Review: Taken by Storm by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Title: Taken by Storm
Author: Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Pages: 314

Publisher: EgmontUSA

Series: Raised by Wolves #3

Released: May 22, 2012

First Line: "I ran as though my life depended on it."

From Goodreads: "Bryn knows first-hand that being the alpha of a werewolf pack means making hard decisions, and that being human makes things a thousand times worse. She's prepared to give up her humanity, but the wolf who promised to Change her is waiting - though for what, Bryn doesn't know. Still human, she must take her place in the werewolf Senate, the precarious democracy that rules the North American packs. Standing side by side with werewolves who were ancient long before she was ever born is enough of a challenge, but Bryn soon learns that the Senate has been called to deal with a problem: the kind of problem that involves human bodies, a Rabid werewolf, and memories that Bryn, Chase, and the rest of their pack would rather forget. With bodies stacking up and political pressure closing in from all sides, Bryn and her pack are going to have to turn to old enemies and even older friends for help - especially when it starts to look like this time, the monster might be one of their own."

My Thoughts:

Alright, so I really love these books. I just love werewolf books in general. The psychic angle that Jennifer Barnes puts on the story makes things interesting and sets it apart from other werewolf stories. But in this book I was a little thrown, because things got even weirder. I won't say how because it will give things away, but I'm just not sure how I felt about one of the twists. This is the main reason I decided to give this book a 4/5, because the aforementioned twist was just a little too weird for me.

Jennifer Barnes is really good at creating a story that keeps you turning the pages, and there was lots of suspense, mystery, and a few twists I didn't see coming. I like how the books build off of each other in a way that isn't predictable and is based on the character's actions and the consequences they have or the problems they create.

I really love some of these characters! Devon and Lake are probably my favorites, and their dialogue always gets me grinning or laughing. And Bryn is an awesome, strong heroine. But while Jennifer Barnes is strong plot-wise, the romantic elements are definitely her weakness, which is disappointing. Chase isn't developed much as a character at all, and his and Bryn's relationship isn't developed much either. I wish the romance had been better, but it didn't stop me from enjoying the story.

The pacing of this story felt a little weird to me. The ending almost felt rushed, like the author was trying to tie up too many loose ends too quickly. But there is still one loose end we never get a proper explanation for, which could potentially lead into another sequel? And while the book does end in a satisfying way, there is somewhat of a cliffhanger that could be suggesting another book.

Recommendations:

 I laughed, I cried, I fell in love with the characters and cheered them on. I loved Taken by Storm, and I would recommend the whole trilogy to those who enjoy werewolf stories. I'm not certain if the author is planning another book, but I really hope she is and I will definitely be reading it :]

My Rating:

Writing: 3/5
Characters: 4/5
Plot: 4/5
Creativity/Originality: 4/5
Kept me interested: 5/5  

Review: Hemlock by Kathleen Peacock

 Title: Hemlock
Author: Kathleen Peacock  
Pages: 416
Publisher: Katherine Tegan Books
Series: Hemlock #1
Released: May 8, 2012
First Line: "Blood ran down my hands in thin rivers."
From Goodreads: "Mackenzie and Amy were best friends.

Since then, Mac's life has been turned upside down. She is being haunted by Amy in her dreams, and an extremist group called the Trackers has come to Mac's hometown of Hemlock to hunt down Amy's killer:

A white werewolf.

Lupine syndrome--also known as the werewolf virus--is on the rise across the country. Many of the infected try to hide their symptoms, but bloodlust is not easy to control.

Wanting desperately to put an end to her nightmares, Mac decides to investigate Amy's murder herself. She discovers secrets lurking in the shadows of Hemlock, secrets about Amy's boy-friend, Jason, her good pal Kyle, and especially her late best friend. Mac is thrown into a maelstrom of violence and betrayal that puts her life at risk.

Kathleen Peacock's thrilling novel is the first in the Hemlock trilogy, a spell-binding urban fantasy series filled with provocative questions about prejudice, trust, lies, and love."

My Thoughts:

 "Old people asked each other where they'd been when JFK was shot; my generation asked each other if they could remember the day werewolves officially came out of the closet."

Alright, I'm going to go ahead and warn you that I'm partial towards werewolf books *stupid grin*. So this review may be a little biased because I'm more willing to forgive flaws in werewolf books because I love werewolves so much. I know, I'm hopeless. *sigh*

Anyways, on with the review!

