Sarah & Daisy's Review of Frostbite (Vampire Academy, #2) by Richelle Mead

Spoiler warning! This is the 2nd book in the Vampire Academy series and so this review will contain spoilers from book one. You can read my review of Vampire Academy here instead.

Frostbite (Vampire Academy, #2) by Richelle Mead

Author: Richelle Mead Website|Twitter
Published: 1 January 2008
Format: Paperback
Pages: 328
Buy the paperback: Amazon|Hive|BookDepository
Buy the e-book: Kindle|Kobo

Source: Gifted from Daisy!

Plot Summary (from Goodreads):
It’s winter break at St Vladimir’s, and a massive Strigoi vampire attack has put the school on high alert. This year’s trip away from the academy to the wintery peaks of Idaho has suddenly become mandatory.

But Rose’s troubles seem to follow her wherever she goes—dealing with the pain of knowing that her relationship with her tutor Dimitri can never be, things get even more complicated when one her closest friends admits his feelings for her.

The glittering winter landscape may create the illusion of safety but Rose—and her heart—are in more danger than she ever could have imagined...

Review:

Sarah: So this review is a little different because I am reviewing Frostbite with the lovely Daisy from FangirlDaily and AThousandLivesofDais. Daisy very kindly bought me the book for my birthday so that we could read it together and taking part in the readalong was so much fun! So here is our review of the book.

Frostbite is the second book in the Vampire Academy series and I think it’s safe to say we both enjoyed the first! I was a big fan of the prologue which recapped a lot of the first book (because I have a memory like a sieve!). What did you think of the recapping?

Daisy: So much happened in Vampire Academy that it was hard to remember, however the recapping covered all the details that were huge plot points, as well as those little niggly things that slip your mind. The continuation into book two was skillfully done. Plus the action in the first chapters really drew me in!

Sarah: I agree. I was worried going in because I hadn’t had chance to re-read but that prologue got me right up to speed. And things definitely got underway quickly! What I loved was that there was a mystery element pretty early on as well. That had me hooked and wanting to find out what was going to happen!

Daisy: That is something I really enjoy from Richelle’s writing, you glide into the world with ease. It helps that a lot of time hasn’t passed between both books, not only for the action but character development. There didn’t seem to be any moments where you question “hey, what happened between these two?” Both sets of Rose/Dimitri and Lissa/Christian got focal points throughout it. But what would a YA book be without a love triangle?!

Sarah: Oh yes, the relationships were one of my favourite things about Frostbite. I basically shipped everyone! Of course I love the chemistry between Rose and Dimitri, but I also loved the other relationships dotted throughout the book. I love Rose and Lissa (I kind of ship them. A lot) but seeing Rose and Mason together was interesting too. One thing I noticed in Frostbite was all the jealousy! Did you feel that too?   

Daisy: The teenage hormones (minus Dimitri, that man has a hold of his emotions!) were rife in this book. Which is accurate to the situation. For those who are yet to read the book, the academy has had threats made against the moroi race, so take sanctuary in a ski resort over the Christmas period so that the families can spend time together. Hormones on top of scary threats and in close quarters with all sorts of new characters makes for Frostbite having an emotional side to it more so than the first book.

Sarah: Ooh you make a good point about the setting! I get nervous sometimes that sequels will feel repetitive, but because Frostbite transports you somewhere new - in this case the ski resort - it still felt fresh. I definitely preferred this book to the first. I think because the world and characters had been established and you were more involved in the relationships.How about you, did you prefer Vampire Academy or Frostbite?

Daisy: Frostbite has to be my favourite of the series so far. There was growth in the characters, where Rose is starting to grow up a bit. She had a level head at times throughout the first book but was very quick to jump in to action. Seeing through her eyes and genuinely seeing the improvement and how hard she is training made it take the top spot for me. I liked Rose in the first book but loved her in this! Was there characters for you that you felt really changed?

Sarah: I agree about Rose! I loved seeing her take on that extra responsibility but she still stayed her same hilarious, badass self. I also loved seeing her relationship with her mother develop.

Daisy: Bless Rose, she has such a dysfunctional relationship with her mother. We never really got a proper scene between them in VA, yet they get a more page this time around. Along with understandings being met, she gets more of an insight into the guardian world and it really isn’t as easy as it seems.

Sarah: Ooh yes I loved learning more about the role of a guardian and I think there’s even more potential to explore that in later books. Speaking of which, that ending! Obviously no spoilers, but Frostbite kind of broke my heart towards the end of the book. How about you?

Daisy: Oh man, I’m still torn up about that ending. Just when you think you’re on solid ground, Richelle can whip the rug out from beneath your feet. The one thing that Frostbite isn’t lacking in is action. When strigoi are around, there will never be a dull moment! But then she gives all the fluttery feelings in your stomach again. It is hard to know what emotion you should have.

Sarah: I definitely had all of the feels during this book! One thing I forgot to mention already was the foreshadowing. All throughout the book there were these moments that hinted at bigger things to come. Did you feel that too?

Daisy: I do like a bit of foreshadowing. Sometimes having no hints makes a surprise not make sense, as you have no idea what led up to that moment. Otherwise you have to whip out your detective skills! I felt that it was stronger in Frostbite and that bigger things are still to come in the series.

Sarah: I totally agree. I hate it when you get plot twists that make no sense and that you could never have worked out. The writing in these books is so clever and sharp that you don’t have to worry about it! So I have a lot of love for this book. The writing, characters and plot all blew me away and now I’m settled into the series I can’t wait to read more. Rating this book was easy - 5* all the way! What’s your final verdict?

