Wolfsbane by Andrea Cremer

Summary: Calla Tor wakes up in the lair of the Searchers, her sworn enemy, and she’s certain her days are numbered. But then the Searchers make her an offer–one that gives her the chance to destroy her former masters and save the pack–and the man–she left behind. Is Ren worth the price of her freedom? And will Shay stand by her side no matter what? Now in control of her own destiny, Calla must decide which battles are worth fighting and how many trials true love can endure and still survive.

My Thoughts: This is what I wrote on Goodreads shortly after finishing:

Wow, wow, wow! I didn’t think it would be quite as good as Nightshade was, but I was so wrong. It’s even better. Wow.

Oh, yes, it’s that good! It moves at a much faster pace than Nightshade, and had me hooked from the get-go. I did not want to stop reading. And it is one wild roller coaster ride of emotions. There were even a few times I actually GASPED out loud! (Thankfully, I was alone. ) There were a few unexpected surprises thrown in.

I must admit that there was one big reveal that wasn’t in any way surprising for me. I figured it out within the first quarter of the novel, but it wasn’t confirmed until about the last quarter. I wasn’t frustrated, as it wasn’t something used to tease the reader. I did have to wonder, though, whether Calla has any decent observational skills. I mean, I picked up on that, and there were clues to other things that I would expect and Alpha wolf to figure out.

But, the story is woven together so well, and the emotions are THERE. I mean, the reader is tossed right into those emotions, and it’s impossible not to get swept away! It makes it easy for me to ignore the not-so-surprising details – and Calla’s apparent lack of observation skills. (The girl is super-stressed. That has to affect her observation skills, right?)

I will own this book. I will read it again. And I will be counting the days until Bloodrose (Book 3) is available, too. (One thing I do wanna know, however, is why the cover for the hardcover is different from what I have pictured here. This one matches Nightshade so much better!)

Source: Received through Book It Forward ARC Tours for review.

Read It: Wolfsbane is expected to be released July 26, 2011. You can pre-order your own copy HERE. (This is a Book Depository link, and purchase through this link will result in my receiving a small commission at no cost to you. Your support is appreciated!)

Challenges: Counts for the 100 Books in a Year Reading Challenge, the 2nds Challenge (second in a series AND second book I read by Andrea Cremer), and iChallenges 2011.

Find me on Goodreads.com >>

This review is part of Book Review Party Wednesday.

Post Footer automatically generated by Add Post Footer Plugin for wordpress.

Compulsion by Heidi Ayarbe

Summary: Saturday will be the third state soccer championship in a row for Jake Martin. Three. A good number. Prime. With Jake on the field, Carson City High can’t lose, because Jake has the magic: a self-created protection generated by his obsession with prime numbers. It’s the magic that has every top soccer university recruiting Jake, the magic that keeps his family safe, and the magic that suppresses his anxiety attacks. But the magic is Jake’s prison, because getting it means his compulsions take over nearly every aspect of his life.

Jake’s convinced the magic will be permanent after Saturday, the perfect day, when every prime has converged. Once the game is over, he won’t have to rely on his sister, Kasey, to concoct excuses for his odd rituals. His dad will stop treating him like he is some freak. Maybe he’ll even make a friend other than Luc.

But what if the magic doesn’t stay? What if the numbers never leave?

My Thoughts: This was quite a read. Getting inside the head of a person who suffers from OCD is a bit disconcerting. It was frustrating at times, and I kept wondering how people can live like this. And I felt sorry for poor Jake.

What I didn’t like: The fact that Jake kept trying to hide his struggles. He had a few opportunities to talk to someone about it, and never did. He thinks he’s hiding his craziness, but he’s so not. I’m sorry, but people can pick up on things. And it’d be so much better if he came clean … but, he doesn’t. And I wanna scream at him “just tell them already!”