I really liked the world that Kathleen Peacock created that gave a fresh take on werewolves. The government has admitted that werewolves exist, and rehabilitation camps have been set up across the country. Anyone with Lupine Syndrome or LS is required to turn themselves in and are sent to live out their lives in these camps. Of course, not everyone turns themselves in and many live in secret among humans. That's why there are the Trackers, an extremist group that goes around trying to uncover werewolves in hiding and send them to the rehabilitation camps.

The Trackers, and especially their leader, Derby, gave me chills. They were ruthless and cruel and when they made a threat you knew it wasn't a bluff. Several aspects of the story actually reminded me somewhat of WWI. The werewolves are seen as an inferior race and sent to rehabilitation camps, similar to what happened with the Jews with concentration camps (though no horrifying mass killings). The Trackers come to Hemlock and begin recruiting teens, which reminded me of the Natzis and the Hitler Youth. Posters are put up around Hemlock urging people to turn in those who they knew or suspected to be werewolves, just as people were urged to turn in Jews. These similarities to a real-life event made the Trackers all the more frightening and chilling to me. It also made me think about racism and prejudice in real-life.

For the most part I really liked the plot--having the culprit they're looking for be a werewolf gave it an interesting twist to the age-old murder mystery. There was plenty of suspense as well as some action and twists. There was also a touch of romance, but I'm sad to say the romance part just didn't work for me.

A large part of this was because Kyle's character wasn't developed enough for me to become really attached to him. I felt like all I knew about him was that he had been friends with Mac for 3 years, had shaggy brown hair, and a crazy ex. I felt like I didn't really know him. Other characters like Serena and Trey were a bit more developed, but still could have used more work. I felt like the most developed characters in the story were Mac and Jason. I really liked Mac, though at times the drama going on between her, Kyle, and Jason sometimes got annoying and confusing.

Recommendations:

 Overall, the mystery/action part of this plot kept me reading late into the night even though the romance didn't work for me. I would recommend this book to those who enjoy werewolf stories, but don't raise your expectations too high for the romance part.

My Rating:

Writing: 4/5
Characters: 3/5
Plot: 4/5
Creativity/Originality: 5/5
Kept me interested: 5/5 

If you've read Hemlock, what did you think? What is the best werewolf book you've read? Please, do tell! :D

Happy reading!

Review: Until I Die by Amy Plum

Title: Until I Die

Author: Amy Plum

Pages: 357

Publisher: HarperCollins

Series: Revenants #2

Released: May 8, 2012

First Line: "I leapt, drawing my feet up beneath me, as the seven-foot quarterstaff smashed into the flagstones where I had been standing a half second before."

From Goodreads: "Kate and Vincent have overcome the odds and at last they are together in Paris, the city of lights and love.

As their romance deepens there’s one question they can’t ignore: How are they supposed to be together if Vincent can’t resist sacrificing himself to save others? Although Vincent promises that he’ll do whatever it takes to lead a normal life with Kate, will that mean letting innocent people die? When a new and surprising enemy reveals itself, Kate realizes that even more may be at stake—and that Vincent’s immortality is in jeopardy.

In Die for Me, Amy Plum created a captivating paranormal mythology with immortal revenants and a lush Paris setting. Until I Die is poised to thrill readers with more heart-pounding suspense, spellbinding romance, and a cliff-hanger ending that will leave them desperate for the third and final novel in the series."

My Thoughts:

 I'm not going to lie, I was a little disappointed with this book. I still really enjoyed it and the idea of the revenants is awesome, but I think that Die For Me was definitely better, and I felt that Until I Die was missing something.

In a lot of YA romances, the second book is typically where the main love interests are torn apart, broken up, etc. and the plot revolves around them trying to get back together. Thank goodness Amy Plum avoids this cliche! Instead, she spends the book developing Kate and Vincent's relationship. Yes, they do have issues, mainly how they're going to make their relationship work when she is a human and he is a revenant, but they actively search for ways to make it work instead of breaking it off. There is plenty of romance in this book with several "awww" moments, and the Paris setting makes it all the more romantic.

