Bluest Ribbon

Audiobook Review: Nice Girls Don't Have Fangs (Jane Jameson #1)

2014-06-18T20:57:00.000+08:00

ABOUT THE BOOK

Author: Molly Harper
Format: Audio | Narrator: Amanda Ronconi
Published February 19th 2010 by Audible, Inc. (first published March 31st 2009)

Maybe it was the Shenanigans gift certificate that put her over the edge. When children's librarian and self-professed nice girl Jane Jameson is fired by her beastly boss and handed twenty-five dollars in potato skins instead of a severance check, she goes on a bender that's sure to become Half Moon Hollow legend. On her way home, she's mistaken for a deer, shot, and left for dead. And thanks to the mysterious stranger she met while chugging neon-colored cocktails, she wakes up with a decidedly unladylike thirst for blood. Jane is now the latest recipient of a gift basket from the Newly Undead Welcoming Committee, and her life-after-lifestyle is taking some getting used to. Her recently deceased favorite aunt is now her ghostly roommate. She has to fake breathing and endure daytime hours to avoid coming out of the coffin to her family. She's forced to forgo her favorite down-home Southern cooking for bags of O negative. Her relationship with her sexy, mercurial vampire sire keeps running hot and cold. And if all that wasn't enough, it looks like someone in Half Moon Hollow is trying to frame her for a series of vampire murders. What's a nice undead girl to do?

BOOK REVIEW

Ever since the Sookie Stackhouse series became overrated (around series # 4 or 5), I vowed to buy only second hand copy of her books. Alright, so that maybe a lame attempt at rebellion. But whatever. So I went to a second hand bookstore and (because I am lazy at foraging) asked the sales lady about it. She was not familiar with the Sookie Stackhouse series so I ended up describing it, Umm... Southern-theme, vampire book? And to my pleasant surprise, she handed me Molly Harper's Nice Girls Don't Have Fangs.

Thank you, mistaken identity!

After a couple of months, I saw this on Audible and got myself an audio copy of the book. Best. Decision. Ever. Like Ever. Seriously.

Molly Harper, just like Wichita's Bill Murray, has a direct line to my funny bone! Molly's pen spits out humor on every single page that she writes.

I laugh easily. What can I say? I am a girl of uncomplicated humor. But this book... This book is not just LOL but a snort-your-drink-back-in-your-glass kind of laughter! Jane Jameson is hilarious and she is not afraid to snark even herself. When she was turned into a vamp, I thought she had gained the super snark ability! But of course, we settled for mind reading instead. Oh well.

The plot is really entertaining. I'm not sure if handing out a gift certificate to a bar as a severance pay is even legal. But hey! It makes a total lot of sense especially if they replaced you (who has Masters Degree in Library Science) with a fire-starting, part-time employee.

"She starts fires!" I hissed. "Books tend to be kind of flammable!"

And to add insult to injury, Jane was mistaken for a deer and got shot by a drunk truck driver. I was like, "ARE YOU SERIOUS?" That was simply the funniest (not to mention, the meanest) story of getting turned. I tell you, if that doesn't intrigue you enough to read the book, I'm not sure what will.

True to Jane's character, her fan-worship for Jane Austen is very evident on the story. And that is something I can definitely relate to!

The rest of the characters are very lovable and cute in their own special way. Zeb's the kind of male best friend that most girls can only dream about. Aunt Jettie's hauntings were the scenes that I look forward to. It was quite funny when she hid Jane's keys just for the laughs. And speaking of familial ties, Jane's family made me appreciate my own family even more. Let's just say her mother can be overbearing at times, and don't even get me started on her black widow of a grandmother!

“My grandma Ruthie, Jettie's sister, had been married four times, so many times I started calling every old man I saw at the grocery store Grandpa.”

Gabriel is kind of an OK character, I didn't dislike him. But man, did he fall into the stereotypical brooding, overprotective boyfriend category! That was a bit of a downer. On the other hand, the vampire named Dick Cheney was certainly interesting.

The audiobook narrator Amanda Ronconi channeled Jane's character perfectly! In fact, she narrated all of the characters perfectly it started to get a tad creepy. Especially Grandma Ruthie's. Ugh! So perfect I remember chills running up my arms. Amanda Ronconi's comedic timing was... well, perfect. Annddddd I think I said perfect too many times. Huh.

If you're going to listen or read the book, my advise would be to avoid public places or transportation. You don't want to be the lunatic who cackles all by her/himself. Trust me on this.

Featured Follow #4: Armchair Travel

2014-06-13T12:24:00.000+08:00

How does this work?

The goal is to increase blog followers and make friends. First you leave your name here on this post, (using the linky tools — keep scrolling!) then you create a post on your own blog that links back to this post (easiest way is to just grab the code under the #FF picture and put it in your post) and then you visit as many blogs as you can and tell them “hi” in their comments (on the post that has the #FF image). You follow them, they follow you. Win. Win. Just make sure to follow back if someone follows you! What sets this Hop apart from others, is our Feature. Each week we will showcase a Featured Blogger, from all different genres and areas. Who is our Feature today? Find out below. Just remember it is required, if you participate, to follow our Features and you must follow the hosts (Parajunkee & Alison Can Read) as a courtesy.

Armchair Travel!
Tell us about your favorite book in a setting you’d like to visit
(a real place for this question).

For a non-fictional place of travel, my choice would be Prague City in Czech Republic as described by Laini Taylor in her Daughter of Smoke and Bone book. Let me be honest, before I read the novel, every time I hear of Czech Republic or any other European country that I'm not familiar with, my immediate reaction would be HOSTEL! Okay, that is totally not fair because I'm not even sure where that film was set. Um.. so yeah, I would love to visit Prague one day (or 3 days or 1 week, you know what I mean) and enjoy the beauty of the city.

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Book Review: Written in Red (The Others #1)

2014-06-12T18:39:00.000+08:00

ABOUT THE BOOK

Author: Anne Bishop
Genre: Urban Fantasy, Paranormal

Format: eBook

Published March 5th 2013 by Roc

No one creates realms like "New York Times "bestselling author Anne Bishop. Now in a thrilling new fantasy series, enter a world inhabited by the Others, unearthly entities--vampires and shape-shifters among them--who rule the Earth and whose prey are humans.

As a "cassandra sangue," or blood prophet, Meg Corbyn can see the future when her skin is cut--a gift that feels more like a curse. Meg's Controller keeps her enslaved so he can have full access to her visions. But when she escapes, the only safe place Meg can hide is at the Lakeside Courtyard--a business district operated by the Others.

Shape-shifter Simon Wolfgard is reluctant to hire the stranger who inquires about the Human Liaison job. First, he senses she's keeping a secret, and second, she doesn't smell like human prey. Yet a stronger instinct propels him to give Meg the job. And when he learns the truth about Meg and that she's wanted by the government, he'll have to decide if she's worth the fight between humans and the Others that will surely follow.

BOOK REVIEW

Before I start this review, I would like to say thank you to Anne Bishop for not taking an Urban Fantasy template, rearranging some of its elements and calling it a day! I could just give you a big, fat, wet kiss right now for not wasting my time.

When they said that no one creates realms like Anne Bishop, they were not lying. I was very impressed with her world-building skills, from simple details like renaming the days of the week to creating a spectacularly dark and twisted history of mankind and otherkind, she had put the capital E in Effort. Though her map-drawing skills kind of sucked, it was ultimately forgiven.

As the book blurb stated, this novel is about a blood prophet and human-eating shifters and vampires. Meg Corbyn is a human blood prophet who would rather die than return to her escaped prison/institution. And when you spend your free time trying not to kill yourself by excessive cutting, that is saying a lot. After she stumbled into the ~~clutches~~ life of broody and will-seriously-ripped-off-your-throat-and-some-other-bits-when-pissed Simon Wolfgard, he became confused on whether to eat her or shampoo her stinky hair.

Simon is the Lakeside Courtyard leader and reluctantly hired Meg as the new Human Liaison. Being a Human Liaison is a fairly easy job, so easy that previous liaisons were either lazy bums or rule breakers. No one held the position for a long time and since Meg was neither lazy nor stupid, she became an indispensable employee. Not to mention that she was well-liked by the monsters.

After they're done with you, the butcher's shop will have special meat for sale. *shudders

And speaking of monsters, these are the Earth Natives: weres, vampires and other nasty beings that ruled the whole continent of Thasia (North America). As a short comparison, Earth Natives are like the Native Americans and Humans, the European Colony, except that the Earth Natives were not colonized (duh?!) and they leased the land to the humans with a huge string attached. I will not elaborate on the political aspect of the continent, you just have to read the history included in the book.

I liked how the villains were depicted in the story and strangely, all of them were humans. They were so crazy and evil that they had me rooting for Meg and her band of monsters the entire time. Leave the man-eating monsters alone!!!

If I have to describe this novel in one word it would be dark. The kind of you-don't-want-read-this-while-eating-something dark and so-the-plot-thickens dark. I have a very tough stomach for gore but there were some parts of this novel that made me a little bit squeamish and I loved it. The only thing that I could possibly complain about this book is that Meg is too likable that it's a bit questionable.

And so, I will abruptly end this review with the note: Come to the dark side, we have ~~doggy~~ biscuits and comfy beds!

Featured Follow #3: Great Characters and Plot vs Gorgeous Writing

2014-05-31T10:06:00.001+08:00

How does this work?

The goal is to increase blog followers and make friends. First you leave your name here on this post, (using the linky tools — keep scrolling!) then you create a post on your own blog that links back to this post (easiest way is to just grab the code under the #FF picture and put it in your post) and then you visit as many blogs as you can and tell them “hi” in their comments (on the post that has the #FF image). You follow them, they follow you. Win. Win. Just make sure to follow back if someone follows you! What sets this Hop apart from others, is our Feature. Each week we will showcase a Featured Blogger, from all different genres and areas. Who is our Feature today? Find out below. Just remember it is required, if you participate, to follow our Features and you must follow the hosts (Parajunkee & Alison Can Read) as a courtesy.

