Tag: Paranormal (Page 46 of 52)

BOOK REVIEW – Unravel Me (Shatter Me #2) by Tahereh Mafi

BOOK REVIEW – Unravel Me (Shatter Me #2) by Tahereh MafiUnravel Me (Shatter Me #2)
by Tahereh Mafi
Purchase on: AmazoniBooks
Add to: Goodreads

4.5 Unsure Stars


And I understand for the first time, that I have the power to destroy everything.

I think there are many things that define how I rate a book…and it’s not always obvious how I am going to feel after I finish a story. I like to tell myself that ‘teams’ don’t sway how I rate, and for the most part, they don’t effect me, because I try to stay in that ‘neutral’ zone. That zone where I like or will be okay with either guy she ends up with. It has gotten me through so many love triangles I can’t even count. And I have even convinced myself in a matter of one year that I ♥ the angst of the triangle, but I’ve decided I’m only lying to myself.

I absolutely LOVED this story. No, it wasn’t as awesome as the first, and no, it didn’t set the world on fire peril wise or romantically (FOR ME, others were VERY pleased). Juliette, Adam, James, and Kenji made it where they needed to be. All is well and Juliette is learning to harness her abilities. Now, I thoroughly enjoyed what was happening with the story-there was romantic angst among Adam and Juliette, because they just love each other so much and they want what’s best for each other. I found myself tearing up more than once as Adam would proclaim how much he loved Juliette. But then…then something started to happen. The story started to swivel on it’s axis, the world became a topsy turvy mess and I don’t know which way is up or where I stand.

I’m beginning to wonder if I should just bury myself in the ground before I remember that technically, I already am. I never even needed a shovel.

I adored the idea of a bad boy who lusted after Juliette-it was the perfect way to add some spice to the story. Truly, it was. And it was cute for a minute, the unrequited love between Warner and Julia. But, BUT, the author began to paint Warner in a less than realistic ideal light, where all the horrid things he has done in his lifetime start to make sense, and isn’t it okay to make the bad guy seem hot, appealing, like a basket case that Juliette needs to save?? Of course. Of COURSE it is. But don’t make us fall head over heels for one guy then start to make him look like the douche. I don’t get it. At least make it fair. Don’t change the ideals of this awesome person who was so strong-willed and sexy in book one.

Bad news offers no returns once received.

And this is my problem. I lost a lot of sleep last night-A LOT. That’s the best feeling in the world, though, right? When you finish a book and absolutely cherished it and you can’t sleep because it was just so, so good? Right. Well, this is where I was upset. I couldn’t fall asleep because I just felt icky. I am starting to sense where this author is taking the story and not feeling one bit good about it. It physically bothers me that such a strong character is being made to look whiny and making way for Mr. Evil Gone Good. *SMH*

So, in a nutshell, although this review is more negative than positive, I did love the story. Truly. I love the way this author writes. It’s just so different and it makes you feel happy and disconnected from reality….the ending just started to push in a way that scares me. Makes me want to look at spoilers for book three the minute it is released in February. I mean, come on-View Spoiler » I still would suggest this book to anyone who wants to read a great dystopian with crazy twists. It’s very well-written and it’s sure to make you feel good-a fun, crazy, easy read that will have you on the edge of your seat at all times.

(I’m sorry-this was more of a rant-I am sick and very hazy right now, so this is what came spewing from my mouth)

BOOK REVIEW – Cruel Beauty (Cruel Beauty Universe #1) by Rosamund Hodge

BOOK REVIEW – Cruel Beauty (Cruel Beauty Universe #1) by Rosamund HodgeCruel Beauty (Cruel Beauty Universe #1)
by Rosamund Hodge
Purchase on: AmazoniBooks
Add to: Goodreads


I do like a wife with a little malice in her heart.

A dark, twisted spin on a childhood fairy tale, this book has been on my radar for a long time now. I anxiously awaited it’s release, counting down the days until I would get to dive head first into a book that has a spin on the classic tale of Beauty and the Beast. I began to worry as the release date approached-what if my expectations were too high? What if I got excited for nothing? Why are the ratings already lowering??? I couldn’t have been happier with the result of the story and it was well worth the wait.

I was the girl who had broken her sister’s heart and-for a moment-liked it. I had left somebody in torment and liked it. I didn’t want to keep being that person.

Beautiful, poetic writing with a dark undertone to the whole story, we are swept into a world where the courageous Nyx is being sent to the ‘Gentle Lord’s’ house to be his wife-and to kill him to free all of Arcadia. All her life Nyx has known that she was going to be bargained off to the dark castle for the ultimate sacrifice. She has never complained or questioned her duty, all the while building up long term resentment towards her father, mother, and twin sister.

“You must betray one of us. I suppose which one you pick depends on whom you love the most.”

What I loved most about this story, though, is that Nyx didn’t whine. She didn’t complain. She never wanted to back out of her responsibility…until she fell for him. Until she fell for Ignifex, the man she is destined to kill in order to save the people she has vowed to sacrifice her life for. It was both admirable and heartbreaking to watch her struggle and determination to keep her vow all the while falling in love with the man that can’t live. The man that reigns over her land and her freedom.

