Need by Carrie Jones

Need

Author: Carrie Jones

Publication: December 23rd 2008 by Bloomsbury USA

Goodreads summary: Zara collects phobias the way other high school girls collect lipsticks. Little wonder, since life's been pretty rough so far. Her father left, her stepfather just died, and her mother's pretty much checked out. Now Zara's living with her grandmother in sleepy, cold Maine so that she stays & safe. Zara doesn't think she's in danger; she thinks her mother can't deal.

Wrong. Turns out that guy she sees everywhere, the one leaving trails of gold glitter, isn't a figment of her imagination. He's a pixie and not the cute, lovable kind with wings. He's the kind who has dreadful, uncontrollable needs. And he's trailing Zara.

My review: I got SOOO much hype about this book and it didn't measure up to being half as good as I heard. Oh well to each her own right? Not that I'm saying it was bad, truthfully it was really good. I liked it very much honest, I'm not lying. It just didn't live up, much like the Twilight books which were more bad than good. Yeah, the first was okay but it went down hill from there. BUT! I'm not reviewing Twilight so too bad. Need was original-ish I mean evil pixies? Never heard it before but she pulled it off quite well. One thing that irritated me a little was the super hero complex that like EVERYONE (who was supposed to be good) had. "I NEED to save everyone I NEED to be the hero. Need need need!" no wonder that's the books title. "Oh no I can't have a car because there are people in the world who don't have them!" They didn't actually say these things but it felt like it. Still with that mentality you might as well starve or get AIDS. If you have what others don't and you need it then don't feel bad, be happy you were lucky at all. Caring about people is great, really, I admired it a bit but it was a little over zealous. Like a bunch of teens writing to dictators to set free prisoners is going to make a difference but I understand the need to help even a little. I love heroes as well but I don't like selfish heroes which were BIG in this book. Yeah it's a nice thought but come on everyone needs help, take it willingly and love the people who offer it (unless they are psycho then you don't have to love or take they're advice lol). All in all I enjoyed this book and I will most likely read the next in the series which you may know is Captivate. Besides what is a little constructive criticism? I'll give it an even 4/5

In the Forests of the Night by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes

In the Forests of the Night

Author: Amelia Atwater-Rhodes

Publication: May 9th 2000 by Laurel Leaf (first published 1999)

Goodreads summary: Three-hundred-year-old Risika looks darn good for her age. Thanks to her "blood mother," a vampire named Ather who turned Risika into one of the undead back in 1684, she will always look as fresh as a 17-year-old. Now Risika is a world weary night stalker who sleeps in Concord, Massachusetts, by day and prowls New York City by night, in search of fresh blood to slake her inhuman thirst. One of the benefits of living such a long life has been discovering that most of the popular myths about vampires are not true: "Holy water and crosses do not bother me... and silver does not burn me. If someone hammered a stake through my heart, I suppose I would die, but I do not play with humans, stakes or mallets." In fact, there is little in the mortal world that surprises Risika anymore, until she returns from a hunt one night to find a black rose on her pillow--the same flower she was given on the eve of her mortal death. Knowing that the rose is a taunt from Aubrey, a vampire she believes murdered her human brother, Risika decides to confront her nemesis. In a bloody battle with Aubrey, Risika finally unearths her brother's true fate.

My Review: Let me just say AMAZING for a 14 year old to write (yep she wrote it at 14!). BUT!! one problem is I read the second in the Den of shadows series first (or so they're called now) called Demon in my View which was freaking amazing. So by comparison this one was less awesome but still good. I'd say these are geared more toward the young to middle teens but still pretty sweet. I'd say give them a try anyways go get them at the library that's where I first got them (though i did by them after :D lols). Besides it was less than 200 pages an easy read in my book I'd say 3 - 3.5/5 just cause I'm not feeling particularly generous tonight. There are like 4 or 5 in the series, I can't be sure but I think I read them all. Truthfully it doesn't have to be read in order I didn't read them that way ha ha!

Closest book: My Soul to Take by Rachel Vincent
P56, 5th sentence:

“Heidi Anderson was drunk. She probably died of alcohol poisoning.”

Happy Friday!!!