How important is good writing to you? In an ideal world, a book would be beautifully written AND have great character development, plot, etc. But in the real world, which do you prefer: (1) Great characters and plot with lousy writing or (2) Middling character development and plot but gorgeous writing

Here's my response in form of a letter:

Dear Author,

In a perfect world, where vampires don't sparkle, suspected teen relatives do not make out, and pureness of the soul isn't measured by donating stuff, I would prefer both great characters, plot and gorgeous writing. But since we cannot have the best of both worlds, decisions need to be made.

I'm a character-based reader. I can't stand TSTL and Mary Sue characters. Gadgets are expensive, and if I keep hurling them at the wall every single time I read your book, I would need to get a second job. Or just not read your book.

I'd like to think that if I met your characters in real life, there would be hugs and talks over cup of coffees, instead of throttling and Texas Chainsaw Massacre re-enactments. Although good writing is important to me, well, very important, I do not have an insistent, internal proof-reader built in the dark recesses of my mind. Of course, the characters should be at least decently described. If a character is written as beautiful, smart, kind, honest, generous, sexy, beautiful, smart, kind, honest, generous, and perfect... That's overkill, and we need to talk. I would very much appreciate a flawed character, it makes them more real and bearable.

Character development in the story is very important to me. Did I say very important twice? Yes, very important. If let's say, Mary started out as a meek and plain girl with no spine for decision making and ended up as a meek and spushul girl with a boyfriend that makes the decisions for her, then I would need to get a second job. Or worst, just stop buying your stuff. Frankly, author, you need to get Mary's brain checked.

Also, I do not care if you describe one stormy night as, well, one stormy night. Heck, you can the describe the night as dark and I wouldn't bat an eyelash! I have an overactive imagination, I think that would compensate for your lack of creativity. BUT if you go and write hope in this world bleeds out of the barrel of a gun or every organ in my body falls to the ground, you might break the said overactive imagination. And in that case, we will never ever ever, EVER, getting back together.

But what are the chances you would do that to me?

This leads us to questions like, if you take the supernatural out of your story, would there still be a half-decent plot? Or can you promise that this 500-page book wouldn't turn into a novella in its abridged version? If you answer NO to all of that, then I'm quite sure we have what we call - a plot problem. And that is NOT okay, okay?

So not to make this a long letter, I think I made myself quite clear on where I stand. Great characters and plot with lousy writing is better than middling character development and plot but gorgeous writing.

Sincerely,

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Armchair BEA 2014: Beyond the Borders

2014-05-29T17:48:00.000+08:00

Welcome to Armchair BEA 2014!

Beyond the Borders

It’s time to step outside your comfort zone, outside your borders, or outside of your own country or culture. Tell us about the books that transported you to a different world, taught you about a different culture, and/or helped you step into the shoes of someone different from you. What impacted you the most about this book? What books would you recommend to others who are ready or not ready to step over the line? In essence, let’s start the conversation about diversity and keep it going! SOURCE: Armchair BEA Headquarters

BEYOND THE BORDERS:

Alright, I am going to talk about Philippine Literature. Not because I don't know my own culture nor I am ignorant of my own country. I am a little bit embarrassed to say that the Philippine Literature is something outside of my comfort zone. Funnily enough, I actually started my book review background to a Filipino lit back in high school. When I was in my junior year, we watched a contemporary Filipino play and was required to write a comprehensive review about it in English. After submitting my project, I found out a couple of days later that my English teacher had read my review to other classes. Apparently, she was really impressed with my submission. After that, my teacher had encouraged me to read various literature and most of them were written by Filipino writers.

One of my favorite Filipino books (in English) is The Woman Who Had Two Navels by Nick Joaquin. He is one of our National Artists.

The Woman Who Had Two Navels

This novel by Joaquin is a literary assessment of the influence of the past to the time encompassing events in the Philippines after World War II, an examination of an assortment of legacy and heritage and the questions of how can an individual exercise free will and how to deal with the “shock” after experiencing “epiphanic recognition”. SOURCE: WIKIPEDIA

I would recommend this to people who have high interest in history and literature that includes oppression and tragedy.

Another kind of genre that I enjoy reading are "gay books". Now, don't take my term as derogatory because gays are widely accepted in the Philippines and it is quite normal for Filipinos to refer homosexuals as gays without malice. Here in the Philippines, gay people can use the woman's comfort room without judgment and even the Catholic priests (though not all) acknowledged them. I don't know a single person here who does not have a gay friend. And apparently, I have too many gay friends to function, according to the said friends. Hmp! *huffs breath*

Leche by R. Zamora Linmark

It's 1991. A gay Filipino American returns from his home in Hawaii to his native Manila, where he is jousted by absurd encounters, thwarted desires, cultural and political upheavals and painful memories.

Vince, introduced in Linmark's Rolling the R's (1997), hasn't been in the Philippines since 1978, when he and his siblings left for Honolulu—six years after their parents flew off to escape the Marcos regime. Sensory overload greets him. The heat is stifling, he's accosted by strangers attractive and not, a mysterious sleeping sickness is claiming men and a volcano is about to erupt. Having arrived with members of the Filipino balikbayan culture, who cart unwieldy boxes stuffed with food cans, shampoo bottles and designer jeans, he acclimates to a different social setting when his good looks draw the attention of showbiz types. A film and pop-culture obsessive, he becomes part of a world including President Corazon Aquino's movie-star daughter, known as the "Massacre Queen of Philippine Cinema." The title of the book, which translates not as milk, as in Spanish, but as a four-letter word, is as cheeky a novel as you'll encounter. Broken up by postcard correspondence, dream sequences, glossary entries and "Tourist Tips" ("Staring is a favorite Filipino pastime. Don't take it personally"), it's nothing if not breezy. Linmark isn't funny or cutting enough as a prose stylist, though, or innovative enough as a postmodernist to achieve the tour de force he's after. As lacerating as he tries to be, his satire is rarely more than mild, and his attempts at magic realism fall short. But the book's nonstop energy and nonstop attitude are addictive. And in Vince you won't find a less predictable tour guide.

A lively satiric return to early '90s Manila, seen from both sides of the Filipino American divide. SOURCE: Kirkus Reviews

Now on to dark humor! My best recommendation would be Filipino Bitch Queen Jessica Zafra. She is well-known for her dark satire works that make a hell lot of sense in the real world. I'd like to think of her books as hate books for haters. This is one of her lighter works:

500 People You Meet in Hell

This is a fairly nasty book, and it should be kept away from the irony-challenged and anyone who takes things too literally. Read an expert here.

These are a few examples of books outside my comfort zone by Filipino writers that I enjoyed reading. Since all of them are in English, I would recommend this to you if you like either Classics, LGBT, or Humor. In my strong belief, Philippine Literature needs more international attention.

Armchair BEA 2014: Expanding Blogging Horizons & Novellas/Short Stories

2014-05-28T20:26:00.000+08:00

Welcome to Armchair BEA 2014!

Expanding Blogging Horizons
What do you think about when you think about going beyond blogging or expanding your horizons? Is it a redesign of your blog? Have you branched out into freelance writing or even published a novel of your very own? Or, have you moved into a different venue like podcasts or vlogging? This is the day to tell us about how you have expanded on blogging in your own unique way.

Novellas/Short Stories
Now it is time to give a little love to those little stories in your life. Share your love for your favorite shorts of any form. What is a short story or novella that doesn’t get the attention that it deserves? Recommend to readers what shorts you would recommend they start with. How about listing some short story anthologies based upon genres or authors? SOURCE: Armchair BEA Headquarters

EXPANDING BLOGGING HORIZONS:

Okay. Now, this is a tough topic for me because before I started my book blog, Bluest Ribbon, I was already deep into the blogging community. If I am not mistaken, it was around early 2005 that I had my first personal blog. I'd had Blogger, WordPress, Tumblr and even a blog on Friendster. Oh, what memories! Since then, being the curious person that I am, I tried my hands on blog designing, freelance writing for short articles, being a graphic artist, hosting forums, and even vlogging. My passion for blogging is unbelievable and it gave me treasured memories and people that I wouldn't have had it if weren't for it.

Looking back, I can say that I came a long way, but I know that I have a lot more to learn. There are new things about blogging and beyond it that I discover on a regular basis. Like a new concept for a blog design, or fixing a code, or even just changing the posting format. I don't stop myself from discovering new things and you shouldn't, too. Satisfy your curiosity, then hunger for more because that will definitely expand your horizon.

Several Blog Redesigns

NOVELLAS/SHORT STORIES:

As for reading novellas or short stories, I only read them if they are either part of a series that I like or from one of my favorite authors. I am not ashamed to say that I read all short stories and novellas by Maria V. Snyder, Ilona Andrews, Jennifer L. Armentrout, Nalini Singh and a few more. They are fun to read while you're waiting for the next book in the series to come out!

Audiobook Review: The Thousand-Dollar Tan Line (Veronica Mars #1)

2014-05-27T09:18:00.000+08:00

ABOUT THE BOOK

Authors: Rob Thomas, Jennifer Graham
Format: Audio | Narrator: Kristen Bell
Published on March 25th 2014 by Random House Audio

The first book in an original mystery series featuring twenty-eight-year-old Veronica Mars, back in action after the events of Veronica Mars: The Movie.

With the help of old friends—Logan Echolls, Mac Mackenzie, Wallace Fennel, and even Dick Casablancas—Veronica is ready to take on Neptune's darkest cases with her trademark sass and smarts. An unabridged recording (8 hours, 45 minutes).

____________________________________

BOOK REVIEW

Just to get this out of the way, I haven't watch the movie yet.

THERE! Judge me.

Let me tell ya, last year when I heard about the movie coming out, I was jumping like kangaroos on steroids. I ~~flooded~~ updated my Facebook newsfeed like any decent, obsessed Veronica Mars fan would do. Well, I am an obsessed Veronica Mars fan, so no harm done.

THEN! Then just to find out that the Philippine movie theaters did not have this for their scheduled showing! What. The. Fudgety. Fuck. And then I ranted like a mad obsessed Veronica Mars fan! Then last, last month, I visited a video store to ask for a DVD copy, right? THEN this chick with a bad hair dye that looked like a matted, dirty, dry brown dog fur gave me a blank look when I asked for the title. AND THEN she asked her co-worker and he had the same response that she had. So I went out of the store before I could hurt somebody. THEN I cried. Like a baby.

