Book Review: Bloodrose

The Ultimate Sacrifice.

Calla has always welcomed war. But now that the final battle is upon her, there’s more at stake than fighting. There’s saving Ren, even if it incurs Shay’s wrath. There’s keeping Ansel safe, even if he’s been branded a traitor. There’s proving herself as the pack’s alpha, facing unnamable horrors, and ridding the world of the Keepers’ magic once and for all. And then there’s deciding what to do when the war ends. If Calla makes it out alive, that is.

In the final installment of the Nightshade trilogy, New York Times bestselling author Andrea Cremer creates a novel with twists and turns that will keep you on the edge of your seat until its final pages. A dynamic end to this breathtaking trilogy.

I just finished Bloodrose by Andrea Cremer today. I recently read and reviewed Nightshade and Wolfsbane in preparation. I didn't care much for Nightshade, but Wolfsbane was more enjoyable. So I was hoping Bloodrosewould step it up. It turned out to be my least favorite of the series.

Three books in, and I still couldn't get a handle on the characters. Many times there were odd responses. Things that brought me to a pause, and then I had to go back and see who was doing this. At times, I thought some of the characters had temporarily switched bodies. This happened a lot with the searchers. I couldn’t connect with any of them. Another thing that was off-putting was some of the transitions. The characters would be in a dire situation, or crying over the loss of a team member, and the next page everyone is joking and laughing. If you’ve read the first two books, you know what this one’s about: the war of Searchers versus Keepers with Guardians on both sides. They’re in the middle of battle, they get a break, and instead of regrouping and moving on while the people behind them are fighting and dying, they’re standing around laughing and joking. I was put off by this, and it felt very unnatural.

I really like Sabine and Bryn. I wish they had had more time to shine. I loved all the scenes were Calla got to talk to her father. It has been said for all three books that Calla is a strong alpha female but I feel like here is the first time it shows. I liked the last chapter and the epilogue. It ended on a good note for me.

Warning: spoilers ahead (For some reason, I’ve had trouble reviewing these books while keeping them spoiler-free. Sorry.)

The two characters that annoyed me the most were Ren and Shay. Ren has annoyed me from the beginning. He’s womanizing, domineering, and just plain cruel at times. I liked Shay much more in the beginning, but since his transformation and run for alpha male, he’s become more like Ren. Both claim to love Calla, but neither respect her. She says she’ll choose which guy she loves most after the war. They say they respect her opinion, but they’re both constantly fighting with each other and pushing boundaries with her.

I’ve read several ranty reviews on Goodreads, where people are saying “Really, Cremer? You took the easy way out.” To be honest, I agree that the choosing of Shay over Ren was an easy way out. But if Ren hadn’t died, do you think he’d have let Calla choose Shay? No. He’d have kept fighting. And if Calla had chosen Ren, Shay wouldn’t have backed down. I think Calla loved Shay more since she chose him. And I have to admit that I was happy when Ren died. Because, let’s face it, he’d have never let Calla and Shay be happy. In making both guys vie for alpha-hood, they were too similar in their wanting to possess Calla.

This next bit may also sound a bit ranty. These are some of the specific issues that bothered me and brought down the enjoyment level of the book. CPR on a wolf. Really? I'm CPR trained, and have been re-certified every two years for 13 years. The only way CPR will work is if you cover someone's entire mouth with yours, creating a seal. Otherwise, the air won't go in. So, yeah... On more than one occasion, a male character praised a female character for doing something by saying "Good girl." This drove me nuts. This is something you tell a 2-year-old who is doing a good job with the potty training. Not something you tell your alpha because you like her opinion. It's condescending in my book.

There is a line in which the narrator, Calla, says "I barked and wagged my tail." She gets offended by dog jokes, and then makes her own. Also... there must have been at least two dozen mentions of tail wagging. I've never seen this much tail wagging in a werewolf book. "I'm fierce; watch me wag my tail." I don't think so.

I feel really bad giving these books poor reviews. I’ve met Andrea Cremer, and she’s a very lovely individual. I really wanted to like these books, and I’m sad to say I didn’t. She has a prequel series coming out. The short in the end of the book (I’m not sure if it was only in the B&N edition or others) is a really good hook, and it does make me want to try them. I guess we’ll see when it comes out.

Book Review: Thirteen Reasons Why

Clay Jensen returns home from school to find a mysterious box with his name on it lying on his porch. Inside he discovers thirteen cassette tapes recorded by Hannah Baker, his classmate and crush who committed suicide two weeks earlier.

On tape, Hannah explains that there are thirteen reasons why she decided to end her life. Clay is one of them. If he listens, he'll find out how he made the list.

Through Hannah and Clay's dual narratives, debut author Jay Asher weaves an intricate and heartrending story of confusion and desperation that will deeply affect teen readers.

Thirteen Reasons Whyby Jay Asher has sat on my shelf almost since about the time it came out in hardback. I had heard such amazing things, so I couldn't resist. But I only now got around to reading it. I was inspired to read it since the author was going to be coming to my state for a signing. I hate going to signings when I haven't read anything by the author. I like being able to say "I loved your book!" So I read it earlier this week, and oh my goddess... It was amazing!

It starts with Clay Jensen receiving a box of tapes from Hannah Baker, a girl who had recently committed suicide. "I hope you're ready, because I'm about to tell you the story of my life. More specifically, why my life ended. And if you're listening to these tapes, you're one of the reasons why." The first tape isn't so bad, but they continue to get worse as Hannah has to deal with more and more crap from fellow students. This book touches on bullying, rumors, sexual harassment, partying, drinking, rape, and more.

This story is told through two points of view. Hannah through the tape recordings and Clay as he's listening to them. I liked Clay instantly. He seemed so sweet and caring; it was hard to believe he was going to be on the tapes. Hannah, on the other hand, while I felt like I should like her, I had some trouble in the beginning. Her voice originally came off as too cocky and self-assured to be someone who just swallowed a bottle of pills. And then after a while, I started to recognize her tone as a way I've spoken before. It's anger and hurt and so many other things rolled together, that it comes off as snarky and sarcastic. That voice comes out when I'm talking about something very painful, something someone did to me that hurt but this person acts like it's nothing.

I'm going to put a warning here. Not a spoiler warning, but a "this is going to be personal" warning. While much of my experiences and Hannah's were different in the details, there is much that was the same. People talked about me in high school. I wasn't popular. I wasn't in the in-crowd. But rumors flew around so much you'd have thought I was. I found out people I didn't even know were saying negative things about me. Between that and the bullying, I mostly just tried to disappear. But I know how Hannah felt. Hating herself. Hating life. Wanting it all to end. I had to read this book a chapter at a time. I had to distance myself from her because I knew the kind of pain she was dealing with.

And because of that, this book sits firmly on my list of "Books Everyone Should Read." One of my favorite quotes from the book is as follows: "You don’t know what goes on in anyone’s life but your own. And when you mess with one part of a person’s life, you’re not messing with just that part. Unfortunately, you can’t be that precise and selective. When you mess with one part of a person’s life, you’re messing with their entire life. Everything. . . affects everything." A lot of the stuff Hannah had to deal with was small. So small it would be insignificant by itself. But things build. And this book really shows how hurting someone, no matter how small, can impact a person in incredible ways.

Thirteen Reasons Why is depressing. It's about suicide, so how can it not be? It's amazingly well-written. And it's full of so many powerful lines, that I'd love to quote about twenty more. I look forward to reading more by Jay Asher.

I always take my dust jackets off when I read hardbacks. I get that the point of a dust jacket is to protect the book. But I take it off so I don't wrinkle or tear the dust jacket while I'm reading. And, every once in a while, I find a surprise under it. Sometimes it's an image or quote on the actual book or the dust jacket has an image on the underside. In Thirteen Reasons Why, Hannah sends out a set of tapes. Thirteen stories on seven tapes. And a map along with it. The map is starred and marked up... just like the underside of the dust jacket. I enjoy finding these little gems. It gives a little added something to the reader, in my opinion. You can see the map in the image above.

Book Review: Wolfsbane

You're an alpha, a leader. That's what we need. It's what we've always needed. When Calla Tor wakes up in the lair of the Searchers, her sworn enemies, she's certain her days are numbered. Then the Searchers make her an offer, one that gives her the chance to destroy her former masters and save her pack - and the boy - she left behind.Is Ren worth the price of her freedom? Will Shay stand by her side no matter what? Now in control of her destiny, Calla must decide which battles are worth fighting and how many trials love can endure.

Despite the fact that I didn't love Nightshade, I picked up Andrea Cremer's sequel Wolfsbane I liked it a lot more than the first book. A lot of the things that annoyed me in Nightshade weren't an issue here. Calla and Shay left their old lives behind and joined in with their old enemy's team - the Searchers - at the end of book one. And book two picked up right where they left off.

Warning: Slight spoilers ahead.

We were introduced to many new characters: Ethan, Ariadne, Connor, Monroe, and other Searchers. It took me a while to warm up to them. Their dialogue and constant joking were a bit much; I had some trouble with their dialogue, especially in the beginning. It caused a bit of trouble for me connecting with them. A few of the pack from Nightshade make an appearance, but Ren wasn't in the book much. That's not so good for Team Ren, but yay for Team Shay! I liked that Calla and Shay were given a chance to get to know each other without Ren around.

Which brings me to the main point of why I liked Wolfsbane over Nightshade. Calla wasn't quite as torn between two guys. She wasn't kissing one in one chapter, and the other boy in the next. It's not that she forgot about Ren or the feelings she has for him. In short, there was less of a love triangle here. Which made me really happy. The Searchers, as a species, were very interesting. The weaving sounded fascinating. And I loved the mysticism. I think if I could be a character in this series, I’d choose Searcher.

I’ve already begun Bloodrose, and I’m excited to see how this story ends. I included the arc cover of Wolfsbane in this post. It still makes me sad that the publishers chose to change the covers from the originals by outstanding artist, Suza Scalora.

Book Review: Wonderstruck

From Brian Selznick, the creator of the Caldecott Medal winner THE INVENTION OF HUGO CABRET, comes another breathtaking tour de force.

Playing with the form he created in his trailblazing debut novel, The Invention of Hugo Cabret, Brian Selznick once again sails into uncharted territory and takes readers on an awe-inspiring journey.

Ben and Rose secretly wish their lives were different. Ben longs for the father he has never known. Rose dreams of a mysterious actress whose life she chronicles in a scrapbook. When Ben discovers a puzzling clue in his mother's room and Rose reads an enticing headline in the newspaper, both children set out alone on desperate quests to find what they are missing.

Set fifty years apart, these two independent stories--Ben's told in words, Rose's in pictures--weave back and forth with mesmerizing symmetry. How they unfold and ultimately intertwine will surprise you, challenge you, and leave you breathless with wonder. Rich, complex, affecting, and beautiful--with over 460 pages of original artwork--Wonderstruck is a stunning achievement from a uniquely gifted artist and visionary.

I picked up Wonderstruckby Brian Selznick because I loved The Invention of Hugo Cabret so much. And I loved Wonderstruck even more. The story is imaginative and the illustrations are gorgeous. Above is an image from early in the book where Rose escapes her home. 

Rose is a little girl living in New Jersey in the 20's. She has only her father, as her mother left years prior. Rose is confined to her home. She's deaf, and her parents are afraid that she could get hurt out on her own. But she is strong-willed. She makes her way to the Natural History Museum in NY.

Ben is a little boy living fifty years later, in the late 70's. He recently lost his mother and never knew his father. He's deaf in one ear until an accident leaves him completely unable to hear. When he finds a clue to where his father may be, he makes his way to NY and finds himself in the Natural History Museum. Below is an image from the book of one of the exhibits.

The children have much in common and should they have lived at the same time, they'd probably be best friends. Brian Selznick switches between Ben's story and Rose's until their stories overlap. It's a beautiful story which left me teary-eyed. I can't wait to see what else this amazing author/illustrator will come up with. 

Book Review: Nightshade

Calla Tor has always known her destiny: After graduating from the Mountain School, she'll be the mate of sexy alpha wolf Ren Laroche and fight with him, side by side, ruling their pack and guarding sacred sites for the Keepers. But when she violates her masters' laws by saving a beautiful human boy out for a hike, Calla begins to question her fate, her existence, and the very essence of the world she has known. By following her heart, she might lose everything- including her own life. Is forbidden love worth the ultimate sacrifice?

I have a confession to make. I received arcs of both Nightshade and Wolfsbane, and I didn't start the series until after Bloodrose released. Andrea Cremer's books interested me after hearing friends say how much they loved them and telling me that I'd love them, too. But I also heard there were cliffhangers, so I put them off to read them all together.

I have to admit that I wasn't a huge fan of Nightshade.I really wanted to like it. Werewolves, witches, and other paranormal creatures. That kind of thing is right up my alley. I think Andrea Cremer wrote the story well, and that it was an interesting story. I really like the set-up and the mystery, but there was just too much that bothered me to really love it.

Those of you who know me and/or read my blog regularly know that I HATE spoilers. With a passion. So I do my best to keep spoilers out of my reviews, but this one is going to include them, so... beware from this point on.

Things that bothered me about Nightshade:

1. Ren. I don't get the appeal. He's a man-whore, making out, and maybe even sleeping, with a number of girls while he's promised to Calla. And to make Shay jealous, Ren makes Calla sit on his lap at lunch. He was a d-bag.

2. Male dominant society. Ren practically jumps on Calla, kissing her and unbuttoning her shirt, while she pushes him away, and she gets scolded. The Bane alpha male is allowed to be inappropriate to the Nightshade alpha female, and she is to submit to what he wants.  -____- To be fair, I think we, the readers, are supposed to dislike this behavior, but it ruined the enjoyment of the book for me.

3. Magical Changes. I'm not a fan of werewolves that can transform in a second or less with no pain. In this series, not only does it take a second to transform, but when they change back to human, their clothes are in tact, and whatever they had on their person is still with them.

4. Kissing scenes. I don't mind kissing, sex, or romance in books. In fact, I tend to like a little romance in my books. That being said, heavy make-out scenes in every other chapter, switching between two different guys, was a bit much. And the heaving making out in times of peril... wtf?

I own all three books in hardback, and I do plan to read them all. In fact, I've already started Wolfsbane, but I really hope they get better.

Book Review: City of Fallen Angels

The Mortal War is over, and Clary Fray is back home in New York, excited about all the possibilities before her. She's training to become a Shadowhunter and to use her unique power. Her mother is getting married to the love of her life. Downworlders and Shadowhunters are at peace at last. And—most important of all—Clary can finally call Jace her boyfriend.

But nothing comes without a price.

Someone is murdering the Shadowhunters who used to be in Valentine’s Circle, provoking tensions between Downworlders and Shadowhunters that could lead to a second bloody war. Clary’s best friend, Simon, can’t help her. His mother just found out he’s a vampire and now he’s homeless. Everywhere he turns, someone wants him on their side—along with the power of the curse wrecking his life. And they’re willing to do anything to get what they want. At the same time he’s dating two beautiful, dangerous girls—neither of whom knows about the other.

When Jace begins to pull away from Clary without explaining why, she is forced to delve into the heart of a mystery whose solution reveals her worst nightmare: She herself has set in motion a terrible chain of events that could lead to her losing everything she loves. Even Jace.

Love. Blood. Betrayal. Revenge. The stakes are higher than ever in City of Fallen Angels.

I bought City of Fallen Angelsby Cassandra Clare when it came out. I liked the first three and loved her spin-off series, so I was excited to read this one. But... I hadn't heard the best things. So, sad, I put it off. I finally picked it up in December, and... I loved it.

I had heard a lot of negative reviews and comments about how Cassie Clare only wrote this as a quick money-maker and other negative assumptions. My biggest issue with the first three Mortal Instruments was that Clary was whiny, Jace was cocky, and they were predictable. But here I liked Clary and Jace, and the plot kept me guessing.

There was more Simon than in the previous books, which made me happy. I loved his scenes with Izzie. We had a few new characters and someone from the Infernal Devices shows up. Honestly, though, the thing that excited me the most about this new trilogy (and I call it a new trilogy since it's a new arc in this series) is the potential for Tessa to come into this world. It may not happen, but I've got my fingers crossed.

I'm super excited for City of Lost Souls to hit shelves this year. And have you seen the new cover? It's my favorite of the series!

Guest Post: The Diary of Willow Krimble (Giuseppe Bianco)

The Diary Of Willow Krimble
First Entry

Dear Diary,

Wow, this feels so weird. I’ve never written that before, which is really odd, since Grandma Trisha gave me this Diary two years ago. She knows how much I love to write. I’ve written a few short stories and a ton of poems, but I’ve never written in a diary before. With the strange events that have been happening to me lately, I just feel like I need to express certain things that I can’t share with anyone else, including my best friend, Razzel.

