Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

I'm a self-admitted book hipster. I like to have read the best and soon-to-be-biggest books before they get big. So after hearing more than once that Daughter of Smoke and Bone was the the next Hunger Games, I'm like fine, whatever, let's give it a try. I'm glad I did.

SUMMARY: Karou is beyond unusual. She's a young art student living in Prague with big secrets. She speaks many languages, not all of them are human. Her hair is a brilliant shade of peacock blue, it grows out of her head that way. She spends her days drawing mythical beasts and creatures, sketches all her friends admire. Little do they know that the creatures Karou draws are real, they are the inhuman family that raised her, the family she runs errands for. Her task is collecting teeth to give to them. But the two worlds Karou inhabits, her life as a teen artist living on her own and her life as the member of an other-worldly family, are about to collide. She will soon have to face the fact that she works and was raised by the devil, and that she's about to be caught up in the ancient war between angels and devils, and forbidden love with the enemy.

So it's a pretty good fantasy/paranormal romance. It started out a little sketchy. Karou is confronted by her ex-boyfriend when he becomes a naked model for her life drawing class. At that point I thought it was going to be one of THOSE books. But it isn't. Over time you start to see the beauty and genius of the fantasy world Laini Taylor created. It skips around quite a bit, and it left me confused at points. The point of view alternates between Karou and Akiva, the angel warrior she grows to love. I didn't really get into either character, I found them both hard to latch onto. So I didn't really get into their romance. It didn't matter though, the story is still good. Taylor's romantic, graceful prose is what really sold me. Her descriptions are so beautifully crafted.

The novel concerns angels and devils, but they are more of a fantasy version instead of the religious figures we know them as. The characters are fallible, and you can't really get to know Karou until the very last page, mostly because the main theme of the story is her finding out who and what she really is. My favorite character was her best friend Zuzanna, a talented puppet-maker who provides the comic relief of the story.

The plot is shaky, but it worked. The end is a shocker, on the final pages things seem wonderful, true love will conquer all, and then boom, an awful secret is revealed and the book stops there. I was about to wail in frustration, but it said "to be continued". So I eagerly wait for book #2 so I can return to Taylor's multi-level fantasy world and gorgeous prose.

THE BOTTOM LINE: A story that's strange and sketchy at first morphs into something beautiful, only to end dreadfully, setting the stage for the sequel. 4/5 stars

So Not Happening by Jenny B Jones

So Not Happening is your usual prissy-rich-girl-gets-a-reality-check story. In order to make it different than all the other books like that, hints of mystery and suspense are thrown in.

SUMMARY:
Bella Kirkwood lived her charmed life happy as could be in New York. She possesses everything she could want: fab friends, couture clothes, her dad's unlimited credit card. But when her mom decides to remarry a man who is a total stranger, Bella's perfect world is flipped upside down. She's forced to move to Truman, Oklahoma, and live on her new stepdad's farm with his 2 sons.

At first things are terrible. Not having her friends at her side and a credit card in her pocket prove to be a challenge, especially when everyone at her new school turns against her. Just as she's starting to adjust, she suspects that something suspicious is going on with the Truman football team. Being on the staff of the high school newspaper, Bella decides to investigate further, despite her really obnoxious (and attractive) editor's wishes. Soon she finds herself wrapped up in a mystery that will lead her to discovering where she truly belongs.


This wasn't a bad read. Many attempts were made in the story to be funny, and a number of them made me laugh. The book is narrated by Bella, your usual priss. In the beginning she is of course annoying, all she ever does is complain, but grows more tolerable throughout the story. I eventually grew to like her snarky commentary. My other favorite character was her intense editor Luke, who is annoying, but you can't help but want him and the love-hate relationship he and Bella have.

The book is full of clichés, Bella steps in cow dung as soon as she arrives on the farm for example. The first half of the book is basically Bella sulking while noticing that things aren't quite right with the football team. I enjoyed the second half more because things really took off and got fast-paced. The climax was something I honestly hadn't foreseen, though once it happened I was easily able to predict what happened next. In the end, Bella relies on God to help her through, something you don't usually see in books like these.