There are things in this world you just don't miss out on!

It had been toooo long. I was thirsty. I will hold on to anything, even a butchered Veronica Mars graphic novel would do. AND THEN. AND THEN. The BOOK CAME OUT. And then I cried like a baby, again. And then, for the first time in my life, I knew what tears of joy felt like...

So I skipped the movie - not for the lack of trying, but I knew enough gist of it so I figured my marshmallow knowledge would surely help me get through the book. It's not like I watched every single episode of VMars thrice! *gulps Right? So with nonchalance coolness, I listened to The Thousand-Dollar Tan Line narrated by Veronica herself and...

All the feelings of a whimpering fan left me speechless. In fact, I felt so much that I listened to this whole audio book twice.

I mean HOLY CRAP. This book just have enough of you think you're smart enough to guess this? type of mystery to keep holding out for your breath. Veronica is just as sassy, smart, and fluffy as I had remembered her to be. But this time, she is already an adult. They tend to do that, don't they? Grow up.

And as a grown-up woman, she could no longer pull off the let me take your information and I'll tell Detective Mars you stopped by, cause, you know, she is now the Detective Mars. But good news is that Mac is now working for her so she gets all that handy tech whiz assistant that she didn't have before. And Wallace is still looking out for her as well.

If you didn't watch VMars on a regular basis, then you might missed out on some of the inside jokes. And speaking of comic relief, Dick was there. You know, being Dick. It was funny how they manage to insert the Dick scene (no pun intended) on such a dangerous situation.

Despite minimal Logan exposure, it was not bad because the action, the mystery and the drama (oh the drama) were enough to compensate for that particular lacking. Not to give away too much, Veronica was hired to investigate the case of the missing Spring breakers. There were 2 girls missing on Neptune and one of the girls has an indirect relation to Veronica. Now, how could it possibly be? And is this going to be a conflict of interest?

You will just have to read the book to find out more! Or better yet, LISTEN TO KRISTEN BELL narrate the story. It's like an episode of Veronica Mars, only with no moving pictures! As talented as ever, Kristen-sloth-loving-Bell, was able to inject personalities to different characters she worked on with precision. Amaze-balls! Rest assured you fellow marshmallows, it was worth the epic wait.

Armchair BEA 2014: Introductions and Literature

2014-05-26T16:35:00.000+08:00

Welcome to Armchair BEA 2014!

Today is the day that we kick off our fifth annual event that parallels Book Expo America in New York City. This year, we are starting a couple of days earlier than the usual event, which will allow all you participants a little extra time to meet each other and chat from your armchairs before we start bringing in the goodies that we have for you directly from the streets and floors of the Expo.

Throughout this week, we will be posting a variety of things throughout the day. You will see special guest articles, announcements of our giveaway winners and special featured giveaways, as well as articles, photos, and videos live from BEA. We will have multiple posts each and every day, so make sure you are following along closely so you don't miss out on any of the action. SOURCE: Armchair BEA Headquarters

INTRODUCTIONS:

Please tell us a little bit about yourself: Who are you? How long have you been blogging? Why did you get into blogging? Where in the world are you blogging from?

Hi! My name is Vanessa. I am 25 years old and currently living in the Philippines. I started blogging when I was 17, just a little bit of this and that, no specific theme. Then I became a web & blog designer and loved blogging even more!

Bluest Ribbon, my official book blog, came to be on March 2012. I am a regular reviewer at Goodreads and thought, why not start a book blog? So here we are! Best. Decision. Ever.

Describe your blog in just one sentence. Then, list your social details -- Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, etc. -- so we can connect more online.

A straight-to-the-point book review blog with minimal verbal filter!

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What was your favorite book read last year? What’s your favorite book so far this year?

Magic Rises by Ilona Andrews (2013) and The Thousand-Dollar Tan Line by Rob Thomas, Narrated by Kristen Bell (audible, 2014). I'm a marshmallow and pissed that they didn't show the movie here in the Philippines.

Share your favorite book or reading related quote.

What book would you love to see as a movie?

That's an easy one! The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa, no explanation needed (read my review here).

LITERATURE:

What do you think of when you think of literature? Classics, contemporary, genre, or something else entirely? We are leaving this one up to you to come up with and share the literature that you want to chat about the most. Feel free to share a list of your favorites, break down your favorite genre, feature your favorite authors, and be creative about all things literature in general.

Literature is everywhere. In a non-traditional sense & outside of formal learning, literature is a form of art in words. For me, it is not bound by genre, by author, or even by the material used. So when I think of literature, I think of everything!

Featured Follow #2: Have you ever... ?

2014-05-23T16:22:00.001+08:00

How does this work?

The goal is to increase blog followers and make friends. First you leave your name here on this post, (using the linky tools — keep scrolling!) then you create a post on your own blog that links back to this post (easiest way is to just grab the code under the #FF picture and put it in your post) and then you visit as many blogs as you can and tell them “hi” in their comments (on the post that has the #FF image). You follow them, they follow you. Win. Win. Just make sure to follow back if someone follows you! What sets this Hop apart from others, is our Feature. Each week we will showcase a Featured Blogger, from all different genres and areas. Who is our Feature today? Find out below. Just remember it is required, if you participate, to follow our Features and you must follow the hosts (Parajunkee & Alison Can Read) as a courtesy.

Have you ever convinced someone to read a book, a series, or a whole genre?

What book(s) and who was it? Did they like it?

Yes! It was the Narnia series and it took some convincing on my part, too.

I just entered college and C.S. Lewis was my idol. I found out that my best friend did not know Narnia. How could it be? Obviously, she lived under a rock all her life so as any responsible friend would do, I felt the need to educate her about Narnia... every minute of our free time. Lunch breaks, in between classes, mall time, you name it. I was really pushy! Finally, she caved in and borrowed my book. She totally loved it! From then on, her trust in my opinion became a little stronger.

Thank you for taking the time to read my answer! I would prefer new GFC & Twitter followers (found at the footer) and RSS subscribers (sidebar). Promise you will not regret it! Have a great day.

Audiobook Review: Sea of Shadows (Age of Legends #1)

2014-05-22T13:31:00.000+08:00

ABOUT THE BOOK

Author: Kelley Armstrong
Format: Audio | Narrator: Jennifer Ikeda
Published April 8th 2014 by Harper Audio

They hear the spirits.
They must obey.
In the Forest of the Dead, where the empire’s worst criminals are exiled, twin sisters Moria and Ashyn are charged with a dangerous task. For they are the Keeper and the Seeker, and each year they must quiet the enraged souls of the damned.
Only this year, the souls will not be quieted.
Ambushed and separated by an ancient evil, the sisters’ journey to find each other sends them far from the only home they’ve ever known. Accompanied by a stubborn imperial guard and a dashing condemned thief, the girls cross a once-empty wasteland, now filled with reawakened monsters of legend, as they travel to warn the emperor. But a terrible secret awaits them at court - one that will alter the balance of their world forever.

____________________________________

BOOK REVIEW

The Seeker and the Keeper, the guardian and protector of the spirits.

Alright then. Sounds interesting.

Shadow Stalkers, vengeful spirits that possessed the dead bodies of the villagers and turned them into mindless, flesh-eating zombies.

They have zombies? Heck yeah, I'm in!!!

Then we get to know the twins and hellooooo yawn kingdom! Ladies and gentlemen, let me introduce are-you-an idiot Ashyn and are-you-crazy Moria. They are twins. Double the, well... frustration.

The Main Characters

Ashyn is the Seeker and her job is to find corpses and rest their bodies and spirits into eternal slumber. She had her immortal hound, Daigo, to aid her in completing her tasks. Then Moria is the Keeper, assigned to keep the spirits at bay and protect the village with the help of her immortal wildcat, Tova. I couldn't decide whom I liked worst. Both of them are exceedingly annoying characters. Honestly!

The job is quite simple, go find the angry spirits and convince them that their angst and pining is pretty much pointless since they're already dead. So Ashyn hopped along the forest to do just that, never mind that her IMMORTAL hound, who by the way is said to be the reincarnation of a great warrior, was doing his best to stop her.

Ashyn be like, "Oh Daigo. I want to heed your advise since you only exist to protect my life but I must do my best to please the villagers. Plus, I secretly aspire to be like my sister Moria. Reckless, illogical and a staarrrr. Promise, I'll be careful." Yeah, you do that. Idiot.

Then commence the disappearing sister act, zombie kills, kidnapping, bandits, and more kidnappings. Considering that most of these happened in the forest is mind-boggling. Could it be possibly a sign to stay away from the forest?! But since we have dumb and dumber as main characters, I really shouldn't had gotten my hopes up.

Now, let's talk about Moria.

Moria thinks she is a bad ass. Well, Moria is wrong. Moria lies a lot, runs around, and talks too much. She is like a banshee. Annoying. I just want to stuff her inside a locked chest and throw away the key.

I failed to see what is so special about these girls. Sure they could talk to spirits but they're not very good at doing it. In fact, they sucked! The guardian animals, whom should've added some spice to the story left me with a bitter aftertaste. Just like their masters, they were useless.

The Plot

Seeking got out of hand, zombies aka Shadow Stalkers in the flesh attacked, sister got kidnapped and twin rushed in to save her. Rinse and repeat. *yawns

I think that our beloved author is going for the high/epic fantasy route but fell short.

The book is boring. But, but it had zombies! I love zombies. I adore them. I like to cage them and pet them and stare at them all day, in a non-creepy way of course. It's like, "My plot might be a bit dry and repetitive, but we have zombies!!! Love me." No, not gonna happen. You're boring.

You know what will solve the main conflict and little conflicts of this story?

MOBILE PHONES. Give the girl a damn phone and get on with it. Agghhh!!

M: Ashyn! Wr r u? What's taking so long?

A: OMG. Shadow stalkers attack!!! SOS

M: On my way. Tracking u via GPS. I also sent a Twitter alert to the council. Take pictures.

End of story.

The Romance (?)

Of course, what kind of self-respecting YA/Fantasy novel lacked the element of romance? I appreciate the fact that Armstrong did not add insta-love to the mix. KA is one of my favorite authors and the main reason I like her so much is that she molds the banters and the almost-kisses into a slow but sure dance to couple territory. You see it coming but still takes you by surprise. Well, this book is a disappointment.