Daisy: 5* for me too. I thought the book was truly fantastic, is miles apart from any other academy novels surrounding vampires, *cough* House of Night *cough*! I really enjoyed this installment and will be picking up the next books promptly so I can see how this world develops. I think our ship of Lissa and Rose - Rissa(?!) is one of the things I’m most excited to read. If our lovely readers have read Frostbite, please let us know what you thought of it! Or if you agreed with any of our points, the discussion can still continue :)

Rating: 5*
What to read next: Shadow Kiss by Richelle Mead
Books like this: Evernight by Claudia Gray

Twilight by Stephanie Meyer: Expectation vs Reality

So up until recently, I hadn't read Twilight by Stephanie Meyer. There are a few reasons for this. When it first came out, I wasn't as immersed in YA as I am now and I don't think I'd read a single vampire book, so it just wasn't on my radar. I first became aware of the book through the films. I can actually remember listening to BBC Radio 1 when they were live from the UK premiere of the first film. I hadn't heard anything about the books before, but they were constantly referring to it on this radio show as the next Harry Potter. At the time I was a huge Harry Potter fan so this probably made me a bit sceptical.

As time went on, Twilight became embedded in pop culture. Even without reading the books or watching the films, I became aware of the general plot and the characters became as familiar to me as those in books I had actually read. But as I became more aware of the phenomenon, the desire to read the books decreased. After all, I knew the story. Nobody cares about spoilers with a series that big, so that left me with little curiosity about what happened because I already knew. Then came the backlash. I heard tales of the awful writing, Bella was drippy and how controlling Edward was. I'll admit, I was put off. It just didn't sound like something I'd enjoy.

So what changed? For a while I had this little challenge going with myself - how long could I avoid Twilight? It seemed like an achievement, having stayed away from something so popular for so long. Being one of the few to have not read the books or seen the films was like being in a pretty exclusive club. But as time went on, I realised just how much I was judging it without having read it. I mean I'd written it off as not my cup of tea, but then I started reading, and very much enjoying, vampire books. The more I read, the more it seemed like Twilight was a gaping hole in my reading back catalogue. When people dicussed Twilight, I felt compelled to stay out of conversations because I wouldn't speak anything bad about it having not read the books myself. Still my Tumblr feed was full of posts about Twilight, either graphics and gifs from people who loved it or rants and highlighted passages from people who didn't. I realised it was time to make up my own mind. Luckily my best friend is a fan of the books, so I asked her if I could borrow the first one and she obliged. 

So what did I think?

This isn't going to be a traditional review, for some of the reasons stated above. The majority of people already know the plot and have their own perceptions of the series. I went into Twilight as open minded as possible, wanting to enjoy it, but because I have been so exposed to it through the media and online, it was impossible to go in without any expectations at all. So here are my thoughts based on those expectations.

The writing 

Usually I know within a few pages or chapters whether I am going to get on with a book. This is where the writing has the chance to win me over or put me off. When I started Twilight I was impressed. I'd heard how terrible the writing was, but I can honestly say Twilight exceeded my expectations. When you read as much as I do, you come across all kinds of writing, from the beautifully stunning to the down right awful. Now Twilight wasn't the most amazingly written thing I have ever read, but neither was it the worst. In fact, it was very far from it. I enjoyed the opening few chapters and found the descriptions of Forks to be very atmospheric. I found myself wrapped up the locations and characters because of those descriptions.

Saying that, the beginning of the book was definitely stronger than the end. When I got to the second half of the book, I started to feel the writing slip slightly. Odd words and phrases were starting to slip in. It was enough to be noticeable, but not off-putting. I think Meyer's strength is the description as opposed to dialogue. So much of the latter half of the book is dialogue between Edward and Bella and maybe that's why it felt a little more clunky to me.

Either way, the writing was okay, didn't halt my enjoyment and I would read more by this author.

The characters

From the very beginning of the book I was instantly drawn to Bella. I found her to be likable and confident. She's just found herself at a new school in a new town, and yet she's holding her own and not shying away from people. I liked how natural she was around the kids at her new school. A lot of the criticism I've heard about Twilight is focused on Bella, and having read the book, I'm going to stand up for her a bit.

Firstly, her curiosity about Edward I can totally understand. He's acting weird around her and is generally a bit mysterious. Who wouldn't be intrigued? Plus he's good looking. What teenage girl isn't going to be drawn to one of the best looking kids at school? I liked how she challenged him and tried to learn more about him. She really went out of her way to get the bottom of why he acted like I did. She didn't just put up with it, which is what I was expecting.

Secondly, she's completely entitled to act like a soppy teenage girl around the guy she fancies because at the end of the day, she is a teenage girl. Bella admits she has little experience with guys. The less experience you have, the more naive you are. I think back to how I was as a teenager, and how I acted about guys was probably quite pathetic. I mean I used to write about boys in my diary - in code. And I daren't even think what ridiculously soppy things I would write. So yes, it is a bit annoying reading about the colour of Edward's eyes every five minutes because Bella is obsessed with them, but this is her first love and so I can forgive her a bit of mushy observation.

Then there's Edward. I mean firstly, the Edward in my head looks nothing like RPatz, which was a miracle in itself. But hey, I went with the book description and formed my own image. That meant my Edward was slightly more good looking to me (RPatz doesn't really do it for me, sorry!). I didn't really fall for Edward the way Bella did. Sure he has his moments, and some of the times he looks out for Bella were quite sweet, but I did tire a little of his "I'm dangerous, Bella" routine. Perhaps because I didn't really feel that danger until the last 100 pages of the book (more on that later). He did have his charming moments and I liked the scenes where he and Bella are asking each other questions to learn more about each other. Plus his vampire skills like his super fast running were pretty cool.

So obviously I've heard of Team Edward and Team Jacob, and I come out of Twilight with a fondness for Jacob. He isn't in it much, so I can't form a solid opinion on whether I like him with Bella, but I definitely appreciated his kindness towards her. I liked that he took the time to explain his family's history with the Cullens so that Bella was up to speed. I also liked the fact that Bella's dad and Jacob's dad are friends and so Jacob and Bella have a history. I'm excited to read more about Jacob as a character because he seems like the nice boy to Edward's moody and mysterious, and I am all about the nice boy.

