Review: Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

Book: Shatter Me

Author: Tahereh Mafi

Publisher: HarperTeen

Release date: November 15, 2011

Source: ARC received from Around the World Tours

Series: Shatter Me #1

Summary: (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.

In this electrifying debut, Tahereh Mafi presents a world as riveting as The Hunger Games and a superhero story as thrilling as The X-Men. Full of pulse-pounding romance, intoxicating villainy, and high-stakes choices, Shatter Me is a fresh and original dystopian novel — with a paranormal twist — that will leave readers anxiously awaiting its sequel.

First impressions: Juliette is a beautiful character. From the beginning, we are alone in her thoughts, as she whiles away her time in isolation. Her touch kills people, and for the last 264 days she has been alone in a wreck of a psychiatric hospital/jail with only a window and a notebook to pass the time. I fell in love with this sweet girl who dreamed of birds in flight and wished for a taste of fresh air.

Lasting impressions: Never has a title of a book been more appropriate. The writing and the characters and the world all made me want to shatter into pieces. Though the ending of the story went a different direction than I anticipated, it was not unwelcome. I'm excited to see where the next chapter in Juliette's life takes us.

Conflicting impressions: At times the stylistic prose pulled me out of the story. How many ways can Juliette describe falling to pieces? A lot. I also wish that we'd gotten more of the history of her world in order to understand Warner's motives as the villain. He kidnaps Juliette for his own purposes, but we don't really know what those are because Juliette is so in the dark about the world outside her cell. I felt like I was flying blind a lot of the time.

Overall impressions: Despite the aforementioned flaws, and a perhaps tired plot that feels like a re-tread of the X-Men, I still absolutely loved this book. Tahereh Mafi fills her plot with such incredible characters that I couldn't help but be captivated by all of them.

Juliette is one of the most sympathetic characters I can remember reading recently. She has been neglected by her parents and forced to avoid human contact for her entire life. My God! I would die! Yet she has remained kind, thoughtful, and perhaps most surprising, sane. She never gives up, and I admired that about her.

Adam is a bit of an enigma. He starts off almost cruel toward Juliette, but later reveals himself as a Peeta-like admirer from afar. Working for the enemy, it takes a while for Juliette to fully trust him, but he is so pure of heart and full of love that he ultimately wins her, and the reader, over.

Warner is a great antagonist. We may not be sure of his motives, but we know he wants to have Juliette as a pawn in his war against The Reestablishment's enemies. He will do anything to achieve this goal, and forces her to do some pretty awful things along the way. For such a smart and sadistic guy, however, he seemed awfully gullible when it came to Juliette's feelings.

This is an interesting paranormal crossed with a dystopian setting that never failed to keep my interest. Powerful characters are all seeking to find their destiny, and the new direction Juliette's life takes at the end of the novel will have profound consequences for the next book. I'll definitely be looking forward to the sequel as one of my most anticipated books of 2012.

Rating: 5/5 stars

Click the stars for a description of my rating system

Review: Paranormalcy by Kiersten White

Book: Paranormalcy

Author: Kiersten White

Publisher: HarperTeen

Release date: August 31, 2010

Source: Borrowed ebook from library

Series: Paranormalcy #1

Summary: (from Goodreads) Weird as it is working for the International Paranormal Containment Agency, Evie’s always thought of herself as normal. Sure, her best friend is a mermaid, her ex-boyfriend is a faerie, she's falling for a shape-shifter, and she's the only person who can see through paranormals' glamours, but still. Normal.

Only now paranormals are dying, and Evie's dreams are filled with haunting voices and mysterious prophecies. She soon realizes that there may be a link between her abilities and the sudden rash of deaths. Not only that, but she may very well be at the center of a dark faerie prophecy promising destruction to all paranormal creatures.

So much for normal.

First impressions: I have to admit that with the number of people hoisting accolades upon Evie, I didn't want to like her. Or this book. Evie is like the super-popular girl at your new school that everyone says is so nice, but you don't believe them because anyone that popular, and pretty, and cool, cannot possibly also be nice.

But I can admit when I'm wrong. Evie is amazing.

Lasting impressions: The plot may be forgettable, but Evie and Reth and Lend are not. Or Lish. Or Raquel. Or David. Let's be real - the characters are what make this one.

