Anna and the French Kiss by: Stephanie Perkins

Anna and the French Kiss

Edition: Paperback

Pages: 372

Published: December 2nd, 2010

Publisher: Dutton Juvenile 

Purchase: Amazon | Bookdepository

Goodreads Synopsis: 

Anna is looking forward to her senior year in Atlanta, where she has a great job, a loyal best friend, and a crush on the verge of becoming more. Which is why she is less than thrilled about being shipped off to boarding school in Paris--until she meets Étienne St. Clair. Smart, charming,beautiful, Étienne has it all...including a serious girlfriend. 

But in the City of Light, wishes have a way of coming true. Will a year of romantic near-misses end with their long-awaited French kiss?


My Thoughts:
Why have I waited so long to read this?!?! That is what I keep asking myself because I actually liked it. For so long there was so much hype about Anna and the French and it's companion novel, Lola and the Boy Next Door that I just wasn't convinced that I would like this book. I had so many preconceived thoughts and that is what kept me from giving this book a chance. And it doesn't help that I've had this book on my shelf for soooo long. I can say now that I am so happy that I gave it a fair shot because I just love it, and absolutely love the characters.
Stephanie Perkins definitely adds a twist to a romance story because most books make it seem like when two characters see each other for the first time they instantly fall in love and then everything clicks into place happily ever after. Life doesn't work that way though, and that is one of the things that made this book awesome. And then St. Clair!! I thought he was perfect even though he has flaws (which are realistic, compared to the incredibly cute guy that has the perfect abs, hair, etc.) and it just made me like him even more although he really annoyed me at times. Actually St. Clair and Anna gave me a huge headache over and over again. That's what happens though when two people belong together but they have too many hang ups to actually get together. Regardless of my rambling, I am so excited to read Lola and the Boy Next Door. I also like Stephanie Perkins writing style which makes it easier to get into the book. One thing I can say though is that the cover (I have the old covers not the new ones) does this book no justice, and that may have been another thing that put me off from reading this book sooner than I did. Overall, I recommend this book to anyone read it if you haven't!

Favorite Quotes:

• "Where have you been all my life?" I ask the beautiful panini. "How is it possible I've never had a sandwich like this before?" He takes a large bite. "Mmmph grmpha mrpha," he says, smiling. Which I'm assuming translates to something like, "Because American food is crap."
• "St. Clair coughs and shifts again. His leg brushes against mine. It stays there. I'm paralyzed. I should move it; it feels too unnatural. How can he not notice his leg is touching my leg?"
• "Rashmi iss me," Josh said into my phone. "Mer? Put Rashmi on. Iss emergency." "It's not an emergency!" I yelled. "They're just drunk."
• "Because I was right. For the two of us, home isn't a place. It's a person. And we're finally home."

Final Verdict: 4 Stars

On Vacation From Sanity by: Elizabeth Ross Yurich

On Vacation From Sanity

Edition: E-book

Pages: 327

Published: May 20th, 2014

Publisher: Grid Media

Purchase: Amazon | BarnesandNoble

Goodreads Synopsis: What do you do when your world is turned upside down and you're forced to recreate your life?

Life is perfect for sixteen-year-old Jenna Webb. She lives with her rock-star dad in New York City, she has a perky, fun, beautiful best friend, and a super-model, sort-of stepmother. An artist, writer, bass player, Jenna has her life planned to precision—well, until her dad is killed instantly by a New York City cab driver.

With every aspect of her life turned upside down, Jenna is forced to recreate a life in Los Angeles with her Mom, stepfather, and his two daughters—a life she did not want. Travel along on the journey that includes rock and roll, the Buddha, crazy friends, a creepy stalker, unexpected romance, and a downward spiral into a world Jenna never imagined, but needed in order to find herself.
My Thoughts:
* I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
From the time I first started reading this book, I knew that I was going to like the main character Jenna.  In the beginning of this book Jenna is faced with drastic changes after her father Sean dies and has to move all the way to L.A. from her comfortable home in New York.  I found this book to be very enjoyable and lighthearted at times, so I think it would be a great summer read.
The style of this book is written quiet differently than most of the books that I have read before because the events that took place seem to skip around a bit, so I found myself confused on a few sections. Once I got use to the writing style I can truly say I really liked it and enjoyed the characters. The things that I loved about this book is how everyone was so close and went out of their way to help others. I felt like the whole concept of this book being surrounded by music was a great idea, especially since Jenna's dad was in a band.  I also thought that James was incredibly charming but found myself to heavily dislike him in the middle of the book, just to start liking him all over again towards the end. And I can't forget Gavin because he has to be my favorite character in this whole book for the simple fact that he was always willing to help others, stayed positive, and was always so nice to Jenna even if James wasn't. For the character that I hated the most, which shouldn't be a shock is Will. I knew something was up with him as soon as he was introduced in the book. At the same time I am really glad for his character because he added a very interesting twist to this whole story.