The plot

So I went in expecting a girl to fall in love with a vampire, and that's what I got. The romance is the main focus of Twilight, and for a lot of the book I struggled with the lack of plot. Not a lot happens and it's a long book. The enjoyed the first hundred pages, because I could lose myself in the world building and join Bella on her discovery of her new surroundings. The middle lagged a bit for me, but when you get to 300 pages in, stuff does finally start to happen. Finally Bella is in danger, which sounds like a horrible thing to say, but have 300 pages of Bella and Edward bonding and Edward claiming to be dangerous, I needed something to grab my attention and really prove that. The last hundred pages were fast paced and exciting, I just wished we'd got to that moment sooner.

Summing Up

Twilight was better than I was expecting. I did not hate it. Not at all. It was a bit slow, and wasn't always on board with the romance, but it had enough about it to keep me intrigued. Now a lot has been established I am excited to see where the story goes. Obviously I know a lot of what's coming up in later books plot wise because the media has spoiled me, but I am still interested in reading about it for myself. High up on that list is learning more about Jacob, and discovering the consequences of something that happened with Bella and Edward. I'm also intrigued to watch the film so I can compare the two.

Lessons learnt

Don't judge a book before you've read it. Duh. And don't let other people's attitudes towards a book put you off. I know people have their reasons for not liking Twilight, and so I hope they will respect my wish to read the books and form my own opinion.

Rating: 3*
What to read next: New Moon by Stephanie Meyer
Books like this: Evernight by Claudia Gray, Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick

Review: Dinner With a Vampire by Abigail Gibbs

The Dark Heroine: Dinner With a Vampire by Abigail Gibbs

Author: Abigail Gibbs Website|Twitter
Published: 11 October 2012 (Harper Voyager)
Format: Paperback (proof)
Pages: 549
Buy the paperback: Amazon|Waterstones
Buy the e-book: Kindle|Kobo

Source: Received free proof copy from publisher via the Waterstones Cardholder Read and Review scheme

Plot Summary (from Goodreads):
The sexiest romance you’ll read this year…

One moment can change your life forever...

For Violet Lee, a chance encounter on a darkened street draws her into a world beyond her wildest imaginings, a timeless place of vast elegance and immeasurable wealth – of beautiful mansions and lavish parties – where a decadent group of friends live for pleasure alone. A place from which there is no escape...no matter how hard Violet tries.

Yet all the riches in the world can’t mask the darkness that lies beneath the gilded surface, embodied in the charismatic but dangerous Kaspar Varn.

Violet and Kaspar surrender to a passion that transcends their separate worlds – but it’s a passion that comes at a price...

My Review:
So I read this book last year as part of the Waterstones Cardholder Read and Review program, and reviewed it on Waterstones and Goodreads. I was unsure whether to review it on the blog because I didn't know whether the book was really marketed as YA and it was before I started branching out and including a wider range of ages on the blog. I've since seen a lot of other YA blogs had reviewed it and seeing the author at Leakycon this year reminded me of the book, so here's my review!

When I first applied to win a read and review copy of this book, I'd just seen an interview with the author on TV. Needless to say I was intrigued by both the book and the nature of how it came about! So I was very happy when it popped through my letterbox and looked forward to finding it out whether it lived up to the hype.

The opening scenes feature Violet Lee witnessing a violent vampire attack in Trafalgar Square, and then being kidnapped by vampires. She's taken to a mansion where she is surrounded by vampire royalty, including the mysterious Kaspar. I was drawn in completely by the action. I think the opening few chapters were where the book was at its strongest.

I really liked the world this book was set in. I liked that it was a vampire novel based in Britain as most of the vampire novels I read are set in America. It gave it a really fresh feeling and it was nice to have that sense of British-ness throughout! I'd certainly recommend it to anyone who is a fan of vampire novels.

Dinner With a Vampire is mainly told from Violet's point of view, but occasionally we get chapters from Kaspar's perspective. I couldn't help feeling these were a bit pointless as they were usually very short and didn't add a great deal to the story. We're introduced to a lot of the vampires associated with Kaspar and I did find myself getting a bit confused as to who was who in places where there were a lot of names to take in. I liked the backstory of Violet's family, though.

The book is billed as "the sexiest romance you'll read this year" but the romance was where I ended up disappointed, to be honest. I really didn't see the attraction of Kaspar and most of the time he just came across as horrible and a bit creepy (especially when it came to his constant use of the nickname "girly" for Violet). I found myself getting annoyed with Violet's feelings for him because I just couldn't understand what it was she saw in him. I started to lose faith in her as the book went on,

I enjoyed most of the plot, and there were some great twists and reveals that kept my attention. I could maybe have done with the book being a bit shorter but overall I liked what I read. It was just the romance element that left me disappointed and didn't live up to expectations. I'd be interested to read the following book and maybe check out any other books this author comes out with in the future.

Rating: 3*
What to read next: Autumn Rose by Abigail Gibbs, the second book in the Dark Herione series
Books like this: Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris

Review: Department 19 by Will Hill

Department 19 by Will Hill

Author: Will Hill Website|Twitter
Published: 1 September 2011 (HarperCollins Children's Books)
Format: Paperback
Pages: 509
Buy the paperback: Amazon|BookDepository
Buy the e-book: Kindle|Kobo

Source: Bought

Plot Summary (from Goodreads):
Jamie Carpenter's father is dead, his mother is missing, and he was just rescued by an enormous creature named Frankenstein. Now Jamie is pulled into a secret organization responsible for policing the supernatural, founded more than a century ago by Abraham Van Helsing. . . . Department Nineteen takes us through history, across Europe, and beyond - from the cobbled streets of Victorian London to prohibition-era New York, from the icy wastes of Arctic Russia to the treacherous mountains of Transylvania. Part modern thriller, part classic horror, it's packed with mystery, mayhem, and a level of suspense that makes a Darren Shan novel look like a romantic comedy.