What I loved: The way the chapter numbers follow Jake’s obsession with prime numbers. Very clever, and perfect for this story. (Although, at first it threw me off, when the book started with Chapter 2. LOL)

I actually bumped the rating up a bit because of the chapter numbers and the way this story so convincingly shows a teen’s inner struggle with OCD. The story itself is OK. It did keep me reading, and was a very quick read. (Definitely not light, though.) I don’t feel the need to read this again, though.

My Rating: 3.5 stars

Favorite Quotes: Two quotes in particular struck a chord with me. (Note: These are from an ARC and might change in the final version.)

What truth? I wonder. Because it seems to me like there are a million truths out there, depending on who tells it. ~ page 199

Oh, so true.

His shirt fits tight across his chest. I can almost hear the buttons screaming, “Hold on! Hold on!”

But buttons don’t scream. ~ page 217

While I’m not sure it was the intent, the first line in this one totally cracked me up. I love this way of describing a too-tight shirt! LOL

Source: Received through Book It Forward ARC Tours for review.

Read It: Compulsion is scheduled for release on May 1, 2011. You can pre-order it HERE. (This is a Book Depository link, and purchase through this link will result in my receiving a small commission at no cost to you. Your support is appreciated!)

Challenges: Counts for 100 Books in a Year Reading Challenge 2011.

Find me on Goodreads.com >>

Post Footer automatically generated by Add Post Footer Plugin for wordpress.

The Thirteen Curses by Michelle Harrison

Summary (from Goodreads): When fairies stole her brother, Red vowed to get him back. Now trapped in the fairy realm, she begs an audience with the fairy court where she strikes a bargain. Her brother will be returned – but only if she can complete a task set by the court. In a world of trickery and deception, Red is about to find that not all is as it seems. For even if she succeeds, will the fairies keep their promise?

My Thoughts: Now this is more like it. Excellent book, full of exciting twists and turns.

That was my initial thought, which I posted on Goodreads, with the promise of more to come here. And now I’m trying to decide what to say. I don’t want to give away anything in this book. (Just be aware that some things in this book could give away stuff from the first book, 13 Treasures.)

First and foremost, I loved getting to see Red’s story. I can’t say I was too curious about her in the first book, simply because she was such a small (albeit, quite important) character. But, snippets of her story are strewn about throughout this book, and it’s handled perfectly. Just the right amount is shared before returning to the present adventure, leaving the reader satisfied, yet eager to read more.

Speaking of the present adventure, an adventure it is. And it’s fast-paced. This is a longer book than the first, but it reads much faster. It’s a real page-turner, and I read it all in one day (taking breaks for kid-related tasks and dealing with my own illness). I didn’t want to stop. There were many unexpected twists and turns, with the big reveal toward the end hitting me at about the same time it was shared with the characters.

Another thing I really liked was learning more about Warwick. His character is much more likable than I’d ever have guessed, and I have a hard time fitting his image as described in the book with the image his persona tries to create in my head. But that’s not the book’s problem – it likely reflects my own prejudices, or something. I loved his having a more integral part, complete with more dialogue.

I felt the characters had much more depth this time around. I felt I got to know each of them better, except maybe Tanya, who didn’t seem much different from before, and was more of a secondary character this time around. She was quite important, but this was focused more on Red.

Overall, I felt this was much better than the first book, and I am so glad I made sure to read it. I look forward to the final book in the series, 13 Secrets. I hope that we’ll get to know Florence much more in this book. While I know it’s a book for younger readers, Florence is really the biggest mystery (character-wise) left in the series. I really would love to know more about her, have her more involved, and learn some of her own secrets.

My Rating: 4 stars

Source: Received through Book It Forward ARC Tours for review.

Read It: Get your own copy of 13 Curses HERE. (This is a Book Depository link, and purchase through this link will result in my receiving a small commission at no cost to you. Your support is appreciated!)

Challenges: Counts for the 100 Books in a Year Reading Challenge, the 2nds Challenge (second in a series AND second book I read by Michelle Harrison), and iChallenges 2011.