There are apparently 2 sequels, and I wouldn't mind reading those. I like Jenny B Jones' mystery-meets-riches-to-rags stories.

THE BOTTOM LINE: An acceptable way to spend reading time. Though predictable, So Not Happening has mystery, humor, and underlying Christian themes that improve the story heavily.
3/5 stars

Crossed by Ally Condie

Guess what? Ally Condie and her dystopian world are back! (Yes, I’m aware it’s been a few months since the book came out, but better late than never.) So if you don’t want to be totally spoiled on what happens if you haven’t read the 1st book, Matched already, DON’T READ BEYOND THIS POINT. Instead go read Matched already. Honestly, what are you waiting for? It’s the new thing.

So here’s what goes on: Cassia has made her way to the Outer Provinces. Now that she’s chosen to pursue Ky after rejecting a future inside The Society with her official Match, Xander, Cassia has no way of predicting the dangers that are to come. She escapes into the canyons in hopes of finding Ky, but she is searching for something else as well. When an Archivist slips her a piece of information, new hope swirls through Cassia. She learns of The Rising, or the rebellion against the Society. But if she is to find Ky or The Rising, she will need to venture out farther and learn more than she ever imagined. Meanwhile, Ky is in pursuit of Cassia as well. He too escapes into canyons, his sole goal to reunite with his lost love.

But if Cassia and Ky are to ever meet again or take down The Society, they will have to endure things they never anticipated. Like new allies, surprises from Xander along the way, and the crossing, twisting paths that lead them to their destiny- whatever that may be.

Let’s face it: Ally Condie could have really screwed this up. A survival story of two people desperately seeking each other as they travel through the wilderness? Boring and cliché. But she didn’t screw this up. Not at all.

I won’t say the beginning grabbed my attention right away, at times it was dull. But once it did, I was hooked. Unlike Matched, which focused on Cassia alone, Crossed alternated points of view, from Cassia to Ky. The new insight on Ky added a whole new dimension to the story. We learn more about his past, his ambitions, and his intense love for Cassia.

No, seriously. There were times when I wanted to scream, “Will you two just find each other already? I’m sick of you poetically describing how much you yearn for each other!” However, once the romantic plotline of the story hits its much-anticipated point *cough-cough, hint-hint* Allie Condie gobs on romance scenes so thick I had to laugh. I’m not saying that I didn’t enjoy them though, and I’ll admit the whole thing with where they whisper poems to each other in the dark and their lyrical inner thoughts were quite dazzling.

Even if it didn’t have the love story it would have still been really cool. The Rising was this big urban legend they uncovered, and a few of the secrets that are revealed about the characters made me gasp out loud. (I love it when that happens!) The new characters that were introduced were great with interesting background stories. I thought the resolution was genius and I cannot wait for the final book in the trilogy. I can see the potential it has now…oh, and I’ll bet you anything that Cassia will be wearing red and breaking right out of that bubble on the next book cover.

THE BOTTOM LINE:
A lovely work that is a melodic blend of poetry and prose. Great suspense, good romance, and it is very unpredictable. Definitely worth your time.
4.5/5 stars

Reincarnation by Suzanne Weyn

I read this book almost two years ago but it still sticks with me today. The compelling love story and beautiful historical details, combined with repetitive cameos from the same lovable and dreadful characters make this a great read.

It all starts in prehistoric times. A man and a woman fight in a cave over a beautiful jewel, but their attraction towards each other is so strong, it lasts…even after they both die. From there, the two souls reincarnate, and go into different bodies throughout the world and time, always destined to meet again. They become Egyptian slaves, ancient Greek patrons, Civil War soldiers, Parisians during the beginning of World War II and more. Every time they fall in love, some sort of tragedy happens and they die, but fate keeps giving them chance after chance to finally get things right. Because the moral of the story is that love will always triumph…even if it takes thousands of years to get it just right.