My Review:
This was another book I bought before Leakycon as Will Hill was going to be speaking there. I read a free short story set in this world and really enjoyed it, so I was excited to dive into this one. Department 19 follows Jamie Carpenter as he is suddenly swept into the secret world of a government department set up to control vampires.

I read a lot of vampire novels so when I find something with a unique twist it makes me happy and Department 19 definitely had that! I love anything to do with spies and government agencies that give you plenty of action and this is what this book delivered by the bucketload.

Department 19 starts off with a great prologue where we glimpse the incident which killed Jamie's dad. From then on we learnt that Jamie has been moved around a lot because of his dad's reputation and the fact he was accused of leaking government secrets. I immediately liked Jamie and had a lot of respect and sympathy for him, because he clearly wants to clear his father's name.

What was great is that throughout Department 19 you get chapters which go back to the 1800s where you see the origins of this secret government department. I love those little flashbacks and how the whole history of the world was developed so brilliantly. You aren't just told about them, you get to actually see what happened which is way more exciting. The book doesn't stick to Jamie's POV so we get to see what's happening with other characters which was great.

During the course of the book we meet female vampire Larissa who was one of my favourite characters because she's just so intriguing! There's a real connection between her and Jamie which I liked. She listens to him when the other people around Jamie have a tendency to talk down to him and patronise him. I loved that we really get to delve into Larissa's backstory as well, because thete's a lot more to her than meets the eye and she's not just your typical baddie.

I think the coolest part of Department 19 is how it takes ideas of vampires that already exist in literature and integrates them into the story and the world. So Dracula and Frankenstein are real characters who had a place in the history of the department. And seriously, Frankenstein was my one of my favourite characters which seems like a weird thing to say!

It's quite a long book so it took a while to get to the build up, but the ending was fast paced and crazy and a bit more emotional than I was expecting! I really loved the unique world and I'm excited for the next book (even if it is even longer!).

Rating: 4*
What to read next: The Rising by Will Hill, the second book in the Department 19 series
Books like this: Insignia by S. J. Kincaid, The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson, Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer

Review: Glass Houses by Rachel Caine

Glass Houses by Rachel Caine

Author: Rachel Caine Website|Twitter
Published: 26 May 2008 (Allison & Busby)
Format: E-book
Pages: 223
Buy the paperback: Amazon|Waterstone's|Book Depository
Buy the e-book: Kindle|Kobo

Source: Borrowed from e-library

Plot Summary (from Goodreads):
Peer pressure sucks.
So do vampires - Morganville is a small town filled with unusual characters - when the sun goes down, the bad come out. 
In Morganville, there is an evil that lurks in the darkest shadows - one that will spill out into the bright light of day.
For Claire Danvers, high school was hell, but college may be murder. 
It was bad enough that she got on the wrong side of Monica, the meanest of the school's mean girls, but now she's got three new roommates, who all have secrets of their own.
 
My Review:
This is one of those series I've been meaning to read for absolutely ages. It seems like I'm probably one of the last people on the planet to start the Morganville Vampires series! Glass Houses is the first book and introduces us to Claire, who's studying in the town of Morganville. When she decides to move out her school's dorm she meets some new people who enlighten her to the secret history of the town; that it's run by vampires.

It was really easy to get into this book because straight away we see what a crappy time of it Claire is having. I completely sympathised with her. She's being bullied pretty bad at school and is desperate to escape. I liked how different Glass Houses felt to other supernatural series I've read. Most of the action takes place outside of school which was interesting. And because Claire has such a rough time of it there, the only characters we really see her interact and bond with are the new people she meets when she moves out. 

The story really gets interesting when Claire moves into the Glass House where she meets Eve, Shane and Michael. And oh my god, I loved all of them! Eve was really nice and caring and I loved how she took Claire in and looked out for her. I thought Shane was really funny and Michael was completely intriguing. The relationship with the group and Claire was really sweet. They totally look out for her whilst at the same time she becomes somebody they can confide in. It felt like Claire was meant to be there the whole time.

The romance in Glass Houses took a bit of a backseat which was another thing I really liked. It wasn't shoved in your face but you could tell there was chemistry between certain characters. I also thought it was interesting that although it's a vampire novel, the focus was on the non-vampire characters. The vampires still played an important role but it gave you a chance to get to know Claire and her friends first.

I adored the world building in Glass Houses. Morganville is a town run by vampires, which is not something everyone knows, including Claire. Her ignorance to what was really happening made it work really well when she starts discovering what's going on as Eve, Michael and Shane explain it to her, because you learn everything as she does.

The book had a pretty gentle pace and as I got to the halfway point I was starting to wonder when something was going to happen. The second half of the book definitely picked up and all the build up was worth it. There was plenty of mystery and I liked waiting for certain things to be revealed. There was a real cliffhanger at the end too which left me dying to read the next book.

Glass Houses was a pleasantly surprising read that hooked me in and made me fall in love with the characters. The writing was punchy and funny and I really liked the unique feel to it. I may be a latecomer to the series but the exciting thing is that I know have a whole load more books to read after this one! And I can't wait to immerse myself into more of this world.

Rating: 4*
What to read next: The Dead Girls' Dance by Rachel Caine, book 2 in the Morganville Vampires series

Books like this: Evernight by Claudia Gray

Review: Wanted by Annika James

Wanted by Annika James

Author: Annika James Website|Twitter
Published: 17 January 2013 (MuseItUp)
Format: Kindle e-book
Amazon: Kindle
Smashwords: E-book
Kobo: E-book

Source: Received free copy from author in exchange for an honest review

Plot Summary (from Goodreads):
Attacked as a young witch and left for dead, Ashlinn is deathly afraid of being bitten again. Having survived until she’s almost eighteen without donating blood to any of her vamp friends, Ashlinn figures she’ll continue to live bite-free. After her crush reveals how powerful she is, however, the Vampire Council declares she be claimed as a familiar, which requires biting. Ashlinn doesn’t want to be owned, even by hot vamp, Conor. Luckily, her best friend, Matt, volunteers for the job. She is given one week to choose her protector, and the list of willing biters keeps growing. Will she go with best friend Matt, hot vamp Conor, or someone else to protect her? Will she be able to get her power under control by then? Will she overcome her phobia of being bitten? And who says she needs to be protected, anyhow? 

