Review: Unearthly by Cynthia Hand

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

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

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

Unearthly is a moving tale of love and fate, and the struggle between following the rules and following your heart.

from goodreads

My first review of a book in the new year, and I'm disappointed to say that this novel was everything I thought it was going to be, though I hoped for much much more. Everything about it was quite mundane, and your normal young adult paranormal novel-the craze this days.

The main character, Clara, though we have the same name, I have no sympathy for her or any real connection towards her lifeless being that is just going along with everything. Her character isn't a strong female protagonist, which I know I can't always have, but she was just so ghostly and boring to me anyways. I wanted to believe and fall in love with Clara's love interest, Christian, at the beginning of the story but that did not happen either. To be honest, they way Christian was told, it was like the author was writing about someone who I know it real life, which is also...ghostly, in a sense. But, you do get your tall dark handsome, and charming love interest, which I guess is someone who we all fall for every now in then.

The plot line is quite bland, and I spent most of my time skimming through the words, and finding that I didn't miss anything. Hand writes in a way that isn't entertaining or different from your average fanfiction writer, to be harsh. The dialogue was dull and again had no real life and character behind them. How the characters talked and reacted to each other were all so been there done that, it made it tiring to read without wanting to bash my head into a wall.

As someone who's read her fair share of the paranormal young adult novels, this novel does nothing for me at all. There was an interesting world that sucked me in, or an evil villain that we all secretly loved and thought was bad ass. I'd say, if you wanted to read about angels, go read the Daughter of Smoke and Bone series by Laini Taylor, or if you want your paranormal fix go read the indie series, the House of Slide books by Juliann Whicker. I was not trying to be mean in this review, but I honestly did not like this novel at all, and it's safe to say that I will not continue to read this series. So to one best friend to another, I'd give Unearthly a head shakes vigorously, thumb pointing down, mad face for the waste of my time, and disappointed eyes. (1 out of 5)

Review:Busgirl Blues by BR Myers

Sixteen year old, magazine quiz junkie, Kelsey Sinclair wants to make this summer unforgettable by (hopefully) seducing her secret crush, Blaine Mulder. Armed with romance advice articles, Kelsey tackles true love with scientific precision, including getting a job at the seaside restaurant that overlooks the yacht club where Blaine teaches sailing.

However, visions of rendezvous on the beach are clouded when the new kitchen guy's laid back attitude and smouldering stare quickly get under her skin. With his renegade demeanour and unpredictable stunts, Luke is the opposite to Blaine's golden boy reputation. 

Determined to follow through with her original goal, Kelsey ignores her growing attraction to Luke, certain he's not the guy for her. But when she finally manages to get Blaine's attention, Kelsey worries the magazines are all wrong, and that sometimes the best matches are the ones you least expect.

from BR Myers' Blog

BR Myers is one of the few authors I actually follow on twitter, and blog. So, when I found out about Busgirl Blues going to be on wattpad for free, I had to check it out. This short novel made me sad in a good way. It made me feel embarrass for the main character, delightedly giggle, and was just a feel good book. 

It took me about five or six hours to read the novel. That might sound long for some people, but for me that's a quick read. BTW I read it while it was being published each chapter every few days. There were edge of the seat cliffhangers. Something to be aware of when reading a novel online, whether its on wattpad, or fanfiction.net, or what else, there are going to be grammatical errors. Not the entire novel, but there will be some, and you have to deal with it. I, personally, don't mind it, unless it's in every sentence or so. Anyways, I think Busgirl Blues was well paced, and I just loved how everything kind of weaved itself together. 