Cons:
One of the things that I had a problem with while reading this book is how at first everything seemed to just click into place for Jenna and that no matter what happened to her she was extremely nice (not in all instances but most), so it would've been nice if she had a little edge to her.  The second thing that I felt was odd was how Ryan, Jenna's step-dad, yelled at her after finding out where she spends most of her time and then her mom just assumes the worst. I guess I could see why they behaved that way but to me it just felt over the top considering how mellow Ryan is. Lastly, I felt like in the first half of the book the characters lacked emotion, so when I read what they thought I didn't really believe it, but most of that went away in the last half of the book.

I am actually going to keep my review as is, as to not spoil the book for anyone.  I feel like so much goes on in this book that it's best to not know anything and to just take it all in on your own. I do have to say though, that Jenna is an outstanding character because she is hit with so much negativity I don't know how she keeps going everyday! So, I will recommend this book to anyone that wants a light book to read and likes contemporary style books.

Final Verdict: 4 Stars

Edge of Shadows by: Cege Smith

Edge of Shadows

Book 1 in the Shadows Trilogy

Edition: Paperback

Pages: 276

Published: November 2011

Publisher: N/A

Purchase: Amazon | Bookdepository

Goodreads Synopsis: "Beware what lurks in the darkness of Cege Smith's paranormal Shadows series..." Darkness has been Ellie Coulter's constant companion since her parents' untimely death when she was eight, and she harbors a secret that never fails to remind her that she's different than everyone else. Fresh off a failed marriage with a man who harbored his own dark secrets, Ellie shut herself off from the world as a form of self-preservation. For months, Ellie's protective bubble includes nothing but her coffee shop, her few friends, and her dog. The attention of a handsome young doctor, David Mitchell, pushes her out of her comfort zone, and Ellie warms to the idea that she may have found a risk worth taking. Then one of Ellie's friends abruptly leaves town; entrusting her home to Ellie's care. The house has its own mysterious past that draws Ellie into a tangled web of deceit. Her ex-husband resurfaces with premonitions of Ellie's death. And suddenly Ellie's life is being turned upside down yet again. Something old and evil has found Ellie, and wants to keep her all to itself. Edge of Shadows (Shadows #1) is the first book in the Shadows series. Shadows Deep (Shadows #2) is available now!

My Thoughts:
*I had received this book from the Author in exchange for an honest review*
When I began reading this book I had absolutely no expectations for this book, I just wanted to go into with an empty mind, so to speak.  Let me just tell you I was very surprised!  I didn't know that this book was going to draw me in the way it did.  Ellie was a character that at times annoyed me because of how down in the dumps she would always be.  As the story progressed I grown to love her character because she is actually strong and not broke down as she comes off as.  This book as an element of surprise because really it is hard to tell what is going to happen, it just keeps taking several different turns and ends so wonderfully making you want to hurry and read the next book in the series.  I really don't have anything bad to say about the characters or the character development because I think that everything was exactly how it should be.  Linda's character was awesome, weird, and creepy at the same time!  There were a few things that I do wish I knew more about, like why twas he Realtor acting the way he did, it just seemed odd to me how he started to change into a completely different person.  And what is the importance of one of the characters ( I won't say who so I don't spoil anything) seeing Auras, besides of course being able to tell what mood they were in?  I guess those are things that I will learn as I read the next book in the series.  As I keep thinking about this book I find that I really didn't like Jenny, she annoyed me so much and had this terrible attitude throughout the book.  I guess I can forgive her though because she did go through a lot :)
Overall, I feel like this is a book that more people need to read, it is definitely underrated.  There are a few areas in the book where there are typos but if you look past those it truly is a great story that draws you in.  I can't wait to read the second book in this trilogy because I feel like the terrible ghost/demon like things have just begun.

