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June 2012

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Trailers. In terms of marketing, they are one of the best, forward moving ways of advertising. They’re essentially adverts that you can upload straight onto the internet yourself. When it comes to book trailers, just as with movies, they are pretty important (okay, let’s face it. If you’re movie trailer is bad then you are pretty much done for, whereas at least with a book trailer, it may not be the end of the world unless you’re planning to be a best-seller). I’m not here to give advice on book trailers though, just to judge critic these book trailers and say what I think makes for a good trailer. 
Some people like a friend of mine don’t even know that book trailers exist and that they are just wrong. I agree that a book should be judged by the writing, not by a snazzy trailer, but for those authors who do create them -or get others to do so- they had better do it well. 
This post is also in response to WORD For Teen’s blog post: 
I can understand why she prefers simplicity. It can be good. Here are a couple of trailers I found a while ago:

Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

These are two contrasting trailers for the same book, both created by harper teen, thererfore both official. Which one do you prefer and why? Personally, I prefer the first. I love the effects of the words shattering. It is a very good symbol for the book. This makes it more dramatic I also appreciate having a narrator instead of reading it myself. I know this sounds really lazy considering how much I actually like reading, but this allows me to focus on the special effects that have been implemented.

The Iron Knight

This was the trailer that I hyperlinked to my friend’s Facebook account to get her to watch it. She thought it was weird, but didn’t elaborate very much on it. Personally, I loved it. For a trailer like this one, where all of the characters are so on show, getting the right actor is crucial. For the most part, I rather liked the faery guys, but I wasn’t in love with Meghan’s portrayal. I think it’s because she doesn’t look enough the girl on the cover. I’m not sure. Something about a Summer princess being blonde and stereotypically pretty has always just irritated me somewhat. That’s why I just make myself forget. This trailer reminds me. Sorry Kagawa. I prefer Aisilin’s looks from Melissa Marr’s Wicked Lovely in that respect as she had dark hair- almost black- with gold strands of sunlight. I just thought it was more unique. Aesthetics aside, there were other things about this trailer to mention.

It had a bit of reading, but I think the pacing and typography and its effects was such that this was alright. Another issue is that the wrong kind of voice could have ruined an otherwise good trailer. It also allows watchers to concentrate more on the music, which was eerie at the beginning and magical throughout. The trailer got the message across and it definitely felt like a journey, what with the different images that are shown. Having re-watched it after reading it, I can now imagine that those stars as The End of The World. It was informative, without spoiling anything.

Also, I love how Grimalkin was included, all lazy and somehow wise at the same time. Please feel free to discuss what you thought, especially Mab. I hadn’t imagined her to look Asian, but they did it here, and she looks positively frosty. Perfect. 

Divergent

This trailer is perhaps the most simplistic in some ways. Like the others, the use of graphics is very important, but people do not feature, and apart from the revolving and ever chaining faction symbol, it isn’t much of a moving picture. But it is effective because of the wide shot of the futuristic Chicago, and the special effects that it uses. The faction symbol catching fire at the end is marvellous because it links wonderfully with the US book cover. A more personal trailer, in the point of view of Tris might have been good, maybe better, if handled with care, but we do have is stellar on its own. And at only 45 seconds. 

I found these lyrics on Tumblr and I thought it’d be great to post. Also, it requires little effort on my part to simply copy and paste, but I thought you’d genuinely appreciate it 🙂

I LIKE BIG BOOKS AND I CANNOT LIE. 
YOU OTHER READERS CAN’T DENY
WHEN A BOOK WALKS IN WITH A GOOD PLOT BASE
AND A BIG SPINE IN YOUR FACE YOU GET SPRUNG
WANNA PULL OUT YOUR PENS
‘CAUSE YOU NOTICED THAT BOOK WAS DENSE
READING, HALF-RIMS I’M WEARING
I’M HOOKED AND I AIN’T CARING
OH BABY I WANT AN E-READER
AND A MEANINGFUL METER
MY TEACHERS TRIED TO TRAIN ME
THAT BOOK YOU GOT MAKES ME SO BRAINY
OH MY GOD.
On her seventeenth birthday, Cassia meets her match. The Society dictates that he is her perfect partner for life, except he’s not.

In Cassia’s society, Officials decide who people love.
How many children they have.
Where they work.
When they die.

But, as Cassia finds herself falling in love with another boy,
she is determined to make some choices of her own.