I felt like the main character, Kelsey, was a stereotypical teenager. I'm not sure if it's an accurate interpretation completely, but there were some parts of Kelsey that I could see some of my good friends in her. It was difficult to get into Kelsey's mind though, because her doing a plan to kiss a guy she's had a crush on forever is just way too out there, and I guess I've never met anyone that'd actually do that. But, it is fiction after all. Kelsey repeatedly makes mistakes, after mistakes, and it got really annoying after a while, because I know characters are suppose to have mistakes, but Kelsey seems like she makes more mistakes than not, and that's just...wow. I feel very vague, so just go read the book, and you'll know what I mean. Her mistakes aren't things that I'd pass by and forget, and I don't fully understand why Luke does. 

Falling in love, or thinking that you are, is a weird thing. I can't see why Luke is attracted to Kelsey. I do want them to be together through out the book, but that's because there are no other guys that are better than Luke for Kelsey. Though Luke has problems of his own, I wouldn't see how'd he and Kelsey get along, past a summer of fun. But the novel is, just a summer of fun. 

Busgirl Blues is that book you want to bring on the beach during spring break, or just to read during spring break, you don't have to go to the beach. It's that book that I bet most of you can finish in about two hours. It reminds me of a Sarah Dessen and Stephanie Perkins book, but I haven't read any of their books, though I know what they write, and this goes under that category. I say go read it for yourself, it's free, and if you like free things go check it out. I give Busgirl Blues by BR Myers a head nods, thumbs up. (4 out of 5)

Go read BR Myers' new novel Butterflies Don't Lie

Review: Caught in the Moment by Martin Dukes

Caught in a Moment is the story of Alex Trueman, a teenager who daydreams himself unwittingly into the strange world of Intersticia. This is a world outside of ordinary time, that exists in the slender intervals between instants. From Alex's point of view the world around him freezes into immobility. At first it seems the he alone is free to wander the hushed streets with their motionless cars and people. But he is not alone. Alex soon discovers that he shares the world with others. There are a few dozen fellow daydreamers who share his fate. There is plump, bespectacled Will, pretty brunette Kelly, and the rebellious outcast Paulo. Presiding over them all is the enigmatic Ganymede, and irascible vagrant who distributes food to his dependents and sets them perverse tasks to perform in return.

Alex soon finds that he has rare skills in Intersticia. Most uniquely he can affect the motionless world of 'Statica' around them. He can open doors, help himself to food, and move objects. But this forbidden activity soon sets him on a collision course with Ganymede in which the very existence of Intersticia is put at risk.


from goodreads

When I first read about this story, it was nothing like I had ever heard of. The story had a strange feel when I read it. It was like I as partly dreaming, and partly there. Whatever it was, I liked it. Some background info: this book is published in the UK and there is the occasional saying or word I was unsure of. That does not give away change or disrupt the story at all, and it's the quaint things that I like most about the story.

Martin Dukes is a wonderful writer, and I would think that he would be published by the big publishing houses here in the US. He writes in away that gives you enough information for now just to settle you, but not too much that all the secrets are given away at one time. I love the strong characters that he writes, and the in between worlds fascinate me.

Alex is such a peculiar teenage boy in my opinion. There's that off feeling I felt when the story started to unfold in the beginning. I guess, he never really is 'normal', even before he goes to 'Sticia. He is probably more intelligent than the teenage boys I know, but he has this sensitive spot that is quite prominent and something that I did not expect to show so early in the novel.

I felt like most, if not all, of the characters felt real and tangible. They were easy to grasp a hold of. I think Paulo was my favorite character out of all of them. There's the sense of you know who this character is before the main character has come into contact with, because everyone knows that person that curses like a sailor, and travels like one too.

My favorite part of the novel is that the moral really stands out. It's kind of like, be careful of what you wish for kind of thing. The whole don't take things for granted moral is popular amongst the popular morals, and I think Caught in the Moment is a great example of that. So, when my best friend asked me what I thought about Caught in the Moment, I gave her a head nods, thumbs up. (4 out of 5)

Author Interview: Sahana Epari

Last week, I review Sahana Epari's debut novel, Pure at Heart. I was lucky enough to also have the chance to ask her some questions for an interview:

How did you come up with the concept for Pure at Heart?