Final Verdict: 4 Stars

Blur by: Steven James

Blur by: Steven James

Edition: E-book
Pages: 368
Publisher: Skyscape
Published: May 27th, 2014

Purchase: Amazon | Bookdepository

Goodreads Synopsis: The isolated town of Beldon, Wisconsin, is shocked when a high school freshman’s body is found in Lake Algonquin. Just like everyone in the community, sixteen-year-old Daniel Byers believes that Emily Jackson’s death was accidental. But at her funeral, when he has a terrifying vision of her, his world begins to rip apart at the seams.

Convinced that Emily’s appearance was more than just a mere hallucination, Daniel begins to look carefully into her death, even as he increasingly loses the ability to distinguish fantasy from reality.

What’s real? What’s not? Where does reality end and madness begin?

As Daniel struggles to find the truth, his world begins to crumble around him as he slips further and further into his own private blurred reality.

Full of mind-bending twists and turns, Blur launches a new trilogy of young adult thrillers from Steven James, a master of suspense.

My Thoughts:
*I was given an E-book copy of this book by the author in exchange for an honest review*

As I began reading this book I found myself trying to piece together all the things that were happening in order to make sense of what happened to Emily.  I later found that it is best to just read the story for what it is because there are so many twists, especially at the end that will have you torn between who committed these crimes regarding high school students.  When I thought I had everything figured out the story would twist again leaving me so confused.  This is a good thing in my opinion because it will keep you entertained all the way til the end of the book.  I do have to admit that some parts in the middle of this book were slow but I felt that this was necessary in order to have the ending develop like it did.  Daniels character was very sweet and kind but at times I felt like he wasn't all the way there.  To me he just felt really empty, if that makes sense, so at times I found him to be boring.  I also liked the whole idea of him trying to figure out what had happened to his fellow schoolmate, even when everyone else didn't look any further into her death.  I found this book to be a little gory in some sections (which was awesome!), especially where Emily was concerned.  I couldn't stop myself from saying, "OMG Emily what are you doing?!!!!"  There were a few things that I did have issues with and wanted to know more about.  For instance, I think that Daniel's friends reacted to relaxed and understanding when he told them about the Blurs.  Also I want to know more about Daniel's mom and the story behind her, I just felt like there wasn't much said about her but every now and then she would make an appearance in the story which I found to be kind of odd.  Like I said before I think that some of the characters just seemed to be "empty", I felt like I couldn't really get a feel for their character because they acted so bland at times.  Ty is the exception though, he was really weird and frightening, but I still wanted to know what his deal is because he is way to creepy to not have an understanding as to why he behaves the way he does.
Overall, I think that this is a really good paranormal YA book that kept me guessing from start to finish.  The whole concept was awesome and very unique compared to a lot of books that are out now.  Before reading this book, I couldn't get a grasp on the title, Blur, but now that I am finished reading it I think that it was the best name that could have described the events that took place in this book.  I am very excited to see what happens in the second book of this trilogy, Fury, because I need to know more!!!  I would recommend this to anyone who likes to read paranormal fiction, or just wants a new take on the YA genre.

Final Verdict: 4 stars

Chibi Vampire Vol. 1 by: Yuna Kagesaki

Chibi Vampire by: Yuna Kagesaki

(Volume 1)

Edition: Paperback

Pages: 176

Published: April 11th, 2006

Publisher: Tokyopop

Purchase: Amazon  |  Bookdepository

Goodreads Synopsis: Karin is a cute little girl who also happens to be a vampire... with a twist. Once a month, she experiences intense bleeding from her nose - we're talking gushers! In other words, she's a vamp with blood to spare, so rather than stealing blood from humans she actually gives her blood to them.

My Review: I'm going to start by saying that this is my second time reading a Manga, so it took me a little while to get into it since the style is completely different from that of a novel. Since I am obsessed with anything that has to do with vampires I thought that this would be a good Manga series to start with (I wanted to start being more diverse in the things that I read), especially since the series isn't as long as most Manga series are.  I thought that this was a wonderful take on vampires...seriously, a vampire who doesn't take blood from people but instead gives them blood! Yes, I definitely had to see what that was all about.  The first volume goes into some background information on Karin's information and about her personal story.  What makes her so different from her family is that while she is a vampire in reverse, the members of her family are actually "real" vampires.  I really enjoyed the different characters especially Karin because she is clearly a hot mess in every way.  I mean nothing goes right for her.  Her brother Ren is quite the character as well, being such a ladies man that is drawn in by other peoples stress (weird I know, but that is what makes this manga so good).  Throughout this story you get to understand Karin a little bit, also as she learns about herself.  After all there hasn't been anyone who is a vampire in reverse.  So you get to see why Karin expels so much blood, and what characteristic in certain people causes this reaction.  Overall, I really did enjoy this manga because it was so different from the books that I typically read.  I would suggestion Chibi Vampire vol. 1 to anyone who wants a light read in-between heavier books.