And that’s when her whole world
begins to unravel…

– Goodreads Synopsis

The Dystopian Society


When I heard about the idea of a world in which your free will is basically taken away from you, I knew I had to read the book. So, it’s not quite like how I just said. The character got to make up some choices. For example, apparently Cassie didn’t have to choose to be Matched. Her other choice was to live the rest of her life as a Single. But that meant that she would not be able to have children. Things work differently in the Society. As stated, the Society chooses who you marry, where you work and when you die. This is done to maximise life expectancy and quality. Even the food the character eat is not their choice, and it is scheduled precisely. Fashion is also pretty much no more, as everyone wears ‘plainclothes’. Boring! Overall, the universe Condie has created is wonderful. 
The characters are all lead to believe that this is all in their best interest, thus making it a utopian-dystopian novel. But what of the people that are mentioned to live outside of these Society maintained cities? Well, I guess for them, it’s every man for themselves. They live in the fringes, and it is hinted- ok maybe it wasn’t quite that subtle- that there is a war arising. This reminds me a bit of The Hunger Games, which leads me to believe that Cassie probably lives in the Capitol of her universe, albeit not as glamorous. 

The Love Triangle


The blurb at the back of the book doesn’t make it clear who the guys are but the trailer definitely does, and seeing as how it’s an official one, I don’t think this is technically much of a spoiler. Cassie has been Matched with her best friend, Xander, but falls for a boy she cannot have. Ky Markham. So am I team Xander or Ky you wonder? To be honest, I still haven’t made up my mind, even if Cassie has. 
They are both very likeable- loveable even. Xander is the safe guy, the one that the Society wants her to be with, so of course Ky is the more interesting one to be with. Just saying. But Ky is mysterious and intriguing. He never shows his true self because he carries a secret. 
They both love her of course, and she loves them both in her own way. My biggest problem is that I honestly think that if Ky’s picture hadn’t showed up on her screen for that split second or so, Cassie wouldn’t have fallen for him. Luckily, Condie did address this problem. 
Overall, it is quite an interesting Love Triangle. I liked it how Condie developed the romance between Ky and Cassie slowly. They didn’t fall head over heels all of a sudden. She took the time to pace it in order to make it realistic. Cassie wasn’t as infuriating as Twilight’s Bella who took an awfully long time to make up her mind. Having said that, she did have a problem deciding who she really wanted to be with, as expected. 

The Plot

Luckily there actually was a bit more to the novel than he romance alone. There was a wonderful family dynamic in this novel. Cassie’s grandfather was coming to his 80th birthday. Now in the real world, this should simply be a time of celebration. But thanks to The Society, this is the day that everyone dies. It is said that this is done so that people do not age and become a burden of their families. This way, they do not feel unwanted or go through the indignity of being completely reliant on others in order to do simple things. Okay, so maybe that was a minor spoiler but please don’t kill me. 
As the novel progresses, Cassie starts to question the Society and whether if all that they do is really in the interest of its citizens. She starts to realise that there could be something more, and that maybe, just maybe she would prefer to follow the words of the poem: do not go gentle.

After their beautiful yet brief bonding ceremony in Italy, Schuyler Van Alen and Jack Force are forced to separate. To fulfill the Van Alen Legacy, Schuyler travels to Alexandria to search for Catherine of Siena and the Gate of Promise. But Schuyler quickly discovers that everything she believed about the Gate to be wrong. Meanwhile, Jack makes the difficult decision to return to New York to face his twin and former bondmate, Mimi. But instead of a bitter reunion, he is faced with a choice for which there is no good option.

Mimi, with a most unexpected travel companion in Oliver Hazard-Perry, jets off to Egypt, too, to search for Kingsley Martin, her long lost love. With all roads leading to Hell, Mimi learns that not all love stories have happy endings. But she’ll have to put her own feelings aside if she’s going to save her crumbling Coven.

Packed with heartache, twists, and vampiric folklore, Lost in Time is sure to satisfy hungry fans’ cravings for more Blue Bloods adventure.