Conflicting impressions: What happened in this book? I read it a week ago. This shouldn't be hard.

*thinks*

Hm. Evie wears pink boots? She meets a boy? A girl is on fire?

That's all I got.

Overall impressions: Despite the fact that my brain has turned to mush and I can't recall how this one ended (or, maybe, much of what happened in the middle), I do know that I liked it.

Evie is a force to be reckoned with, but not in the butt-kicking way you would normally associate with strong heroines. No, in Evie's case, it is entirely based around her strong personality. I dare you to read 5 sentences of this book and NOT be able to tell me everything about her. Trust me when I say that you know who she is immediately, and that is always a great thing.

Kiersten White's gift is writing strong characters. Each one of them, though colored by Evie's perceptions, is full and vibrant. In fact, even the ones that Evie likes (Reth) can still be so forceful that I can make independent judgments about them. (RETH.) This may be Evie's world, but we can still tell who is bad news. (Reth. RETH. RETH!!)

Ahem. So let's talk about Reth, shall we? It's not like I have strong feelings about him. Or feel the need to beat him to death with his own shoes.

Okay, I lied. I do have both of those things. I hate Reth, AND I want to beat him with his shoes. He is cocky, obnoxious, creepy, inconsiderate, rude, and a severe violator of Evie's freedoms and personal space. He carts her off to his house and traps her there, touches and kisses her when she doesn't want him to do so, and somehow the simple fact that he is an ex-boyfriend is supposed to make this okay? He's a fairy, which earns him negative bonus points, and I wish he was not in this book.

I hope I'm being clear as to how I feel.

Even with Grossy McStabintheeye, the book is still enjoyable. I'd rather have strong feelings about a book than no feelings at all. Evie is delightful, even with her tacky style (hot pink boots and zebra print, I'm looking at you), and I adored her main love interest, Lend. Their relationship moved at a snail's pace, which I thought made it that much more authentic. Throw in charming side characters and a unique setting, and this is one cute book.

Rating: 4/5 stars

Click the stars for a description of my rating system

Amazingly beautiful and painstakingly crafted signature courtesy of Small Review

Review and Book Club: Lover Unbound by J. R. Ward

Today I'm participating in Bookaholic Does Blogging's Black Dagger Brotherhood Book Club for her BDB Challenge. Every month, in addition to reading one of the series' books, I'll be participating in her book club posts, so we can all gab about BDB!

Book: Lover Unbound

Author: J. R. Ward

Publisher: Signet

Release date: September 25, 2007

Source: Bought for Kindle

Series: Black Dagger Brotherhood #5

Summary: (from Goodreads) Ruthless and brilliant, Vishous, son of the Bloodletter, possesses a destructive curse and a frightening ability to see the future. As a pretrans growing up in his father's war camp he was tormented and abused. As a member of the Brotherhood, he has no interest in love or emotion, only the battle with the Lessening Society. But when a mortal injury puts him in the care of human surgeon, Dr. Jane Whitcomb compels him to reveal his inner pain and taste true pleasure for the first time - until a destiny he didn't choose takes him into a future that cannot include her.

Questions:
1. On a scale from 1-5, what would you rate this book? Briefly tell us why.

Snooze alert! I gave this one 2 stars because it was so boring I almost couldn't finish it. I did enjoy getting V's back story, and I loved seeing John Matthew through his transition, but I found Jane to be completely unsexy and uninteresting. That made it difficult to sustain my interest in V's love story, and I do kind of wish they'd just made him gay instead of giving him a boyish woman to love. Major bummer.

2. There were a lot of revelations in this book. What did you think of the Scribe Virgin being V's mom?

I thought it was interesting, but the formula of having the Scribe Virgin solve all of their love problems is getting old. I felt this revelation didn't add much to V's story. I don't know if it just didn't have enough impact or if I'm not up on the significance, but I found the whole scenario very underwhelming.

3. Sticking to that theme, what did you think of the Scribe Virgin's request that Vishous become the Primale?

Well, I never believed he would actually become the Primale once Jane came into the picture. That's not how Ward rolls. If there's a love interest, then the Brother winds up with her somehow, so I didn't find much tension in the request to be the Primale. I did like seeing more of the Chosen and their culture, though.