Final Verdict: 4 stars

Numbers Infinity by: Rachel Ward

Numbers Infinity by: Rachel Ward

(Numbers #3)

Edition: Hardcover

Pages: 256

Published: May 1st, 2012

Publisher: Scholastic Inc.

Purchase: Amazon | BookDepository

Goodreads synopsis: The mind-blowing conclusion to the chilling NUMBERS trilogy: Because everyone wants to live forever.

No matter what it takes, Sarah's desperate to escape from the numbers.

Always numbers. Sarah loves Adam, but can't bear the thought that every time he looks in her eyes, he can see her dying; can see her last day.

It's 2029. Two years since the Chaos. Sarah and Adam are struggling to survive. She knows he always envisioned them together "'til death do us part." But will a child come between them? The child she loves. The child he saved.

Little Mia was supposed to die that New Year's Day. The numbers don't lie. But somehow she changed her date. Mia's just a baby, oblivious to her special power. But ruthless people are hunting her down, determined to steal her secret. 

Because everyone wants to live forever.

My Review:

Since this book is the a conclusion to a series, this review is going to be short and pretty vague.

This book follows Adam, Sarah, and Mia who are trying to find shelter and peace after the Chaos.  Things are not really any easier for them especially when men come looking for Adam.  Sarah just wants to find safety and convinces Adam to go to the safest place left.  They soon find out that safety is going to be hard to come by.

This book in my opinion is the better one of the series.  The ending was so unpredictable and really brought some feels that I did not know I felt at the time.  The characters are very loveable and it really makes you have a soft spot for Adam and Mia.

Mia, although so young, has the spirit of an older person and always seems to sense when things are wrong.  She is so sweet and even though she may not know it or atleast understand it at her current age she seems to want to help so many people no matter how dangerous they are, or what harm doing so could bring her.

Something that I really enjoyed about this book is all the lies and secrets that kept coming up.  Normally that would annoy me but in this case it made you stay on your toes because you didn't know who to trust.

Overall, this was a good book that contained most of the action towards the end of the book.  I would recommend this to someone who is wanting a different take on YA dystopian books, but also who do not mind a slow paced book.

Cons:

There is only one con when it comes to this book, and that is it being so slow in the beginning.  It was kind of hard for me to get into this book at first, but once you got to the middle of the book it just got better and better.

Final Verdict: 4 Stars 

Sisters Red by: Jackson Pearce

Sisters Red by: Jackson Pearce

(Fairytale Retellings #1)

Edition: Paperback

Pages: 342

Published: April 5th, 2011

Publisher: Little Brown Books

Purchase: Amazon | Bookdepository

Goodreads Synopsis: Scarlett March lives to hunt the Fenris--the werewolves that took her eye when she was defending her sister Rosie from a brutal attack. Armed with a razor-sharp hatchet and blood-red cloak, Scarlett is an expert at luring and slaying the wolves. She's determined to protect other young girls from a grisly death, and her raging heart will not rest until every single wolf is dead. 

Rosie March once felt her bond with her sister was unbreakable. Owing Scarlett her life, Rosie hunts ferociously alongside her. But even as more girls' bodies pile up in the city and the Fenris seem to be gaining power, Rosie dreams of a life beyond the wolves. She finds herself drawn to Silas, a young woodsman who is deadly with an ax and Scarlett's only friend--but does loving him mean betraying her sister and all that they've worked for?

My Review: 

I'm going to start off saying that the cover of this book is so pretty.  I love how you can see the two sisters, Scarlet and Rosie, and underneath see the Fenris that they fight against.

This book is about two sisters who fight against wolves that threaten the lives of humans among them (this is a retelling of Little Red Riding Hood).  I thought that the whole concept of how the Fenris's stayed among the people in their small town, and how they recruited each other was an awesome plus to this book.  It actually made you want to know what was going to happen next and who they were going to go after.  At times though, the Fenris's were quite frightening because of the manipulation they used over people in order to hide who they truly were, until it was too late...