I don't really remember. I guess I was just in that phase where I was obsessing over urban fantasy and paranormal novels. I still am :) Anyways, I guess the supernatural being that got to me the most was the werewolf. No matter what book I read, if there was a werewolf in it, the character would automatically be my favorite. As for the plot itself, it took a while to come up with something that I would read myself. Pure at Heart is basically everything I, as a person, would want in a book.


What was the toughest part of writing the novel?

The toughest part would be the conclusion. To be truthful, when I started, I wasn't completely sure I wanted a sequel. I was thinking I could write maybe one of those single novels. Then, I realized that it would be a really big book, because there were so many things I wanted to introduce. The conclusion of Pure at Heart was hard to write because I had to conclude things, but leave a lot of room for questions. I wanted the readers to think, "What happens next?" and want to read the next book.


Is there anything you would want to change about Pure at Heart?

I actually like it the way it is. I elaborated the characters enough, the plot, the setting. Everything is the way I need it to be. If I did have the chance, however, I would want to be a little more descriptive in some scenes.


Who is your favorite author?

Cassandra Clare.

What is your favorite book(s)?

City of Bones, or the Mortal Instruments series.

Many authors tell aspiring young writers to wait until they are older to publish because they haven't lived much and their writing is great for their age, but don't compare to older authors. What do you say about that topic?

I completely disagree. Now that there are self-publishing companies, like CreateSpace, it allows anyone to publish anything they want. Everyone knows that young authors are still growing, and haven't experienced a lot, but that makes it all the better. There's a surprise when you read a really good book, and then discover that it wasn't an adult who wrote it but a young person. Yes, novels written by young authors like myself, shouldn't be compared to books written by older, more experienced, and more educated adults. However, that shouldn't be a restriction to publish something.

What can you tell us about the sequel to Pure at Heart?

It will continue a few days after the end of Pure at Heart. I haven't really decided on the name yet, but it will definitely summarize the novel. I'm hoping to add a big surprise, so hold on. Not sure about the release date as of now.



Where can readers contact you?
  You can go to my blog:

evalineandthepack.blogspot.com

Review: Pure At Heart by Sahana Epari

Lies. Betrayal. Secrets. They are worse than you think they are.The feeling of something you thought you had but you never did. Your whole train of thought changes direction. Suddenly everything you have lived for becomes a life you never had.
I thought I knew everything.
My name is Evaline Pangborne, and I am a werewolf.
When Eva and the Shadow Clan find out a ground-breaking secret of their life, they seek the only way out of the pain and suffering--an escape route. An escape route they got, but along with that came even more secrets, questions, and betrayal.
The people Eva trusted most, is now someone to despise and hate, and the people Eva never wanted to trust, get closer and closer to her. Living itself seems like a big joke to her. What's the big secret? And why is everyone keeping it from her?

from goodreads


I feel terrible for not reviewing this book earlier, but better late than never, right? Yeah... So, I received this book for review by the author herself, and my first impression was that this was going to be awesome. Then I started reading the first few chapters, and the many punctuation errors got on my nerves.

Sahana Epari is a debut and young author that is one of the few people I know that are published at such a young age. What I love about her writing is that she is aware of her characters. Her characters were the strong leads of the novel, and even though Eva got on my nerves more than once, I could easily distinguish Eva and her attitude towards life. There were many little jokes here and there, none that made me laugh out loud though. The dialogue was a bit stiff, and did not flow like it could be for some characters. Though, some characters talk in a distinctive way, and I liked the mash up.

Eva is arrogant and very naive. Actually, most of the pack is naive in my opinion. They are kids, but I think that because of their role in the world, they could have been more mature. They were very childish and the thought process of Eva wanted me to punch her sometimes.