– Synopsis from Goodreads 

This novel was once again filled with mystery, romance and adventure.
I give it four stars and this is why:
Relationships

The Force Twins
By now you should know how screwed up this book can seem what with Mimi/ Azrael and Jack/ Abaddon, the Force twins pretty much in love with each other. Yes, I said twins. Cruz had them born twins, but in their world they have been bond mates for centuries. But Jack did the unthinkable and left Mimi during the bonding ceremony to be with Schuyler. Ouch. It’s one thing being stood up for a wedding, but stood up by the person you should be bonded with for all eternity pretty much sucks. So Jack has a bounty on his head. She wants revenge, go figure. I was absolutely terrified for Jack. I love Sky so I’m totally taking his side on this. Besides, what Jack and Mimi have just doesn’t seem real to me. I don’t think it’s pure is all. But then, they are the Twins of the Apocalypse. What happens between them will astound you and although I had to wait till the very end, my jaw just dropped. What I don’t understand is that Mimi obviously really cares about the Coven, so why would she just drop everything to deal with her traitorous brother? Hell hath no fury like Azrael scorned.
Kingsley & Mimi
I actually really like their relationship. They seemed like one in the same. They are both selfish, they are both very attractive, and they are both… adventurous. It’s a pity that their love is also technically forbidden. Unless Mimi wins the blood trial and Abbadon/ Jack dies… I will give nothing away. So of course Mimi goes on a mission to save her beloved from hell. To find out how it ends you will have to read the book yourself. All I can say is that I was rather shocked. How could he act so cool as if he doesn’t even care?! How can Mimi use her ‘friend’ like that? Urgh! 

The Other Twins- The Uncorrupted
Part of the novel also includes Allegra’s story, back when she had just finished High School I believe. We see how she really viewed Schuyler’s father, and Michael/ Charles. To some extent, I liked it and it definitely brought the whole ‘Lost In Time’ element because Cruz was recounting Allegra’s past. I think you will either hate it or love it. 
The Plot
All of the character go their separate ways. Sky goes to find the gate and gatekeeper, and uncovers hidden secrets. Jack goes to face his vengeful twin. Oliver helps Mimi find her true beloved in Egypt. I wasn’t sure why he would help someone he could barely stand once upon a time, but in some ways he has chosen a valuable ally. I don’t want to give too much away, but there are many twists and turns. Cruz leaves the novel on a frustrating cliffhanger. Why must she do this?! I’ll read her sequel anyway. I’m not sure what the Apocalypse twins think they’re up to. I wish them the best of luck. 
My rating? 
4 Stars

I don’t re-read books very often. My life is just far too busy for this. Urm, no. I just have a short attention span at times. I usually have to wait a very long time to re-read a book as I remember way too much. This is more so with books than with movies. Anyone out there who feels the same? Anyway, here are the books that I’ve re-read in the past. I only re-read Ink Exchange a month or too. Comment and let me know which books you’ve enjoyed re-reading.

Ink Exchange by Melissa Marr

This book sort of picked up from where Marr ended in its predecessor, Wicked Lovely. It is not a direct sequel, but instead, it is thought of as a companion novel. Ink Exchange has three new characters take the role of narrator. First and foremost is The Dark King, Irial, then also Niall and Leslie, the ‘broken’ girl. It is a novel laced with intrigue and romance, darkness and sexiness. (Yes, I really just wrote that!) I re-read this one before re-reading the first in the series as this is one of my favourites in the series. 

Characters:
Irial- Dark and sexy, he’s the kind of guy you should never mess with. Although he is cruel and manipulative, he takes care of his own. His love is not the waning sort. 
Niall- He carries the scars of a past life quite literally. I think he is the empitemy of the saying’What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger’. Loveable and unique, he is one of my favourites.
Leslie- This girl is stronger than she first appears. She is headstrong, stubborn, and kind- a perfect balance for the faeries’ cruel streak. 


Here is the plot if you don’t get it from my short review:

Unbeknownst to mortals, a power struggle is unfolding in a world of shadows and danger. After centuries of stability, the balance among the Faery Court has altered, and Irial, ruler of the Dark Court, is battling to hold his rebellious and newly vulnerable fey together. If he fails, bloodshed and brutality will follow.



Seventeen-year-old Leslie knows nothing of faeries or their intrigues. When she is attracted to an eerily beautiful tattoo of eyes and wings, all she knows is that she has to have it, convinced it is a tangible symbol of changes she desperately craves for her own life.