Rules:
* Grab the book nearest you. Right now.
* Turn to page 56.
* Find the fifth sentence.
* Post that sentence (plus one or two others if you like) along with these instructions on your blog or (if you do not have your own blog) in the comments section of Storytime with Tonya and Friends.
*Post a link along with your post back to Storytime with Tonya and Friends.
* Don’t dig for your favorite book, the coolest, the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST.

Link to Storytime with Tonya and Friends: http://storytimewithtonya.blogspot.com/

BUT! I got this from Cherry Mischievous: http://www.cherrymischievous.com/2010/02/friday-56-six-sacred-stones.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+CherryMischievous+%28Cherry+Mischievous%29

My Soul to Take (Soul Screamers #1) by Rachel Vincent

My Soul to Take

Author: Rachel Vincent

Publication: August 1st 2009 by Harlequin Teen

Goodreads Summary:

Something is wrong with Kaylee Cavanaugh

She doesn't see dead people, but…

She senses when someone near her is about to die. And when that happens, a force beyond her control compels her to scream bloody murder. Literally.

Kaylee just wants to enjoy having caught the attention of the hottest guy in school. But a normal date is hard to come by when Nash seems to know more about her need to scream than she does. And when classmates start dropping dead for no apparent reason, only Kaylee knows who'll be next…

My Review:

My Soul to Take was an over all good book about a topic I hadn't read about before (at least not as the focal point of a story). I will give it points for being original. I didn't catch onto the topic until it was shoved into my face about 100 or so pages into the story because I'd never even thought of using that kind of mythical creature. Before I learned of what was going on, I thought Kaylee's condition to be kind of moronic, but as soon as I found out it snapped into place and became a way better book than I was anticipating. I really like how it turned out and I can't wait to read the next one to see what will happen. The series could probably ended with the first book if Vincent had wanted it too so I am interested to see what will happen in the next book which is titled: My Soul to Save. I'd probably say this book gets a 4/5 at best.

Giveaway at Frenetic Reader!!!

Frenetic Reader is having a contest for Wherever Nina Lies over at her blog, go check it out!!

http://www.freneticreader.com/2010/02/wherever-nina-lies-giveaway.html

Blue is for Nightmares by Laurie Faria Stolarz

Blue is for Nightmare

Author: Laurie Faria Stolarz

Publication:
November 1st 2003 by Llewellyn Publications

Goodreads summary:

"I Know Your Secret . . ."

Stacey's junior year at boarding school isn't easy. She's not the most popular girl at school, or the smartest, or the prettiest. She's got a crush on her best friend's boyfriend, and an even darker secret that threatens to ruin her friendships for good. And now she's having nightmares again. Not just any nightmares – these dreams are too real to ignore, like she did three years ago. The last time she ignored them, a little girl died. This time they're about Drea, her best friend who's become the target of one seriously psycho stalker. It started with weird e-mails and freaky phone calls. Now someone's leaving Drea white lilies – the same death lilies that have been showing up in Stacey's dreams. Everybody thinks it's just a twisted game . . . until another girl at school is brutally murdered. There are no witnesses. Worst of all, no one has a perfect alibi. With everyone as a potential suspect, Stacey turns to the one secret weapon she can trust – the folk magic taught to her by her grandmother. Will Stacey's magic be strong enough to expose the true killer, or will the killer make her darkest nightmares come true?


My Review:

Blue is for Nightmares was a good book. I can't say it was the best but it was defiantly not bad. It was pretty predictable but it was still cute, funny, and interesting. It's one of those books you read to relax because the style is simple and easy to understand. It's defiantly for the young to mid teens. It was still good though I'd give it a 3 out of 5.

DARKFEVER by Karen Marie Moning

WARNING!!! THIS BOOK IS FOR ADULTS*!!!
*Recommended for readers 18 (in some states it maybe 21) and up
I in no way will take blame for you reading this book and getting offended. This is all up to you if you read it or not.


DARKFEVER

Author: Karen Marie Moning

Publication: August 28th 2007 by Dell Publishing Company (first published October 31st 2006)

Good reads summary:

MacKayla Lane’s life is good. She has great friends, a decent job, and a car that breaks down only every other week or so. In other words, she’s your perfectly ordinary twenty-first-century woman. Or so she thinks…until something extraordinary happens.

