Unraveling - Elizabeth Norris

Title: Unraveling

Author: Elizabeth Norris

Release Date: April 24th, 2012, Hardcover

Publisher: Balzer + Bray

Group: Young Adult Literature

Rating:★★★

 

Two days before the start of her junior year, seventeen-year-old Janelle Tenner is hit by a pickup truck and killed--as in blinding light, scenes of her life flashing before her, and then nothing. Except the next thing she knows, she's opening her eyes to find Ben Michaels, a loner from her high school whom Janelle has never talked to, leaning over her. And even though it isn't possible, she knows--with every fiber of her being--that Ben has somehow brought her back to life.

But her revival, and Ben's possible role in it, is only the first of the puzzles that Janelle must solve. While snooping in her FBI agent father's files for clues about her accident, she uncovers a clock that seems to be counting down to something--but to what? And when someone close to Janelle is killed, she can no longer deny what's right in front of her: Everything that's happened--the accident, the murder, the countdown clock, Ben's sudden appearance in her life--points to the end of life as she knows it. And as the clock ticks down, she realizes that if she wants to put a stop to the end of the world, she's going to need to uncover Ben's secrets--and keep from falling in love with him in the process.
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I don't really know where to start with this review. I had a lot of problems while reading this. I can tell you right now that this book just wasn't for me. I don't know if it was the writing that the author used or just the way the characters developed or what. However the only thing that I loved about the book was the plot. I am being really lenient with a three star rating. I should probably give it two stars, but I thought that the book had a really interesting plot so I bumped it up to three.

Unraveling tells the story of a high school girl named Janelle. Her father is in the FBI, her mother has a really bad case of bipolar, and she has a little brother Jared. One night Janelle gets hit by a pick-up truck and she dies but when she opens her eyes she sees the school's stoner Ben leaning over her.

After reading this book I have come to the realization what the most important element of a story is for me: the characters. If a story doesn't have likable or relatable characters then I probably won't like the book that much. That was my problem with Unraveling. I just couldn't stand Janelle at all. She was rude, stereotypical, and just so cliché at times. She was so stereotypical about Ben and Elijah. She assumes that since these boys dress in all black and keep to themselves than they are supposedly stoners. I got sick and tired of hearing that. I don't know about other people, but at my high school it wasn't like that ever. I remember this girl who would wear Hollister or Victoria Secret and she would smoke pot every day.

Janelle would also be really rude and just mean to people. I really don't know how her best friend, Alex, would put up with her. Alex has an overbearing mother in the book and she won't let him do certain things. Of course Alex is embarrassed by it but Janelle just laughs and makes fun of it and his mother. Is that really anyway to treat your best friend? There is another scene I remember where they are at this party and she tells Alex that the reason why she brought him is because she couldn't let him graduate high school without going to at least one party. Janelle would probably throw a pity party for me because I didn't attend one popular party while I was in high school. I was mostly by myself and didn't have too many friends. I would have interest that nobody else liked; for example reading.

She was also so cliché with her boyfriend Nick. When they break up she tells him that she isn't like most girls. You want to know the type of girls that usually say that? Most girls. I just couldn't get over by how much I disliked Janelle. I don't mean to go on a rant about her but I never disliked such a main character in all my life. Although she did start to become likable towards the end. I tend to like her when she was around Ben, but I did feel like they just fell in love with each other out of nowhere.

I also wasn't a big fan of Elizabeth Norris writing style. It seemed like whenever a huge event would happen, the next chapter would be some sort of flashback that turned out to irrelevant. I guess she did that to let us know Janelle more but I just found it annoying after it happened for the third time. I also didn't really feel any emotion with the characters. There is a big catastrophe that Janelle experiences with her Dad and I just didn't feel anything at all. I felt like I didn't even know her Dad to be sad about it. There needed to be something else done to make us feel sad about her Dad. There was one thing that I did like about the story and that was the plot. There is a countdown to the end of the world and disasters start happening to the earth like hurricanes and earthquakes. The last hundred pages of the book were great! Why couldn't the whole story be like that?

Overall I liked how this book turned out to be science fiction but I just had so many problems with it that I just feel frustrated whenever I think of this book. Honestly, this book was a major disappointment. It was really not my cup of tea, but it might be yours. I feel like I am the only one who hasn't liked it. I just wouldn't recommend it. I still haven't made up my mind if I am going to read the next book or not.

 

Plot: ★★★

Characters: ★

Writing:★★

Ending: ★★

Cover: ★★★

Once in a Full Moon - Ellen Schreiber

Title: Once in a Full Moon

Author: Ellen Schreiber

Release Date: December 28th, 2010, Hardcover

Publisher: HarperCollins

Group: Young Adult Literature

Rating:★★★

 

Celeste Parker is used to hearing scary stories about werewolves—Legend's Run is famous for them. She's used to everything in the small town until Brandon Maddox moves to Legend's Run and Celeste finds herself immediately drawn to the handsome new student. But when, after an unnerving visit with a psychic, she encounters a pack of wolves and gorgeous, enigmatic Brandon, she must discover whether his transformation is more than legend or just a trick of the shadows in the moonlight.