Find me on Goodreads.com >>

This review is part of Book Review Party Wednesday.

Post Footer automatically generated by Add Post Footer Plugin for wordpress.

The Hunt of the Unicorn by C.C. Humphreys

Summary: Elayne thinks the old family story that one of her ancestors stepped through a tapestry into a world of mythical beasts makes a great fireside tale. But she lives in the real world. In New York City. And she’s outgrown that kind of fantasy.

Until she finds herself in front of a unicorn tapestry at the Cloisters museum and sees her initials woven into the fabric. And hears a unicorn calling to her. And slips and falls—into that other world.

Suddenly the line between fantasy and reality isn’t so clear. But the danger is real enough. Almost before she can think, Elayne is attacked by a ferocious beast, rescued by a unicorn, and taken prisoner by a tyrant king. Each of them seems to have an idea about her—that she’s a hero, a villain, dinner!

But Elayne has a few ideas of her own. She wants to overthrow the king; she wants to tame the unicorn. She wants to go home! And she’s willing to become both hero and villain to do it.

My Thoughts: Before I begin my review, I should make one thing clear. I am a unicorn lover and collector, taking care to only keep gorgeous, majestic unicorns around (forget the childish, cute ones). I feel this is a necessary tidbit about me, as it might – well, probably does – influence my opinion of this book – or any book wherein one of the main subjects is a unicorn. Well, I don’t know, maybe not. I mean, a bad book is a bad book, whatever creatures might be within its pages … anyway, no, this is most definitely NOT a bad book. Very good, but I’m getting ahead of myself …

When I read the title of this book, my interest was instantly piqued – for what I’m guessing are now obvious reasons. I wasn’t further excited by the description, but decided to give it a go anyway. I think the reason the description didn’t further excite me is because it sells the story short. This makes it all sound so simple, but it’s so not. It’s an intricately woven fantastical tale that leaves a fantasy lover (such as myself) quite satisfied. And, best of all, loose ends don’t get left at the end. This story stands on its own! (Such a refreshing thing, as I think series are overdone these days.)

The chapter on the hunt of the gryphon was absolutely amazing. (I no longer have the book available to me, but I believe “griffin” is spelled “gryphon” – hence my spelling of it here.) The hunt itself, along with the chase at the end was written so very well. I felt my heart accelerate as the action progressed, until the very end moment of the chase. WOW. So well done.

The book as a whole is action-packed and fast-moving. There were very few chapter breaks at which I felt I could put the book down. The action was going, and the next chapter continued it. There were a few spots where I could put the book down without feeling like I was interrupting the current scene, but not a lot. So, if you read this book, be prepared to sit and read for long stretches. But, it’s a good thing – unputdownable books are the best!

The Hunt of the Unicorn includes all manner of mythological beasts, no just unicorns. There are manticores, the aforementioned gryphon, and many others. If you love mythological creatures, this book is for you! Heck, if you love fantasy, this is a good read. (And if you love unicorns like I do, then buy the book NOW!) I highly recommend it. In fact, this was a tour book (and ARC, to be precise), and I was sad to let it go. I will definitely purchase a copy for my own enjoyment again and again.

Long story short: Awesome book, especially if you’re a fan of the fantasy genre and/or mythical creatures. The Hunt of the Unicorn is a wild ride with surprising incidents thrown in to keep the reader on her (or his, I suppose) toes. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and was made even happier at the end because there are no loose ends left – I actually closed the back cover satisfied!

My Rating: 5 stars

Source: Received through Book It Forward ARC Tours for review.

Read It: The Hunt of the Unicorn is scheduled for release on March 8, 2011. You can pre-order it HERE. (This is an Amazon link, and purchase through this link will result in my receiving a small commission. Your support is appreciated!)

Challenges: Counts for 100 Books in a Year Reading Challenge 2011.

Find me on Goodreads.com >>

Post Footer automatically generated by Add Post Footer Plugin for wordpress.