The romance, if not non-existent, is underdeveloped to the point where the intimacy shown (call that an overstatement) and moments of fleeting feelings felt forced.

What Helped Me Get Through This

To be quite honest with you, I had a hard time focusing on this book. And it's not because I was listening to it, far from it. In fact, if I was not listening to it, I probably wouldn't have finished it.

Jennifer Ikeda is my savior! No, really. If it wasn't for her masterful narration, I wouldn't be able to finish this book. Her voice brought colors and layers to the story. Her narration single-handedly motivated me to finish this book. My goodness, she even made me like, just a little bit, the character of Ashyn with her innocent and gentle voice. Safe to say, this book would've gotten a lower rating if it was not for the narrator.

Freebies: I am a YA Blogger

2014-05-21T10:55:00.001+08:00

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Book Review: Disruption (The Cambridge Files, Book 1)

2014-05-15T14:56:00.000+08:00

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest and totally unbiased review.

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Author: Steven Whibley

At fourteen, Matt Cambridge has executed so many pranks-the latest nearly destroying his school-that his parents are out of discipline options. So his father pulls a few questionable strings to get his son into Camp Friendship: a camp that promises to strengthen the moral compass of today's youth. With a name like Camp Friendship Matt imagines three punishing weeks of daisy chains and Kumbayas. Within minutes of arriving at the camp, however, Matt's nearly killed-twice. It doesn't take long for him to realize there's more to this picture-perfect place than meets the eye. What sort of summer camp has classes in forging passports? Why do they have endless fight training, and weapons drills, and what is with the hidden rooms? Matt wonders if his parents realize they've enrolled him in what seems to be some kind of freakish, elite spy school. What Matt doesn't yet know is that Camp Friendship's ultimate purpose is far more sinister than he could possibly have imagined. With each dot he connects, he begins to understand that in the end he'll be left with two choices: pull the prank of a lifetime to escape this place . . . or die trying.

BOOK REVIEW:

Disruption is about a boy named Matt who was sent to Camp Friendship by his father as a form of punishment. His dad supposedly pulled some strings in order for him to get there and warned him to stay low. Shortly after arriving, he had met two of the camp authorities and unwittingly helped them. He also got involved in a fight that made him the target of the camp's resident bully. After that, he was designated as one of the team leaders and completed dangerous tasks along with his weird and deadly set of team mates. So much for staying low!

This book reminded me of Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson series because of the camp setting. Let me tell you, I had never been in a camp before so I have no idea what a real camp looks like or how it operates. Therefore, whenever I hear about summer camps, I immediately thought of Percy Jackson which I know is weird but that's how it is for me.

Okay, so going back to Whibley's book. The main character Matt is really clever and a breath of fresh air from the books that I normally read. Before I started reading it, I was fully aware of who the target audience are, so in short, I knew what I was getting myself into!

The main character is not TSTL, which is always good! I like that Matt can adapt well to his environment without giving away his own secrets. And like I said before, he is really clever for a fourteen-year old kid which brings us to the issue that I had with this book...

The way the plot was written and how the characters responded to the situation that were given did not exactly give me the impression that they are around 13 to 15 year old kids. I find it hard to believe that a fourteen year old could pull off such an elaborate prank or even think about it. It could also be due to the fact that I am used to well-behaved teenagers, but still!

You might be thinking, "But Vanessa, it's just a story! A make-believe."

Um, NO. You see, I find it difficult to imagine a kid who just graduated from middle school firing a gun in a target range or almost getting blown to bits by a bomb. I'm all in for violence in a book or movie (this is coming from the girl who enjoys katana-wielding vampire and horrific zombie kills), so don't get me wrong. I mean, okay, so it's all make-believe and who doesn't like a fun action-packed read every once in a while? Right? But if I am a parent, it will bother me to have my middle-schooler read this, so proper guidance is a MUST.

Now, overcoming that age issue, I have to admit that I absolutely liked this book and would recommend it.

The team's ensemble is interesting! Rylee was the perfect partner-in-crime for Matt. I know this is really bad and stereotypical of me to say, but she is like the Hermione/Annabeth of the story. Afterall, she brought the whole team together and gave valued advices to Matt. Then there is the computer nerd - why do they always make them geeky and defenseless? I don't know. Can't they be at least hot for a change? *winks

Despite of my earlier aversion to the plot, I have to say, it is like ice cream on a hot, sweaty summer day. It can't be good for you all the time but you crave it like, well... like ice cream! Duh. And the writing? OH WOW. Steven Whimbley was able to capture my attention with his detailed and chair-gripping action scenes.

RATING:

BONUS STUFF (because we're awesome like that)

About the author:

Steve believes in pixies and fairy dust, and the healing power of unicorns. When he’s not writing epic tales of horned beasties, he’s working as a look-a-like for Brad Pitt, Ryan Reynolds, Zac Efron, and Seal. He spends his free time training hairless mole rats to be service animals for the colorblind, and dreams of one day inventing a Thanksgiving dish that will rival the infamous turducken.

Steve also believes most readers do not read author biographies. Author's website.

AUTHOR INTERVIEW:

Upon nosing around, I found out the inspiration for your first novel is about a daydream. Can you tell us about Disruption's?

Several years ago I watched a movie featuring a kid spy. The main character was sent to a training camp where he and other kids learned how to be one of the good guys. There are dozens of such films and I honestly can’t remember the name of the one I’d been watching. But I remember thinking that if I was a criminal, and I saw how effective these kid spies were at thwarting our heists, I’d create a camp for kid criminals.

That idea stuck with me, but it was years later that I started writing.

If you're on a Delta team, what would your role be?

I’d like to think I’d be like Rylee: A watcher and reader of people. She put together a great team because she paid attention and saw the strengths each teammate brought to the table. Writers are notorious people-watchers, and I’m no exception.

How did you conduct research about a spy book? Do you have any spy friends that traded in secrets with you or had spy training yourself?

I suspect I write books about underground camps because I know it’s the only way I’ll ever get to experience such places. Alas, none of my friends are spies, or at least they’re good enough spies that I haven’t discovered their alternate life just yet. The only real research I did was to look up the prevailing criminal elements in various countries around the world so I could thread them into my plot. I did, however, work as a lifeguard at a couple summer camps when I was younger and I remember thinking how one of the camps had kids and counselors who seemed overly enthusiastic about camp life. I distinctly remember thinking they were all probably hiding some dark secret.

Tell us one interesting thing about yourself that is not included in your bio.

Once, while living overseas, I had my apartment broken into. . .while I was home. When I came back (having jumped out a window and run away like a frightened squirrel) my door was damaged (it had been kicked open) but nothing was missing. Why the man entered my apartment and what he was after is something I’ll never know.

Oh my goodness. That sounds terrifying! I bet you were super shocked and confused at the same time. What did you do after that happened?

I was in a small city in Japan at the time, and didn't have the first clue where the police station was. I waited until morning before going back to my place--when I knew there would be people heading to work from the other units in the building. When I saw that nothing was taken, I closed the door the best I could and went to work. I was an English teacher and I mentioned what happened to a group of adult students. Theories about what happened ranged from, a drunken business man who had mistaken my house for his own, and had kicked open the door out of frustration that his key wouldn't work, all the way to, a Yakuza hit-man who'd come to deal with me after I had visited (and photographed) a local pachinko parlor. I had been to a pachinko parlor hours before the break-in, and had indeed taken pictures. I was told by my students that it's a well known, albeit unwritten, rule that photos are not permitted at such establishments. Ultimately I decided the drunk business-man theory was much more probable than the Yakuza hit-man.

So for our readers visiting or living in a foreign country, we should all be very cautious. *nods sagely

What is the best part of being a writer for you? What about the most challenging part?

The best part of being a writer is the feeling when you complete a manuscript and you finally see the world you imagined lied out before you. It’s a satisfying experience made all the more satisfying when someone tells you they read and enjoyed the world you created. The hardest part is perhaps the fact that, with few exceptions, it’s only other writers who can really relate to struggling with a story element. Things like plot arcs and motivations don’t tend to interest many non-writers.

Speaking of motivations, how do you overcome writer's block? Any special rituals?

Ah, writer's block. Although I have, on occasion, burned out from writing too much, I am a firm believer that writer's block is not a real thing (at least that's what I tell myself). Or, I should say, it's no more real than firefighter's block, or school teacher block or a 'block' in any other career. It's my opinion that if you think of writing as an occupation, and you do it everyday (may need to force yourself at first), you soon realize that while you can have good and bad days, you generally can produce something every day. Some days, like any job, you may need to force yourself to get up and go to work, but you can still be productive--you can still get words down. I worry about polishing those words after the fact. Step one of writing, for me, is just getting words down.

Thank you Steve for sharing your experiences and knowledge!!!

BOOK GIVEAWAY:

Join the giveaway and get a chance to win a copy of Disruption!

We will be giving away 3 ebook and 2 paperback copies!!!

The 5 winners will be announced on May 31, 2014 EST. Open internationally. You must be of legal age (18 and above) in order to join.

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Custom Blog Design Giveaway!

2014-05-06T23:38:00.000+08:00

Hi! How are you? It's been a year since my last post, well not really, but you know what I mean.

I AM BACK!!! So happy. :-)

And I couldn't just go back without style. So notice something different? I bet you do. And no, it's not my renewed enthusiasm. I'm talking about Bluest Ribbon's new design to celebrate my come back!

So for those of you that did not know, I'm a blog and website designer since 2007. A couple of months ago, I appeared less and less online until I stopped my web activities all together (except for FB, 'cause c'mon, that's FB and my 'real world' friends will start to wonder where I am). The reason for my hiatus is that I moved to a different city and had a full time job, so I'd been really busy. Well, things changed and for the better! I moved back to my hometown and I am now officially enrolled as a university student. I am just so happy to be back home.

Anyway, a week ago, a dear friend of mine asked me to design her son's first birthday party invitation cards, party banner and the private photo blog for it. The outcome was a hit!

It really touched my heart when I helped her out. So I am extending my help to YOU.

In celebration of my come back and re-opening of not just my blog, but my professional design services as well, 1 LUCKY blog reader will get the chance to win up to $120 worth of custom blog design!