If you desired someone, if he comforted you, if you thought he might leech the poison out of your heart, was that love? Or only desperation?

A tale of a soul-shattering love that could never possibly work, this book owned my heart. We have this broken shell of a man, a demon, someone completely incapable of feelings, for how many bargains has he made that ensure the demise of the people of Arcadia? Surely he is a heartless monster that could never fall for Nyx, his latest bargain…until he does.

He opened his eyes and stared up at me as if I were the door out of Arcadia and back to the true sky. “That’s what makes you my favorite.” He reached up and wiped a tear off my cheek with his thumb. “Every wicked bit of you.”

Honest to God, there are no words. I am literally a rambling, bumbling mess that can’t think of anything to satisfy how I truly felt about this book in just a review. There are no words to describe how beautiful this love story was…and more than that, it was a story of that desperate need to do what’s right, to do what she has always been trained to do. But how can she do that with this beautiful shell of man who is transforming before her eyes? Who inevitably has fallen for her as she has fallen for him? Can she kill this vulnerable demon who has grown to trust her and finds comfort in her embrace as things go bump in the night? Will she really be able to kill him?

“Where you go, I shall go; where you die, I shall die, and there I will be buried.”

I wasn’t lying when I said I was speechless. I have been so excited to write this review since Friday night, and here I am with a keyboard in front of me and no words seem to suffice. So I will just say this: this story was breathtaking, magical, and twisted beyond words, it bordered on tragic, making me tear up with the inevitability of what was to come, of what needed to be done….it was almost too much to bear. More than once I freaked out about the decision that Nyx was going to have to make…begging my Ipad to not let this possibly happen. And….there’s just nothing more to say. Although this review didn’t say much, this story speaks for itself.

“Though mountains melt and oceans burn, The gifts of love shall still return.”

A warning, though: if all you care about is the male lead or the progression of love in the story, this book is not for you. There is more than just two characters, and there is more at stake than just a budding forbidden romance. There is a backstory and mythical elements that shape how they act and what they do. It is beautifully built, but not all about the romance. It is about the choice of a young girl and the struggles she faces with the decision that has been thrust upon her shoulders-if you are not okay with this, then don’t bother.

BOOK REVIEW – Halfway to the Grave (Night Huntress #1) by Jeaniene Frost

BOOK REVIEW – Halfway to the Grave (Night Huntress #1) by Jeaniene FrostHalfway to the Grave (Night Huntress #1)
by Jeaniene Frost
Purchase on: AmazoniBooks
Add to: Goodreads

*4.5 Color Me Surprised Stars*


My chin stuck out. Pride or peril, take your pick.

I’m not going to say that this was the most groundbreaking and extraordinary book I’ve ever read, but it had something I have been missing for a while now-a male lead that, while undead, was still the most loyal, sweet, endearing, and attentive guy I have read about in a while. Sure, I had to substitute his platinum hair for brown immediately….a discussion that was at the forefront of the buddy read thread since we couldn’t focus on anything but that dreadful hair color for quite a bit, but Bones managed to weasle his way into my daydreams as I sat mindlessly at work attempting to finish up so I could just get home and read. And that, my friends, was all I really wanted at this moment-a sweet guy that could take my mind off of every day life if only for a moment.

Cat is half human, half vampire. See, her mother was raped 22 years ago by a vampire, therefore setting Cat up for the ‘job’ she currently holds: killing every vampire she can get her hands on. She wants vengeance for her mother’s fragile state of mind about things that go bump in the night, and also that fact that she is part ‘monster’. Then one night she approaches Bones for her latest kill, and soon her world doesn’t seem quite so black and white as she had once imagined.

You stare straight through me as if I’m not even there. You look at me…and you don’t see a man. You see a vampire, and therefore accord me less substance”

Overall, I would have to settle my inner debate that I liked Cat. At first, I loved her. Then she started to grate on my nerves, because how many times does this awesome vampire guy have to save you, treat you admirably, practically drool all over you (in a non-clingy and very passionate and sweet sort of way) before you realize that he is loyal and not the monster you think his kind to be? That he is perfect for you because he has nothing but respect for you? I just hated seeing her continually hurt his feelings, and it started to become a problem for me. I liked at first that she wasn’t quick to jump in the sack with him-it’s nice to see a heroine not go all mushy right up front, but then after about 50% of the book, I was like, ‘Dude, okay. We get it-you are strong and not easily manipulated-NOW KISS HIM, YOU FOOL!!!’. Then as the story started to wind down, she started to become pretty badass, I will admit. I started to love her again, because that strong will was necessary. So, ultimately, I respected her as a character. (PS, I TOTALLY understand where Cat gets her stubbornness-Damn, but her mother annoyed the living daylights out of me)

“I’m saying I’m a moody, insecure, narrow-minded, jealous, borderline-homicidal bitch, and I want you to promise me that you’re okay with that, because it’s who I am and you’re what I need.”

