A Reader's Adventure

This is the second book in the Talents series (previously called Delcroix Academy). I really liked the first book The Talents and so I was really excited to see what would happen next.One of my favorite parts of The Marked was seeing Danica grow into her powers. She didn’t really get to use them in the first book and I really enjoyed seeing her grow and learn what kind of power she had. Danica had some definite doubts about the program. I shared in these doubts and I loved how Scott made me feel the same way as Danica and even made me have some doubts that were not explicitly said. The ending of The Marked was beautifully written. I loved how the story slowly unfolded up into this climax. It left me wanting the next book without being having a cliffhanger. I need the next book to find out what is going to happen!!!!The only problem I had with The Marked was that parts of it were kind of slow. I felt like some parts at the very beginning could have been taken out while other could have been fleshed out. For example I wish we could have seen more of Danica’s training. But other than that I really enjoyed it!

Wow, it was powerful, scary, disturbing, and terrifying. I cannot image being put into that situation. Be it Lia's poor parents. The doctors who did not know what to do. I cannot imagine it. These problems need to be resolved. I know they are being resolved but, they need to be resolved even faster.

Vesper starts with a girl giving a testimony to some “government” official which I don’t know about, but that always intrigues me! Vesper was so not what I expected. It was more complex and gritty, with twists that I certainly didn’t see coming. I enjoyed unraveling the mystery with Emily and wondering what would happen next. I really love mysteries so this was a fun take on a mystery. Jeff Sampson created a situation that was different from the typical paranormal genre, and might I say that I really enjoyed how Emily wasn’t a lame, typical paranormal protagonist. She took things into her own hands and (at least at night) wasn’t afraid to investigate. I also really liked that there was no real “romance” I mean there was toward the end but it was different and interesting. The end of Vesper left me yearning for the next book, yet satisfying what I wanted to know at the beginning of the book. That is one of my biggest pet peeves, when an author doesn't answer a fundamental question by the end of the book, Jeff Sampson didn’t do that to me which I really appreciated. I definitely recommend this book to fans of Paranormal books and even people who are a little wary or tired of paranormal. I think they would both enjoy it!

This book was not what I expected. From reading the first chapter/prologue I was unsure what to expect, but once I got into the meat of the book I enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would. Here is a science fiction book. But it also seemed to lean into the paranormal feel. After the accident Julia has new abilities and she has memories that did not actually happen, that combined with the popular boy suddenly paying more attention to her made me think that it was a paranormal book all the way up to when it becomes clear that it is a sci-fi novel. The fact that Evan all of a sudden starts paying attention to her, and the fact that she all of a sudden starts being motivated was really odd and unfounded. Until I got into the story and started to understand why Evan was acting that way it was driving me nuts.The other thing that didn’t make very much sense how all of a sudden everything started happening. Evan paid attention to her bracelet and then all hell broke loose. It was very strange and I wish it had been paced a little better.The ending also seemed a little rushed but since it is a series I guess that is okay. Even though the pacing could have been better I kept wanting to know what was going to happen. I was drawn in and did not want to stop until the end. This helped me to enjoy this book more, despite the pacing issues. Overall this was an okay book, I would recommend it to fans of paranormal romances because the feeling was the same even though it wasn’t

I am not sure how I can write a review that truly captures how powerful this book was. The Mockingbirds is about standing up for yourself and being willing to fight for it.Now thankfully I have never been date-raped but I think if I were I would react the same way Alex did in the beginning. She didn’t want to tell anyone because she thought they would look down on her, and that she would forever be seen as “that girl who was date-raped.” Another reason Alex doesn’t want to tell is because she doesn’t remember it so she is not positive whether she gave consent or not. This is a huge deal, thousands of girls every year use that reason as the reason they don’t report/tell someone. Whitney paints the picture of a lost and confused girl absolutely perfectly. Unfortunately that is because it happened to her. After you read The Mockingbirds make sure to read the author note. It really solidified for me the feelings I had about the book.The secondary characters in The Mockingbirds were really strong and I wish we had gotten to know them better, but I did like how we got to learn more about Anna as the book progressed. I highly recommend this book to everyone. I think it is important to have books that bring up these issues and empower girls through them.