When her sister is murdered, leaving a single clue to her death–a cryptic message on Mac’s cell phone–Mac journeys to Ireland in search of answers. The quest to find her sister’s killer draws her into a shadowy realm where nothing is as it seems, where good and evil wear the same treacherously seductive mask. She is soon faced with an even greater challenge: staying alive long enough to learn how to handle a power she had no idea she possessed–a gift that allows her to see beyond the world of man, into the dangerous realm of the Fae….

As Mac delves deeper into the mystery of her sister’s death, her every move is shadowed by the dark, mysterious Jericho, a man with no past and only mockery for a future. As she begins to close in on the truth, the ruthless Vlane–an alpha Fae who makes sex an addiction for human women–closes in on her. And as the boundary between worlds begins to crumble, Mac’s true mission becomes clear: find the elusive Sinsar Dubh before someone else claims the all-powerful Dark Book–because whoever gets to it first holds nothing less than complete control of the very fabric of both worlds in their hands….


My Review:

I absolutely fell in love with this book, it is completely awesome! Moning is really good at keeping you guessing throughout the book. I started out trying to guess who was the killer, who was good/ bad, ect. and just when I thought I had a good guess for everything BOOM! Moning shattered it by pulling out something completely unexpected! This is good to me because I don't like a too predictable book. With her's it's like walking around in the dark the whole book while catching pinpricks of the truth that can dash what you think will happen next. This book was simply AMAZING!! It kept me on the edge of my seat and surprised me again and again! Even though the book went away from what I predicted, it turned out how I hoped it would (weird I know) but you'll have to read to find out. I sooo cannot wait until I can get the next one I believe there are four in all so far. This book rules!

THE FRIDAY 56: DARKFEVER by Karen Marie Moning

WARNING!!! THIS BOOK IS FOR ADULTS*!!!
*Recommended for readers 18 (in some states it maybe 21) and up
I in no way will take blame for you reading this book and getting offended. This is all up to you if you read it or not.

Cherry Mischievous recommended doing this and I thought it looked pretty cool so there you can go to her blog and see it as well:
http://www.cherrymischievous.com

and she got it from:
http://storytimewithtonya.blogspot.com

and now ME!!

THE FRIDAY 56: DARKFEVER by Karen Marie Moning

Pg 56 5th sentence:

I glanced at him sharply, almost able to believe he would.

Happy Friday everybody!
Rules:
* Grab the book nearest you. Right now.
* Turn to page 56.
* Find the fifth sentence.
* Post that sentence (plus one or two others if you like) along with these instructions on your blog or (if you do not have your own blog) in the comments section of Storytime with Tonya and Friends.
*Post a link along with your post back to Storytime with Tonya and Friends.
* Don’t dig for your favorite book, the coolest, the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST.

The links didn't work so just copy paste them into the internet browser. Thanks have fun!

Hello my three wonderful followers, just in case you didn't know there is some awesome V-day give-aways on

http://darkfaerietales.com/valentines-day-book-massacre-giveaway.html

which is awesome and there are tons to choose so go and enter!

Beauty by Robin McKinley

Beauty A Retelling of the Story of Beauty and the Beast

Author: Robing McKinley

Published: August 1st 2005 by Eos (first published 1978)

Back of Book Summary:

A strange imprisonment

Beaut has never liked her nickname. She is thin awkward; it is her two sisters who are the beautiful ones. But what she lacks in looks, she can perhaps make up for in courage.

When her father comes home with the tale of an enchanted castle in the forest and the terrible promise he had to make to the Beast who lives there, Beauty knows she must go to the castle, a prisoner of her own free will. Her father protests that he will not let her go but she answers, "Cannot a Beast be tamed?"

Robin McKinley's beloved telling illuminates the unusual love story of a most unlikely couple: Beauty and the Beast.

My Review: As the title states, Beauty is a retelling of the classic Beauty and the Beast and is an extreamly wonderful version. This book shows that you don't have to be beautiful to be a good person. Beauty often helps her sisters and they often share their secrets with her and ask advice. They end up having to move to the country (due to unforseen circumstances), this is how the castle and the beast comes in. Beauty sacrifices her happiness to protect her father and sister from having to go to the castle. Of course there is way more to the story and the end but you'll have to read the book. I can't give everything away. This book must be read!! Well at least my mother, sis, and I liked it bunches. I definantly recommend it.