It can be said that I’m a sap, that I cry at the drop of a hat, and in real life-maybe. But for books, I do have a little backbone when it comes to the tears and hysterics. FOR MOST BOOKS. Now, I knew what was going to happen at the end, because my curiosity knows no bounds and I always research just a little too much, but I STILL started to get a little misty eyed when things unraveled at the closing of the book. And I’m so happy I did-I’m so excited that I cared enough about these characters to give a damn about their well-being. It’s an accomplishment, and I will most definitely be moving forward to the next book tonight. (It should be noted that this is under my ‘tearjerkers’ shelf-I’m getting so blurry about the lines that decipher what needs to be on these shelves….for instance, this should probably be under my ‘cliffhanger’ shelf as well, but I’ve not been accurate on that shelf for a while-I don’t even know what a mild cliffhanger is like anymore because almost every book seems to have a cliffhanger now-ARRRGHHH)

So, no, this wasn’t the most earth shattering story I’ve ever read, but it made me happy. All I wanted was an escape from reality and a fluffy story where things aren’t so complex that I need to ponder them after I’m finished with each chapter, and that’s exactly what I got. A solid, fun group (or pairing) of characters in a somewhat perilous story where no one is safe…and sometimes that’s all you need.

BOOK REVIEW – One Foot in the Grave (Night Huntress #2) by Jeaniene Frost

BOOK REVIEW – One Foot in the Grave (Night Huntress #2) by Jeaniene FrostOne Foot in the Grave (Night Huntress #2)
by Jeaniene Frost
Purchase on: AmazoniBooks
Add to: Goodreads


Life’s a bitch and then one stabs you.

Ya know….I think these books are like a drug. I’m currently on book three (which is the best, thus far) and I can’t seem to think about reading anything else. I’m perfectly content to just daydream about Bones (the character, not the body parts, mind you) and how much he adores Cat. There’s just something so sweet about a guy who has been around for…forever, and she is the one he fell in love with. There’s just something so sweet and romantic about that and I can’t seem to get these characters out of my thoughts. Call me cheesy, but I’m right where I want to be-dreaming about Bones all day long.

“I knew without a doubt I’d fallen in love when we met. Then I knew I’d do anything to make you feel the same way.”

*spoiler for those who didn’t read book one*

The second installment starts four years after book one where we were left in turmoil of the unfavorable events of the ending of the first story. Cat has started working as a special agent in the government and is relocated in Virginia. After being threatened by Don, the man who is now her boss, she had to choose to leave Bones behind for his own safety-and her mother’s. But I think we all know that Bones isn’t so easily deterred or left behind if we remember anything from book one: If you run from me, I’ll chase you. And I’ll find you….

There’s something to be said for living instead of just existing.

Suffice to say that they find each other again and emotions are high when they do. As things begin to unravel, it becomes clear that they will need Bones’s help, and he begins to work with Cat and her team as well. This was such a funny turn of events. Not only because of the humor that came from Bones and members of her team, but just from the idea of it all: The vampire hunters are working with a vampire. lol

I opened my mouth-and had nothing to refute that with. Damn people who argued using logic. Talk about unfair.

I don’t know that there is much more I can say that wasn’t already said in my first review, seeing as how this is the same series, but I’ve said it once, and I’ll say it again-Bones is something special, and he is something that doesn’t come around that often. Sure, we’ve all seen the overprotective paranormal alpha types, but there is just something that separates him from the rest. I can’t quite put my finger on it yet, but he is unique. And I just adore reading about him.

BOOK REVIEW – At Grave’s End (Night Huntress #3) by Jeaniene Frost

BOOK REVIEW – At Grave’s End (Night Huntress #3) by Jeaniene FrostAt Grave's End (Night Huntress #3)
by Jeaniene Frost
Purchase on: AmazoniBooks
Add to: Goodreads

I think it goes without saying that, once again, Bones stole the show. There is so much more to this series than a hunky male lead, but he’s the reason I’ve continued from book one to (at the moment) book four.

Utterly loyal and undivided attention, peril and action to boot, there was very little that wasn’t in this story. Bones and Cat are closer than ever, but no matter how happy they are, something is always coming for one of them. Living a life free of enemies is not a luxury they have experienced, but they are doing their best to make the most of their not-so-stress-free companionship.

“He’ll learn that many women can satisfy for a short period of time, but when he falls in love, only one will sustain him forever.” Awwww, Bones.

I am absolutely in love with Bones, and I have come to a strong liking with Cat. She has time and time again proven her strength and devotion to her work and Bones, and I can’t help but to identify with her when she becomes jealous because of one of Bone’s old lovers (he is JUST AS JEALOUS, by the way) because they just. Keep. Showing up. lol

So as small as this ‘review’ is, I think it goes without saying that I love this series. And maybe if I had split the stories up I would be able to write a longer review because of the lack of familiarity with the storylines, but as it is, I have read them back to back and I hate sounding like a broken record. A truly fun series and a great escape-I would suggest this to any one of my friends that doesn’t cringe at the terms blood and ‘fangs’.

Purchase on Amazon or iBooks

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