So I’m not the biggest fan of “insta-love” but I have to say even though the entire book takes place over 24 hours I really didn’t get that feeling while I was reading it, I really enjoyed how it was paced and the rate at which they started to like each other. The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight can be described in one word. Adorable. I loved it! Hadley and Oliver were great and I want to have a romance like theirs. Now before you go and think that this book is just full of fluff let me stop you. It is so much more than that, it is about love, loss, and forgiveness. It is about taking risks even when you are scared to, and accepting what you cannot change. Jennifer E. Smith has created a real gem. The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight is heartfelt and wonderful. It made me happy and fulfilled after reading it. I cannot express how it was sweet but, yet it deals with some heavy issues. I think you should just go read it so you can see what I mean. The thing about the title is while it is a mouthful, once you find it in the book you feel like you are part of an inside joke between Hadley and Oliver which to me just makes it that much more special. This is a perfect book for fans of Sarah Dessen and Stephanie Perkins.

This was a really powerful book. I felt that Robin poured herself into this novel, because you can't write a book about such a personal issue without having some back story. Maybe I am wrong but that is the impression I got.Cat is a like-able character she is funny and unlike many other fat book main characters she does not really look down on herself. Because I am scientifically minded as well I enjoyed how she made changing her life into an experiment. All of the nutrition advice, while sometimes being too much, was informative, and interesting. This book really inspired me to get up and eat healthier.Besides the nutrition aspect, the love story was really cute, while sometimes being obvious, i really loved Matt, and her other friends were so wonderful. I would love to be friends with any of these characters.I enjoyed this book, it made me look at my eating choices through a good plot, and a cute love story. One of my favorite books I read in 2009.

I do not think I can express to you how good this book was. but I am going to try to.Spellbinding, beautifully written and completely transporting is the way I would describe it. I had read Robin Wasserman’s other books and I enjoyed them, but when I heard about her newest book The Book of Blood and Shadow I knew I had to pick it up. I am the biggest fan of mysteries and this is an epic one that spans centuries and continents. It all begins with the book of blood and shadow and letters written by a girl named Elizabeth. Only Nora can see that Elizabeth’s letters may actually be important and eventually life-changing. 'I should probably start with the blood.' is the first line of this book. Are you kidding me? I was drawn in from the first page and brought along on this whirlwind of a journey through Prague and essentially through time. Let me tell you, I never knew who to trust! Once, like Nora, I thought I knew what was going on something would happen that would throw me for a loop. And then that perception would get changed, it was so much fun. I loved learning about Elizabeth and her story, learning what happened to her and how she got tangled up in all of this was so exciting. Even though we only got to see Elizabeth’s actions through the letters that Nora translates I really felt as if Elizabeth was another main character who was brought to life in such an interesting and different way.Nora was awesome, I loved her drive and her yearning to find the truth. I also really appreciated that all of her friends helped figure things out. I hate when the main character is the only one who can figure things out. It is so unrealistic. But thankfully that was not the case.PRAGUE! Prague was almost a character in of itself. It was so richly written that I felt like I was there, it also made me need to go there someday. Also secret societies.The Book of Blood and Shadow was more than I ever could have imagined. It left me more than satisfied and hooked the entire time I was reading it. It is a must read and the perfect example of what I mean by A Reader’s Adventure.

I love myself a good mermaid book, and I think I have found my absolute favorite in Anna Banks’ debut. From the first page of this book I was drawn into this hialrious and awesome book. Emma is such a klutz and her inner monalogue has to be one of the most spot-on depictions that I have read in a non-contemporary novel. Of Poseidon alternates from Galen’s point of view and Emma’s. I really enjoyed this because I got to know both of their intentions and I think it gave more depth and layers to the story.Of Poseidon is unlike any other mermaid book I have ever read. I really enjoyed understanding the mythology and background of the Syrena. I particularly enjoyed learning about the feud between the descendants of Triton and the descendents of Poseidon. I think it added something very interesting and different to the plot.Now even though Galen and Emma are the main characters this book would not be nearly as entertaining without Rayna and Toraf. Their banter and points of view added to the story and did not for once take away from the main focus of the story. Anna Banks did a skillful job of weaving those secondary characters in without making them seem like distractions. While I personally kind of expected the ending, suspecting did not take anything from the book. Plus I was never absolutely sure which I enjoyed. I absolutely cannot wait for the next book and neither will you once you read this amazing book. I will also read anything else Anna Banks chooses to write, her writing was so funny and awesome that I will forever be a fan!If you need any more convincing check out the trailer and then be sure to pick up Of Poseidon out May 22!