However, I wish there would have been more action. I'm a hopeless romantic and I'm all for romance, but I need some action too! Die For Me had memorable scenes that stuck with me--Jules leaping in front of the subway, Charles diving into the river, Vincent saving Kate in the cafe, Kate discovering Vincent's body--but Until I Die was lacking these. The plot's main focus was on Kate and Vincent finding a way to make their relationship work. With the way Die For Me ended, I had been expecting more action and conflict and fighting between the revenants and the numa. But the numa don't show up until half way through, and their appearances are brief. But when they do show up they sure make things interesting! I wish Amy Plum had added more of that into the plot.

I have the unfortunate talent of being able to predict where a story is headed. I saw the plot twist in this book coming really early on, and I don't know if it was because it was poorly done or because I'm good at predicting things. (Honestly I thought it was a little obvious). Either way, the twist in this book failed to surprise me. This made it somewhat boring for me at times because I knew what was coming while I was reading, but I don't think everyone will be able to predict it, I'm just weird haha :P

One of my favorite parts about Until I Die was the characters. I especially love Jules and Georgia, and Kate is a great heroine. I liked how she took matters into her own hands and is active in the story instead of sitting by--she takes defense lessons from Gaspard and searches on her own for a way to help her and Vincent. Vincent is sweet and a gentleman, but I would like to see him developed a bit more.

Recommendations:

 Overall, this book kept my attention and I devoured it in a few days. And with that intense cliff-hanger ending I wish I could get a hold of the next book right now! I would recommend this book to fans of Die For Me, and to lovers of paranormal romance. The whole idea of the revenants is really cool, and is what really drew me into the story. I can't wait for the last book!

My Rating:

Writing: 3/5

Characters: 4/5

Plot: 4/5

Creativity/Originality: 5/5

Kept me interested: 5/5 

Review: Sweet Evil by Wendy Higgins

Title: Sweet Evil

Author: Wendy Higgins

Pages: 454

Publisher: Harper Teen

Series: The Sweet Trilogy #1

Released: May 1, 2012

From Goodreads: "Embrace the Forbidden

What if there were teens whose lives literally depended on being bad influences?

This is the reality for sons and daughters of fallen angels.

Tenderhearted Southern girl Anna Whitt was born with the sixth sense to see and feel emotions of other people. She’s aware of a struggle within herself, an inexplicable pull toward danger, but Anna, the ultimate good girl, has always had the advantage of her angel side to balance the darkness within. It isn’t until she turns sixteen and meets the alluring Kaidan Rowe that she discovers her terrifying heritage and her willpower is put to the test. He’s the boy your daddy warned you about. If only someone had warned Anna.

Forced to face her destiny, will Anna embrace her halo or her horns?"

My Thoughts:

There are a lot of angel/fallen angel books out there right now, and the concept is getting a little old. However, Wendy Higgins puts her own unique spin on fallen angels that keeps things interesting. I was very intrigued by her concept of the children of fallen angels (aka Nephilim) being raised to tempt other teens. Tempting others to sin is their 'job' and they are forced to 'work' by their fallen angel fathers. Some of the Nephilim like their work and others don't, but they have no choice but to obey their fathers or be killed. The Nephilim are treated like slaves by the fallen angels, and by the end of the book there are hints of a rebellion to come.

I enjoyed the characters, but I wish they had been developed more, especially Kaidan. The romance was alright, though I thought it moved much too quicky in the beginning. I'm not a big fan of the 'insta-love' plots, though I will give the author credit for further developing their relationship throughout the middle of the book. However, the beginning still felt weird and somewhat unbelieveable to me because Anna and her mom trusted Kaidan--a complete stranger--far too quickly based on Anna's gut instinct. Anna's mom then allows her to go on a cross-country road trip alone with Kaidan. What?? I don't think so. What responsible mother would allow this? The author could have handled this better to make it more believeable, at the least by developing their relationship BEFORE the trip so that they had a solid reason to trust Kaidan.

I was surprised by how biblically accurate this book was (well, as accurate as a fictional story can be anyway) compared to other angel books I've read. The author obviously did her research, which I appreciate. I think this book's biggest flaw was its plot. It was an alright plot, but I wish the author would've had more going on besides Kaidan and Anna's forbidden love drama. It would have been much better with more action and danger involving the fallen angels. I think the next book will be better though because it seems like the Nephilim are going to rebel, which is really what I want to read about!