I adored this book. All the cool historical events it covered intrigued me, such as the Massachusetts witch trials. Suzanne Weyn did her research well. Another cool thing was that the two lovers weren’t the only ones who reincarnated. There were always two antagonists, another man and woman, who are always trying to get in the way of two protagonists finding each other.

As sad as it was that the two main characters kept dying over and over, I will assure you, the ending is happy. Have no fear.

THE BOTTOM LINE:
A quick and enduring read. Beautifully romantic and tragic, but with a satisfying conclusion.
5/5 stars

What Happened to Goodbye by Sarah Dessen

What involves basketball, cooking, a sweetly-told story line, and enough deeply intense morals that could be the main idea of about 20 Hallmark Channel Movies? Sarah Dessen's latest novel.

McLean Sweet has chosen to live with her dad ever since her mom divorced him for a collage basketball coach. Mr. Sweet is a traveling restaurant consultant which means he and McLean move around a lot. With every move, McLean re-invents herself for each new high school. A new name and a new personality, such as peppy cheerleader to drama diva. It's gotten to the point where she's forgotten who she actually is. But in the new town she's just moved to, she's finally making friends and just being herself, whoever that may be. Her neighbor Dave might be the reason for this, he's the most real person she's ever met, and he thinks he knows who the real McLean is, even if she doesn't know herself. She better find out soon though, before she has to move and start all over again.

Such a sweet story. The characters, the setting, the plot...you might as well be watching a good teen chick-flick. Dessen makes McLean's world surround her reader as if they are flipping through a pop-up book rather than a YA novel. It's hard to describe McLean's character, since even she doesn't know who she is. And a reader will grow to love Dave, he's pretty funny and adorable, the exact type of guy you will never find in real life. I wouldn't label this a romance novel- there is so much more to it than the relationship between these characters. Kudos to Dessen for getting to the roots of the meanings of family, friends, and love. And McLean and Dave aren't the only characters worth a second glance. I found myself loving her new friend Deb, who is so perky and positive she will make you smile. She was my favorite, and she's only the beginning of the list of good people you will meet in this story.

I think it was slightly unrealistic how profound some of the thoughts McLean has are. She's a teenager, though she has been through a lot, I suppose. The somewhat distant relationship she has with her parents, her mom in particular, is interesting to watch progress. I found myself getting annoyed with McLean at points, since she can tend to be a bit over-dramatic when it comes to the issues that are thrown her way. But the story goes on this certain way that makes you want to keep reading. The story will stick to you. And of course the conflict was resolved emotionally and cutely, but maybe a little bit too quickly for my tastes.

THE BOTTOM LINE:
Cute, funny, good. Valuable lessons are learned in the most simpleminded and sentimental ways. Go ahead, read it. Like good soup on a winter day, it will make you feel warm and satisfied.
4/5 stars

The Last Days by Scott Westerfeld

Yes, I know I need to stop spamming this blog with my SW obsession, however, I see no end to it. Just hear me out here, because I am about to inform you of a vampire novel I actually enjoyed! Plus, it takes place during the supposed end of the world! I'm all over that. The Last Days is a sequel to Peeps, a book I haven't read, but that was okay, I still got the jist of the story. Here, I made a summary:

It's the hottest summer New York has ever seen. The streets are filled with rats, weird black oil, and garbage. A mysterious epidemic is spreading. It seems that all hell has broke loose. But to Moz, Zahler, Pearl, and Alana Ray, all that really matters is their new band. With an edgy sound and tons of potential, they have a shot at stardom. They recruit Minerva (a girl who has the epidemic) to be their lead singer. She has been staying in her house ever since she got a craving for human blood.

The world is ending, the city is in chaos, and Peeps (vampires) are taking over. With the apocalypse drawing near, the band might just be able to battle back because they basically rock so hard, they can can stop Armageddon. Without knowing it, they create the soundtrack to the end of the world.