First of all if you haven't read this series and you even kind of like historical fiction or mystery. RUN don’t WALK to pick up the first two books before this one comes out on February 28th! Here is my review for the second book The Body at the Tower if you need more convincing. The Traitor in the Tunnel is the third book in this series and trust me when I say I was DYING to read it. And while it was really, really good it wasn’t my favorite book of this series.Mary as usual was strong, smart, and resourceful. These are some of my favorite qualities in a heroine which is one of the reasons I like these books so much.James. Oh, James. I love James, but he was very different in this book than in the others and I don’t really know how I felt about that. Toward the end he started to act like the James I love and so I hope he will be the same in the next book.There were a lot of twists in this story which I really appreciate in mysteries. I also liked how the case started off really tame and then became more sinister. Something that was really different from this book and the others was the fact that Mary got to dive deeper into her heritage which I really enjoyed.Overall, not my favorite book of the series but I still definitely recommend it for any fans of historical fiction, mysteries, or just plain good books.

When I first read the summary for When the Sea is Rising Red I knew I had to read it. I mean, first of all it’s fantasy, and we all know my weakness for fantasy. And it looked to be dark, creepy fantasy, which hooked me in even more.When the Sea is Rising Red did not disappoint. It was dark, creepy, and surprising. When I first read the synopsis I was bummed because it looked like it gave everything away but it doesn’t. Each new page was filled with magic, and surprises. Keeping me interested and longing to find out more.I’m not going to lie, Felicita kind of annoyed me. She seemed to have no plan and was just wandering around willy-nilly waiting for things to fall into place. Now granted toward the end she started taking control over her life and surroundings but in the beginning she made the decision to run away and then just kind of floated. The good thing about her being this way was the fact that it let other characters shine.Cat Hellisen did magic with her integration of Vampires. They were a part of the story without being overly vampireish and they provided a fabulous foil to Felicita’s family.Like Felicita I never knew who was good, who was trying ruin Pelimburg, and who was caught in the middle. every time I thought I had figured it out something would happen to change my point of view. The ending of When the Sea is Rising Red was interesting and kind of confusing. While I really enjoyed the way in which it was written I wish it had been a bit more clear, or that it had been more drawn out so I could fully understand what was happening. But I guess that was part of the intrigue of the ending. Overall I enjoyed this book though I wish the ending had been a little clearer. Oh, and I need a sequel.

(Teeny, tiny spoilers for the first book, they are hardly even consequential.)If you read my review for the first book Touch of Frost you know that I loved it and was eagerly awaiting the next book!Kiss of Frost did not disappoint! In fact I liked it even more than Touch of Frost. The little things that bothered me from the first book were not issues in this next installment. Especially the explanations about the other student’s and their powers. After this book I finally understand what all their powers are. Like in Touch of Frost there was an element of mystery, and while I had my suspicions it did not turn out exactly how I had imagined, and I loved trying to figure it out at the same time as Gwen! I also felt like Gwen grew a lot in this book, she became more sure of herself and discovered new (awesome) facets of her powers.One of my favorite characters in this series has to be Vic, he is hilarious and adds just that little bit of humor that is needed in the story. I also liked getting to know characters that had just been mentioned in the previous book, better, and having them become an integral part of the plot.I also liked getting to know more of mythology and finding out more about Loki’s plan. Mythology has always interested me and so it was cool to see this spin on it, as well as learning about some more creatures like the Fenris wolf. Finally, I enjoyed the dynamic between Gwen and Logan a lot better in this book, it was still awkward and there was the whole Savannah thing but it was much better than in Touch of Frost.I only had one gripe with Kiss of Frost and it is so unimportant I wasn’t sure whether to even mention it in this review. It was the fact that Carson (Daphne's boyfriend) was constantly referred to a “band geek” while the other characters were referred to by their lineage (Spartan etc..) I would have preferred if he would have been referred to as the Celt instead. It was just really jarring for me while I was reading. But that’s being really nitpicky and honestly I cannot think of anything else that I didn’t like about this book.If you have not read the first book go RUN and pick it up, and while you’re at it pick up this one as well, because you will want to read it as soon as you are done! I cannot wait for Dark Frost!Sorry for the longer than normal review but I just really liked this book!(Cross posted on http://mariah-readingadventure.blogspot.com on 12/9/11)