Bones of Faerie

Bones of Faerie

Author: Janni Lee Simner

Publication: January 27th 2009 by Random House Books for Young Readers (info from Goodreads)

Back of the book Summary:

Magic was never meant for our world, Father said, and of course I'd agreed, though the War had ended and the faerie folk returned to their own places before I was born. We knew the rules. Don't touch any stone that glows with faerie light. Don't venture out alone into the dark. And cast out the magic born among you, before it can turn on its parents.

Towns had died for not understanding that much. But the memory of my sister's bones, cracked and bloody in the moonlight, haunts me still.

My Review:

I really, really enjoyed this book. Though I will admit at first the main character, Liza, annoyed me with her denial of what's going on. She gets a whole lot better so don't get to discouraged. This book is set after the faerie and the humans have a huge war. During the war, the faerie made it so that the plants will attack people (hence don't walk alone at night). That's not the only magic that was released; some of the children that were born after the war start gaining magical abilities as well.

Liza's mother leaves, after her new born was cast out and subsequently killed, and Liza ends up searching for her. Liza meets some interesting characters along the way, including some people who know about her mother and about what's happening to Liza herself.

This book is simply amazing, Simner did a wonderful job catching my attention. I could hardly put the book down! It was weird reading how Liza never saw a paved road or a car until she found them abandoned and broken on her journey. Every post apocalyptic book I have read occurred during or shortly after the book had started, or so far in the future such things seemed to never have existed. I believe this is a MUST read because it was simply brilliant and original, yet similar like a twist on an old fairy tale(pun intended :P). Faeries might not be new but you've probably never seen them like this!

The Unseen Part 1 (It Begins) By Richie Tankersley Cusick

The Unseen Part 1 It Begins



Author: Richie Tankersley Cusick



Publication: 2003 Speak (An Imprint of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.)



Back of the book summary:


What is happening to Lucy?


Overwhelmed with grief over the death of her mother, Lucy spends her days sleeping, her nights out walking aimlessly. One rainy night, she becomes convinced that someone is following her, and frantically ducks into a cemetery to try to lose the stalker. Panicking, she slips and stumbles into an open grave, only to discover she is not alone in there....
Almost immediately, Lucy begins having terrifying visions and dreams-as though someone, somewhere, were trying to tell her something-and she can't shake the feeling of an unseen presence, always watching, waiting to make its move....


My Review:

I was a bit skeptic when I read the back myself, but I decided to give it a try. I was pleasntly surprised, however, to find that it was a really good read. I believe that it is one of those books that is easy to skip over on the shelf and is highly underestimated. Even so I think that it should be given a chance (if you're unsure, check at your local library first). It is a first in a series and I myself am quite interested in how it will end.

Cusick writes in a simple yet colorful way so that the reader can understand circumstances and picture the story vividly, like watching a movie. There were times where I would think about a smell she was describing or the feel and believe it to be almost tangible myself. I very much enjoy books like this.The end left me on edge and wanting to know what happened next, did the main characters live or did they not? Cusick sets it up so you will want more as good writers should.

New Beginnings!

Hello people in blog land! I am quite pleased to announce my new hobby: Book reviews for the Young Adult Genre! YAY! To forewarn I may sneak in other genres that are above or below YA. but I will put out warnings so do not fret my dears! Now for my first review:

Author: Alice Hoffman


Publication: May 1st 2004 by Scholastic Paperbacks (first published 2003)

Goodreads summery:

Left on her own when her family dies in a terrible disaster, fifteen-year-old Green is haunted by loss and by the past. Struggling to survive physically and emotionally in a place where nothing seems to grow and ashes are everywhere, Green retreats into the ruined realm of her garden. But in destroying her feelings, she also begins to destroy herself, erasing the girl she'd once been as she inks darkness into her skin. It is only through a series of mysterious encounters that Green can relearn the lessons of love and begin to heal enough to tell her story.

My Review:

Green Angel is an easy read consisting of about 128 pages (give or take). Though it may take only a few hours to read, it is sure to captivate. The way Green loses and subsequently finds herself is inspiring; Especially after losing her whole family and having to live in a world without almost any joy or life left. This book made me appreciate my life and all of my friends and family just a little more. I would definitely recommend it to be read at least once.