THE WARD by Jordana Frankel

The Ward
Jordana Frankel

Rating: B
Release Date: 04/30/13
Synopsis:
Sixteen-year-old Ren is a daredevil mobile racer who will risk everything to survive in the Ward, what remains of a water-logged Manhattan. To save her sister, who is suffering from a deadly illness thought to be caused by years of pollution, Ren accepts a secret mission from the government: to search for a freshwater source in the Ward, with the hope of it leading to a cure.

However, she never expects that her search will lead to dangerous encounters with a passionate young scientist; a web of deceit and lies; and an earth-shattering mystery that’s lurking deep beneath the water’s rippling surface.

Jordana Frankel’s ambitious debut novel and the first in a two-book series, The Ward is arresting, cinematic, and thrilling—perfect for fans of Scott Westerfeld or Ann Aguirre.

My thoughts on the book:
The Ward got off to a rough start, and while I didn't hate it, I wasn't expecting to like it as much as I did. At first Ren is not very likable, the pacing is a little off, and the plot seems dull. However, as the book progresses, everything gets better. Frankel hits her stride at around the 25% mark and the ending is unbelievably good. Dystopian fans are going to eat this book up!

Ren comes across as super selfish and not very personable in the first few chapters, but as the book progresses, her character grows a lot. I was actually shocked (and pleasantly surprised) at the character growth she exhibits. The more I learned about her, the more I understood why she was so hard. However, I would have liked to have known more about Ren's past. I don't feel like Frankel tells us nearly enough about our main character. In fact, Frankel could have fleshed out all of the characters a bit more. I don't feel like we learned nearly enough about Derek or the Tenati either. I understand and respect her avoiding forcing false culture upon indigenous people, but I would have liked something to go on - perhaps a few more explanations about the 900 whys I had floating around in my head. In the same vein, Callum's motives are still a bit of a mystery to me. I would have liked a lot more information about him and his family, too. The bad characters are bad, but yet again, we don't know why. I feel like a bit more explanation would have been good. However, I still, in spite of the lack of explanations, grew attached to Ren and can't wait to see what happens next. 

In addition to the lack of explanations about characters, the world-building lacks a bit. I don't feel that I ever fully understood the world in which Ren lives. NYC is flooded. I get that, but what caused the Wash Out? How do the buildings not flood? What is the government actually doing? Why are they being so weird? How is the country set up now that NYC is its own state? What other states are out there? How do the cars actually operate (I never understood and could never fully picture any of the scenes with the cars)? I have about a million more questions that could stand to be answered. I'm not sure if Frankel didn't think these things through or if the characters and world-building just take a back seat to the plot. 

Speaking of the plot, it's intense and action-packed. As I said, after the 25% mark, I couldn't put this book down. It's one thing after another right up until the very end. I had no idea where Frankel was taking me during this adventure. The plot is intricate and complicated, yet easy to follow. While the rest of the book fell short in some aspects, the story line truly shines. That alone caused me to push the book up to a B from a C-. I'm not usually a huge plot person (I mean obviously there has to be one, and it should be interesting... however I'm normally more concerned with characters), but the plot of this novel sold me on the entire book. The ending is a bit of a cliffhanger, and I didn't feel like any questions were really answered, but it still seems like a natural place to end. I'm looking forward to the sequel. 

Overall, I'd recommend The Ward to any fan of Dystopian literature. If you're looking for something a bit different, this is it. Frankel has created an interesting world (from what I could tell) with a complex and thrilling plot. You won't want to miss this book. 

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THE COLLECTOR by Victoria Scott

The Collector
Victoria Scott

Rating: C-
Synopsis:
He makes good girls...bad. 

Dante Walker is flippin’ awesome, and he knows it. His good looks, killer charm, and stellar confidence have made him one of hell’s best—a soul collector. His job is simple: weed through humanity and label those round rears with a big red good or bad stamp. Old Saint Nick gets the good guys, and he gets the fun ones. Bag-and-tag.

Sealing souls is nothing personal. Dante’s an equal-opportunity collector and doesn't want it any other way. But he’ll have to adjust, because Boss Man has given him a new assignment:

Collect Charlie Cooper’s soul within ten days.