My Review:
I was really excited when the author got in touch with me about this book because the summary sounded right up my street! Wanted follows Ash, a witch who's friends just happen to be vampires. One day Ash discovers that her powers are attracting her to the vampire community and suddenly she's the object of everyone's attention.

What I really loved about Wanted was how much it stood out from the other vampire novels I've read. After a while they can all start to blend into one, but Wanted felt really different. I enjoyed the world building in particular because it was done so well. There wasn't tons of boring exposition, but we were introduced to everything gradually. I found the workings of Ash's world to be really interesting as well. At her school, witches like her mix with vampires and even humans and I liked how at the beginning we see Ash sticking up for vampire rights.The involvement of the vampire council also added that political element.

The main plot revolves around the fact that Ash's powers have made her attracted to the vampire community. In order to protect herself, she must find herself a "familiar" which means she must allow a vampire to bite her. This means she has to choose someone she can trust to build that relationship with. The whole story made for a great twist on the whole love triangle thing. Ash is torn between her best friend Matt who has offered to be her familiar, and her crush Conor, who is also willing. I say it was a twist because the fact is she spends a lot of time wishing she didn't have to choose anyone. She's put in a really tough situation and I did feel for her. It was fascinating seeing her cope with that and struggle to decide who she could trust.

It took me a little while to get into the writing style of the book and ocassionaly I felt there were a few too many adjectives used in places, but the writing definitely improved as the book went on. Soon I was completely immersed in the story and wasn't worrying about the writing at all. I particularly was impressed with the dialogue, which felt very natural. I liked that the characters swore every now and again because let's face it, teenagers swear. And in this instance it felt really accurate and true to life.

The pacing was spot on in Wanted and the build up to Ash's decision made for some really great suspense. I loved the twists and turns along the way and I was always curious about what would happen. I also loved how some of the information was teased slowly throughout the book, for example we learn that Ash was attacked in the past, but instead of it being explained it one chunk of text, little glimpses of what happened are weaved into the rest of the story. It was so cleverly done.

The characters were really interesting and I loved the contrast between Matt and Conor. Matt is like the sweet best friend and Conor the mysterious intriguing boy with a bit of a reputation. Seeing Ash take control of her powers made for some great scenes too. She really held her own as a main character.  I thought Ash's best friend Cora added a really great dynamic to the group as well. I was even impressed that Ash's mum got an interesting back story. There was plenty of attention to detail, that's for sure.

The climax of this book really had me hooked. There were plenty of surprises so I totally didn't see the ending coming. Overall I was really impressed with Wanted. It's a real stand out in the vampire genre so if you love vampires then definitely grab this one as soon as you can!

Rating: 4*
Books like this: Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead, Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins

Review: Imaginable (Intangible, #2) by J. Meyers

Spoiler warning! This is the 2nd book in the Intangible series and so this review will contain spoilers from the first book. If you haven't read it, you can read my review of Intangible here instead. You have been warned!

Imaginable by J. Meyers

[Goodreads page]

Author: J. Meyers Website|Twitter
Published: 16 April 2013
Format: Kindle e-book
Pages: 342
Amazon: Kindle

Source: Received free copy from author for review

Plot Summary (from Goodreads):
Twins Sera and Luke Raine’s unusual abilities are growing. Sera is healing vampires now, making them human again. And, at times, Luke can actually change the future he Sees.

But Sera’s healing has dangerous consequences, and though Luke is altering the outcome of more visions, he can’t control them yet.

Now Sera is in danger as the dark creatures of the Realm seek to use her. As Luke struggles to master his gift in order to save his sister, he discovers even more about his powers.

And what he learns just may put him in greater danger than Sera has ever been.

My Review:
I was so excited to read this book because I adored the first book, Intangible. I was very privileged to receive a copy of Imaginable from the author to review and so I started it as soon as it was loaded on my Kindle! The book picks up with Sera's healing powers causing real problems for the Gifteds, and Luke isn't having it so easy either.

The book opens with a scene in the coffee shop and made me fall right back in love with this world and, more importantly, the characters. Straight away there was humour from the group of characters who have the most amazing chemistry between them, and I love it when I start a book and I'm laughing within the first few pages. Most of that was down to Luke. I love Luke. I'll probably state that a lot in this review!

The plot revolves around Sera's ability to "heal" vampires, only this has been causing more harm than good. I love Sera and how we get to see than vulnerable side of her. She clearly wants to do as much as she can to help other people and that really endears me to her as a character. The fact she has such valuable powers makes her a target for other creatures who want to exploit that power, which puts her life in danger for a large part of the book. I really felt that danger and the suspense created throughout the book had me flipping the pages just to find out what happened to those characters I was so attached too.

Like I mentioned before, Luke is my favourite character and he also had a lot going on in his life. He's having to deal with his feelings for Fey who he knows he can't really have. He was so sweet pining for her. I was really rooting for him! On top of that, he's struggling with his visions, not always being able to conjure them and his fight to gain control of his powers showed just how determined he was. But my favourite part was his realtionship with Sera, which was one of my highlights of the first book. They just have such a great connection and as Sera was in danger I really loved how Luke wanted to do everything he could to make sure she was okay.

Still on the topic of characters, I really loved the mysterious Jonas and the Light Elf Fey and the roles they played in the story. Both of them are protective of the twins and so it made for some great kickass scenes as both of them showed what they could do when it came to looking out for the others. I also loved discovering more about those characters as bits of their past were introduced into the story.