The tattoo does bring changes—not the kind Leslie has dreamed of, but sinister, compelling changes that are more than symbolic. Those changes will bind Leslie and Irial together, drawing Leslie deeper and deeper into the faery world, unable to resist its allures, and helpless to withstand its perils. . . .
– From Melissa Marr’s website

Percy Jackson & The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan


I don’t know many people who haven’t heard of Percy Jackson. It even had its own movie. I will refrain from commenting about it, however. There are only so many ways of describing disappointment. 

The book however is brilliant. Riordan weaves myth and modern wonderfully. The novel is never stale, with plenty of humour to relieve the tension. Just don’t forget- the fate of the world is at stake! 

Characters:
Percy- Whilst he is a very capable protagonist, he too has weaknesses. His ADHD is both a blessing and a curse, but despite his screwed up life, he never stops fighting for the things he believes in. 
Annabeth- She isn’t called ‘Wise Girl’ for no reason. She is one bad-ass character, with the brains to back up her brawn. She is always ready to go down fighting, or think of an ingenious plan to get them all out of sticky situations. But even she has her limits…
Grover- This guy is an awesome best friend, though he has a rather shameful past. He will do anything for the people he cares for the most. 
Percy Jackson is about to be kicked out of boarding school… again. And that’s the least of his troubles. Lately, mythological monsters and the gods of Mount Olympus seem to be walking straight out of the pages of Percy’s Greek mythology textbook and into his life. And worse, he’s angered a few of them. Zeus’ master lightning bolt has been stolen, and Percy is the prime suspect.

Now Percy and his friends have just ten days to find and return Zeus’ stolen property and bring peace to a warring Mount Olympus. But to succeed on his quest, Percy will have to do more than catch the true thief: he must come to terms with the father who abandoned him; solve the riddle of the Oracle, which warns him of betrayal by a friend; and unravel a treachery more powerful than the gods themselves
– Synopsis from Goodreads



I had a Meg Cabot phase so please forgive me for the lack of diversity here:

Teen Idol by Meg Cabot

I’m not sure why I had such an addiction with this book. It was well before I discovered the brilliance of Rick Riodarn, and a very long time before the rise of dystopian novels, and sparkly vampires, or even sadistic fey. It was a good novel at the time and I probably still own my copy. I still like the values of this novel, no matter what. Luke taught our girl a few things.

I don’t remember enough to give you my opinion of the character except for that Luke is hot, especially when shirtless.

High school junior Jenny Greenley is so good at keeping secrets that she’s the school newspaper’s anonymous advice columnist. She’s so good at it that, when hotter-than-hot Hollywood star Luke Striker comes to her small town to research a role, Jenny is the one in charge of keeping his identity under wraps. But Luke doesn’t make it easy, and soon everyone—the town, the paparazzi, and the tabloids alike—know his secret…and Jenny is caught right in the middle of all the chaos.

– Synopsis from Goodreads

Love You To Death/ Shadowland by Meg Cabot

I remember this series all too well, hehehe. Suze can see ghosts, and there is a hot, depressed, 150 year old (or so) dead guy in her new bedroom. Poor her! 😛 

This book was very gripping. Suze is a strong character who doesn’t take crap from anyone, least of all the dead. If the whole seeing-the-dead thing isn’t bad enough, she is trying to adjust her life in California as her mother has remarried. This novel is filled with action and suspense, and it will leave you wanting more. Much more.

Characters:
Susannah Simon- Call her by her full name and you die. Having been born in New York, adjusting to a new State is quite something for Suze. Dealing with ghosts even somehow gets trickier. She is awesome, and not much of a whiner. What more can you ask for?

Jesse- This guy is probably my favourite ghost of all time. He is really old school. He is both caring and kind. Their friendship was rather unlikely, given how their first meeting went, but I’m glad that he helped her, even when she insisted she was fine.

Father Dominic- He becomes rather like her mentor in all things ghost related. I think he is rather optimistic about things, but I can understand why he may view things the way he does. I greatly respect him, and I feel bad for him as his student is very stubborn. 

There’s a hot guy in Susannah Simon’s bedroom. Too bad he’s a ghost.

Suze is a mediator-a liaison between the living and the dead. In other words, she sees dead people. And they won’t leave her alone until she helps them resolve their unfinished business with the living. But Jesse, the hot ghost haunting her bedroom, doesn’t seem to need her help. Which is a relief, because Suze has just moved to sunny California and plans to start fresh, with trips to the mall instead of the cemetery, and surfing instead of spectral visitations.