Dante doesn't know why Boss Man wants Charlie, nor does he care. This assignment means only one thing to him, and that’s a permanent ticket out of hell. But after Dante meets the quirky Nerd Alert chick he’s come to collect, he realizes this assignment will test his abilities as a collector…and uncover emotions deeply buried.

My thoughts on the book:
After reading others' reviews, I had really high hopes for The Collector. You'd think I'd learn that usually when I have high expectations for a book, they aren't met, so I should just stop doing that, but nonetheless, I still was hopeful that The Collector would be a fantastic book. I was let down, of course. Don't get me wrong, I didn't hate the novel or anything like that, but certain things bothered me. The writing was okay, but nothing amazing. The plot was fairly predictable, the world-building was a bit lacking, and the characters were a bit flat. 

Dante was the only character who really had a personality. The rest of the characters, even Charlie, were cookie-cutter people. I mean yea, Charlie was apparently heinously ugly, but other than that, she's the typical boring good girl who's starved for male attention. Also, she was so gullible that it wasn't even believable. There's one lie he tells her that she just buys into without question. It was so unbelievable that it kept me from enjoying the rest of the story. I hate when authors control their characters like that and make them conveniently stupid instead of actually addressing a problem and working around it. That made me lose a lot of respect for Scott. Also, Dante turned me off pretty early on because he hated cats, and as a cat lover, I just don't trust anyone who doesn't like cats, haha. Also, he talked like some wanna-be 1920's gangster or something. No one says "Boss Man" and "Big Guy" anymore. Seriously, it was ridiculous. He was only suppose to have died two years ago. As far as I know, two years ago was 2011, not 1911. Just saying. 

The plot was super predictable. Nothing took me by surprise, and I knew the ending would be all conveniently tied up in a neat little box. There's of course a problem that will have to be solved in a sequel, but I'm pretty sure I already know what will happen with that, whether or not the story has already been written. This author loves convenience, and if she can't manipulate situations and characters into fitting neatly into the little boxes she creates, then it won't be used. 

The pacing was pretty spot-on, and I wasn't bored at all. There's not much action, but I did enjoy how Dante evolved (though, as far as I know, he never decided to love cats). I just wish there'd been more depth to the characters and situations. This book held my interest, but only because I was hoping that I was wrong about the predictability of it all. I really wanted the author not to take the easy way out with at least one thing, but that didn't happen. 

Overall, I'd say check this book out from the library. A lot of people have loved this book, but it wasn't for me. It's not the worst thing I've ever read, but the plot and characters were all a bit too shallow for my personal enjoyment. I'll probably pick up the sequel from the library just to see if things improve, but I'm not counting the days until its released. 

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DREAMLESS by Josephine Angelini

Dreamless
Josephine Angelini

A big thank you to ARCycling for this book!

Rating: B-
Synopsis:

Can true love be forgotten?

As the only scion who can descend into the Underworld, Helen Hamilton has been given a nearly impossible task. By night she wanders through Hades, trying to stop the endless cycle of revenge that has cursed her family. By day she struggles to overcome the fatigue that is rapidly eroding her sanity. Without Lucas by her side, Helen is not sure she has the strength to go on.

Just as Helen is pushed to her breaking point, a mysterious new Scion comes to her rescue. Funny and brave, Orion shields her from the dangers of the Underworld. But time is running out—a ruthless foe plots against them, and the Furies' cry for blood is growing louder.

As the ancient Greek world collides with the mortal one, Helen's sheltered life on Nantucket descends into chaos. But the hardest task of all will be forgetting Lucas Delos.

Josephine Angelini's compelling saga becomes ever more intricate and spellbinding as an unforgettable love triangle emerges and the eternal cycle of revenge intensifies. Eagerly awaited, this sequel to the internationally bestselling Starcrossed delivers a gritty, action-packed love story that exceeds all expectations.

This review contains spoilers for Starcrossed. Do not click read more unless you've read the first book in the series!

BEA Autographing Schedule

For those of you who don't know, I am going to BEA this year as a member of the press! I am so excited. This will be my first time there! I just saw the autograph schedule, and it looks AMAZING!

Check it out!