One character I did love, was Victoria. Victoria reminds me of one of my friends. She is the bad-ass in the back ground that has this mysterious air around her, and I truly feel sorry for her the way she is treated by Eva, but both of them do get each other at their necks.

The paranormal world was built in a way that you slowly discover more of it as Eva does. The world is built in a full extent, but not at all majestic or grand as Divergent, or Daughter of Smoke and Bone. There were the basic werewolf vampire creature fight and it was a simple set up of a story.

I like Pure At Heart because of its simpleness and quick pace. If you are a werewolf fan, I think that you will love this story. So in the end, I will give Sahana Epari's debut novel a head moves back and forth, thumb moving towards the middle or down. (3 out of 5)

In My Mailbox (#12)

Being gay in high school is not always easy, and now Kyle is having unexplained visions. His friend, Jenny, is convinced that he is psychic. When thefts occur at school, Kyle realizes that his visions may be the key to solving the crime, if only he could figure them out.

As editor of the school newspaper, Kyle almost has more on his plate than he can deal with. When the news staff tries to figure out who the thief is, personalities clash and tensions rise. But the challenges will form friendships that Kyle never would have imagined. And Kyle’s world will be changed forever.

“So I’m both gay and psychic? That’s a lot for one high school guy to handle.”

 from smashwords 

I'm so excited to read this next month. :) Sounds absolutely amazing, and a breath of fresh air in the young adult genre. 

The Thing About Series.

So, here’s the thing about series. I, personally, start out reading series whether I want to or not. It’s really rare, lately, to find a single book. I can count on one hand how many books that I've read this year, that doesn't have a sequel, or counterpart. It’s quite obsessive to me how authors want to write so much of the same characters. I could never right a nine book series about the same people, and setting. It’s just too much of the same thing for me to write about, and sometimes it’s too much for me to read.

Series can be difficult. Recently I've read a lot of debut author’s first novel in a trilogy, or series. I know that I’ll have to wait a year, or maybe two to read the second novel. That’s quite difficult, and I've learned to not think about books, so I don’t get disappointed when I do read the sequel. That, there, is what scares me. I want to read a novel, and have it in my thoughts, and what I think about when I go to bed, but when I know there’s going to be a sequel to a novel, my mind shuts that off so I wait. I think that I’m the only one that does that, but please tell me if you do too.

The plus side of series, is that you don’t have to be introduced to a completely different cast of characters, and their setting. It’s like a family reunion, you see them every year, and have an adventure. Then sometimes, I think that authors write novels just to keep a committed fan base to only read their series. I can understand that some stories need that extra four novels, but then there are series that are just published to be franchised. Can someone explain to me why publishers would do that when they know readers are pick, especially in the young adult community. I know I’m generalizing, and you may be not one of those picky readers, but most people I know are.

I just want to get this golden age of paranormal romance series out of the way soon. That sounds really arrogant, but I can’t stand anymore of those books. It’s great once in a while, but when the only young adult novels that are being published are those, it’s down right awful. Again, I have to say that this is all my opinion and you can respond or not, but please be nice to one another.

Review: Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson

“Dead girl walking,” the boys say in the halls.
“Tell us your secret,” the girls whisper, one toilet to another.
I am that girl.
I am the space between my thighs, daylight shining through.
I am the bones they want, wired on a porcelain frame.

Lia and Cassie are best friends, wintergirls frozen in matchstick bodies, competitors in a deadly contest to see who can be the skinniest. But what comes after size zero and size double-zero? When Cassie succumbs to the demons within, Lia feels she is being haunted by her friend’s restless spirit.

In her most emotionally wrenching, lyrically written book since the multiple-award-winning Speak, Laurie Halse Anderson explores Lia’s descent into the powerful vortex of anorexia, and her painful path toward recovery.


from goodreads

I have this strange fascination with eating disorders. Now, before you ask me a bunch or questions or try to get me help, I don't have one. I love food, and I eat everything in moderation. I hope you take my word for that, and please don't bombard me with anything. Secondly, I am a Laurie Halse Anderson fan, I didn't think I was when I was reading the last book from her, The Catalyst, but now I think I'm a true fan.

