Review: First Frost by (Mythos Academy #0.5) by Jennifer Estep

Title: First Frost (Mythos Academy  #0.5)
Author: Jennifer Estep
Published by: Kensington Publishing Corporation
Pages: 30
Source: Bought
Format: ebook
Rating: 4.5 stars

Summary from Goodreads: I am Gwen Frost, and I have a Gypsy gift.  It's called psychometry - that's a fancy way of saying that I see images in my head and get flashes of other people's memories off almost everything I touch, even guys.

My gift makes me kind of nosy. Okay, okay, maybe a lot nosy--to the point of obsession sometimes. I want to know everything about everyone around me. But even I don't want to know the secrets my friend Paige is hiding or the terrible loss that will send me to a new school - Mythos Academy, where the teachers aren't preparing us for the SATs, but to battle Reapers of Chaos.  Now I have no friends and no idea how my gift fits in with all these warrior whiz kids.  The only thing I do know is that my life is never, ever going to be the same.

What a way to start a series.  First Frost introduces the Mythos Academy series with a bang.  It was packed full of emotion and instantly set the mood for the series.

Often times many of us want a special gift, but we fail to realize the impact and burden that gift can be.  Gwen learned that the hard way when she picks up a friends hairbrush only to experience her friend's crushing reality.  This not only impacts Gwen's emotional state, but also her life in more ways than she realizes.  Gwen is a strong girl, and yet her life drastically changes because of this one event.  

First Frost introduces us not only to the series, but also to a couple of main characters.  I love that we see bits and pieces of who Gwen is and her interaction with her Grandmother. Besides the characters, First Frost also gives us our first glimpse at Mythos Academy and the mythology behind it.  Instead of vampires and werewolves, we get Amazons, Valkyries and Spartans.  It's nice to see a different side of paranormal/fantasy than the 'typical' found in many other novels.

I think Jennifer L. Armentrout really nailed it with this introduction to the Mythos Academy series.  First Frost is the type of novella you can read before you start the series or after you've already read a couple of books.  It's powerful and insightful; definitely a novella you won't want to miss.

Review Post: Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

Title:  Fangirl
Author:  Rainbow Rowell
Published by: St. Martin's Griffin 
Pages: 434
Format:  Hardcover
Source: Purchased
Rating:  4.5 stars

Summary from Goodreads:  In Rainbow Rowell's Fangirl, Cath is a Simon Snow fan. Okay, the whole world is a Simon Snow fan, but for Cath, being a fan is her life—and she’s really good at it. She and her twin sister, Wren, ensconced themselves in the Simon Snow series when they were just kids; it’s what got them through their mother leaving.

Cath’s sister has mostly grown away from fandom, but Cath can’t let go. She doesn’t want to. Now that they’re going to college, Wren has told Cath she doesn’t want to be roommates. Cath is on her own, completely outside of her comfort zone. She’s got a surly roommate with a charming, always-around boyfriend, a fiction-writing professor who thinks fan fiction is the end of the civilized world, a handsome classmate who only wants to talk about words . . . And she can’t stop worrying about her dad, who’s loving and fragile and has never really been alone.

For Cath, the question is: Can she do this? Can she make it without Wren holding her hand? Is she ready to start living her own life? And does she even want to move on if it means leaving Simon Snow behind?

We as book lovers get attached to characters, worlds, plots, authors, and essentially every other aspect of a book.  These people and places become a comfort to us and a part of our lives just like their non-fiction entities.  Who didn't hope for their very own letter to Hogwarts, to be able to shoot an arrow like our favorite fearless heroine, or dare I say it...want a sparkling boyfriend of our own at one time or another?  We get completely immersed in the story and it becomes part of who we are. 

The same is true for Cath.  She is not only a Simon Snow fan, but she is THE fan.  You know the one who has fans of their own.  Not only does she live for the books, movies, world, and characters but she is also one of the most famous fanfiction writers out there with a massive following of her own.  She's a bit obsessed to say the least and it is taking over her life.  

