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City of Lost Souls (The Mortal Instruments, #5)
City of Lost Souls (The Mortal Instruments, #5)
Cassandra Clare | 2012 | Fiction & Poetry, Paranormal, Young Adult (YA)
8
8.2 (27 Ratings)
Book Rating
I can't believe I've nearly finished this series!

First of all, I would like to complain about the cover. If I hadn't heard so many great things about this series then I probably would have avoided it, simply because it looks like a typical teen paranormal romance atrocity. The story is actually way more action-based with a sort of hint of romance, but I just don't think the cover portrays that very accurately.

Moving on to the actual book, it follows on from the last novel where Sebastian is sort of reintroduced. He is a massive character in this, after disappearing - along with Jace. It turns out there's some sort of bond between them thanks to Lilith, and the only things that can separate them are the weapons of either angels or demons. Which, unsurprisingly, results in some rather reckless acts on the part of Jace's friends and family, including the summoning of an angel and a demon. Nice.

Alec and Magnus have some pretty serious difficulties in this book, which actually really upset me because they're currently my favourite couple. There's also romantic plots following Maia and Jordan and even Izzy and Simon, but nothing major.

In the end, the Institute receives a disturbing gift, Clary stabs Jace, and Magnus kicks Alec out of his apartment. Maureen is seen again, claiming to have killed the woman Alec was out to murder, and Luke's sister is taken and turned dark by Sebastian. I think that's everything?

As for the writing, I love it! The books are all quite long, but they don't feel it when you read them. I don't understand how the feel so timeless and exciting all the way through!

Of course, this is a YA paranormal novel with typical romance lines and so on, but it is as unique as a book in this category can be. It has a nice mix of surprise, suspense and plain old action, and the diversity of the characters is fantastic. I'm really looking forward to the next novel in the series, yet I don't want it to be over!

Simply because it is a somewhat generic book (there are just so many angel/demon YA novels these days) I can't put my rating any higher than 4 stars. But the writing is fab and the plot always interesting, so there really isn't any true fault.
  
The Forest of Hands and Teeth (The Forest of Hands and Teeth, #1)
The Forest of Hands and Teeth (The Forest of Hands and Teeth, #1)
Carrie Ryan | 2009 | Fiction & Poetry
8
7.8 (8 Ratings)
Book Rating
This book was everything I though it would be and yet nothing like I expected.

Come on, it's a zombie movie. If you go into this novel expecting it to have a happy ending or that no one important will die, then you are going to be gravely disappointed. In fact, after reading the ending, I was such a storm of emotion that I had to go play Pokemon to make it go away. I don't know which was sadder now that I think about it.

First of all, you have to go into this novel realizing that it is in a post-apocalyptic world ravaged by zombies. How many books have you read or movies have you watched about post-apocalyptic worlds overrun by zombies where everyone is happy and everything is sunshine and rainbows? That is what I thought. This book is dark and tense and filled with so many secrets that it boggles the mind. Like Mary, I felt frustrated because I knew there had to be more, there had to be something that was not being let out and I wanted to know what was really going down.

Second, do not get attached to any character. There is always a chance that they will die even if they are the main character. I should have remembered this rule, but, alas, I fell prey to people Ryan created. I should have known there would be no happy endings or fulfilled romance in this novel. But I had hope.

The only reason I am not giving this five is because I hate the way Ryan writes. I am sure the novel would not be the same if it was written differently. I just did not like. I often found myself confused as to what exactly just happened or what was happening, probably because I also often found myself skipping over sentences and paragraphs because that is how Ryan writes.

Despite this novel being dark and depressing, it is one of the greatest zombie novels I have ever read and I will definitely be reading the second two.

I mean the second one deals with an amusement park and zombies. How can I pass that up?
  
I downloaded this novel free from Amazon because I was looking for a lighthearted paranormal romance to distract me. I assumed it was along the same vein as other paranormal romances I have made like Karen Chance’s Cassandra Palmer Series or Patricia Brigg’s Mercy Thompson series. I wasn’t too far off.

My favorite part of this book had to be the diversity of characters. Each character had their own personality, that it felt like you were reading about real people instead of caricatures. It seemed to come naturally too. There were no page long paragraphs tediously describing each character. You picked up bits and pieces along the way.

The world and story that Chase created were also pretty interesting. I am partial to ghost stories, which is what drew me to the book in the first place, so that whole aspect and how they dealt with the ghost was fantastic. The rest of the Chase’s mythology, however, is what was really interesting. After looking at future novels in the series, however, I feel that the series will become way to complicated and in depth for me. I also don’t enjoy reading about angels v. demons.

The novel has a couple twists. The one concerning the ghost didn’t feel like a twist to me. I figured it out much earlier in the novel so when it was confirmed I really didn’t even notice. The secret surrounding Kane, however, was pretty surprising. I wasn’t expecting it even though I knew he had a secret.