PROPHECY GIRL by Cecily White

Prophecy Girl
Cecily White

Rating: A
Synopsis:
Amelie Bennett. . . . Ending the world, one prophecy at a time.

I was born to slay Crossworld demons. 
Big black flappy ones, little green squirmy ones. Unfortunately, the only thing getting slain these days is my social life. With my high school under attack, combat classes intensifying, and Academy instructors dropping right and left, I can barely get my homework done, let alone score a bondmate before prom.
Then he shows up. 
Jackson Smith-Hailey. Unspeakably hot, hopelessly unattainable, and dangerous in all the right ways. Sure, he’s my trainer. And okay, maybe he hates me. Doesn’t mean I’ll ignore the wicked Guardian chemistry between us. It’s crazy! Every time I’m with him, my powers explode. Awesome, right? 
Wrong. 
Now my teachers think I’m the murderous Graymason destined to bring down our whole race of angelbloods. Everyone in New Orleans is hunting me. The people I trusted want me dead. Jack and I have five days to solve the murders, prevent a vampire uprising, and thwart the pesky prophecy foretelling his death by my hand. Shouldn’t be too difficult. 

Getting it done without falling in love. . . that might take a miracle.

My thoughts on the book:
Prophecy Girl stands out in the overcrowded YA market. After the first two chapters, it became clear that this is not just another angel book, and I was pleasantly surprised by the story, characters, and world that White created. Thanks to this series debut, I am now counting the days until the release of the second book in the Angel Academy series. I cannot wait to see what happens to Amelie next. 

Amelie is more teenage-like than a lot of the leading YA characters that I've read, but not in a bad way. She's still strong and likable, though a little bratty at times. She just talks and reacts more like a teenager than an adult. I always find it odd how YA heroines usually fall on one end of the maturity spectrum. They can either appear to be way too child-like or way too grown-up. Amelie falls right in the middle and this makes her a very believable character. Also, she grows and grows up throughout the course of the novel, but it's clear that she still has more growing to do before she's reached her full potential. Overall, I liked her, and I enjoyed what White did with her character. 

Since Prophecy Girl starts out with the prologue, which is the ending, I went into the novel expecting to meet Jack. I didn't expect what I got when I finally did get to meet him though. Jackson isn't your typical YA hero either. He really stands out, and I couldn't help but grow attached to him. He's a little snarky, but he's not a jerk. He does some jerky things, but it's clear that he's not doing them to be mean (you'll have to read the book to understand what I'm talking about here). He's also brave, loyal, and open-minded. He's one of the most complex and realistic male leads I've read in awhile. He's nowhere near perfect, and I loved him for that. The secondary characters are well-developed, too, and came across very realistically. 

The plot is well-paced, intense, and emotional. While this novel isn't completely action-packed, it is suspenseful. White managed to keep me guessing throughout most of the book, and even when I managed to figure out one part of the mystery, she still threw me for a loop or two at the end. There appears to be some insta-love between Jack and Amelie, but as the story progresses, and as more of the world-building occurs and you begin to understand more about the bonding between Guardian and Watcher, it becomes clear that there is more to them than that. Also, Amelie doesn't get all "Bella Swan" about Jack, so even if it had been insta-love, it wouldn't have been annoying. What I'm saying is for those of you who hate insta-love, give this book a chance to explain. You'll be pleasantly surprised in the end. And speaking of the ending, it's not a cliffhanger and a lot of the issues introduced are cleared up, but there White left plenty of small unanswered questions and introduced some new ones for the sequel. I can't wait to see what happens.

Overall, I'd recommend this book and this series to anyone who enjoys good YA Paranormal Romance. This is one book you won't want to miss. White is an excellent writer, and there is enough mystery and intrigue to keep everyone interested. If you give Prophecy Girl a try, you won't be sorry. 

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HOT BLOODED by Amanda Carlson

Hot Blooded
Amanda Carlson

Rating: A+
Release Date: 04/23/13
Synopsis:
It hasn't been the best week for Jessica McClain.

Her mate has been kidnapped by a Goddess hell-bent on revenge --- but Jessica is playing for keeps.

Because she's the only female werewolf in town...it comes with its own set of rules...and powers.

