nothing exciting or new happens in this "book" it's boring and I had to seriously drag through it, and it's only 27 pages long! 

My Score:

     Lame!  I should have started with the actual book #1 instead.  ♥ (1 heart)

The Witches of Santa Anna (Books 1-7) by Lauren Barnholdt and Aaron Gorvine

Blurb about the book:

     The complete set of season one of the Witches of Santa Anna series of novellas...Includes CLAIMED, TRICKED, RUMORED, HUSHED, PURSUED, ENTICED, and RUINED.

     Natalia Moore is the new girl at Santa Anna Prep, and all she wants to do is fly under the radar -- get to her classes, meet a few friends, and try not to make a total fool of herself in the meantime. But when handsome and popular Campbell Elliot goes out of his way to be nice to the new girl, Natalia's plan to go unnoticed flies out the window.  Cam’s hot, but he’s completely off-limits. Raine Marsden, the most popular and meanest girl in school, has had her eye on him ever since the summer. And Raine doesn’t like competition.

My POV:

     Maybe I should have been paying closer attention but when I saw that it was seven books in one for .99 cents I was ecstatic, that's just unheard of.  What I found, much to my displeasure, was that these were actually novellas or in my opinion 7 chapters of a whole book and not 7 individual books.  It is also clear that it wasn't professionally edited as the formatting caused a lot of dialogue confusion.  As for the storyline and plot, I didn't have high hopes but as it progressed it developed more depth and intrigue.  It's not the best book I have ever read, but I enjoyed it a little, probably not enough to continue paying $3.00 for a 27 page "novella" but if I ever get bored down the road, who knows.

My Score:

     Because I feel slight ripped off I'm giving these "books" ♥♥ (2 hearts)

Illusions (Laurel Series #3) by Aprilynne Pike

Blurb about this book:

     "I don't do patrols, I don't go hunting, I just stick close to you. You live your life. I'll keep you safe," Tamani said, sweeping a lock of hair from her face. "Or die trying."  Laurel hasn't seen Tamani since she begged him to let her go last year.  Though her heart still aches, Laurel is confident that David was the right choice.  But just as life returns to normal, Laurel realizes that a hidden enemy lies in wait.  Once again, Laurel must turn to Tamani to protect and guide her, for the danger that now threatens Avalon is one that no faerie thought would ever be possible.  And for the first time, Laurel cannot be sure that her side will prevail.

My POV:

     The first half of the book is her trying to decide between the steadfast human David and the steamy Tamani who is Lauren's personal faerie guardian; they're equally loyal and smitten.  Her daily life hits a road block when Klea, a tough special-ops fighter who frequently saves Laurel's life but seems untrustworthy, asks Laurel to befriend Yuki, an exchange student who's very suspicious.  This book was the best of all three; although her love triangle is really starting to wear on my nerves, just pick one already!  The end of the book was left on a cliffhanger and I can't wait for the fourth one to come out. 

My Score:

     I give this book ♥♥♥ (3 hearts).

Spells (Laurel Series #2) by Aprilynne Pike

Blurb about the book:

     Although Laurel has come to accept her true identity as a faerie, she refuses to turn her back on her human life—and especially her boyfriend, David—to return to the faerie world. But when she is summoned to Avalon, Laurel can no longer deny her feelings for the charismatic faerie sentry Tamani. She is forced to make a choice—a choice that could break her heart.

My POV:

     Laurel goes to the Academy of Avalon to begin a summer of intensive training as a Fall faerie in order to protect her family from the threat of her troll nemesis, Jeremiah Barnes.  Her relationship with David, her human boyfriend, has deepened, but she still feels ties to Tamani, her faerie sentry, and she constantly questions where she belongs.  In the end, she is forced to choose between her two worlds.  As before the beginning of the book drags on and on but towards the middle it got a little better.  Again, the concept is fantastic but the execution was a little lacking.

My Score:

     I would give this book ♥♥♥ (3 hearts).