4. Phury stepping up to the plate is nothing new -- what did you think of him taking V's place as the Primale?

I have mixed feelings. It was very noble of him, but it seems more like an escape and an excuse to martyr himself yet again. He felt he was the last, obvious choice, so made the most of it. I can't fault him for wanting to step up, but I feel bad for him more than anything that he can't ever really do anything for himself. He's such a pushover! Will he find true happiness ever? Guess the next book will tell us.

5. Back to the Scribe Virgin -- we learned that V has a sister she's been "hiding" for 303 years. What do you think will become of her? Do you think the Scribe Virgin will -- for lack of better terms -- let her live again?

I thought that was kind of weird and out of nowhere. I want to know more about the force that told the Scribe Virgin to have a baby, and only one. Why did she go against that? Is that God? Why have two babies and hide one? Hopefully I don't have to wait for Payne's book to find out!

6. What happened to Jane was a tragedy. What did you think of the Scribe Virgin bringing her back for V at the cost of her own happiness?

It was a nice effort, but I'm not clear on the rules. She's a ghost, but she's corporeal? It seemed like she was able to continue working and carrying on like normal, so it doesn't seem like much of a tragedy to me.

7. What did you think of Butch's theory that V thought himself to be in love with Butch because he was the first person V really cared about (until Jane)?

I think there is some truth to that. I also think that's kind of the definition of love. V obviously loves Butch, and because of that, he's attracted to Butch. Nothing wrong with that - they just have a different dynamic than that of the other brothers. I liked that Butch was cool with it, but wish he wouldn't have brushed it off as something other than truly being in love.

Rating: 2/5 stars

Click the stars for a description of my rating system

Amazingly beautiful and painstakingly crafted signature courtesy of Small Review

Review: Spellbound by Cara Lynn Shultz

Click the cover to purchase at Amazon
Book: Spellbound
Author: Cara Lynn Shultz
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Release date: June 28, 2011
Source: ARC received from NetGalley

Summary: (from Goodreads) What's a girl to do when meeting The One means she's cursed to die a horrible death?

Life hasn't been easy on sixteen-year-old Emma Conner, so a new start in New York may be just the change she needs. But the posh Upper East Side prep school she has to attend? Not so much. Friendly faces are few and far between, except for one that she's irresistibly drawn to — Brendan Salinger, the guy with the rock-star good looks and the richest kid in school, who might just be her very own white knight.

But even when Brendan inexplicably turns cold, Emma can't stop staring. Ever since she laid eyes on him, strange things have been happening. Streetlamps go out wherever she walks, and Emma's been having the oddest dreams: visions of herself in past lives — visions that warn her to stay away from Brendan. Or else.

First impressions: Emma is immediately likable. I loved her smooth demeanor in the face of anxiety-inducing situations. In the first few pages she's on her way to a brand new school, assigned a basement locker (the lowest of the low in status), and facing down catty remarks from the mean girl. Her response is to put the girl in her place, trust her instincts, and soldier on. Awesome.

Lasting impressions: That cool demeanor served her well in the end, and I was so disappointed that there weren't 100 more pages after the final scene. Emma is one of my favorite characters of 2011. Can she be my new best friend?

Conflicting impressions: There were a couple of things that seemed under-developed. Her scar and the car accident were mentioned a few times, and seemed like they should be important, but didn't really affect the story. Likewise, her potential as a witch didn't quite get there the way I would have liked.

Overall impressions: I'm going to admit this up front: the pacing is a bit slow. And yet, I loved this book. This only goes to show that for every rule, there is an exception.

In this story, Emma moves to New York City to live with her aunt after her deadbeat drunk of a stepdad manages to wreck the car and leave her with a nasty scar on her arm. Her mom and twin brother are dead (from different circumstances), which creates an overly complicated back story. Emma basically picks up the remaining shreds of her life and moves with hardly any of her belongings, save for some essentials and a unique necklace she received from her brother before he died.

The opposing forces she walks into at her new private school are intense. The resident blonde, perfect popular kids are mean; the quiet, smoking hot dude is nice. Emma picks up a couple of other friends along the way that tow the middle line and keep the story from veering into cliche territory. Her necklace garners some interest right away from Brendan (resident hottie) and Angelique (resident weirdo witch girl).