But the very first day at her new school, Suze realizes it’s not that easy. There’s a ghost with revenge on her mind.and Suze happens to be in the way.
-Synopsis from Goodreads

When Lightning Strikes by Meg Cabot

When Jess gets hit by lightning she gets a cool new power. But with great power comes great responsibility and yadah yadah yadah! Not to mention the FBI are on her case. How can she keep her power a secret with them around, constantly nagging her?

This is a case of doing the right thing and risking your life, or not doing the right thing and risking your conscious. Jess is a tough girl who can take care of herself. She has anger management issues and she plays the flute. I say this because so do I! I mean, I’ve sorted out my anger issues, but I still play the flute. 

This novel is full of suspense and action. It has a strong female character, who I really like. She is the bad ass girl who isn’t afraid of sticking up for her friends despite her lack in size. This was rare for me back in the day before the likes of Annabeth Chase and Katnis Everdeen. And of course, Jess is pining after the guy that she can’t have- bad boy  Rob Wilkinson. Read the series to find out how it ends between them.

Jess Mastriani has never been what you’d call a typical Midwestern teenager—her extracurricular activities, instead of cheerleading or 4-H, include fist-fights with the football team and month-long stints in detention. A part of Jess would like to be the prom queen her mother has always envisioned her being, but another part is secretly counting the days until she’s saved up enough money to buy her own Harley.

Then something happens that guarantees Jess will be one of the in-crowd…at least until her newfound talent ends up getting her dead.

I was incredibly skeptical to read this book, which is the first of the new Blood of Eden series. I know the saying goes ‘don’t judge a book by its cover’, but I’ve long since given on it. I judge books by their covers and I’m not ashamed. Kagawa’s cover is quite simply morbid and terrifying, though artistic. What’s more, I just didn’t want to read another vampire book. I liked the Twilight saga to begin with, but Bella annoyed my senseless, and I now no longer have a clue what I first saw in the series. Melissa de la Cruz’s Blue Bloods series is the only other series I’ve read with vampires and the thing is, they’re more than that. Nonetheless, I read an excerpt of Kagawa’s new book, wanting to give it a chance- especially after hearing good reviews about it.

The Protagonist

I liked and admired Allison Sekemoto. Her voice didn’t irritate me, as some female protagonists have in the past. I felt sorry for her in the beginning, after seeing how awful her life was but I doubt she would want my pity. She is strong willed and very determined. This reminds me an awful lot of Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games. The world that they live in has shaped them and forced them to become very self reliant and independent. The difference is that Allie believes that it’s everyone for themselves, whilst Katniss looks after her family and even hunts with Gale. Although you can say that because Allie is part of a small group of Unregisters, they are not her family and she admitted that she would never sacrifice herself for any of them.

Allie has always hated vampires and I can’t blame her. I found it a bit hypocritical that she became the creature that she most loathed, but I understand that the human to want to live. Her choices were simple, become a vamire and ‘live’, or die and possibly become a rabid. Allie’s vampire transformation reminded me of Aislinn’s change from human to faery in Melissa Marr’s Wicked Lovely series, as she too hated and feared the creature she would become. The main difference is the whole near death experience, which Ash was not in, and the choice, as Ash had none.

Allison is stubborn, often disagreeing and going against her creator’s commands. This stubbornness does help her control the blood lust later on, when she is a vampire though. She is at first a little naive, hoping to be a ‘good’ vampire, but she eventually comes to terms with the fact that she is a monster. Thankfully, this doesn’t make her give up on humanity, as she became very attached to a group of humans that she travelled with.

Allison is a kick-ass, katana wielding bad-ass!

Kanin, the Creator 


It’s never said how old he is but all I know is that it’s been 60 years since the Red-Lung disease first hit the world, becoming a wide spread plague. Kanin- this may or may not be his real name, I think not- is the infuriating secretive type. The sort of person who can be very cryptic. It’s no wonder he doesn’t just speak in riddles. That really would drive me insane. At first, I thought that he was slightly cruel, but we learn why that is so. He is a very lonely character, telling Allie from the beginning that they would not be able to travel with one another for very long. He is blunt to a point, telling Allison quite clearly what she is- a monster. I wanted to laugh out loud when he said that animal blood is junk food. Tell that to Edward Cullen! It’s hard to say whether I like him or not. A part of me dislikes him for… well, you’ll find out. But then again, he’s so filled with self loathing, a part of me want to hug him real tight and tell him it’s all going to be okay. He’d probably just tear my throat out. Or maybe not. He seems to be very in control of himself. 