Laurie Halse Anderson is known for writing Speak, and along with her most award novel many other young adult fiction. Most of her stories are categorized as "tough", because of their themes. Many of her novels have started controversies. I, however, learn from her books about these "tough" themes. I'm not sure how your school system works, but I go to public school, and these themes are lightly touched on, and sometimes teachers aren't allowed to respond to questions. I find that incredibly discouraging. Anyways, I love how every novel she writes, she has this own style for her main characters, because they are in first person. It makes the novel feel more touchable, and relatable. When I read her novels, I always have this uncertainty that this character won't survive. It's quite scary, and I think it gives a personal experience for a reader, that hasn't gone or know anyone that has gone through these "tough" themes.

Lia is the main character in Wintergirls, and she is one of the wintergirls. Her use to be best friends, was found in a motel dead in the beginning of the novel, and that's when you find out the many problems Lia goes through, and the way she thinks and especially reacts to others, and events. Lia is numb. She's the kind of character that you want so bad to help, but you're not sure hoe exactly. I feel very attached to Lia, and even though she did so many things that scared me, and I would probably roll over and die, she's my hero in a way. Lia's story is one of many other girls that all over the world, have experienced, and some aren't as fortunate as her.

Cassie needs a punch in the face, in my opinion. Even at the end, I can't stand her, and I feel thing urge to kill and dead person, that's haunting Lia. Cassie is also anorexic, and is the cause of the wintergirls, and Lia's "struggle". I can't say that I particularly liked many other characters, they were all expected from Laurie Halse Anderson, and some are still a mystery to me. I can see how some characters can have their own story, and I would love to explore.

 The entire novel has this underlying feeling of coldness, and winter. There was always a haze of unsureness, or distress from the reader, or Lia. I think because I read the novel over a period of weeks, that it made the novel bearable. I'm not sure if I could sit down and read the novel in a weekend, especially when I'm in a reading rut, but I think that it is possible. That's why I give Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson a head nods, thumbs up, and smiling like there's no tomorrow. (5 out of 5)

Review: Hotblood by Juliann Whicker

Hotblood by Juliann Whicker lingers in my mind and I hope I don't forget the wonderful and magical characters. All 298 pages have made me felt pain, sorrow, hope, and giddy in all then less than 24 hours. I can tell you I spent the night reading through morning, and I don't regret it. When I found out about this novel, I thought that it was just another paranormal romance, cheesy, not really well thought out, and a fairy tale sort of charm to it. Boy was I wrong! This novel was nothing that I expected, and something more, I dare say.               

Juliann Whicker's writing made me really happy reading whatever she wrote. The way she wrote the novel just flowed smoothly and realistically on the screen in my mind. I read that I should be open minded about this novel, and I didn't have to because it opened my mind for me without me noticing. Weird, right? I loved and hated the different point of views from the two main characters. I love how the author created this whole different paranormal aspect of what we expect from today's young adult novels. I honestly loved the dark, and deathly frighting scenes and couldn't get enough. 

 Dari, or Dariana was a very interesting main protagonist from the get-go. She didn't bore me, or maybe because of the wide span of lovable characters made it seem so. I can't say this to every novel, maybe The Fault in Our Stars by John Green, but Hotblood in particular I had no problems with any characters. I love all of them "good" and "bad". They all contributed something, and had a soul of there own. I of course love Lewis with all of his faults and mystery that shrouds the outcome of the novel. I don't think there could be a more enjoyable love interest for Dari.

Blog Tour: Determinant by A.M. Hargrove Review + Giveaway

A couple of weeks ago I read the first novel of The Guardians of Vesturon series. Survival was okay, the characters really stood out to me, but I didn't love the whole idea of the Guardians. Determinant is the third installment of the series, and I'd still say the same thing if I was telling someone about this series. I love all the detail and the weirdness of all the characters, but the whole E.T. like people just didn't make sense, for me anyways.