This giveaway is open internationally to both Blogger and WordPress bloggers of legal age (must be 18 years old and above) and will run for a month. Deadline of submission of entries will be on June 7, 2014 EST. The lucky winner will be announced here and will need to agree to the TOS sent via email before the start of the design process.

The winner will be selected via Rafflecopter.

Good luck!!!

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Review: Daughter of Smoke & Bone (Daughter of Smoke & Bone #1)

2014-05-04T12:09:00.002+08:00

“Yearning for love made her feel like a cat that was always twining around ankles, meowing Pet me, pet me, look at me, love me. Better to be the cat gazing coolly down from a high wall, its expression inscrutable. The cat that shunned petting, that needed no one. Why couldn't she be that cat?”

ABOUT THE BOOK:
Author: Laini Taylor

Around the world, black handprints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky.

In a dark and dusty shop, a devil’s supply of human teeth grown dangerously low.

And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherwordly war.

Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real, she’s prone to disappearing on mysterious "errands", she speaks many languages - not all of them human - and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she’s about to find out.

When beautiful, haunted Akiva fixes fiery eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself?

BOOK REVIEW:

Main character Karou is artistic, mysterious and can exact a funny vengeance on the spot.

Fan Rendition of Karou

“She had a sadness that was so deep, but it still could turn to light in a second,and when I saw her smile I wondered what it would be like to make her smile. I thought...I thought it would be like the discovery of smiling.” - Akiva

As an errand girl and a loyal friend, she is trapped between living in two worlds (err, not the Hannah Montana type, her blue hair is so not a wig or even dyed). It was like she's standing in the middle of a boundary line. Stuck. One foot on the side where normal things happen, and the other, on a place where mysterious magic is at work. She's not living a boring life, by all means, far from it. It's exciting, magical and scary at times. But she is lonely and empty. Like there is something missing. Do I sound like a sentimental fool? Geez.

This fantastic novel is full of vivid imagery. Most of the chapters happened in Prague.

I have never been to Prague. I have never read any brochures or travel guides about Prague.

I was not in interested in Prague until this book came along. Prague is beautiful. It's a place rich in secrets, artisans, elegant houses and horror-filled stories. I was there with Karou, Zuzana, Mik and even the good-for-nothing Kaz. I was lost in Prague while sitting on my own bed munching on chocolate-coated almonds.

Such a romantic city...

And speaking of romance, OHMYGOSHFREAKINGGOSH!!! Yes, the capslock is a must. The romance is SAPPY with an extra sauce of sappiness in an adorable kind of sappy without the puke-inducing sappiness!!! Am I making any sense? It was sweet, intense, and cute.

“He was right. It made no sense at all, but the feeling flooded through Karou, and whatever it was, it was as sweet as a patch of sun on a glossy floor and, like a cat, she just wanted to curl up in it.”

I am not going to lie, the romance is predictable. Not kind of, not even a little but really predictable. I won't elaborate on it because that might give away the plot of this book. Let's just say that I know where it was going from the start but I still lapped it up. It was the writing that mesmerized me and I guess the kind of love in it. It was the selfless kind. I was love struck with the romance and Akiva!

“Oh, Hell. Must. Mate. Immediately.” - Zuzana

Akiva was delicious. First he was scary then he was like a zombie coming back to life AND then he was delicious. And a bad-ass. He's one of those rare heroes that is totally fine whether he is an angel, vampire, fairy, prince, barbarian, zombie, mammoth, monkey, werewolf, or even just a mere human. Yes, he is that likable.

The friendship between Zuzana and Karou is amazing and believable. Zuzana is hands down the best-best friend in the history of YA!

“Hey! My body may be small, but my soul is large. It’s why I wear platforms. So I can reach the top of my soul.” - Zuzana

I honestly cannot remember a single character that I hated. Even the asshole ex-boyfriend and the main antagonist were alright.

The predictability of this novel did not hinder me from giving it a perfect rating because the plot is beyond interesting and well-written. An absolute recommended read with Bluest Ribbon's seal of approval!

RATING:

FAVORITE QUOTE:

“Hope can be a powerful force. Maybe there's no actual magic in it, but when you know what you hope for most and hold it like a light within you, you can make things happen, almost like magic.” - Madrigal Kirin

Review: A Temptation of Angels (repost from my Goodreads review)

2014-05-02T14:22:00.000+08:00

Disclaimer: This is purely a result of me having no life. If you have any complaints or violent reactions, then I suggest that you go amuse yourself. Thank you.

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Author: Michelle Zink

Even angels make mistakes in this page-turning epic romance

When her parents are murdered before her eyes, sixteen-year-old Helen Cartwright finds herself launched into an underground London where a mysterious organization called the Dictata controls the balance of good and evil. Helen learns that she is one of three remaining angelic descendants charged with protecting the world's past, present, and future. Unbeknownst to her, she has been trained her whole life to accept this responsibility. Now, as she finds herself torn between the angelic brothers protecting her and the devastatingly handsome childhood friend who wants to destroy her, she must prepare to be brave, to be hunted, and above all to be strong, because temptation will be hard to resist, even for an angel.

Michelle Zink masterfully weaves historical fantasy with paranormal romance to create a gripping tale of love and betrayal.

BOOK REVIEW:

I'm amused at how much publicity "A Temptation of Angels" is getting. Zink's team knows their shit. And really, I'm not being sarcastic. I'm just plain amused.

I'm amused that everybody seemed to LURV this oh-so-good-novel.

I'm amused that I didn't. It made me completely lethargic and apathetic.

I'm amused that it promised me a "page-turning epic romance experience".

I'm amused that I have to contradict that. If there's anything epic about this novel... well, there is nothing really epic about this. Otherwise, I have to say some very bad words next to epic. So let's drop it, ok?

I'm amused that it made the "Amazing Covers of 2012" list. There is nothing amazing about a girl looking fascinated with smoke or fog or whatever that thing is.

Actual book cover.

I'm amused that Zink's amazing team managed to miss - not one, not two, not even three - but FOUR FREAKIN' books with the exact same cover (minus the smoke or fog or whatever that thing is) .

(click on each cover for book details)

I'm amused that this book lacks originality. This is your TYPICAL YA. This book is both meh on the inside and outside.

I'm amused that the story happened in London yet it never really showed me London. A tourist's map is by far more descriptive and exciting than this book.

I'm amused that I was not enlightened at all. It left me in a very dark place, with my very dark thoughts.

I'm amused that this had been a complete waste of time, effort, and more effort. Because I needed to put a lot of effort into finishing this book. Wait, sorry, I take that back. I DID NOT finish this book. I ran out of Advils, you see.

RATING:

Michelle Zink, congratulations on amusing me and making me brain dead with every horrifying page turn!

Review: Beautiful Creatures (Caster Chronicles, #1)

2013-02-24T12:33:00.002+08:00

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Authors: Kami Garcia, Margaret Stohl

Lena Duchannes is unlike anyone the small Southern town of Gatlin has ever seen, and she's struggling to conceal her power, and a curse that has haunted her family for generations. But even within the overgrown gardens, murky swamps and crumbling graveyards of the forgotten South, a secret cannot stay hidden forever. Ethan Wate, who has been counting the months until he can escape from Gatlin, is haunted by dreams of a beautiful girl he has never met. When Lena moves into the town's oldest and most infamous plantation, Ethan is inexplicably drawn to her and determined to uncover the connection between them.
In a town with no surprises, one secret could change everything.

BOOK REVIEW:

I've been seeing this novel at the bookstore for almost three years now. But I never picked it up until I heard that a movie is coming out. And for me, there are only two reasons why a book would be turned into a movie. One, the book is a future classic, unforgettable and absolutely addicting for all the right reasons. And two, it is a future classic, unforgettable and absolutely addicting for all the wrong reasons.

So okay, why not give it a try? Right?

The book was written by two authors, Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl. None of them I'm familiar with. Come to think of it, that was probably the reason why I didn't go gaga over this book when it was first released.

So the story is about this supernatural girl/boy who moved into this town and met an ordinary boy/girl, whom she/he fell in love with... BLAH BLAH BLAH. So what's new? Didn't I read about this plot like a hundred times already? Seriously, WHAT'S NEW?!

Here's what new: It's INCREDIBLY LOOONNNNGGGGGG!!!!

Ahem. Okay. Breathe. Easy.

Let me start again...

Set in the fictional town of Gatlin, South Carolina, this novel has a southern gothic feel to it. However, this town is full of walking stereotypes. And I am not just talking about the accent! You know those jesus-freak rednecks? Yep, and the whole nine yards. If I am a southerner, I would personally be offended. But what do I know, right? I'm not even an American. But whoever agrees with me, kindly raise your right hand please!

Unlike most people, the beginning of this novel captivated me. The narrator, Ethan Wate, a young male protagonist is a refreshing change from all those shallow-minded/clumsy/conflicted/self-absorbed female narrators in the YA genre. I don't want to generalized the genre, but sadly, it is the plain truth. If sex sells in movies, well, STUPID sells in YA.

Anyway, Ethan is neither selfish nor stupid. He is, however, pretty boring. I was not kidding when I told you that this novel is incredibly long. And that's what probably made Ethan boring. Don't get me wrong. He is a good kid with all the right intentions. But with the length of this novel combined with his repetitive conflicts, the story gets old pretty fast.

I did appreciate that the authors managed to create a bearable female protagonists. I mean, if I met Lena in the real life, I wouldn't bludgeon her to a slow, painful death. She is a "likable" character to say the least. And coming from me, that is saying a LOT.

Lena Duchannes is an interesting character. The fact that Lena don't even know her true nature and name before her 16th birthday is interesting. Her whole family is interesting, even the psychotic ones. Especially the psychotic ones!

The whole book is interesting. But sadly, that's where it ends.

Basically, the only main conflict of the story is...

STOP LENA FROM GETTIN' DARK, Y'ALL!

There weren't even any side quests. So this plot being a 560-page something book baffles me.

WHY?! WHY?! Answer me, dammit.

Here's why: TOO MANY CHARACTERS, TOO MANY UNNEEDED SCENES

To sum it up, the writing isn't horrific. If this book was shorter, it could have been better.