Zeke, the Human

Oh my gosh! How can such a lovely person exist in such a world? He reminds me of Peeta for this reason. Peeta had never known the true harshness of District 12, as his parents were bakers. This didn’t make him wealthy or anything, just not a starving street kid. Zeke has all the traits you look for in a YA love interest. Unless of course you very much inclined towards a bad boy, in which case, look elsewhere. Zeke, first and foremost, is the son of a preacher man. I like Zeke’s morals. He doesn’t like to ever leave a man behind on the group’s dangerous travels. He believes that there is good in humanity, and he doesn’t like to turn anyone who wishes to travel with the group. Even a dangerous vampire like Allie, you ask? No. Even he doesn’t stretch that far, unfortunately. I like Zeke because he’s like a beacon of light in an otherwise dark world.

The Dystopian Society


The dystopian world that Kagawa created is the sort of thing I’ve only ever heard in movies. The sort of movies that I would never watch because I’d be peeing myself from fear. Yet somehow it’s alright to read about them. Don’t ask me how that works, but it just does. I’m sure I’m not the only one who feels that way.  Growing up in a vampire city, Allie and other humans are treated as blood cattle. They are allowed to live because vampires need them and therefore allow them to. Allie lives in a run down place called New Covington, in the Fringes of sector 4. Sound a little bit Hunger Games like? Yeah, I thought so too. Strangely enough, the centre of the vampire city isn’t much like the Capitol at all. It’s just as run down as the rest of the city. Humans actually have a choice about whether they want to be Registered or not. If they become registered, they are the property of Prince Salazar, the Master vampire of the city. This means that twice a month, they must donate some of their blood. If they miss a bloodletting, guards come and take all the blood that is owed by force. Now imagine if you were sick, or had missed multiple blood lettings.

But vampires are not the worse creatures around. Outside the Wall of New Covington, and around the entire world, ferocious creatures called rabids roam around. Neither human nor truly vampire, they are mindless creatures whose only priority is to kill. Like vampires, they are ‘allergic’ to the sun, but by night, they literally erupt from the ground and prowl the lands. In my mind, they are like vampire-zombies.

The Plot


Kagawa divided her book into four parts.
Part I: Human- This is rather like an introduction into Allie’s world. We gain an insight into her hard life as an Unregistered, living in a vampire city. I enjoyed this part because we got to know what Allie was like before she was a vampire. 
Part II: Vampire- After being Turned, Allie gets coached about the ways of the vampires by her creator. I’ve heard some people criticise that they would rather have had Allie figure things out on her own. Realistically, I don’t know whether she would have survived all on her own. Kanin taught her how to fight, and the basics of what being a vampire was. He also told her a handy trick about burying oneself in the dirt to avoid the sun.
Part III: Monster- In this section, Allie fights her inner demons as she tries to avoid the savageness that is her inner vampire. It’s the part of her that sees humans as nothing more than food, that will kill first, ask questions never. 
Part IV: Wanderer- Allie is on her own again, and she tries to find some sort of purpose in her ‘life’, beyond sating the Hunger. 
Overall, the book is rather evenly paced throughout, but most of the really good stuff happens towards the end. This kind of sucks but I didn’t mind. Everything came together and the pieces of the puzzle finally made sense. Throughout the novel, we are given fragments, and Allison has to put them together. There are a few things that I saw coming well before Allison, but maybe I’ll put it down to all the ‘near death’ experiences and the Hunger gnawing down at her.

Overall Impression


This book was actually good, considering that I had been incredibly skeptical. I fell in love with Kagawa’s faeries, and now I’m captivated by her vampire world. I realised when she met up with the travelling group why it’s called Blood of Eden, and I thought it was really clever. Having faced betrayal earlier on in the book, I wasn’t sure how things were going to go in terms of Allison’s growth. I was disappointed that the crazy, poetic vampire didn’t feature very much, and I can’t wait to see this psychopath in the sequel. The ending of the book was alright, as it’s rather bitter sweet, but I liked that it ended with her fighting more rabies. This is because it emphasised the danger of the world Allison lives in but also highlights her bad-assery. As for the romance, I’m only going to gloss over this because it is not the main feature of this book. I’m pretty sure you can guess who the love interest is. It’s very interesting that the prey and predator are in love, more so than in Twilight because we get to see what it’s like for the vampire to try and resist. Like The Hunger Games, and actually, many other good books, their are casualties. Being a dystopian book, however, more people die than usual. I remember that the first significant death in The Percy Jackson series wasn’t until Book 3, and Book 4 had quite a number of deaths. If this is how bad it is in the first book of The Blood of Eden series, I can’t imagine how heart-wrenching the sequels will be. 
My Rating:

To be Published: 4th of September 2012



In a city of daimons, the Carnival of Souls hosts a deadly competition. Once in a generation, every citizen can fight to join the ruling elite. Without the competition, Aya and Kaleb would both face bleak futures—if for different reasons. For each of them, fighting to the death is the only way to try to live.

In our own world, Mallory knows that her father—and every other witch—fled the daimons’ city long ago. She trains to be lethal because it’s only a matter of time until the daimons catch up with them.

While Mallory possesses little knowledge of The City, every inhabitant of The City knows of her. There are plans there for Mallory, and soon she, too, will be drawn into the decadence that is the Carnival of Souls.

From Melissa Marr, bestselling author of the Wicked Lovely series, comes a brand-new tale of secrets, love, and the struggle to forge one’s own destiny.


– Goodreads Synopis

Three teenage descendants of Medusa, now united, must claim their heritage to fight the monsters escaped from the abyss.

Gretchen may have known she was a descendant of Medusa long before her sisters–after all, she’s spent her life fighting the monsters that escape the abyss–but that doesn’t mean it will be easy to teach the other girls the ropes.

Greer has pressing social commitments on her plate and precious little time to train in her newfound powers. But that wretched second sight won’t leave her alone, and her fabled heritage seems to be creeping into her fashionable life.

Grace has worries closer to home–like why her brother, Thane, has disappeared. He’s hiding something. Could it possibly be related to the secret heritage the triplets share?
– Synopsis from Goodreads


I have yet to read the first in the series, Sweet Venom, but I do plan to. This sequel is, Sweet Shadows is coming soon, by Tera Lynn Childs.

Coming: September 4th 2012

I like the title. It’s cool that the author is continuing the use of ‘sweet’. Once again, the hair twirls ever so slightly, suggesting snakes. If I’m honest, I’ve seen better looking people but the model looks beautiful nonetheless. My problem is that the air of mystery has been taken away. We did not see the protagonists’ face in the first book and now we do. It would have been nice if her face could have been silhouetted or something, to represent the shadows. Just an artistic suggestion. 

The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa


“You are a monster.” Kanin’s deep voice droned in my head again, as I forced myself to move, to walk away. “You will always be a monster, there is no turning back from it. But what type of monster you become is entirely up to you.” 


– Kanin

“I get a little poetic sometimes. The moonlight does that to me.”

– Sarren, the crazy vamp

The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins


“So it’s you and a syringe against the Capitol? See, this is why no one lets you make the plans.” 

– Haymitch (Catching Fire)

“Remember, we’re madly in love, so it’s all right to kiss me anytime you feel like it.” 

– Peeta (The Hunger Games)



Wicked Lovely Series by Melissa Marr


“Sometimes love means letting go when you want to hold on tighter.” 

– Quote about Irial, Ink Exchange

“And he smiled at her, truely smiled- wicked and lovely…” 

– Quote about Keenan, Wicked Lovely


The Iron Knight by Julie Kagawa


“Crazy Ash just doesn’t have the same ring as Don’t-bother-me-or-I’ll-kill-you Ash.” 

– Puck 

“I’m going to kill you one day,” I told him as we hurried after Grimalkin, back into the swampy marshland. It was not an idle threat.Puck just laughed. “Yeah. You and everyone else, prince. Join the club.”

– Ash & Puck

Matched by Ally Condie


“Every minute you spend with someone gives them a part of your life and takes part of theirs.” 

– Cassie 

“Is falling in love with someone’s story the same thing as falling in love with the person himself?” 

– Cassie

Now I know I must have told you how awesome this series is. So if you haven’t already read it, what are you waiting for. This is a trailer for the last book. You probably don’t want to watch it if you haven’t read the previous books as the Wicked Lovely series have five in the series. For those of you who don’t care about spoiler (like me!), or have actually read the series, please enjoy!

I give this last book in the series 5/5! 

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