Pretty intense huh? In short, this book was pretty cool for a vampire book. And I am pleased to say it was published pre-Twilight movie hype. Plus, you don't become a vampire from getting bitten. No, you get blood-thirsty qualities from getting an STD. Cliche? I think not. It's written in this cool, creepy way. It's funny too. The five band members are strong characters, and they trade off narrating the story. Minerva's point of view was the most enthralling. As a Peep, she had some interesting thoughts. I think "Mustn't eat Mosey" was my favorite line from the whole book, in the part where she is trying not kiss and/or kill and devour Moz.

I enjoyed the end-of-the-world vibe to the book too. Westerfeld's version of the possible apocalypse is unique, and the way the band saved the world was all in all epic. Though it got a bit confusing to me at some points, I was always entertained. It was kind of bizarre, but as long as you aren't creeped out too easily, you'll like it. Lots of cool stuff is worked into the story. For example, every chapter name is also the name of a band. And each section of the book has a little write-up about plagues and apocalypses. Thanks to this book, I now know that when little kids sing ring-around-the-rosey, they are singing about a horrible plague that occurred in the Middle Ages.

The ending was brief, but well-written. This a clever book and totally not your average teenage vampire novel.

THE BOTTOM LINE:
About as cool as a book can get when it involves rock bands, sexually-transmitted vampire diseases, the end of the world, and (spoiler alert) gigantic black monsters.
4/5 stars

Goddess Games by Niki Burnham

Last spring break, I got a boatload of new books to read on vacation. One of these was Goddess Games by Niki Burnham. Reading chick-lit on the beach is kind of my idea of vacation, you see. So here's a self-written summary:

Claire, Seneca, and Drew are three very different girls who all have decided to take a summer job at King's Crown Resort, the most luxurious mountain getaway in Colorado. They each have their reasons for coming. For Claire, coming to King's Crown meant helping get her life back on track and restrengthening her relationship with God. For Drew, it meant getting to train in the mountains (she's a competitive runner) while escaping the trouble back home. For Seneca, the daughter of a famous movie actress, it means getting back on the A-list by kissing up to celebrity resort guests.
All 3 have different goals, hopes, and dreams, which makes it tough when they have to share a cabin. At first, their differences are all they can see, but somehow through fate, they learn to help and support each other.


Since the jacket of the book sends off a spa vibe, and claims that this book helps celebrate the goddess in us all, I assumed it would be a cute, inspiring read. Not exactly.
The book started slow and the first few chapters seemed to lag on. We meet former party-girl Claire, sad and determined Drew, and stuck-up Seneca. Things got a little more interesting once the girls move into their cabin together, but not really. I liked finally learning Claire's secret, which is revealed to us when she tells it to her ex-boyfriend, this was probably the most suspenseful part. We also later learn something about Drew.

So it is your typical girls-who-fight story up until near the end when they finally decide to be friends and bond over a special yoga class, "Goddess Yoga". I suppose this is where the book title comes from. It was weird to me how they suddenly just became friends all of the sudden. That part didn't really seem realistic. And leading up to that turning point, there is some guy drama and emotional issues circulating throughout the three of them. And that's pretty much the book. I wasn't particularly impressed in any way. It was good enough to keep my attention, but I feel that at points it got kind of predictable and lame.
I'd say the most exciting thing that happened was when Drew encounters a bear in the mountains. At least I can thank Niki Burnham because I now know how to fend off a bear if I ever cross paths with one.
One thing that drove me crazy? The fact that the word 'favorite' was always shortened to 'fave'. It was just annoying. I think I was able to tolerate this book due to the fact that I was relaxed at a resort myself while reading it.

THE BOTTOM LINE:
An okay book if you're on vacation and want something laid-back to read. But other than that, you can skip this one. Nothing amazing here.
2/5 stars