Emma feels way too attracted to Brendan. She's not sure what's going on there. He comes on strong, but then cools off. When she finds a drawing of her necklace in his locker, she gets really intrigued. What's with him? Or more importantly, what's with her necklace?

With the help of Angelique, she tries to find out, and stumbles upon a pretty awesome legend that ties in to her dreams, Brendan, and the necklace. It appears that her growing feelings for Brendan will only lead to death. What's a girl to do?

Emma, ever the calm and collected one, rises to every obstacle in her path. This was the main reason I loved her so much. Whether it's telling off the mean kids, outrunning mysterious events in Central Park, or simply dealing with drunk kids at a party, she's got it under control. She flirts easily with Brendan, and I could really relate to her trying to read something into his every move. Is he really putting his hand on my back or just resting it on the bar?

C'mon. Who hasn't been there?

This is one of those books where I can see the flaws other people find with it, but my love for the characters made this a favorite for me. I didn't mind the complications, and could overlook some parts where details were a bit glossed over. I just wanted to read about Emma and Brendan and see if they could find a way to make it work. Their attraction seemed honest and real, and Brendan is to-die-for lovely.

The rumor is that a sequel is on the way, so I'm hoping that I get more witchcraft in it, as it was one of the more interesting parts of the book, but didn't take up much real estate. The NetGalley ARC included some extra pages told from Angelique's perspective involving a new legend. I'm hoping that's where the next book is headed!

This book was fun, swoon-worthy, and unlike anything I've read so far this year. I highly recommend it! It's a contemporary tale with just a hint of paranormal and a kickass heroine. What's not to love?

Rating: 5/5 stars

Click the stars for a description of my rating system
Want more information on this fab book? Check out the Kismet blog tour happening right now!



Amazingly beautiful and painstakingly crafted signature courtesy of Small Review

Review and Book Club: Lover Eternal by J. R. Ward

Today I'm participating in Bookaholic Does Blogging's Black Dagger Brotherhood Book Club for her BDB Challenge. Every month, in addition to reading one of the series' books, I'll be participating in her book club posts, so we can all gab about BDB and their muscley awesomeness. I missed the boat on the first book last month, but here are my responses for book 2 - Lover Eternal!

Click the cover to purchase at Amazon
Book: Lover Eternal
Author: J. R. Ward
Publisher: Signet
Release date: March 7, 2006
Source: Bought for Kindle
Series: Black Dagger Brotherhood #2

Summary: (from Goodreads) Within the brotherhood, Rhage is the vampire with the strongest appetites. He's the best fighter, the quickest to act on his impulses, and the most voracious lover-for inside him burns ferocious curse cast by the Scribe Virgin. Owned by this dark side, Rhage fears the time when his inner dragon is unleashed, making him a danger to everyone around him.

Mary Luce, a survivor of many hardships is unwittingly thrown into the vampire world and reliant to Rhage's protection. With a life-threatening curse of her own, Mary is not looking for love. She lost her faith in miracles years ago. But when Rhage's intense animal attraction turns into something more emotional, he knows that he must make Mary his alone. And while their enemies close in, Mary fights desperately to gain life eternal with the one she loves.

Questions:
1. On a scale from 1-5, what would you rate this book? Briefly tell us why.

I gave it 4 stars. Rhage was a more interesting protagonist for me than last book's Wrath, and for the first half of the book I was loving every second of it. The back half was a little anticlimactic, however, and so I ended up not enjoying the ending. I wanted a bit more action and a bit more resolution, but my overall enjoyment was still worth 4 out of 5 stars. These books do not pretend to be anything other than what they are - guilty pleasure romance reads about outlandishly beautiful men whose actions may or may not be realistic. They wear minimal clothing, are very selfless lovers, and only refer to their footwear as "shitkickers." Do you really need any more information than that?

2. Did you have an preconceived notions about this book given that we knew it would be from the point of view of a different brother?

I wasn't sure about the idea of having each brother get his own book. I liked Wrath a lot in the first book, and I didn't think Rhage could compete for my affection in the same way. Boy was I wrong! It appears that each book will tell a unique story that allows us to get to know the individual warrior better, as well as the Brotherhood as a whole. With the way this one ended, I am very excited about the next book focused on Zsadist. In fact, when I finished this one, I immediately bought the next one. I'm ready for June now!