I really loved Cath as a character.  She was a bit naive and sheltered but she also didn't bend to peoples will or change who she is.  However, Cath was just one of the outstanding characters in this novel.  Wren was eccentric and a bit wild.  She knew what she wanted from life and went after it.  Levi was completely and utterly adorable.  Where was he when I went to college?  And my favorite character had to be Reagan.  I loved her and her surly attitude.  I thought she was a riot.    

College is a tough transition and I think that Rainbow Rowell did an amazing job at capturing two of the different ends of the spectrum with Cath and her sister.  Both of these girls were going through some traumatic experiences and tough times, then on top of that they move away to college.  They handled things very differently, though truth be told also very typically.  Looking back on my undergrad days I can definitely see myself in both of these girls and their actions (is that a good thing?)

Fangirl was a different take on YA/New Adult and I think I quite liked it. For me at least, it seems a bit more relate-able than other NA books, yet it still had most of the elements + it was hilarious.  There were so many times I laughed out loud when reading this novel.  (side note:  This novel seems to bridge both YA and NA, though in an interview Rainbow Rowell states she feels it is more YA.)

Fangirl is definitely worth the hype.  I think I'm going to stock up on a couple of these books, as they will make great graduation gifts.      

Review of Deity by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Title: Deity (Covenant, #3)
Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout
Published by: Spencer Hill Press
Pages: 330
Source: Library
Format: Paperback
Rating: 4.5 stars

Summary from Goodreads: Alexandria isn't sure she's going to make it to her eighteenth birthday--to her Awakening. A long-forgotten, fanatical order is out to kill her, and if the Council ever discovers what she did in the Catskills, she's a goner... and so is Aiden.

If that's not freaky enough, whenever Alex and Seth spend time "training"--which really is just Seth's code word for some up-close and personal one-on-one time--she ends up with another mark of the Apollyon, which brings her one step closer to Awakening ahead of schedule. Awesome.

But as her birthday draws near, her entire world shatters with a startling revelation and she's caught between love and Fate. One will do anything to protect her. One has been lying to her since the beginning. Once the gods have revealed themselves, unleashing their wrath, lives will be irrevocably changed... and destroyed.

Those left standing will discover if love is truly greater than Fate...

It took me awhile to get into this series, but now I'm loving it like cheesecake!

Alex is my favorite type of heroine.  She's full of sass, determination and is not going to be slowed down by rules or Uncles and Stepfathers who are determined to set them.  I love her spunk and total disregard for her own safety in light of helping others.  Plus she has two guys who are after her and they are hello-sexy (though quite infuriating at times).  

I loved seeing different sides of characters in Deity along with a few new characters as well.  It is about time that some of the other characters in the series got some much needed attention.  Obviously I love the main characters, but it adds so much to a story when we get bits and pieces about other characters as well.  It feels more real to me and like I'm chilling with the whole family instead of just my besties.

Besides all the supporting character love, I cannot believe how much action and plot twists Jennifer L. Armentrout threw into one book.  I feel like I could go on forever about many of the events that took place in Deity.  Some were epic and completely shock worthy, while others made me furious and at times a bit confused.  I thought I had everything figured out, but apparently there are some things you could not have guessed.  For instances the ending...I was crushed!  I couldn't believe what happened and now I have to wait until the next book to figure what is going to happen next.  Uggh!

I'm pretty sure I'm confusing you and I probably sound pretty cryptic, but I don't want to give anything away because trust me this book is worth reading.

Review of Unspoken by Sarah Rees Brennan

Title: Unspoken
Author: Sarah Rees Brennan
Published by: Random House Books for Young Readers
Pages: 384
Source: Publisher and NetGalley
Format: ebook ARC
Rating: 4.5 stars

Summary from Goodreads:  Kami Glass is in love with someone she's never met—a boy she's talked to in her head since she was born. This has made her an outsider in the sleepy English town of Sorry-in-the-Vale, but she has learned ways to turn that to her advantage. Her life seems to be in order, until disturbing events begin to occur. There has been screaming in the woods and the manor overlooking the town has lit up for the first time in 10 years. . . . The Lynburn family, who ruled the town a generation ago and who all left without warning, have returned. Now Kami can see that the town she has known and loved all her life is hiding a multitude of secrets—and a murderer. The key to it all just might be the boy in her head. The boy she thought was imaginary is real, and definitely and deliciously dangerous.