If you're thinking of reading this book 'coz you wanna see the movie, you could skip it. Trust me, the movie is much, much, more awesome than the book. I'm giving this a rating of...

RATING:

Review: The Lost Prince (Call of the Forgotten #1)

2012-12-14T09:20:00.001+08:00

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Author: Julie Kagawa

Don’t look at Them. Never let Them know you can see Them.

That is Ethan Chase’s unbreakable rule. Until the fey he avoids at all costs—including his reputation—begin to disappear, and Ethan is attacked. Now he must change the rules to protect his family. To save a girl he never thought he’d dare to fall for.

Ethan thought he had protected himself from his older sister’s world—the land of Faery. His previous time in the Iron Realm left him with nothing but fear and disgust for the world Meghan Chase has made her home, a land of myth and talking cats, of magic and seductive enemies. But when destiny comes for Ethan, there is no escape from a danger long, long forgotten.

BOOK REVIEW:

WARNING: Let me be the douchebag and say that this book had crashed and burned for me. Obviously, I set my expectations TOO HIGH. So if you're a big Kagawa fan and easily offended... you know what NOT to do. Thank you.

Isn't the cover HOT? Makes you wanna cuddle up and sleep with it. Like a stuffed toy! What?! Ok, forget I said that. That was a bit creepy, wasn't it?

Seriously, why is Ethan so gorgeous? He was just an adorable little kid last year! Like the little kid you want to take to the park and give ice cream and stuff. THIS. IS. NOT. FAIR. Hmp!

Well, I could still give him ice cream and stuff. All he have to do is go to the dark side. MUAHAHAHAHAHAHA. *coughs

Speaking of dark side, this kid has a lot of it. No, you silly, I am not talking about I'm-evil-give-me-your-first-child-dark-side. Just your regular teenage-rebel drama, yes sir! Which I personally think is a little over the top and makes me want to ask, "Really, Ethan? Really?"

To be fair, I am NOT a fan of teen angst. I repeat, not a fan. I can somehow tolerate it and focus on the story line but on this book, not so much.

So you ask, but why? Isn't Julie Kagawa one of your all-time favorite writers?

She's still one of my all-time favorite writers. The Proof: my shameless fan-girling of "The Immortal Rules".

BUT... this book's pacing is like a moving tortoise with a real estate on its back. My reading experience was slow, unbearable, and frankly, not as enjoyable as the first series. Don't get me wrong though, you could still follow the story even without reading the Iron Fey series. But you can't blame me for comparing it to the first one, this is a spin-off after all!

And since we are on the topic of comparison, Ethan is the total opposite of his sister. They are both courageous, I give you that. But Ethan's courage is overshadowed by his traumatic past. His actions at school and his aloofness is justifiable. But for goblin's sake, don't blame EVERYTHING. I am not kidding. This kid's angst could fill up the superbowl.

I just saw a sprite, maybe I'll blame my shoes for not being made of iron or my sister for being a faerie queen. Whatever works. (THIS IS NOT A DIRECT QUOTE FROM THE BOOK)

At least, something to that effect. So, I guess it's safe to say that Ethan Chase is not my favorite character in the book.

I almost gave up on this one. And then Grim showed up and I was like WOOHOOO! That's when story started to pick up a little. What can I say? I missed the cat's snobbishness.

Puck, Ash and Meghan also made an appearance on this novel, as well as some few minor characters. But even with that, the story just seemed to drag on. I couldn't tell if this book was about the new breed of faeries or Ethan's budding love life. In the end, I felt like this entire book is just an introduction to the next in the series. It is not even fangirl material. To be honest, I felt cheated because now I need to read the next book. Let's just hope that curiosity wouldn't kill the cat.

I'm giving this one....

Blog Tour: Rebel Heart by Moira Young

2012-08-27T21:35:00.000+08:00

Guest post by Moira Young, the author of Blood Red Road (Dust Lands Series).

The Music of Blood Red Road and Rebel Heart

Music has always been an integral part of my life. My family is heaving with musicians of all kinds. My mum taught piano, so I started early, going on to a career in musicals and opera. And – surprise, surprise – music has ended up in my books.

I started modestly. With sea shanties in mind, I put one song into Blood Red Road: Jack sings “Hard-Hearted Annie”. Then I let rip in Rebel Heart. I put in instruments, dance music, songs, and musical echoes from the lost world of the Wreckers. All the music – with two significant exceptions – is inspired by folk (American and British), country, blues and bluegrass.

The first music in Rebel Heart comes at the Snake River social. A brassy dame sings with a junkband. It’s a high-spirited square dance that “bucks an kicks an hollers to yer heartbeat”. The junkband idea came from a BBC documentary, Scrapheap Orchestra, and fits perfectly with Saba’s world.

The Scrapheap Orchestra

Salmo Slim, “Travellatin Physician an Surgeon”, sings to Moses the camel as they rattle around New Eden in the Cosmic Compendalorium. Slim’s partial to bawdy tavern ditties. I have great fun writing the lyrics to my songs and take ages over them. I do have a tune in my head for each one, but nothing I’m willing to share! Anyway, it’s the rhythms that are really important.

Playing spoons – he’s got rhythm

There’s another dance once Saba and her friends reach New Eden. This one is a harvest celebration, with the dancers’ faces concealed by primitive corn-husk masks and darker, rougher, earthbound music, heavy on the drums. Here, I was thinking of the ancient festivals that would have punctuated the year for our ancestors, before we lost our connection to the natural cycles of the earth.

Masked ceremonial dancers

Near the end of the book, there’s one piece of music from an opera. I’ll give a prize to the first person who correctly identifies it, unless they happen to be an opera singer. If they are, they should recognize it immediately and if they don’t, shame on them.

Here’s a big hint

I use musical rhythms, beats, pulses and phrasing, usually when I want the language to help push the pace or reflect Saba’s emotional state. For example:

I cain’t speak.

Cain’t breathe.

Lugh’s gone.

Gone.

My golden heart is gone.

I kneel in the dust.

The tears roll down (my face).

An a hard red rain starts to fall.

If I were writing this now, I would leave out “my face”. For me, that line needs to be rebalanced. Each line break indicates a breath and/or an emotional shift. This drives my editor bonkers for a very practical reason: more lines equals more pages equals higher production costs. She pulls the lines closer together and I immediately set about reinstating as many as I can get away with!

So, music in the language, the text, even the structure of the trilogy as a three-act opera … I could go on. But you get the drift. As Kiki Dee says, “I got the music in me.”

Moira Young’s blog tour concludes tomorrow at

www.feelingfictional.com

www.facebook.com/bloodredroadbook @Moira_Young

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More about the author:

Moira was born in New Westminster, BC, on the west coast of Canada, to a business man father and a primary teacher mother. She has two younger sisters and all her immediate and extended family live in the Vancouver area.

Moira graduated from high school in Winnipeg, and from University of British Columbia with a history degree. She moved to the UK to attend The Drama Studio in 1983/4. She gained her equity card performing with Fancy Goods on the alternative comedy circuit in the mid-80s when highlights included being pelted with fruit and vegetables by the audience at the infamous Tunnel Club, and being hissed off the stage at the Lewisham Labour Club... She became a tap-dancing chorus girl in London’s West End, appearing in High Society at the Victoria Palace directed by Richard Eyre.

From 1988 – 1992, Moira lived back in Vancouver, where she retrained as an opera singer and was winner of the Metropolitan Opera Regional Auditions, Western Canada in 1991. In 1992, she moved back to the UK to continue vocal studies and work in opera, where she sang in most London venues and also toured in the UK and France with Travelling Opera. Her solo concerts include St Martin’s-in-the-Fields and the National Portrait Gallery.

Moira’s first ambition was always to be a writer. She wrote her first book aged 9 entitled ‘The Heirloom Mystery’. Shortly after that, she was bitten by the theatre bug and didn’t take up writing again until 2003 when she enrolled on Elizabeth Hawkins’ Writing for Children course and workshop at the City Lit (2003-2005). Moira’s first children’s novel, Blood Red Road, won the 2011 Costa Children’s Book Award. The sequel, Rebel Heart is now available.

READ MY REVIEW OF BLOOD RED ROAD HERE.

Review: Radiant Darkness by Emily Whitman

2012-05-04T09:00:00.000+08:00

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Author: Emily Whitman

Persephone lives in the most gorgeous place in the world. But her mother's a goddess, as overprotective as she is powerful. Paradise has become a trap. Just when Persephone feels there's no chance of escaping the life that's been planned for her, a mysterious stranger arrives. A stranger who promises something more—something dangerous and exciting—something that spurs Persephone to make a daring choice. A choice that could destroy all she's come to love, even the earth itself.

BOOK REVIEW:

There are many ways to mess up a totally fine Greek Myth, like, I don't know, making Hades a virgin? Fortunately, this book did not suffer from that atrocity. This sad novel, however, suffered from a yawn-inducing syndrome I like to call brought-nothing-new-or-special-to-the-table-story.

Let me make it clear though, I did NOT hate this book. I just didn't like it.

But if you want me to be a straightforward brute, this is how I will describe this book:

It's an UNIMAGINATIVE and BORING STORYTELLING with a WHINY HEROINE.

And SINCE, I am trying to be nice (really, I am - haha, yeah right) I won't say that about it. It's a tough job, you know. But some sorry soul gotta do it.

In this retelling, Persephone claimed that the "The Rape of Persephone" story was wrong on so many levels. So naturally, I was inclined to form high expectations from Persephone. I thought that she would be this badass MC that kicks butts. I thought that this would be a cool underworld adventure story. I thought that I would immensely enjoy this book.

Well, I thought wrong.

The book started with Persephone whining how her mother treats her like a baby. She whined that she doesn't get out of the vale. She whined that she can't do adult things. And in between those whining sessions, she weaves.

Okaayyy...

When Hades appeared, she temporarily stopped whining and started obsessing about romance. And then BAM! They fell in love.

Another okaayyy...

So we all know that Hades took Persephone to the underworld without Demeter's permission, right? Apparently, what we DIDN'T know is that Hades likes to ride horses all day. When he isn't CONTROLLING Persephone, he gallops away with a steed.

Err... how interesting. How two-dimensional. How.... LAME.