The beginning of the novel, like the first novel in the series starts out in a world where we see everything the main character has ever experiences and continues on to their college life. Then something drastic occurs, which turns the whole miserable story into a charming one, in my opinion.

I admire A.M. Hargrove for her creativity and gumption to have something in a novel  that is a pressing topic, which most would like to get rid of but don't want to talk about. If that made sense. I love how A.M. Hargrove makes her characters realistic and their own, one of a kind. The way she moves a story along really is something that I wish I could do. Then there are times when I'd think I should be crying, when I'm not in reality. It's just the reader in my head is bawling her eyes out and giving my heart out to these characters, especially January. Ugh! I can't start to believe how A.M. Hargrove wrote such a broken main character without breaking down from all of her hardships. I also love how she pushes the boundaries of the "aliens" in this novel. It's quite interesting how this is the third installment of a series, but can be read independently.

An Update of such

If you read my blog on a daily basis you might have noticed that I did not post much this past week. Mostly because I didn't have the energy and nothing of importance was needed for the blog. I'm so sorry that I was unable to post a playlist today, but I hope there will be one next week.

As for my absence I've been reading constantly for reviews and a book tour is coming soon to Read'n'Write.  I find that posting every week day is quite difficult and that I will try to achieve that goal, but is not promising anything. 

In the sidebar to your right is a Media section where I added another place where you can communicate with me. It's called Formspring. There you can ask me any questions you want. e.i. book reviews, books I'm currently reading. Anything, but please let's don't be gross. My username is Clarareads if you wanted to look it up instead. Also please follow me on twitter:) I love to chat with you guys so if you have a twitter please tweet me. 

Since I've started so many books this past week, I see many reviews in the future and hope you check them out in the next week or two. If you haven't yest please follow. :) Thanks for everything and comment on anything you like. 

Review: Faelorehn by Jenna Elizabeth Johnson

So I just finished this book last night and it took me a while I have to say. I think I started it back in the beginning of June and worked my way slowly till last night. Oh, I don't really know how to start with this so I'm going to start with the author, Jenna Elizabeth Johnson.

Miss. Johnson I have to say that you have very strange interest in Irish folktales, but we all love what we do, and I guess writing something like this or any fiction takes some craziness to a degree. Her writing style wasn't anything too abstract or difficult, it wasn't like something that Cassandra Clare would write, but it was on the better side of authors I've read. I felt that the pacing was done well, I got very tired of reading mundane things at the beginning of the novel, because even though it shows who Meghan is, I feel like it was just too dull for my taste. Maybe it was just me, but I had trouble pronouncing all the Old Irish names in my head. It took awhile to just deal with all of the names, but I just learned to memorize the way the letters were organized and not how I'd speak it.

Writing to Wednesday: Birthday

So it was my birthday recently and it wasn't anything different. Besides the fact that it was also the Queen's Diamond Jubilee and that my pregnant fish gave birth around the same time I was born it was quite mundane. I wouldn't say that growing is mundane though because if you really notice how we change over a few weeks to years it's quite drastic how the world changes us.

You may be asking what I got for my birthday and well I got a new ipod touch charger because the old one was breaking. If you guys didn't know I check on the blog every morning before I go to school on that thing and try to answer all of your questions or just feedback. I also got a book. What book? Cinder by Marissa Meyer. I recently saw a review on it on Youtube (bookswithcourt) and it was really drew me in. The only thing I didn't like about getting the book was that Barnes and Nobel needs to stop reorganizing their shelves so often. It gets on my nerves at time when the young adult section is on one side, but all the new young adult novels that recently came out is on the other. It took me forever to find it and I personally don't really like their kiosk for finding books. The keyboard didn't work!