Scarlet was my favorite character in this book because she was so brave and no matter what dangers stared down at her, she became so selfless in order to save her sister and the other individuals of their town.  Although Scarlet was my favorite character she got on my nerves a lot because she was so absorbed in her fighting that she let a good thing slip away from her. I won't say what that was because I don't want to spoil the book. Silas was a character that I thought I would fall in love with (not literally obviously!) but the further I got in the story the more and more I disliked him SO much. I just hated what he did to Scarlet it made me feel so bad for her but then I couldn't really blame him because Scarlet was so wrapped up in her own issues.  But he didn't have to do what he did with someone that was so close to Scarlet. It really hurt my feelings. The last character that I am going to talk about is Rosie, Scarlet's sister.  I liked Rosie in the beginning of this book but once she got involved with her love interest she changed. Once again I can't blame her because I understand that she needed to have something more than just fighting Fenris's.  So with that being said, towards the end of the book I began to like Rosie more than I had in the beginning. Overall, I think this is a very enjoyable read that will get your feelings wrapped up with each character.

Cons:

The Cons I had for this wasn't many but I will get straight to the point and state what I disliked about this book.  I had trouble getting into this book because it was very slow paced at times, and then there were moments it picked back up, then became slow paced again.  The next con was how oblivious Scarlet seemed to the rest of the world. It would make me mad at times because I wanted her to have a good life as well and be able to continue her love of fighting.  But I guess that would be asking too much.  Lastly, I just didn't like the relationship that formed (especially with the huge age gap) it just didn't seemed natural to me.

Final Verdict: 4 Stars

Dark Inside by: Jeyn Roberts

Dark Inside by: Jeyn Roberts

Edition: ARC

Pages: 352

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Published: September 4th, 2012 (First published May 24th, 2011)

Purchase: Amazon | Book Depository

Goodreads Synopsis: Since the beginning of mankind, civilizations have fallen: the Romans, the Greeks, the Aztecs...and now us. Huge earthquakes rock the world. Cities are destroyed. But something even more awful is happening: An ancient evil has been unleashed, and it's turning everyday people into hunters, killers, and crazies. This is the world Mason, Aries, Clementine, and Michael are living in--or rather, trying to survive. Each is fleeing unspeakable horror, from murderous chaos to brutal natural disasters, and each is traveling the same road in a world gone mad. Amid the throes of the apocalypse and clinging to love and meaning wherever it can be found, these four teens are on a journey into the heart of darkness--and to find each other and a place of safety.

My Review:

It took me a few pages to get fully into this story.  I think this was because nothing jaw dropping happened (within the first few pages), although there were a few weird events that happened.  As the story develops you can see the start of a very weird apocalypse springing into action.  This story was very different from others that I have read.  Mainly because this apocalypse turned people into "monsters" (not zombies), but people who went to crazy extremes to bring harm to others.  So many people were murdered in very brutal ways. I literally felt frightened for these characters.  I couldn't begin to imagine having to live a life were you are in constant fear of someone killing you for no apparent reason (dead bodies hanging from trees...).  Also the thought of having to sneak around and go unseen or else...  VERY VERY VERY frightening if you ask me.

Somethings I loved throughout this book was Aeries demeanor.  She was very strong and seemed to hold it together when it was most needed.  I also loved Daniel. Although, rather strange and secretive he brought a goodness to the story line.  I hope to find out more about him because there are a lot of unanswered questions I would like to know the answer to.  I also really liked Mason because he had it rough from the beginning and was willing to put himself in harms way in order to protect strangers.  And for that he is very brave.  Overall, I really did enjoy this book.  Once I got through the beginning my heart was beating so fast with every turn of the page.  I am so excited to see what happens next in the sequel Rage Within, and I am sure I will read that very soon.

CONS:  I only have a few cons.  The cons I found while reading this book is how the chapters were set up.  It goes back and forth between a few different characters who are experiencing different situations, so it is almost confusing to understand what each character is going through.  The more you read through it the easier it becomes.  The last con I have pertains to Daniel who just disappears and reappears at the most random moments.  He lies so much and I just can't understand why he won't tell the truth about himself, or what he does when he is away. He is so mysteries I was hoping to learn way more from him, but I guess I will have to wait and see what the sequel brings to the table.

Final Verdict: 4 Stars