Recommendations:

Sweet Evil was well-written with a fresh take on fallen angels. The book does have some flaws, but I still enjoyed the story despite them and I will definitely be reading the sequel. I would recommend this book to those who enjoy angels/fallen angels or forbidden romance.

My Rating:

Writing: 4/5

Characters: 4/5

Plot: 3/5

Creativity/Originality: 4/5

Kept me interested: 4/5

Review: Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore

Title: Bitterblue

Author: Kristin Cashore

Pages: 563

Publisher: Dial

Series: Graceling Realm #3

Released: May 1, 2012

From Goodreads: "Eight years after Graceling, Bitterblue is now queen of Monsea. But the influence of her father, a violent psychopath with mind-altering abilities, lives on. Her advisors, who have run things since Leck died, believe in a forward-thinking plan: Pardon all who committed terrible acts under Leck’s reign, and forget anything bad ever happened. But when Bitterblue begins sneaking outside the castle—disguised and alone—to walk the streets of her own city, she starts realizing that the kingdom has been under the thirty-five-year spell of a madman, and the only way to move forward is to revisit the past.

Two thieves, who only steal what has already been stolen, change her life forever. They hold a key to the truth of Leck’s reign. And one of them, with an extreme skill called a Grace that he hasn’t yet identified, holds a key to her heart."

My thoughts:
Oh, bother. Just like with the previous installment, Graceling, I'm struggling with how I feel about this book. I did enjoy it, but there were some problems I had with the book that kept me from loving it.

Some readers may be wondering if you absolutely must read Fire to follow Bitterblue. I didn't read Fire before reading Bitterblue as I wasn't certain if I wanted to invest time into reading it after my mixed feelings with Graceling, and it was merely a companion novel, not the sequel. Bitterblue can easily be read without first reading Fire, and I didn't feel as though I had missed anything.

In this book the story is told from the point of view of Bitterblue instead of Katsa, and she is now twenty and dealing with the aftermath of King Leck's reign. We still get to see characters we were introduced to us in Graceling, such as Katsa, Po, Raffin, Giddon, and Bann. They are involved in the story though they play more minor parts. Out of them, I think Po and then Giddon got the most page time. I really liked the characters, especially some of the new ones like the grouchy librarian Death (pronounced to rhyme with 'teeth'), Saf, and Teddy. But Po is easily my favorite character--he is very likable, kind, vulnerable, and strong.

There were a couple of things I liked better about Bitterblue than Graceling. First, I liked it being told from Bitterblue's perspective better, because Katsa often got on my nerves in Graceling. Second, there were far fewer glaring feminism themes; in Graceling I felt as though I was being pounded over the head with them and being preached a sermon about feminism. However, there were also things that I felt were better in Graceling. For one, the romance between Katsa and Po was MUCH better than the romance between Bitteblue and Saf. I'm so glad we get to still see both Katsa and Po in this book because they make an absolutely adorable couple, I love their romance! Also, I felt that the plot in Graceling was better and had more action.

Which brings me to the main problem I had with this book: the plot. I'm not quite sure how to explain it... First, I think that the book was just too long and it dragged in places. More and more questions kept being raised without others first being answered so that it was difficult to keep track of them all. And by the time one was answered it had been sitting on the back burner for so long that you had already forgotten about that piece of information. The plot to me felt somewhat jumbled and disconjointed, and I often wasn't sure what the main goal of the plot that the characters were working toward was supposed to be.

I was also disappointed in the romance. From the description I thought there would be more of it. In the beginning of the book it Saf and Teddy are constantly present, but then by the end they sort of fell into the background. After Bitterblue and Saf have an argument near the middle of the book, Saf isn't as present and other plot points in the story become more prominent and take up most of the page time, so that there really wasn't much romance. (Furthermore, Saf and Bitterblue's relationship frustrated me, but I can't explain why without spoiling things). Overall, I really liked Saf but I felt that he and Bitterblue were better as friends.

Recommendations:
Overall, I enjoyed this book. It was well-written with likable characters, some nice surprises/twists, and set in a creative world that feels real. I would recommend it to fans of Graceling and Fire, or fans of High Fantasy. However, those who don't like long reads might want to skip this one. After finishing Bitterblue I decided that I do want to read Fire after all, and I will read any future books in this series.

My Rating:

Writing: 5/5
Characters: 5/5
Plot: 3/5
Creativity/Originailty: 5/5
Kept me interested: 4/5