Unspoken was a delightful read that was nail-biting and surprising funny.  I had no idea what to expect when I started reading this novel, but the story soon captured by attention and had me laughing out loud. 

When it comes to receiving the scoop on a story, Kami is one determined girl.  She will put herself on the front line and in awkward situations to find the news and answers she wants.  I really enjoyed Kami's character.  She was a bit spunky and crazy at times, but she went for what she wanted, except when it came to her heart.  I think that her and Jared make an interesting pair to be connected telepathically.  He's a bit rough and tumble and she's a sweet but insistent young girl.  They are not sure why they can hear each other's thoughts, but now that they can see each other face to face they are determined to find out. 

I didn't always understand how Jared was feeling about both the telepathy and Kami herself.  I was confused by some of his actions and I wish that I could have saw inside his head a little more. 

There is a large mystery in the novel of both the Lynburn family returning to the quaint English town, Sorry-in-the-Vale, and a murderer killing animals steadily progressing in violence.  Kami and her unique group of friends investigate on their own and often get caught in compromising situations.  Sarah Rees Brennan writes a great mystery.  I did not figure either mystery out until the very end.  I had no idea who was the murderer or the oddness of the Lynburn's and why the town treated the differently.  I loved that I was constantly caught by surprise while reading this story and seriously had no clue about either mystery.

With it's charming cast of characters, laugh-out-loud moments, and a gripping mystery Unspoken is a novel you'll quickly want to get your hands on. 

Review of Vixen by Jillian Larkin

Title: Vixen
Author: Jillian Larkin
Published by: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Pages: 421
Source: Bought
Format: Hardcover
Rating: 4.5 stars

Summary from Goodreads: Jazz . . . Booze . . . Boys . . . It’s a dangerous combination.

Every girl wants what she can’t have. Seventeen-year-old Gloria Carmody wants the flapper lifestyle—and the bobbed hair, cigarettes, and music-filled nights that go with it. Now that she’s engaged to Sebastian Grey, scion of one of Chicago’s most powerful families, Gloria’s party days are over before they’ve even begun . . . or are they?

Clara Knowles, Gloria’s goody-two-shoes cousin, has arrived to make sure the high-society wedding comes off without a hitch—but Clara isn’t as lily-white as she appears. Seems she has some dirty little secrets of her own that she’ll do anything to keep hidden. . . .

Lorraine Dyer, Gloria’s social-climbing best friend, is tired of living in Gloria’s shadow. When Lorraine’s envy spills over into desperate spite, no one is safe. And someone’s going to be very sorry.

If I could go back in time to any era, I would pick the 1920s.  Ever since I was little I wanted to be a flapper; there is something about the sexiness and the scandal that pulls you in.  Jillian Larkin portrayed this wonderfully in her novel.  She brings you to the past filled with  gangsters, speakeasies, and flappers who captivate your attention in a way where you won't want to come back to the twenty first century. 

Each of these girls bring a new element to the story.  Gloria is the perfect girl who just wants to rebel a little and break out of her strict confines.  Lorraine is jealous and completely out for herself and Clara just wants to escape her past.  All of the character were completely believable and while Gloria and Clara were easy to like, Lorraine is another story.  I have never yet a character was deceitful and vindictive.  Her tone was completely petty and self-entitled.  She was an easy character to pin as "the bad guy." 

Vixen is filled with forbidden romance and surprise love around every corner.  At first it's hard to know who to trust and who not to, but each character shows their true colors soon enough. 

I don't know what has taken me so long to read Vixen, but I can't wait to continue the series.  I hope it's just as fabulous and as scandalous. 

Review of The Rise of Nine by Pittacus Lore

Title: The Rise of Nine (Lorien Legacies #3)
Author: Pittacus Lore
Published by: HarperCollins
Pages: 416
Source: Edelweiss and HarperCollins
Format: ARC ebook
Available: August 2, 2012
Rating: 4.5 stars

Summary from Goodreads: Until the day I met John Smith, Number Four, I'd been on the run alone, hiding and fighting to stay alive.

Together, we are much more powerful. But it could only last so long before we had to separate to find the others. . . .

I went to Spain to find Seven, and I found even more, including a tenth member of the Garde who escaped from Lorien alive. Ella is younger than the rest of us, but just as brave. Now we're looking for the others--including John.

But so are they.

They caught Number One in Malaysia.
Number Two in England.
And Number Three in Kenya.
They caught me in New York--but I escaped.
I am Number Six.
They want to finish what they started.
But they'll have to fight us first.

This series just keeps getting better and better.

The Rise of Nine is action packed, thrilling, and edge of your seat good.  Finally things start falling in place for the Lorien.  They are finding more of their own and starting to understand their legacies.  It is so interesting learning what each person's legacies are and how they are an integral part of the plot.  Of course some characters seem more powerful than others, but it is truly about them working together and using their individual talents to fight the common evil.  Who doesn't love a great "good versus evil" plot line!

Four is back but for some reason doesn't seem as strong in this novel.  Maybe it's just that more of the Lorien are there and they are all unbelievably fierce and have some serious and deadly skills, but I want Four to swoop in and save the day.  I won't give away who you get to meet in this novel but some of the old favorites are back with new powers and a taste for vengeance.

I have to admit that I am quite jealous of all their legacies and their chests of goodies.  As the Garde band together they seem impossible to defeat but Setrakus Ra and the other Mogadorians have some tricks up their sleeves as well. 

One things I loved about this novel was the alternating POVs between the members of the Garde.  It was interesting to see how each of them were thinking about a situation.  The one thing that confused me though is there was no indication of which Lorien was speaking.  You have to read a couple of sentences into the chapter to figure out which one it is, but after a couple of chapters I got used to that and was so addicted to the novel that I couldn't put it down.

The Rise of Nine surpassed my expectations and now I'm impatiently waiting for the next book to hear the rest of their adventure. 

Review of Paper Towns by John Green

Title: Paper Towns
Author: John Green
Narrator: Dan John Miller
Published by: Brilliance Corporation
Length: 7 sound discs (ca. 8 hr.)
Source: Library
Format: Audio
Rating: 4.5 stars

Summary from Goodreads: When Margo Roth Spiegelman beckons Quentin Jacobsen in the middle of the night - dressed like a ninja and plotting an ingenious campaign of revenge - he follows her. Margo's always planned extravagantly, and, until now, she's always planned solo. After a lifetime of loving Margo from afar, things are finally looking up for Q . . . until day breaks and she has vanished. Always an enigma, Margo has now become a mystery. But there are clues. And they're for Q.

Does the nice guy ever get the girl?  What I've noticed in John Green books is that there is a nice, cute guy chasing, a hot, popular girl.  Paper Towns is no exception. 

Margo Roth Spiegelman is the unattainable next door neighbor to Quentin, "Q."  She's definitely fun, quirky, a bit moody and completely crazy, but in a good way.  She eccentric and fun.  Despite her disregard for other's feelings and her self-centeredness, I did enjoy her as a character.  She was carefree and adventuress.  I think part of me wanted to be her a little bit; to have to worries or cares and to let loose and just have fun. 

As always John Green's characters are FABULOUS.  They are so much fun and so completely real at the same time.  They are refreshingly witty and comical and I promise you'll be laughing throughout the novel.  Ben and Radar are the perfect best friends.  They make a great balance to Q and are almost larger than life, yet they are band geeks.  You can't help but love them. 

As for the story, I loved the mystery.  The clues Margo left were extremely cryptic and it was fun trying to decode them along with Q and his friends.  It kind of felt like a big scavenger hunt or a treasure map.  It was so much fun and I really felt like I was part of it.

The narration of this books was done extremely well.  It had a good pacing and was really easy to follow.