Aided by two vamps, two loyal Pack members, and one very reluctant human, Jessica must rescue her man while coming to terms with what being a wolf really means.

All in a day's work for a girl.

The second novel in the Jessica McClain series is a full on action adventure featuring one angry Goddess and plenty of monsters, demons, and a few newly risen beasties...

My thoughts on the book:
Hot Blooded, the second book in this series, is an intense, action-packed adventure that I was unable to put down. From the first page until the very last, Jessica had to fight. Every time she had one situation under control, something else would happen. Carlson is definitely not afraid to throw things at her characters in order to see what they're made of. This is one of the best books I've read all year. If you haven't read this series yet, you have to check it out. The first book is called Full Blooded, for those of you who are curious. 

The characterization in this novel is simply superb. Each character has his or her own very distinct personality. No one is a cookie-cutter image, and no one seems forced or fake. Every character stands out as a fully developed person, and I love that. 

Jessica grew a lot during this novel. The entire book dealt with her quest to save Rourke, and she encountered tons of obstacles along the way. She rose to every challenge and was a strong and brave character. As her power changed, and as she discovered new things about herself, she adapted quickly instead of lamenting the changes and feeling sorry for herself. She also showed great compassion by working to save Ray even though he had always been a pain in her butt. She's an excellent heroine, and I love reading from her perspective. 

Another thing I liked about this book is that we get to see more of Danny and Tyler, so their characters are developed more fully. Also, we meet Naomi, whom I absolutely love! I can't wait to see more of her and the complicated situation surrounding her. I think I have an idea of what's going on, but I'm keeping my mouth shut in order to avoid spoilers. I also liked getting to know more about Ray because I hated him last book. He won me over in this installment, though. 

The plot kept me on the edge of my seat for the entire novel. I had no idea what was going to happen next. I couldn't predict the outcome of any situation, and that infused this book with a sense of urgency that so many lack. The pacing was perfect, and I never got bored for one second. The ending is a bit of a cliffhanger, which you all know I hate, but the main story arc for this novel is resolved, and that made the ending mostly satisfying. The cliffhanger is the start of the story line for the next book, and therefore can be excused, in my opinion. Some other smaller issues were left open-ended, but I mostly felt like the pertinent questions were answered in this novel. In other words, I am looking forward to the next book and am already dying to read it, but I didn't want to throw this one across the room because everything was left up in the air at the end. 

Overall, I'd recommend this book and this series to anyone who loves good Urban Fantasy works. Amanda Carlson is a fantastic author, and you do not want to miss this series. 

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HUNTED by Ednah Walters Book Blast!

Hunted by Ednah Walters


Bran and Lil may have escaped an attempt to lure Lil to the dark side, and recovered the contracts damned people signed with Bran when he was a soul collector, but someone forgot to tell them that no one switches sides or cancels contracts without consequences.

Hunted by an unknown but powerful enemy, Lil, Bran and the Guardians must seek help from unlikely sources to avert total annihilation of the Guardians. When they finally face their enemy, one of them may have to make the ultimate sacrifice.

Purchase a Print copy for just $5.85!

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Praise
All in all, Hunted is a very enjoyable read, especially for those who enjoy angel/demon books. This one has everything you want in an angel book while still maintaining its own distinct feel.
~TeresaMaryRose

This series is addictive.
~Author Kate Kaynak

AMAZING! There is not enough words to describe how much I loved Hunted. Ednah Walters has outdid herself if that is even possible.
~Megan McDade

Author Ednah Walters

I grew up reading Nancy Drew and Hardy boys mysteries, hence Stratemeyer influence, before I graduated to Mills & Boons (starting with Janet Daily's Shutter the Sky) and the rest is history.

I enjoy good love stories, tingly mysteries and wondrous adventures. When I finished my college and decided to be a stay-at-home mother, I devoured books like they were going out of production, until reading just wasn't enough. So I started to write.

I've written picture books, contemporary and romantic suspense, biracial/multicultural books, and finally YA fantasy. Awakened is the first book in The Guardian Legacy series. I'm working on book 2, tentatively named Betrayed. When I'm not writing, I do things with my family, five children or my darling husband of 18 years. I live in a picturesque valley in Utah, the setting for my series.

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