I was really excited to explore more of the world that was established in Intangible and I wasn't disappointed. I loved seeing more of the Realm as well as the creatures that reside there, from the flower pixies to the dark and creepy Shadows. The descriptions of everything really carried me away as I escaped into the story and that world. As the book reached its climax it delved into fantasy as well with more magical creatures appearing, and I really enjoyed that element of it. The two worlds are weaved so seamlessly together that you don't really focus on what genre the book is, because it flows so well from the real to the magical.

I absolutely devoured this book from the moment I picked it up. I just couldn't put it down! From the middle of the book onwards there was so much action to keep my attention. Whilst it managed to keep that pace and action up and build on the world introduced in Intangible, it also wet my appetite for more as a middle-of-a-series book should. There were things that were just touched upon, with some stuff just bubbling away under the surface that I can't wait to read more about! And the ending definitely left me eager to carry on. There's huge potential for this series. If you loved Intangible then you'll adore this. A fantastic sequel!

Rating: 5*
What to read next: Intuition or Indomitable by J. Meyers, two short stories to accompany the series
Books like this: City of Bones by Cassandra Clare, The Iron King by Julie Kagawa

Review: Marked by P. C. and Kristin Cast

Marked by P.C and Kristin Cast 

[Goodreads page]

Authors: P. C. and Kristin Cast. Website|Twitter
Published: 1 January 2007 (Atom)
Format: Paperback
Pages: 368
Amazon: Paperback|Kindle
Waterstone's: Paperback|e-book
Book Depository: Paperback

Source: Own/received as present

Plot Summary (from Goodreads):
One minute, sixteen-year-old Zoey Redbird is a normal teenager dealing with everyday high school stress: her cute boyfriend Heath, the school’s star quarterback who suddenly seems more interested in partying than playing ball; her nosy frenemy Kayla, who’s way too concerned with how things are going with Heath; her uber-tough geometry test tomorrow.  The next, she’s Marked as a fledgling vampyre, forcing her to leave her ordinary life behind and join the House of Night, a boarding school where she will train to become an adult vampyre.  

My Review:
Marked is the first book in the House of Night series - a series that kept popping up everywhere I looked, and so I decided to finally check it out. The story follows Zoey, who gets marked as a vampyre and sent to the House of Night school to train.

I have so much to say about this book that I'm not quite sure where to start! I found it a little hard to get into at the beginning. Everything happened very quickly and I struggled with the whole idea behind how people became vampyres . The whole concept of a tracker turning up to mark then made sense but then they tried to explain the science behind it and why certain people became vampyres as well and I got a bit muddled. I thought the history and mythology surrounding the vampires was interesting though, and so later as Zoey learns a bit more I did become fascinated by the world.

Zoey's voice throughout the voice was a highlight for me. She has that really witty way of narrating the story that made her feel real and engaged me as a reader. I generally liked her as a character and it's obvious she has a lot of potential to grow and develop later in the series. The other characters in the story were a definite plus, from the bitchy Aphrodite to potential love interest Erik. I really liked that Zoey's new group of friends at House of Night were totally different to her friends from her previous life.

I do like a good boarding school story and that part of Marked did grab me. The strongest parts of this book were definitely at The House of Night itself. My only problem was that I couldn't help compare it to similar books and in places it just didn't live up to those.

The book references sex and drugs and whilst I feel it's realistic to throw those things in I sometimes felt this book was either trying to be cool or act as a PSA and so some of it was a little distracting. I had a few niggles with the writing when it started to become repetitive in places, for example whole conversations were relayed back to another character unnecessarily a page or so after they originally happened.

Overall though this was a fairly enjoyable read. It wasn't too heavy and I did like the world and Zoey herself. I probably will check out the sequel at some point.

Rating: 3*
What to read next: Betrayed by P. C. and Kristin Cast, book 2 in the House of Night Series
Books like this: Hex Hall by Rachel Hakwins, Evernight by Claudia Gray, Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

Review: Turned by Morgan Rice

Turned by Morgan Rice

[Goodreads page]

Author: Morgan Rice. Website|Twitter
Published: 24 January 2011 (Noah Lukeman)
Format: E-book
Pages: 196
Amazon: paperback|Kindle
Waterstone's: paperback
Kobo: e-book

Source: Free Kindle download

Plot Summary (from Goodreads):
Eighteen year old Caitlin Paine finds herself uprooted from her nice suburb and forced to attend a dangerous New York City high school when her Mom moves again. The one ray of light in her new surroundings is Jonah, a new classmate who takes an instant liking to her.

But before their romance can blossom, Caitlin suddenly finds herself changing. She is overcome by a superhuman strength, a sensitivity to light, a desire to feed--by feelings she does not understand. She seeks answers to what’s happening to her, and her cravings lead her to the wrong place at the wrong time. 

My Review:
I got this as a free download from the Kindle store. I'd sort of vaguely heard of the series and author and decided that for free I didn't really have anything to lose! Turned tells the story of Caitlin. She's starting a new school and faces all the drama that comes with it; learning her way round, noticing a cute guy at school, struggling to adjust to her new surroundings whilst all the time battling bouts of rage and a strange craving for blood.

This book was complete and utter silliness. The writing was pretty bad and extremely repetitive. You'd get 5 sentences in a row starting with "she" or "Caitlin" which got annoying pretty quickly. It's a pretty short book and the pacing suffers because of it. Things move along stupidly fast with very little explanation. The back story of Caitlin and her family is barely glossed over.

Then you get to the actual plot. Caitlin's attraction to Jonah was incredibly cheesy, and then he ends up being forgotten about pretty quickly when another guy appears on the scene. Given the title of the series (Vampire Journals) and the completely obvious symptoms Caitlin was having (superhuman strength, a craving for blood...) it took a pretty long time to actually get round to the vampire action. But the low point for me was when Caitlin starts to wonder if maybe if she had a boyfriend everything would be ok. *headdesk*

For the most part the book is told from Caitlin's perspective but then suddenly halfway through, it switches to someone else's perspective, and then shortly after it switches again. It felt completely random to be jumping about like that and it didn't work for me.