I had never heard of Aristophanes’ Lysistrata but I enjoyed this book so much that I might go pick it up! Shut Out was another awesome book by Kody! It was funny and real, as well as slightly incorporating some difficult topics.I do have a warning for this and The Duff, these are not books for younger readers. They both deal openly with issues of sex and other related things. And while I had no problem with it, and as an older young adult really didn’t mind reading about it. (There is no actual sex in the book) The readers of this book should be mature about the issues that are brought up. With that being said I really liked that it was the center of the book, because honestly it makes total sense. I think that’s what I love the most about Kody’s books, they are real. I also liked how Kody brought up insecurities that girls have about sex, and how girls can be afraid to even tell their friends that they are virgins. That part made this book for me.Lissa was a great main character, she had her quirks and was someone that I could totally see myself being friends with. Her obsessions made her real and I think is something that people deal with. Also Cash… Um… Yeah he was HOT. I want one!!!!! Finally a sweet guy! I loved him definitely in my top ten! Overall a great sophomore novel for Kody Keplinger! The combination of topics and characters creates a realistic and hilarious take on the power of girls!

I had heard many wonderful things about this book and all of them were true! It was engaging, entertaining, and really made me think about what I would do if I were in that situation. What faction I would choose etc..I loved Tris as a character, she was strong, but vulnerable, and her worries were valid and sound. Her spunk is what propelled this story. The other characters were great as well, the tension between Four and Eric really showed the cracks in the system as well as creating a great foil for the conflict between Abignation and Erudite. I’m not going to lie, most of this book was set up for the next books but Roth did an excellent job making sure it wasn’t boring or too drawn out. I especially liked the different stages and thinking about how I would react in that situation.The romance in this book was not too in your face, for the first 3/4 of the book it was barely there which I liked because it grew not just instant love like in many other books lately.Overall an amazing dystopian tale which will keep you on your toes and challenge what you believe about society.

There are TONS of paranormal books coming out and I’ll be the first one to say that there are too many, but there are still some gems out there. Touch of Frost is one of them.This paranormal book was really good because the paranormal characters in the book were so different than any other paranormal elements I’ve ever read about. There were Greek, Nordic, and Roman gods and creatures, which all worked together to create an interesting cast of creatures.This book is similar to Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins, so I recommend it to fans of that series.I liked how Gwen was different, and how she was unsure about what exactly her powers completely entailed. I also liked how all the different groups be it Valkyries or Gypsies like Gwen and her family they had all different powers, which added suspense and an element of surprise as we figure it out throughout the book.One thing I didn’t like was Logan and Gwen’s relationship, I mean I like how it developed, but I didn’t like how Gwen was so dull about it. “How could he like me?” “He can’t like me, can he?” “Oh my gosh I like him!” (These are not actual quotes from the book I am paraphrasing) I just seemed really juvenile and I wish it had been set up a little better or different. But it didn’t ruin it for me, it was just a small annoyance when it would come up. The rest of the book more than made up for it.Overall I really, really enjoyed this book and I loved the twist toward the end. I also liked how there was a mystery element and I liked solving it along with Gwen (Even though I had my suspicions early) I am really excited for the next book to see where this story goes!!!

I liked this new interpretation of werewolves. With paranormal books that have vampires and werewolves it is really nice to come across one with an unusual premise. Nightshade definitely does!First of all the cover! So beautiful and different, it would totally draw my eye if I saw it on a shelf! I like the incorporation of blood because it is a werewolf novel!The plot was beautifully written I never found myself wanting it to speed up. Regardless of all the backstory and history that had to be told. It was action packed and very unpredictable!The characters in this book were amazing as well, Calla is one awesome heroine! If I had to choose a pack I would definitely choose her. Ren and Shay were both wonderful but I am not yet sure which one I liked better. One cool thing that Cremer did was she made the secondary characters just as important and different as the main characters. Very rarely do I come across a book where the author has done that!I really loved this book and usually I am not drawn to paranormal books but this was definitely one of the best books I read in 2010! It was captivating and unpredictable, go run and pick this up! I cannot wait for the next book!