3. What did you think of Rhage's transformations?

I think the whole literal inner demon curse is super cool. A warrior who must temper his impulses or turn into a snarly bloodthirsty lizard beast? Swoon. Okay, maybe not swoon, but I am madly in love with the concept. I will say that I was disturbed at Mary's reaction to the beast and felt that the two scenes where she interacts with it didn't quite work for me. They didn't seem to fit the character of the rest of the book or with what we were led to believe about the beast itself. Disappointing.

4. What did you think of Rhage and Mary's first encounter at the Brother's house? Did you foresee a relationship forming after this meeting?

Like Ashley, I also thought Rhage was kind of a pushy ass in that scene. There were a number of times in this book where I felt like one or more of the brothers was really coming on too strong for what is generally acceptable to women, drop-dead gorgeous or not. If anyone invaded my space like that, looking as impaired and grouchy as Rhage did, I'd have kneed him in the groin and not looked back as I ran. We like them strong and silent and all, but YEESH.

5. Ward seems to like forcing her characters to make some hard choices. What did you think of Rhage's choice to save Mary at the end of the book? Would you do the same for someone you loved?

I like the hard choices theme that has pervaded both books so far. If a character doesn't face difficult choices or circumstances, I get bored. I need high stakes. This book had lots of those, between Mary's returning leukemia and Rhage's erupting beast. We know early on that Mary is dying, and I kept flying through the pages hoping that something would save her in the end. I'd like to think I'd act the same as Rhage when push comes to shove. My own happiness pales in comparison knowing the people around me are suffering.

6. Do you think John will become a brother after his transformation?

I hope so. He seemed like a good kid, and Ward certainly dropped enough hints to suggest that he will. I think having a new brother would pump some life into the books and show us how they function with change and new members. They've been with each other for so long that I want to know how they got to that point, so having John around could feed us some backstory as they reflect on their own journeys to the Brotherhood.

7. Do you think Bella will become Zsadist's shellan? What, if anything, do you think this will do to Phury and Zsadist's relationship as a result given that Phury showed mild interest in Bella as well?

I'm still confused as to why Phury is insisting on staying celibate. I know he feels guilt over Zsadist's past, but it seems odd that in the face of everything he is already giving up to help Zsadist, he avoids women too. Part of my interest in reading the next book so quickly is the cliffhanger around Bella and Zsadist. I want to know what happens to her and if we see her again, or if Zsadist will have to face a fresh round of pain and loss if she doesn't make it. I'm biting my nails over here!

Rating: 4/5 stars

Click the stars for a description of my rating system

Review: Angel Burn by L. A. Weatherly

Click the cover to purchase at Amazon
Book: Angel Burn
Author: L. A. Weatherly
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Release date: May 24, 2011
Source: Banned Book Tours
Series: Angel Trilogy #1

Summary: (from Goodreads) Willow knows she’s different from other girls, and not just because she loves tinkering with cars. Willow has a gift. She can look into the future and know people’s dreams and hopes, their sorrows and regrets, just by touching them. She has no idea where this power comes from. But the assassin, Alex, does. Gorgeous, mysterious Alex knows more about Willow than Willow herself. He knows that her powers link to dark and dangerous forces, and that he’s one of the few humans left who can fight them. When Alex finds himself falling in love with his sworn enemy, he discovers that nothing is as it seems, least of all good and evil. In the first book in an action-packed, romantic trilogy, L.A. Weatherly sends readers on a thrill-ride of a road trip — and depicts the human race at the brink of a future as catastrophic as it is deceptively beautiful.

First impressions: I love tough girls, and this one opens with our young heroine working on her friend's car. Yes! Hooray for female empowerment. Girls can be car mechanics too! Willow is immediately likable as a smart and bold psychic who wears and does what she likes, as long as it makes her happy. I'm ready for her to be my best friend now.

Lasting impressions: The angels as soul-sucking fiends who want to take over our world and usurp our resources? I'm totally on board with that.

Conflicting impressions: While I understand that Willow needed to struggle with her identity, the number of times she questioned Alex's feelings for her was a bit eyeroll-inducing. Willow. He likes you. Enough already.