All in all, Haunted on Bourbon Street is a well-rounded novel with engaging characters, an interesting world, and plot that keeps you reading til the very end. I cannot think of a single thing I didn’t like about the novel. I am not sure I will read the rest of the series, however, after reading the synopsizes and seeing where the story is headed.

If you are looking for an enjoyable quick read, I highly recommend downloading it, especially since it’s currently free!
  
The Twisted Tree
The Twisted Tree
Rachel Burge | 2020 | Horror, Paranormal, Young Adult (YA)
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Martha is our protagonist in this novel, and this book is told from her perspective. I really liked Martha, she is different, she is blind in one eye and marked with a scar that makes her doubt herself. There is no very wide selection of characters, but all of them are very intriguing. I really liked Stig (the boy who ran away from his home) in this book as well. He is strange but at the same time very sweet and likeable. One thing that I really don’t understand is the need for kids to consume alcohol in books. Why? In this case, it did not bring anything to the story, so I think it could’ve been left out. :/

I really liked the way the author combined different themes in this book. We have modern day youth entwined with ancient mythology, magic, demons and souls, and topped up with a little bit of romance. It was a dark and spooky read, the whole setting of this novel feels isolated and gloomy, set in a little island in Norway during winter, where snowstorms rattle the whole house. It is a tiny book, so the story is really fast-paced and filled with interesting turns and twists. I really enjoyed how the author analysed the family relationships through our main characters. It was heartbreaking but very amusing at the same time.

I really liked the writing style of this novel, it is easy to understand, but it delivers a lot of new things to me. There is plenty of Norwegian mythology in this novel, and I think the author has done a great job with the research. The chapters were a decent length and didn’t feel draggy, and I absolutely loved the artwork used in this novel, it made the reading experience more enjoyable. The ending was nicely written, but it left me with many unanswered questions. What happened to Martha and Stig? Who is going to water the tree? Etc.

So, to conclude, it was a really good read, filled with unique and different characters, as well as action-filled and entertaining plot, where magic and scary ghosts are only a few steps away, hidden in the Twisted Tree.
  
Just the Way You Are is more than just a good book. It is a modern day fairytale filled with redemption and grace that will capture your heart from the first moment. Within the pages of this book you will find real people, with real life issues. This story will sweep you off your feet and drag you into a world that is every nerd girl's fantasy and you will soon find yourself consumed with researching history, "treasure" hunting, chocolate, British accents, Appalachia, AND.........Kisses.

Chocolate kisses, closet kisses, abandoned tower kisses, leave you senseless kisses...This book is PACKED with such romance that you may need to take precautionary actions to prevent injury from fainting! (such as a fainting couch, fan, smelling salts, etc.)

Don't let the passion fool you though. Pepper writes such sweet, unadulterated romance coupled with complete and total redemption. It blows my mind every single time I read one of her books. Just the Way You Are is the first contemporary novel I have read of Pepper's, and this easily makes it to the top of my favorite Rom Com stories EVER. I wish to see this in movie form so badly! "Ghirardelli in human form"...yes please! Haha!
 
The adventure, the romance, the grace...all woven together creates a beautiful masterpiece.
 
I received a complimentary copy of Just the Way You Are. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.
  
Wild Lavender (The Aurelian Guard #1)
Wild Lavender (The Aurelian Guard #1)
Nicole Elizabeth Kelleher | 2016 | Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Wild Lavender (The Aurelian Guard #1) by Nicole Elizabeth Kelleher
WILD LAVENDER is the first book in The Aurelian Guard series, and is also the debut novel by this author. We are transported to a medieval world, where things aren't always equal or what they seem.

I found this book to be a strong opening to this series. We not only have strong characters on both sides of the conflict, but the world-building is there without overpowering the story. The romance comes later, after a horrific start for Anna. She surely deserves all the love she can get!

With no errors that I noticed, I loved this fantasy world, and I can't wait to read more. Absolutely recommended by me.
  
Me Before You (2016)
Me Before You (2016)
2016 | Drama
Emilia Clarke (1 more)
Emilia Clarke's eyebrows
You will cry (1 more)
No seriously you will cry A LOT
In this faithful adaption of the novel by Jojo Moyes, we have your pretty standard love story. Two people (Lou and Will) from very different walks of life (one poor, one disgustingly rich) meet, find common ground, and ultimately fall in love. The problem is that Will, who was recently in an accident that made him a quadriplegic, suffers from depression and has made plans to end his life. Overall I think the story is told well, it definitely made me cry like a baby, and is definitely worth the watch for any romance fan. Emilia Clarke is adorable in her role and her eyebrows are their own character.