​So, where to begin, Diary? Since I’m new at this, I’d feel a lot better if I gave you little bit of background info on myself – even though you are just a leather-bound notebook – no offense.
​
My name is Willow Krimble. I’m 13-years-old, I have freckles, bushy, almond-colored hair, and I have to wear a retainer for the next six months, even though I finally got my braces off. Sounds like your typical tween, right? Oh, I promise you, it gets more interesting, Diary. I wouldn’t exactly call my life “typical”. You see, for one thing, I was born without the bottom half of my left leg, so I’ve had to wear a prosthetic limb pretty much my whole life. It’s all I’ve ever known, so I don’t mind it. I often notice my classmates curiously staring at it, which isn’t my favorite pastime, but you get used to it. You never do get used to the insults, though. Shayla Stergus and Snella Burinbine, at school, think it’s pretty funny to call me things like “Prosthetic Princess”, or “One-Leg Wonder”. I’d be lying if I said it didn’t bug me. I don’t have to tell you how powerful words can be. They can raise you to amazing heights, where you’re heart begs to remain, or they can drag you to a dark place, where it seems as if the tiniest flicker of hope will never shine again. Sorry to get so deep, there, Diary. It’s the poet in me, I guess.
​
But thank goodness for my best friend, Razzel Fiora; she’s had my back since we were three years old. She really looks out for me. It’s not the worst thing in the world to have a best friend who’s skilled in the art of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, complimented by a sarcastic attitude. Comes in handy when someone refers to you as “Robo-Crutch”. Don’t laugh, Diary – not funny.
​
But enough about my middle school angst. Now that I’ve filled you in on the basics, I think I’m finally ready to share something else with you; something … peculiar … something … curious. You see, the retainer, untamable hair, and steel leg are just the back-story to Willow Krimble. Did I just refer to myself in the third-person? Sorry about that. Anyway, the real thing you should know about me is, lately … well … strange, unexplainable things have been happening around me, and I’m not sure I should tell anyone. But If I don’t share it with someone, I’ll just burst. That’s where you come in, Diary.

​I always tell Raz everything, but suddenly being struck with the power to heal others isn’t information I need to be sharing with anyone just yet. You read that right; I can heal people. Well, at least I think I can. I’ve had three separate instances this week where two people, and one pet-shop guinea pig, were suddenly healed after I came in contact with them. Crazy, right? I mean, why me? What makes me so special? And why now?
​
Truth is, there was a time when I … well … okay, no one knows this, Diary; not my mom, my older brother, Wyatt, not even Raz, but when my dad was sick, just before he passed away, I wanted so badly to be able to take his illness away – to just pull it out of him and dispel it. I remember on my seventh birthday, when I blew out those candles, I wished with my entire soul, for him to get better. I remember gazing at his frail, withered appearance, after my vicious puffing extinguished the final thin, pink-swirled candle. I remember thinking I’d performed some wondrous magic. When you’re seven, you believe in that stuff – you believe in everything. Call it what you want: Magic, miracles, super powers, whatever… When you’re a kid, you can feel these moments when you think something amazing has just happened. Something that makes your heart feel like it just expanded wider than it ever has; that moment where nothing ugly in this world matters because all you can see is the beauty, surrounding it. That’s what you feel when you’re a young kid and something incredibly unexpected happens, like coming home to a freshly baked batch of chocolate chunk cookies for no particular reason … or getting a snow day off from school … or having your birthday wish come true…. But you should know, Diary, that my wish never did come true that year. That feeling I had when I blew out those candles, was totally premature. Or should I say, “immature”; just a little kid with a big wish. A wish that deep down, beyond that heart-swelling feeling, I knew would never really come true. Sorry to be such a downer, Diary, but if what I can do is truly real, then why did it happen now? Why not six years ago? Life is really strange that way, isn’t it? Things never turn out the way we map them out in our own minds, but I suppose there is a reason for everything that’s happening to me. Grandma Trisha always tells me: “Let life travel where it wants to go; just savor the journey.” I think I get my passion for writing from her, but don’t tell mom I said that.
​
You should know, Diary, that I just paused for a ginormous yawn, so, clearly, I’m not going to figure this all out tonight. I’d better get to bed; I promised Raz I'd meet her at the library tomorrow to work on our homeostasis paper for Science Class. Well, Diary, thanks for listening. I feel a lot better now that I was able to share all of this with you. Maybe I’m crazy; maybe all of these things have just been a strange coincidence. Maybe I am just a typical kid, with an overactive imagination. I’ll keep you posted. Oh, and, Diary … thanks for keeping my secret.

The winner of a signed copy of A Girl Named Willow Krimble is...

Shannon J!