Saying all that, I still managed to get through it all. I think if you're looking for 2 hours to kill then this book is perfectly acceptable for that. There's plenty of action towards the end when things kick off but I have no desire to read the rest of the series.

Rating: 2*
What to read next: Loved by Morgan Rice, book 2 in the Vampire Journals series
Books like this: Evernight by Claudia Gray

Review: Stargazer (Evernight book #2) by Claudia Gray

Spoiler warning! Stargazer is book 2 in the Evernight series. If you haven't read Evernight the avert your eyes now! Or you can check out my review of Evernight right here. You've been warned!

Stargazer by Claudia Gray

Goodreads Page

Author: Claudia Gray. Website, Twitter

Published: 29 April 2010 (Harper Collins Children's Books)

Pages: 256

Buy: Amazon: paperback|Kindle Waterstone's: paperback|e-book Book Depository: paperback

Source: Borrowed from library.

Plot Summary: (from Goodreads)
The vampire in me was closer to the surface...

Evernight Academy: an exclusive boarding school for the most beautiful, dangerous students of all—vampires. Bianca, born to two vampires, has always been told her destiny is to become one of them.

But Bianca fell in love with Lucas—a vampire hunter sworn to destroy her kind. They were torn apart when his true identity was revealed, forcing him to flee the school.

Although they may be separated, Bianca and Lucas will not give each other up. She will risk anything for the chance to see him again, even if it means coming face-to-face with the vampire hunters of Black Cross—or deceiving the powerful vampires of Evernight. Bianca's secrets will force her to live a life of lies.

Yet Bianca isn't the only one keeping secrets. When Evernight is attacked by an evil force that seems to target her, she discovers the truth she thought she knew is only the beginning....

My Review:
I had a bit of a love/hate relationship with Evernight, the first book in this series, but the parts of it I really liked were enough to make me want to check out the rest of the books. Stargazer is the second book in the series and follows Bianca as she comes to terms with her looming transformation into a vampire, tries to carry on her relationship with Lucas and attempts to discover more about Evernight Academy.

I really loved the character of Bianca in Evernight and I felt exactly the same way in Stargazer. I love her little quirks and her vulnerability. Mostly, though, I loved the development of other characters in this book. We get to see a lot more of Balthazar who I adore! And I really enjoyed getting more of his back story. There's also more glimpses into Raquel's past which I loved reading about.

One of the most exciting things about the book was learning more about the world in which is takes place. We know about the vampires but there are even more creepy things going on in the school this year which kept the story feeling fresh. I do really love the spooky nature of the school in this series and how there's always something to be discovered. There's lots of suspense in this book.

The romantic storylines kept me pretty hooked. I love the Lucas-Bianca-Balthazar-almost-love-triangle. It provided plenty of drama without being too cheesy. I definitely have a preference for one of these boys (*cough* Balthazar *cough*). There's some really exciting action sequences as well which kept the pace up. The writing is beautiful, too. There's plenty of attention to detail from Bianca's love of astronomy to the fencing lessons. I loved how Gray referenced Shakespeare. There were literary references in Evernight, too, and I always think it adds a little bit extra to the book! And there's some really beautiful description.
My only flaw is that sometimes a few of the plot points felt a little convenient for me. Just as the characters were getting into trouble an idea or solution would come to them a bit too easily.

Overall though I felt it was a huge improvement on the first book. Definitely a series I'm going to stick with!

Rating: 4*
What to read next: Hourglass by Claudia Gray, the third book in the Evernight series.
Books like this: Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead, The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson.

Review: Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

Author: Richelle Mead. Website, Twitter
Published: 26 May 2009 (Puffin reprint ed.)
Pages: 336
Buy: Amazon (paperback|Kindle) Waterstone's (paperback), Book Depository (paperback)

Source: Borrowed e-book from library.

Plot Summary: (from Goodreads)
St. Vladimir’s Academy isn’t just any boarding school—it’s a hidden place where vampires are educated in the ways of magic and half-human teens train to protect them. Rose Hathaway is a Dhampir, a bodyguard for her best friend Lissa, a Moroi Vampire Princess. They’ve been on the run, but now they’re being dragged back to St. Vladimir’s—the very place where they’re most in danger...

Rose and Lissa become enmeshed in forbidden romance, the Academy’s ruthless social scene, and unspeakable nighttime rituals. But they must be careful lest the Strigoi—the world’s fiercest and most dangerous vampires—make Lissa one of them forever.

My Review:
I'm still majorly behind on Vampire series but this is one that's been top of my list to check out for a while, so I downloaded it from my library's e-book selection and got cracking! Vampire Academy follows Rose and Lissa, who after being caught on the run are forced to return to St. Vladimir's Academy.

It took a while for me to get into this book because of all the new terminology that comes with the vampire world Mead has created (Stirgoi = bad vampires, Morgoi = good vampires, dhampir = guardians, once I got all of that I was fine!) But once I was into the flow of the story I really started to enjoy it!

I didn't know what to make of Rose at first. The story is told from her point of view and she's a pretty outspoken, opinionated character, but eventually that became what I grew to love about her! She's a rebel with a wicked sense of humour who isn't afraid to tell people what she thinks. Her rebellious streak gets her in all kinds of trouble so there was always some drama or other which kept it interesting. I just loved how badass she was (and badass isn't a word I use that often!).

My favourite part of the book was the friendship between Rose and Lissa. Lissa is a royal vampire and Rose is her protector, which means they have different places in vampire society which made for a really interesting dynamic between the two of them. It also means you get some really awesome moments when Rose jumps in to protect Lissa. I loved the way they bounced off each other and how fiesty Rose gets when she's standing up for Lissa. It made for some really great confrontation scenes with other characters.