Persephone is the tamest, most domestic and clueless goddess I have ever read. It would be an overstatement if I say that NOTHING happened in this book. But that's what I thought while reading it. She weaved, kept a garden and took royalty lessons. I don't know about you, but I think that gods and goddesses taking royalty lessons Princess' Diaries style is laughable. Umm... they're GODS and GODDESSES? They don't need those useless shit?

But who am I to whine, right? I'm just a reader.

Okay, so as I've mentioned earlier, NOTHING happened in this book. Well, something did happen back on Earth. When Persephone learned about the drought, you would think she would put two and two together. Hello? Earth to Persephone! Your mother is the goddess of harvest, why do you think this is happening? Most of the time, her naivety is bordering on stupidity it's not even funny.

And finally, the writing. Yes, I want to talk about the juvenile writing. I am not a fan of child-like writing style so I didn't like this book. I'm sorry, but I was led to believe that the author is a big fan of Disney movies and happy endings. The writing wasn't horrible but there were no consistencies. Reading this book is like riding an unmoving roller coaster. I wished I could say that this book wasn't for me, but I am a sucker for mythology, so that's not even the case.

RATING:

Review: The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong

2012-04-27T21:30:00.000+08:00

Hey guys! Gosh, I've been very busy these past few days. New job, new apartment, new friends!!! YAY. And speaking of friends, we will be having a giveaway in the future. So watch out for that! ANYWAY, I hope you'll enjoy my review of The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong (part of The Darkest Powers trilogy).

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Author: Kelley Armstrong

Chloe Saunders sees dead people. Yes, like in the films. The problem is, in real life saying you see ghosts gets you a one-way ticket to the psych ward. And at 15, all Chloe wants to do is fit in at school and maybe get a boy to notice her. But when a particularly violent ghost haunts her, she gets noticed for all the wrong reasons. Her seemingly crazed behaviour earns her a trip to Lyle House, a centre for disturbed teens.

At first Chloe is determined to keep her head down. But then her room mate disappears after confessing she has a poltergeist, and some of the other patients also seem to be manifesting paranormal behaviour. Could that be a coincidence? Or is Lyle House not quite what it seems…? Chloe realizes that if she doesn’t uncover the truth, she could be destined for a lifetime in a psychiatric hospital. Or could her fate be even worse…? Can she trust her fellow students, and does she dare reveal her dark secret?

BOOK REVIEW:

Where do I begin without sounding like a lunatic fan girl? So this is all you need to know: I ABSOFREAKINLUTELY LOVED this book! I guess by saying that, I am now a certified Kelley Armstrong fan. Right? Or do I have to sacrifice dancing kittens for that?

I'll even throw in the DJ.

Okay, okay. Less yapping and more reviewing...

Chloe Saunders is your typical, likable 15 year-old girl. What I liked about her character is the lack of Mary Sueness. She is a real girl, with real friends and goals. She also dreams of becoming a screenwriter/director, that's why she attended an art/drama school. Well, would you look at that! A YA character with an actual ambition.

This girl is smart and... surprise, surprise! She SHOWS it. I read LOT of books with heroines described as having above average IQs but managed to make dumb decisions anyway. So thank you, Kelley Armstrong, for creating this very REFRESHING MC. Because there's nothing more annoying than dealing with a TSTL heroine, okay?

Young Chloe was sent to Lyle House, a facility for mentally-disturbed teenagers, at the beginning of the book. And yes, being carried away in a stretcher while screaming "I see dead people!" qualifies you for admission. Except that Chloe wasn't hallucinating and really saw a dead person. Yikes! So which is worse: being diagnosed with schizophrenia or seeing schizophrenic ghosts? You decide.

That alone could make a not-yet-crazy girl crazy. But oh no, let's add in a pyromaniac, a creepy hulk-like boy and a spoiled-rich-brat-who-hates-you into the mix. See if that wouldn't drive you nuts!

Some characters in the story were effective plot devices without being too obvious. That's probably because the author actually gave them personalities and believable flaws. I mean, Victoria may be your stereotypical I'll-Make-Your-Life-A-Living-Hell-Coz-You-Stole-My-(Potential)Boyfriend character but at least she wasn't bluffing. Potential Boyfriend was not some uber handsome guy with an air of I'm-too-good-for-you coming out of his ass, which is, yep you guessed it, REFRESHING. I also loved how the main characters called out the cliches in most works of fiction.

The Lyle House seemed like a legit rehabilitation facility at first. But when Chloe found out the truth, there was only one logical thing to do: ESCAPE.

What bothered me after reading this is how the story didn't have a very strong climax and cliffhanger. But don't let that discourage you because this book is a real page turner! By the end of the story, I already cared enough for Chloe and the rest of the gang to continue reading the next book.

So why read it? Well, there were no insta-love and cardboard cut-out characters! And also the number of facepalms and headdesks I had to perform while reading this book is ZERO. Good writing, folks! Y'all enjoy it.

RATING:

PLAGIARISM is bad.

2012-04-25T15:16:00.000+08:00

It sucks.

It will ruin your integrity.

There is no such thing as an UNINTENTIONAL plagiarism.
NO. SUCH. THING.

If you are going to issue an apology... GET IT RIGHT the first time.

Do not go, "I'm sorry. It's my fault, but not really. I feel bad, it was a mistake. But not really. I'm super sorry."

"Oh let me try again, I'm sorry. But you see, I was confused and inspired. Therefore, it's kind of my fault. So I'm sorry."

GAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Nope, not gonna work.

Resources For Bloggers (because this post is not completely useless):

"Walang sikretong hindi nabubunyag." - Old Filipino Saying (No secret can be hidden forever.)

Review: Delirium by Lauren Oliver

2012-04-22T22:08:00.000+08:00

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Author: Lauren Oliver

Before scientists found the cure, people thought love was a good thing. They didn’t understand that once love -- the deliria -- blooms in your blood, there is no escaping its hold. Things are different now. Scientists are able to eradicate love, and the government demands that all citizens receive the cure upon turning eighteen. Lena Holoway has always looked forward to the day when she’ll be cured. A life without love is a life without pain: safe, measured, predictable, and happy.

But with ninety-five days left until her treatment, Lena does the unthinkable: She falls in love.

BOOK REVIEW:

The very first dystopian book that I read was something that I didn't like, it was Matched by Allie Condie. I found the plot buried under extreme fluffiness (hey look, a mini review). After that, I tend to shy away at dystopian-themed novels. So when my friend ~~practically shoved Delirium down my throat~~ suggested I read Delirium, I laughed at her face. HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! No.

AND then another friend gushed about this book and how "I should REALLY read it". Okaayyyy. And then another friend and another and another... Basically, I caved in.

In the story, Amor Deliria Nervosa is a sickness that should be avoided or treated at all cost. If a person shows any kind of intense emotion, s/he will be questioned by authorities. In short, no PDA! It reminded me a lot of this movie called The Invasion, starring Nicole Kidman. But instead of Aliens taking over your body, it is the Cure that makes you "numb" and immune to love. I liked the idea of this book, especially how it was implemented. Lauren Oliver delivered a solid plot and likable characters. Her story-telling was fantastic!

Having said all that, I didn't feel a strong connection between Lena and Alex. The relationship between the characters (Lena, Alex, Aunt Carol, Jenny, Rachel) weren't complex and interesting. I did, however, like the relationship that was established between Lena and Hana. Their friendship felt real to me. But since this is a romance-based dystopian book, I was expecting an emotional-driven love story, something that went beyond touching and kissing. Sadly, I did not see that here. I mean, don't get me wrong, the story wasn't incredibly cheesy or anything, but it lacked depth. There wasn't enough justification on why the characters should fight for their love. I couldn't symphatize with them; there was even a point in the book where I felt that taking the Cure was for the best.

The cruelty showed by the society felt rather forced. Honestly, the only time I felt for Lena had something to do with her mother.

The world-building is actually good and believable. And like I said before, Oliver delivered a solid plot. So I guess that I can safely say, "This book wasn't for me." I enjoyed reading Delirium, but I wouldn't go around ~~shoving this on people's intestinal tract~~ gushing about it!

RATING:

Featured Follow #1: Fiction Battle!

2012-04-20T17:59:00.001+08:00

This is my very first Feature and Follow! Yey me! Please leave a comment to let me know about your own Feature and Follow. Oki doki?

RULES:

(Required) Follow the Follow My Book Blog Friday Hosts {Parajunkee and Alison Can Read}.
(Required) Follow our Featured Bloggers.
Put your Blog name and URL in the Linky thing. You can also grab the code if you would like to insert it into your posts.
Grab the button down there and place it in a post, this post is for people to find a place to say “hi” in your comments and that they are now following you.
If you are using WordPress or another CMS that doesn’t have GFC (Google Friends Connect) state in your posts how you would like to be followed.
Follow Follow Follow as many as you can, as many as you want, or just follow a few. The whole point is to make new friends and find new blogs. Also, don’t just follow, comment and say hi. Another blogger might not know you are a new follower if you don’t say “HI”.
If someone comments and says they are following you, be a dear and follow back. Spread the Love…and the followers.

Q: Fight! Fight! If you could have two fictional characters battle it out (preferably from books), who would they be and who do you think would win?

A: I would like to see Bella (Twilight) and Luce (Fallen) battle it out on a flight of stairs. My bet is on the stairs! Hahaha! Totally kidding. Okay, time to be serious. Ahem...

REAL A: Penryn (Angelfall) and Remy (Hollowland), oh yeah! Bring it!

Boy, this is going to be a TOUGH battle. Both girls can kick some serious butts and they're 100% human. Hard to decide on this one: Penryn was professionally trained in martial arts, while Remy was taught by a military person to slaughter a zombie. They are both resourceful and protective sisters. But in the end, I would have to go with...

WARNING: Spoilers for those who haven't read the books!

PENRYN

I mean, she did survive the poisonous sting of a GIANT FREAK MONSTER SCORPIO. Remy's luck with the Zombie bite is purely genetic.