Overall impressions: There were times I absolutely could not put this book down. Willow is a unique girl with a gift for seeing the future, and when during a reading she discovers the existence of angels on Earth, she winds up running for her life with a mysterious assassin named Alex.

Who happens to be gorgeous, of course. I mean, really. Why wouldn't he be?

I don't think it's much of a spoiler to divulge that Willow learns she is a half-angel hybrid, since this is learned early on. This causes a lot of tension with Alex, who has been trained to hunt and kill angels since he was a child. We get a lot of sexual tension and frustrated/awkward fights between these two as they flee Willow's hometown, which I found to be a lot of fun.

The middle section is where things really slowed down. When Willow and Alex go into hiding, there are extended scenes where they do a whole lot of nothing, when I really just wanted them to go out and fight instead of hide. It was at this point that I started to get annoyed with the shifts between first-person Willow and third-person Alex. I'm not sure why a lot of books are approaching things like this, with dual perspectives but different points of view. There were times the switch wasn't clear enough and I would forget which one we were following at that moment.

Once they approached the climax of the story, however, things picked back up. I felt the big confrontation could have used a bit more explanation as to what had happened, or even if the plan had worked, because when it was all over I felt like I was missing something. I definitely liked where the story ended up despite any flaws with the ending scenes, and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this one to YA paranormal fans.

I can't say enough about how much I loved the angels-as-enemies plot. They were scary without being brutal and dark without being evil. When they came to Earth, they quickly started taking over, starting up a new church and setting up cult-like compounds across the country. Weatherly does a nice job of creating this believable progression in American culture without it coming across as critical of fundamentalism or religion in general. In fact, religion is left out of it entirely.

If you like strong girls, cute boys, fast cars, and gunfights, you'll want to give this one a try!

Rating: 4/5 stars

Click the stars for a description of my rating system

Dark Lover by J. R. Ward

Click the cover to purchase at Amazon
Book: Dark Lover
Author: J. R. Ward
Publisher: Signet
Release date: September 6, 2005
Source: Purchased on Kindle
Series: Black Dagger Brotherhood #1

Summary: (from Goodreads) In the shadows of the night in Caldwell, New York, there's a deadly turf war going war going on between vampires and their slayers. There exists a secret band of brothers like no other-six vampire warriors, defenders of their race. Yet none of them relishes killing their enemies more than Wrath, the leader of the Black Dagger Brotherhood...

The only purebred vampire left on the planet, Wrath has a score to settle with the slayers who murdered his parents centuries ago. But when one of his most trusted fighters is killed - orphaning a half-breed daughter unaware of her heritage or her fate - Wrath must usher the beautiful female into the world of the undead...

Racked by a restlessness in her body that wasn't there, Beth Randall is helpless against the dangerously sexy man who comes at night with shadows in his eyes. His tales of brotherhood and blood frighten her. But his touch ignites a dawning hunger that threatens to consume them both.

First impressions: I was really excited to read this book because so many people love this series, but the first few chapters were not the most attention-getting. Wrath is really what kept me reading because he's so well developed. I love that he has a visual impairment but is still totally badass.

Lasting impressions: I will definitely stick with this series. The story started to pick up about a quarter of the way through and kept me turning pages until I'd gobbled the whole thing.

Conflicting impressions: There are some cheesy moments (Does every vampire have to hang out in a dark, bass-thumping club?), and Beth got on my nerves quite frequently, but these are easily overlooked.

Overall impressions: Here's the thing. Did you see that cover? I suffer from cover shyness, and for that reason I have long avoided reading romance novels in public. This is another in a long list of reasons I love my Kindle. And because of said Kindle, I finally gave myself the chance to read this book.

I was really surprised by how funny and unique it turned out to be. Ward has obviously spent a lot of time crafting this world, so it's easy to get immersed in it. That's one of my favorite qualities in a book.

Beth is kind of a blah main character for most of the book. She's a gorgeous woman with no interest in men, which she comes to learn is because she's turning into a vampire. I loved how Ward played around with female character tropes and made them work for her instead of against her. Beautiful, unattainable woman who can't get a date? Got a perfectly good explanation. Later in the book, she jokes about how she wishes her name was something shorter than Elizabeth, "like Mary. Or Sue." Mary Sue! I had a good chuckle over that one. Ward is playing us like a fiddle.