From the opening chapters all the way through I was totally gripped. Mead has this great way of revealing key information slowly, leaving you hanging on to find out what secrets the characters are hiding. I loved that there was always something I wanted to know about. As well as being something I loved about the book, it did cause a few problems for me whilst I was reading. Occasionally when information was revealed it was done in flashbacks, and I got confused a few times when it jumped between past and present and I couldn't keep up with when exactly it was talking about. It worked for the most part, though.

There are some quite strong themes running throughout the book and a fair amount of swearing. It didn't put me off, and there was one sensitive issue (I won't go into it because it'd be a plot spoiler) that I thought was handled really well.

The last couple of chapters had me on the edge of my seat. There was plenty of action and the reveals were brilliant, plenty of stuff I didn't see coming! I devoured the last 50 pages. I can't wait to check out the rest of the books in the series.

Rating: 4*
What to read next: Frostbite by Richelle Mead, book 2 in the Vampire Academy series.
Books like this: Evernight by Claudia Gray, Intangible by J. Meyers.

Review: Intangible by J. Meyers

Intangible by J. Meyers

Author: J. Meyers. Website, Twitter
Published: 29 January 2012 (CreateSpace)
Pages: 348
Buy: Amazon, Kindle,

Source: Received an e-book copy from the author to review.

Plot Summary: (from Goodreads)
Twins Sera and Luke Raine have a well-kept secret—she heals with a touch of her hand, he sees the future. All their lives they’ve helped those in need on the sly. They’ve always thought of their abilities as being a gift.
Then Luke has a vision that Sera is killed. That gift they’ve always cherished begins to feel an awful lot like a curse. Because the thing about Luke’s ability? He’s always right. And he can’t do anything about it

My Review:
I have a lot of books to read at the moment, including a steadily building pile of review copies, but this book jumped out at me as something I'd like and so it found itself at the top of the queue! The book follows twins Sera and Luke as they deal with their life, knowing they have powers they cannot share with anyone but each other. With Luke having visions of terrible things to come, it becomes clear that something is going to have to give.

Firstly, I absolutely loved the relationship between Sera and Luke. Not only are they twins, but they have this special bond with both of them having powers - Sera can heal people and Luke can see the future. My favourite scenes were when the two of them were together and their personalities bounced off each other. I'd find myself laughing along with their jokes and it made the whole reading experience that bit more enjoyable!

The book is written in third person and showcases different characters' points of view, a technique that was extremely well done in this book. The narratives flowed from one person to the other perfectly and smoothly, and it gave the chance for every character to have their moment to shine and for the reader to witness all the unfolding drama happening in each character's life. I really loved how it was written and the characters were all really interesting, from Marc who can hear people's thoughts to the mysterious vampire Jonas.

There was lots of tension as you get to glimpse the future through Luke's visions and then wait for them to unfold. I read the last 100 or so pages from the edge of my seat, unable to put it down as I waited to find out what happened! And plenty of action at the end to make the pay-off worth it.

I really loved the world this book takes place in with all the supernatural characters. There was a really good balance between the real and the fantasy, I thought, and it had all the right elements to it.

If you like supernatural or urban fantasy books then this is definitely one to check out. I adored it!

Rating: 5*
What to read next: Intuition by J. Meyers - a bonus Intangible short story available for free here.
Books like this: City of Bones by Cassandra Clare, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling, Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris.

Review: Evernight by Claudia Gray

Evernight by Claudia Gray

Author: Claudia Gray. Website, Twitter
Published: 1 April 2009
Pages: 327
Buy: Amazon, Kindle, Waterstone's

Plot Summary: (from Goodreads)
She's been uprooted from her small hometown and enrolled at Evernight Academy, an eerie Gothic boarding school where the students are somehow too perfect: smart, sleek, and almost predatory. Bianca knows she doesn't fit in.

Then she meets Lucas. He's not the "Evernight type" either, and he likes it that way. Lucas ignores the rules, stands up to the snobs, and warns Bianca to be careful—even when it comes to caring about him.

"I couldn't stand it if they took it out on you," he tells Bianca, "and eventually they would."

But the connection between Bianca and Lucas can't be denied. Bianca will risk anything to be with Lucas, but dark secrets are fated to tear them apart . . . and to make Bianca question everything she's ever believed.

My Review:
This book tells the story of Bianca, who is just about to start at Evernight Academy, a creepy Gothic boarding school in the middle of nowhere. I picked this book up at my local library, not having heard of it before. After looking it up on Goodreads (the fountain of all book knowledge!) I decided it looked worth a read.

My first reactions to this book were based on Bianca and how likable she is. She's shy and awkward after a life of being stifled by over-protective parents, and terrified about starting somewhere new with people she doesn't know where her parents are just about to start work as teachers. I think it's a situation that's very easy to sympathise with (even empathise with, for those of us who are still shy and awkward!) and so that got things off to a good start. I really liked the descriptions of the school, and the author references novels such as Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights and Dracula which adds to the whole background of the story. The first half the book had me eager to know what would happen, as the tension was building and it was clear there'd be a big reveal.

Unfortunately, that's when things fell flat for me. About halfway through the book you get to the big dramatic moment and it was completely ruined because the reader had been misled, in my opinion. The book is written in the first person from Bianca's perspective, and to keep huge chunks of her life (that become important to the rest of the story from that point on) secret for the first half and then throw them in halfway through as a dramatic reveal felt really jarring. The second half of the book then seems to be narrated by a completely different character to the one I'd come to know in the first half. It wasn't the reveal I was expecting which I suppose says something, but it disappointing to feel mislead like that as a reader.

I can't totally write this book off though. I really liked the story (minus that reveal) and there were further twists in the tale that worked really well and I still want to read the next book in the series after finishing Evernight.

If you like teenage romance, high school drama and books about vampires then it's still worth a read.

Rating: 3*
What to read next: Stargazer by Claudia Gray, the second book in the Evernight series
Books like this: The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson