THE BOOK OF LOST THINGS

The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly

 Pages: 396

 Series: N/A

  Release Date: May 24, 2011

Publisher: Scholastic Press

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High in his attic bedroom, twelve-year-old David mourns the death of his mother, with only the books on his shelf for company. But those books have begun to whisper to him in the darkness. Angry and alone, he takes refuge in his imagination and soon finds that reality and fantasy have begun to meld. While his family falls apart around him, David is violently propelled into a world that is a strange reflection of his own -- populated by heroes and monsters and ruled by a faded king who keeps his secrets in a mysterious book, The Book of Lost Things.

"ONCE UPON A TIME–for that is how all stories should begin–"

Isn't that first line wonderful? Does it sent chills down your spine like it did with me?  I heard so much good reviews on it too about how wonderful it was and how creepy it is..but...

The book moved so freaking slooow, it had a lot of fillers chapters right after the main events and I had to stop reading for a while. Now listen to my rants about this book. It will be quick.

This book is written like an better version of a children' book, meaning that Connolly have a pretty average writing style....

The plot didn't really picked up until like the middle of the book and even then, you have to read a few more pages to actually get into it.

Yes, I got into the book around 61% of the book or maybe it was 70%, but as soon as it hit around there, the pacing picked up and there were a lot more actions. I enjoyed it a bit more than I did the first few pages, however I will repeat myself. Those first few pages lowered my hopes for this book. I guess it is different for some people, but I like it when it have a bit of a fast pace, so this book made me yawn a few times even if I do relate to David and his reaction to his mother's death in the beginning..that was pretty much it...

HOWEVER.

It got interesting after and the pacing quickened up and there was actions....but it was so plotless and so boring still.

Yeah...I really have nothing to say about this book. It was alright. Nothing exciting or amazing.

But I think almost alll the characters were a bit interesting especially the Crooked Man, he was a creeper.

But this book get a little plus for not killing one of my favorite characters and I liked the ending, it was really REAL, no I love the ending so much! It just made it worth the book in the end for me ;)


★★★ 3/5, just because the last few pages were great! :D

BEAUTY QUEENS

 Beauty Queens by Libba Bray

 Pages: 396

 Series: N/A

  Release Date: May 24, 2011

Publisher: Scholastic Press

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The fifty contestants in the Miss Teen Dream pageant thought this was going to be a fun trip to the beach, where they could parade in their state-appropriate costumes and compete in front of the cameras. But sadly, their airplane had another idea, crashing on a desert island and leaving the survivors stranded with little food, little water, and practically no eyeliner.  What's a beauty queen to do? Continue to practice for the talent portion of the program - or wrestle snakes to the ground? Get a perfect tan - or learn to run wild? And what should happen when the sexy pirates show up?

I read this book last year and I finally want to write a review for it. First of all, the cover made me smile slightly, I don't know why. Maybe it is the armor of lipsticks. But I felt like for this kind of book, it doesn't really fit that well.. Anyways! It was a good book about girls who landed in a unknown island. Enemies became friends. Friends became enemies. The plot was a bit too slow for my taste and when the pirates came, I was like "Oh, finally!" There was romance, but it was mostly about surviving in a desert island. So of course some of the girls couldn't make it out. I really like the writer's way of writing even if it was too slow and steady for my taste. Honestly, I expect more survival and maybe more fights. Oh maybe it was just me. By the time I finish it, I just put it aside. It didn't change my life. It is one of the first book I read that I like, but it didn't left a big impact on me. It is still a good book and I recommend it to readers that likes slow and steady writing. :)

Even though, it was forgettable. It was still a good book :)

★★★★ 4/5 Stars 

FINS ARE FOREVER

 Fins are Forever by Tera Lynn Childs

 Pages: 262

 Series: Fin #2

  Release Date: June 28, 2011

Publisher: HarperCollins

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On Lily Sanderson’s eighteenth birthday she’ll become just a girl—still a mergirl, true, but signing the renunciation will ink Princess Waterlily of Thalassinia out of existence. That leaves plain old Lily living on land, dating the boy she loves, and trying to master this being-human thing once and for all.

Now that Lily and Quince are together, mer bond or not, she’s almost content to give up her place in the royal succession of Thalassinia. But just when she thinks she has everything figured out, the waves start to get rough. Lily’s father sends a certain whirlpool-stirring cousin to stay with her on land. What did Doe do to get herself exiled from Thalassinia and stuck in terraped form, when everyone knows how much she hates humans? And why why why is she batting her eyelashes at Lily’s former crush, Brody?

The seafoam on the raging surf comes when a merboy from Lily’s past shows up—Tellin asks Lily for something that clouds her view of the horizon. There’s a future with Quince on land, her loyalty to the kingdom in the sea, and Lily tossing on the waves in the middle. Will she find a way to reconcile her love, her duty, and her own dreams?

Lily and Quince is back and as a couple! Yeah, I been really lazy with reviewing books lately and I am sorry for that! So anyways, like I was saying the two are back and is loving a good life as a couple and then boom! A huge earthquake hit the city and her fashionable human-hating cousin, Dosinia got exiled and was focused to stay with Lily! Oh, there is more, Lily's childhood mer-friend, Tellin (What an interesting name!) shows up and kind of make her think about two things. I hope I will not spoil anything :D. She have to choose to save a dying kingdom or stay with her love?

Personally, I feel like the way Doe got exiled was kind of predictable, so that bring my ratting down a bit, but it was still a good book. For Brody and Doe, it was just like attraction at first sight and I think that their romance moved a bit too fast for my taste. But Doe definitely is my favorite female character, she just know how to make Lily mad and it is hilarious to read as Lily takes not to stab her cousin or something like that.

But really, this book isn't about romance, it is more about her responsibility with a side dish of love. Lily have to choose and that is mostly about that! But at the end, I was really surprised at what Quince did and it was so sweet. Those two are adorable together.

For conclusion, Fins Are Forever is still a summer book like Forgive My Fins, but it is a bit more about her role than the sweet and pure romance.

★★★★ 4/5 Stars :D

It was a good book, it was a bit too predicable for my taste, so it is not really a favorite, but you guys should still check it out if you want another summer mermaid book!

Oh and the author is making another book for this series! I can't wait to see what will happen next!

FORGIVE MY FINS

Forgive my Fins by Tera Lynn Childs

 Pages: 293

 Series: Fin # 1

  Release Date: May 19, 2010

Publisher: HarperCollins

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 Lily Sanderson has a secret, and it’s not that she has a huge crush on gorgeous swimming god Brody Bennett, who makes her heart beat flipper-fast. Unrequited love is hard enough when you’re a normal teenage girl, but when you’re half human, half mermaid like Lily, there’s no such thing as a simple crush. Lily’s mermaid identity is a secret that can’t get out, since she’s not just any mermaid – she’s a Thalassinian princess. When Lily found out three years ago that her mother was actually a human, she finally realized why she didn’t feel quite at home in Thalassinia, and she’s been living on land and going to Seaview high school ever since, hoping to find where she truly belongs. Sure, land has its problems – like her obnoxious, biker boy neighbor Quince Fletcher – but it has that one major perk – Brody. The problem is, mermaids aren’t really the casual dating type – when they “bond,” it’s for life. When Lily’s attempt to win Brody’s love leads to a tsunami-sized case of mistaken identity, she is in for a tidal wave of relationship drama, and she finds out, quick as a tailfin flick, that happily-ever-after never sails quite as smoothly as you planned.

If you love sweet romance, mermaids and bubbly fun, then Forgive my Fins is an amazing book for you. A light, can be funny book about half-mermaid, Lily who have always been in love with Brody Bennett. She even became the manger of the swimming team to see him and not noticing a a extremely hot guy that might just be perfect for her. Quince, the neighbor that always messed with her. So when he suddenly kissed her in the dark, troubles begins to starts. She goes through confusion about her feelings.
Lily is completely blind for not noticing Quince's feeling for her (sighs), Hello, many people like  chasing and messing with the person they love and Quince is that type of person :D
Lily is not amazing, but she is good enough. Brody.... he's okay, all I can see about him is that he is a hot swimmer, so what? But Quince... (swoons) can be so amazing, he can be sweet, charming and even a bit funny!


Childs have done an amazing job on this series, but I feel like it might have been a bit better, it is not my favorite, but it is definitely a wonderful light summer read.
The cover is stunning for sure!! It is so greenish :3


For conclusion, Forgive my Fin is a fun book people should read.


★★★★ 4/5 Stars :D

Waiting On Wednesday

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly memo hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. It is a feature used to tell people what you're waiting to release! Each week I will choose 4 books that I am eager to read and be released!

Embrace by Jessica Shirvington
Goodreads | Amazon

I slowly opened my eyes. The sun speared its first bright rays of golden orange into the sky and I leapt from the cliff, with the sorrowful knowledge that no matter what the outcome, at least part of me would die that day...

Violet Eden is dreading her seventeenth birthday dinner. After all, it’s hard to get too excited about the day that marks the anniversary of your mother’s death. The one bright spot is that Lincoln will be there. Sexy, mature and aloof, he is Violet’s idea of perfection. But why does he seem so reluctant to be anything more than a friend?


After he gives her the world’s most incredible kiss – and then abandons her on her front doorstep – Violet is determined to get some answers. But nothing could have prepared her for Lincoln’s explanation: he is Grigori – part angel and part human – and Violet is his eternal partner.


Without warning, Violet’s world is turned upside down. She never believed in God, let alone angels. But there’s no denying the strange changes in her body ... and her feelings for Lincoln. Suddenly, she can’t stand to be around him. Luckily, Phoenix, an exiled angel, has come into her life. He’s intense and enigmatic, but at least he never lied to her.

As Violet gets caught up in an ancient battle between dark and light, she must choose her path. The wrong choice could cost not only her life, but her eternity...

Eternal Eclipse by Sherry Soule

Goodreads | Amazon

Immortal Struggle. Forbidden Passion. Timeless Envy.

  As a headstrong and practical New Yorker, Skylar Thornton doesn’t believe in the supernatural until she moves into Summerwind Mansion. Her hope for serenity and a new home is soon eclipsed by haunting dreams of another young woman murdered in the house. She suspects there’s something strange about this place and it’s not just the bad dreams—or her uncontrollable attraction to the former owner, Dorian Knight.  

 Dorian seems so achingly familiar and as close to Mr. Darcy as she’ll ever get. Expect Jane Austen never wrote a hero like him—someone who both excites and frightens her.  Determined to unlock secrets that have remained hidden for centuries, Skylar is plunged into an otherworldly mystery that not even she can explain away after her uncle mysteriously dies in the house.   

When the dark history of the Knight family begins to unravel, tensions heighten, and old resentments turn deadly. Even though Dorian warns Skylar about a terrible curse—she still doesn’t know who or what to believe. But just as Dorian tries to tell Skylar the awful truth, his darkest secrets are finally revealed—putting their lives in terrible danger.  Now Skylar starts to wonder which she would rather hold on to—her sanity…or her life?

Darkness Before Dawn by J.A London

Goodreads | Amazon

This electrifying new trilogy blends the best of paranormal and dystopian storytelling in a world where the war is over. And the vampires won.

Humans huddle in their walled cities, supplying blood in exchange for safety. But not even that is guaranteed. Dawn has lost her entire family and now reluctantly serves as the delegate to Lord Valentine, the most powerful vampire for miles. It isn’t until she meets Victor, Valentine’s son, that she realizes not all vampires are monsters....

Transcendence by C.J Omololu
Goodreads | Amazon

.

When a visit to the Tower of London triggers an overwhelmingly real vision of a beheading that occurred centuries before, Cole Ryan fears she is losing her mind. A mysterious boy, Griffon Hall, comes to her aid, but the intensity of their immediate connection seems to open the floodgate of memories even wider.

As their feelings grow, Griffon reveals their common bond as members of the Akhet—an elite group of people who can remember past lives and use their collected wisdom for the good of the world. But not all Akhet are altruistic, and a rogue is after Cole to avenge their shared past. Now in extreme danger, Cole must piece together clues from many lifetimes. What she finds could ruin her chance at a future with Griffon, but risking his love may be the only way to save them both.

Full of danger, romance, and intrigue, Transcendence breathes new life into a perpetually fascinating question: What would you do with another life to live?

CAPTIVATE

Captivate by Carrie Jones

 Pages: 273

 Series: Need #2

  Release Date: January 5, 2010

Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Children's Books

Goodreads | Amazon

 

 Zara and her friends knew they hadn't solved the pixie problem for good. Far from it. The king's needs grow deeper every day he's stuck in captivity, while his control over his people gets weaker. It's made him vulnerable. And now there's a new king in town.

A turf war is imminent, since the new pixie king, Astley, is moving in quickly. Nick nearly killed him in the woods on day one, but Zara came to his rescue. Astley swears that he and Zara are destined to be together, that he's one of the good guys. Nick isn't buying it, though Zara isn't as sure -- despite herself, she wants to trust the new king. But it's a lot more than her relationship with Nick that is at stake. It's her life -- and his. 

 

Okay! This cover is just... odd... It really looks like she is crying a drop of golden tear. I don't know why, but I think it is just weird. Okay, enough of my cover ranting, Lets go to the story. There is a new pixie king in the story. The "hot, handsome, mysterious, charming" Astley who make Zara feels like she can trust him and have a "connection". Straight of all, I don't like how a guy would just come in and expect that the girl is his or that they are "destined to be together" even if Zara is a bit oo bossy for my taste. All of the sudden, a hot pixie dude come into the story. and almost everyone like forget all about Nick and start swooning for Astley. (I have seen it on Goodreads, it is just my opinion, remember.) Sure, he is hot, but he still don't have that love that Zara and Nick have since the first book. Okay, I do like Astley because he is very cool... that is about it. There is so going to be a love triangle just like in Twilight.
GRR and someone died too! But will not tell you who because it will ruin a bit. And the end, ahh!


But solid characters as always. Zara wasn't that annoying or was she? *shrugs* She will always be annoying in a way, but not like Grace from The Lost Saint. That girl want me to kill her, but THAT is a story for another day ;)


★★★  3/5 Stars

NEED

Need by Carrie Jones

 Pages: 306

 Series: Need # 1

  Release Date: December 23, 2008

Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Children's Books

Goodreads | Amazon

Zara White suspects there's a freaky guy semi-stalking her. She's also obsessed with phobias. And it's true, she hasn't exactly been herself since her stepfather died. But exiling her to shivery Maine to live with her grandmother? That seems a bit extreme. The move is supposed to help her stay sane...but Zara's pretty sure her mom just can't deal with her right now.

She couldn't be more wrong. Turns out the semi-stalker is not a figment of Zara's overactive imagination. In fact, he's still following her, leaving behind an eerie trail of gold dust. There's something not right - not human - in this sleepy Maine town, and all signs point to Zara.


 

 The Cover is okay, it's not all my god! It is so ah-mazing. It is just okay just as this is an okay book. Zara irritates me at times, sh is very pushy and is like  "I don't believe this blah blah blah!" A real drama queen in my mind. But Nick, he is a dreamer. I love him so much. He is sweet, charming and cute. The only thing I like about this book is the couple, they are adorable! The writing is okay, I really like how she is like obsessed with phobias, it is pretty interesting. The action was not heart racing or anything like that. But there was action with pixies and little surprises. That is all I can say about the book. It is okay as the cover, a bit dull,but not boring. I did stop a few times, but I finished it. :)

Zara/Nick furrever!

But.. I have to say, it DO have a good plot and solid characters. It still kind of deserve a chance to be read, so this is just my opinion that it is kind of dull, but maybe not to others. (shrugs)

★★★ 3/5 Stars