Book Covers: Get It Right

2012-04-17T13:19:00.000+08:00

Whitewashing: A term that now has also come to refer to the entertainment industry's attempt at making ethnic characters more appealing to the white, money-spending masses by making exotic characters less ethnic and more "white." (from Urban Dictionary)

Before we begin, have you seen my glowing review of "The Immortal Rules"? Yes? Okay. So let me start by saying that I really, really, REALLY LOVED this book! And I simply adore Julie Kagawa, she is a badass! No question about it. But despite all that...

I am NOT HAPPY.

Man, this issue with the cover just makes my blood boil. So let me make something clear:

This. Is.

Not. Allison Sekemoto.

I'm pretty sure Sekemoto is an Asian surname, specifically Japanese. Even one of the hoodlums in the story described Allie as an ASIAN DOLL.

Allie wearing heavy eye-liner, smudge lipstick and a flashy necklace. Huh?

Julie Kagawa and Harlequin Teen just launched the Blood of Eden website. But the pictures of Allison... gosh, are you kidding me?

The model (although very beautiful) doesn't look Asian to me, not even half Japanese. Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against a Caucasian model on the cover, but ONLY if the MC is actually Caucasian him/herself.

This inaccurate representation of Allison Sekemoto ticked me off very much. My dog is not happy about it as well...

Sorry, he is quite old. He is not capable of violent reactions.

I know. I know.

Authors have no say on what their book covers will look like, only publishers can make these kind of decisions. Although I disagree, I know that they have valid reasons for that rule. But when this and this happened, it's time I put my foot down and draw the line.

Here's the thing, most readers think that authors have absolute control over their own book: covers, trailers, movies, etc. That kind of belief can lead to a lot of problems for the author. So it's the publisher's job to make sure that everything goes well from the very beginning. Sometimes, an author can get lucky and have, if not smashing, a decent book cover. Sometimes, the cover doesn't make any sense at all. But hey! That's all part of the publishing game. Now, I'm not sure about self-pub authors, but my guess is that they can decide on what image they want to put on the cover.

Back to the issue...

I am sad to say that I won't be buying the physical copy of this book unless Harlequin Teen get their shit together. It's not like I'm banning this book or anything (because I loved it) but I have to make a stand. I feel that this whitewashing issue has gone far too long. It needs to stop NOW. Allie is Japanese, she needs to LOOK LIKE ONE.

Excerpt: More about TASTE

2012-04-16T20:24:00.000+08:00

SOOOOOO, I was planning to post this at an earlier time but my internet IS so damn unreliable and wonky that I have to delay. Sorry, Kate! Anyway, you know what they say... better late than preg--I mean, NEVER. Keep reading, peepz!

BOOK BLURB:

At Barinkoff Academy, there's only one rule: no students on campus after curfew. Phoenix McKay soon finds out why when she is left behind at sunset. A group calling themselves night students threaten to taste her flesh until she is saved by a mysterious, alluring boy. With his pale skin, dark eyes, and mesmerizing voice, Demitri is both irresistible and impenetrable. He warns her to stay away from his dangerous world of flesh eaters. Unfortunately, the gorgeous and playful Luka has other plans.

When Phoenix is caught between her physical and her emotional attraction, she becomes the keeper of a deadly secret that will rock the foundations of an ancient civilization living beneath Barinkoff Academy. Phoenix doesn’t realize until it is too late that the closer she gets to both Demitri and Luka the more she is plunging them all into a centuries old feud.

BOOK TRAILER:

Full Download available at http://sheisnoelle.bandcamp.com.

TASTE EXCERPT:

I mentally stomped on the intimidation their perfection brought into my mind and said, “Excuse me.”

The group froze, startled by my words. The girls had their brows raised and the boys stopped mid-speech, mouths agape. They stared at me with eyes the shade of onyx stones.

I smiled and gave them a little wave.

The boy a step ahead of the rest recovered first. His stunning features went from shocked surprise to intense interest. He reminded me of a hawk eyeing its prey. I gulped.

“A Day Student,” he said, his eyes insolent and excited.

Something about the way he said “Day Student” made my stomach flip. “Excuse me?”

They snickered. The boys looked at each other while the girls continued to stare, muffling their laughter by delicate hands. I seemed to be the butt of some joke.

“You broke the rule.” The boy’s grin turned predatory.

The students formed a loose semi-circle in front of me. My gaze darted from face to face. Hunger filled their eyes. The image of lions about to chase down a gazelle came to mind. I mentally shook my head. I was in the mountains not the Serengeti for crying out loud.

I took a small step back and cleared my throat. “Can any of you give me a ride back to the dorms?”

The boy wagged his forefinger like a metronome. “Ah, that’s unfortunate for you.”

One of the girls pinched the bridge of her nose. “Eli, you can’t possibly—”

“It’s forbidden, Eli,” another boy interrupted, pronouncing the word “forbidden” like a curse.

The nervous murmur at the pit of my stomach grew louder. Six against one. Not good odds. Instinct told me to cut my losses and run. Bad enough I faced expulsion, now it seemed like weird, beautiful people who’d suddenly appeared on campus wanted to beat me up. No, scratch that. Judging from the way they studied me, beating me up wouldn’t satisfy them. Something more primal prowled behind their looks.

I definitely wasn’t going down without a fight. Years of self-defense and hand-to-hand combat classes had me prepared. While other children from rich and important families got bodyguards, I got defense training. But I think my father meant for my skills to go up against potential kidnappers, not against other students who may or may not be crazy. Oh God! Maybe I stepped into a parallel universe or something when I reentered Barinkoff.

“None of the students are supposed to be on campus,” I said. Then, realizing my mistake, I added, “Okay, I know I’m not supposed to be here either. If one of you gives me a ride back to the dorms, I won’t say anything about all this. Let’s pretend this never happened. I didn’t see you, you didn’t see me.”

“We’re not ordinary students,” Eli answered. “We’re the Night Students.”

He’d said “Night Students” like the words were capitalized. I didn’t know Barinkoff held classes at night. What was going on here?

Eli smiled with just one side of his mouth and said to the group, “She’s right, no one will have to know. We’re the only ones here. And it’s been so long, don’t you agree?”

The rest of them nodded reluctantly.

“What’s been so long?” I challenged. I fisted my hands, ready to put them up if any of them so much as twitched my way.

“Since the taste of real flesh passed through my lips,” Eli said. He came forward and took a whiff of me then laughed when I cringed.

“Flesh.” Yep, parallel universe.

“Yes,” he said. “And yours smells so fresh.”

Someone grabbed my shoulders from behind and yanked me back before I could wrap my mind around the meaning behind Eli’s words. In a blink, I found myself behind someone tall. Someone really tall. And quite broad. And very male.

I realized he wore the same clothes Eli and the other boys did. Not good. He was one of them. Although… I cocked my head, raking my gaze over him. He seemed born to wear the uniform, like he was the pattern everyone else was cut from. My eyes wandered to long, layered, blue-black hair tied at the nape by a silk ribbon. Even in dim light, his hair possessed a sheen akin to mercury.

I looked down. The boy’s long fingers were wrapped around my wrist like a cuff. His fevered touch felt hotter than human standards, hot enough to make me sweat like I was standing beside a radiator but not hot enough to burn.

“I must be mistaken, Eli,” the boy who held my arm said in a monotone. “Correct me. Did I hear you say you wanted to taste the flesh of this girl?”

A hush descended on us. It had the hairs at the back of my neck rising. How was it possible for the atmosphere to switch from threatening to dangerous? Unable to help myself, I peeked around the new guy’s bulk. Eli and his friends bowed. They all had their right hands on their chests.

“Demitri, I’m sure you misheard me,” Eli said.

So the guy standing between me and the person who said he’d wanted to taste me was named Demitri. I like the sound of his name. Demitri. So strong, yet rolls off the tongue. Definite yum factor.

“So, you imply I made a mistake?” Demitri demanded.

“No!” Eli lifted his gaze. “I did no such thing. I simply wanted to show the girl the consequences of breaking curfew.”

“Hey!” I yelled. “Don’t talk about me like I’m not here!”

Demitri ignored my protest and continued to address Eli. “So, you threatened to taste her flesh.” His fingers tightened their grip around my wrist. “In the interest of investigating this matter further, I invoke the Silence.”

All six students gasped, passing surprised glances at one another.

Before I could ask about what was going on, Demitri yanked me down the hall toward the library. But why there? Oh, maybe we were getting my things. No, wait, he couldn’t have known about that. Everything was too confusing now.

Eli and the others didn’t try to stop us when we passed them. Demitri’s cold command must have carried power. Handsome and powerful, never a bad combination on a guy.

We reached the heavy double doors in seconds. He jerked one open effortlessly. I’d needed all my strength just to squeeze through that same door earlier. To him, the thick wood might as well have been cardboard. I raised an eyebrow and mentally listed the benefits of going to gym class.

“Why are we here?” I asked after my curiosity overpowered my worry. I’d almost forgotten how frightened I’d been right before Demitri showed up. I wasn’t above accepting help from strangers. Especially from gorgeous dark-haired strangers with hot hands and wide shoulders.

Demitri kept going, tugging me along, snaking his way deeper into the library. I had to take two steps for every stride his legs made. I tried to stay directly behind him, praying we didn’t slam into anything.

He stopped suddenly and I collided with him. It felt like slamming into a wall.

“Hey,” I said, momentarily stunned. “A little warning would be nice!”

He faced me, and I gasped. His eyes resembled a starless night, deep and endless. Their intensity drilled through me without pity, seeming to expose all my secrets. I felt naked and flustered beneath his gaze.

“You could have died back there,” he warned.

A lump of panic rebuilt itself in my throat.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

When Kate Evangelista was told she had a knack for writing stories, she did the next best thing: entered medical school. After realizing she wasn't going to be the next Doogie Howser, M.D., Kate wandered into the Literature department of her university and never looked back. Today, she is in possession of a piece of paper that says to the world she owns a Literature degree. To make matters worse, she took Master's courses in creative writing. In the end, she realized to be a writer, none of what she had mattered. What really mattered? Writing. Plain and simple, honest to God, sitting in front of her computer, writing. Today, she has four completed Young Adult novels.

Author Website: www.kateevangelista.com
Twitter: @KateEvangelista
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kate-Evangelista/165693410143202
Find Taste on Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13484226-taste
Crescent Moon Press page for Taste: http://crescentmoonpress.com/books/Taste.html