Despite their cheesy names (Wrath, Rhage, Tohrment, etc.), the BDB boys are pretty cool. I struggled a bit to keep them all straight, since we don't have a lot of opportunity to learn their individual traits in the midst of what is primarily Wrath's story, but they are still enjoyable and interesting, and sometimes downright scary.

The romance element here does not disappoint, either. Again, because Ward is a genius at twisting tired devices in her favor, she's written a world where maturing vampires are at their sexual peak, so when Beth starts to turn, things heat up pretty quickly with Wrath. I felt like they genuinely cared for each other, though, and the love story that follows their initial, erm, encounter is believable and sweet.

In fact, I felt the love story was far and away more interesting than the conflict with the bad guys. The Lessers are militant counterparts to the Brotherhood, and both groups want to destroy each other. It does seem a bit exhausting as a reader since these battles have raged on for centuries and there doesn't appear to be a clear favorite for the win. With 8 more books in the series, I have to assume this thing is going to drag out, and that may be a big part of why I felt so much more attached to the Beth/Wrath storyline.

This was a fun book with a great balance of mystery, surprise, steamy romance and hot boys fighting. I'm looking forward to the rest of the series, where each book allows us to get to know another BDB member in more detail.

Rating: 4/5 stars

Click the stars for a description of my rating system

Want to get in on the discussion? Check out the Dark Lover BDB book club post at Bookaholic Does Blogging.

Review: Unearthly by Cynthia Hand

Book: Unearthly

Author: Cynthia Hand
Publisher: HarperTeen
Release Date: January 4, 2011
Source: NetGalley ARC

Synopsis: (from Goodreads) In the beginning, there's a boy standing in the trees. . .

Clara Gardner has recently learned that she's part angel. Having angel blood run through her veins not only makes her smarter, stronger, and faster than humans (a word, she realizes, that no longer applies to her), but it means she has a purpose, something she was put on this earth to do. Figuring out what it is, though, isn't easy.

Her visions of a raging forest fire and an alluring stranger lead her to a new school in a new town. When she meets Christian, who turns out to be the boy of her dreams (literally), everything seems to fall into place--and out of place, at the same time. Because there's another guy, Tucker, who appeals to Clara's less angelic side.

As Clara tries to find her way in a world she no longer understands, she encounters unseen dangers and choices she never thought she'd have to make--between honesty and deciet, love and duty, good and evil. When the fire from her vision finally ignites, will Clara be ready to face her destiny?

First impressions: Clara is immediately likable.  I loved her from the start.  Her voice is easygoing, unpretentious, funny and believable.  The first few pages really set up the strong relationship with her mother and her insecurities with her purpose, which kept me reading.

Lasting impressions: I was slightly annoyed that the book so obviously leads into a sequel.  I love cliffhangers, but only with established series where I am totally invested in continuing to read.  Here, it feels like a gimmick to get me to buy the next book, which based on this story, I probably won't do.

Negative impressions: Yet another love triangle.  Yet another female protagonist who underestimates her own beauty.  I don't usually mind familiar tropes, but here I felt there wasn't much new being offered.  I also felt there wasn't enough urgency for Clara to discover her purpose.  The summer she spends with Tucker was captivating, but it seemed like a detour from the main story that didn't slide seamlessly into the action.

Overall impressions: I think there's a good book hidden in here somewhere.  Sort of like with comedians who don't quite nail the right joke, I think Hand has good material that didn't quite get executed to its fullest potential.  Clara is such a great MC that I really wanted to love the book, but in the end, I just kind of liked it.  Something about Christian irritated me, and by the time the relationship with Tucker started to develop, I didn't really care about either of them anymore.  I just wanted her to get around to doing something.

I think there were one or two superfluous characters that distracted from the plot more than they added to it.  I didn't feel Wendy or Jeffrey added much to the action or character development.  They may be Chekhov's guns.  Perhaps they add something more to the sequel, due out in 2012.  Personally, I feel that all characters should either advance the MC or advance the story, and if they do neither then why spend time with them?

Overall, the story was interesting and I loved Clara.  Despite a few issues I had with suspending my disbelief when it came to the angel concept, I found the book engaging.  In the end, I think this turned out to be a nice debut and a good book, although with some tighter editing I think it could have been great.

Rating: 3/5 stars