Her best friends may never forgive her if she gives up her perfect boyfriend, Nash, for Brandon, who's from the wrong side of town. But she can't deny her attraction or the strong pull he has on her. Brandon may be Celeste's hero, or he may be the most dangerous creature she could encounter in the woods of Legend's Run.

Psychic predictions, generations-old secrets, a town divided, and the possibility of falling in love with a hot and heroic werewolf are the perfect formula for what happens . . . once in a full moon.
 

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Once in a Full Moon is the new werewolf series by Ellen Schreiber. You might know her as the author of Vampire Kisses. I have a special connection with that series. I read them a long time ago with my friends and they were always so fun and quick to read. I loved the characters and the town they lived in. I thought that Ellen Schreiber was a talented writer. So I wanted to give her new series a tried. I have wanted to read this for a while, but just did get around to it when I went to one of her book signings. I bought the book so I could have a sign copy. I read this right after the last Vampire Kisses book, Immortal Hearts, and that could be some of the problem. I felt little sad and depressed that this adorable series was over, but hoping that I would feel the same way about this series and that it could replace it. That was an unfair judgment that I shouldn't have placed on this book.

This is the story of Celeste Parker; a pretty popular girl at the high school. She has always heard story about werewolves because her hometown Legend's Run is famous for them. She is somewhat content with her life but when she meets Brandon Maddox she because instantly attracted to him. Then finds out that those stories about werewolves might not be so false after all.

There were things that I liked about Once in a Full Moon and there were things I didn't like. To be fair, I think this book is meant for a younger audience. I could see my middle grade year old self-loving this book. They also advertise this series as being a "new clean paranormal" story. So I could see this being a hit when middle grade girls.

The one aspect that I loved about the story was a certain secret about Brandon. I was actually really surprised. I don't want to say what it is because a huge spoiler, but it made me like the book a whole lot more. I also really liked Celeste. At times she was difficult to handle, but I could see myself being friends with her. However, I can't say the same for the secondary characters. I couldn't stand Celeste's friends. I just wanted to punch this most of the time. There was this one scene in the book that really made me hate them. It was when Celeste's boyfriend Nash kissed another girl, they tried to make it seem like that was okay that Nash did that and they Celeste should give him another chance. Um, WHAT? Those are not good friends. That is all that I can say.

The things I didn't like were that it was majorly predictable. I can usually predict things in books, but this was ridiculous. And the number one thing that I didn't like about it was the cheese. I could seriously smell cheese just rolling off of Brandon and Celeste. It was so cheesy! I usually don't mind cheesiness from time to time, but I just couldn't take anymore with this book.

Overall, I did like this book and will continue on with the series. I adore Ellen Schreiber she is really nice and I like her writing style. I recommend reading this book in the fall or winter. I feel like it would make the whole storytelling better!

 

Plot: ★★★

Characters: ★★★

Writing:★★★★

Ending: ★★★★

Cover: ★★★★

Where It Began - Ann Redisch Stampler

Title: Where It Began

Author: Ann Redisch Stampler

Release Date: March 6th, 2012, Hardcover

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Group: Young Adult Literature

Rating:★★★

 

Sometimes the end is just the beginning.

Gabby Gardiner wakes up in a hospital bed looking like a cautionary ad for drunk driving—and without a single memory of the accident that landed her there. But what she can recall, in frank and sardonic detail, is the year leading up to the crash.

As Gabby describes her transformation from Invisible Girl to Trendy Girl Who Dates Billy Nash (aka Most Desirable Boy Ever), she is left wondering: Why is Billy suddenly distancing himself from her? What do her classmates know that Gabby does not? Who exactly was in the car that night? And why has Gabby been left to take the fall?

As she peels back the layers of her life, Gabby begins to realize that her climb up the status ladder has been as intoxicating as it has been morally complex... and that nothing about her life is what she has imagined it to be.

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Where It Began by Ann Redisch Stampler is about a girl named Gabby Gardiner who wakes up in a hospital bed after she crashed her boyfriend's midnight blue car into a tree on Songbird Lane. Her head is smashed in and can't remember any of the details of that night. She assumes that it is her fault, but once her friends and boyfriend start acting weird and distancing themselves from her she starts to discover that things are not what they seem.

This book sounded so interesting. I had been excited to read this book since I first discovered it on Goodreads about a year ago. Then the cover got released and some positive reviews started popping up and I was for sure that I would be in love with this book. Maybe my expectations were just too high for this book, because this book isn't bad at all. It has great storytelling and the writing is wonderful and poetic! You can definitely tell that Ann Redisch Stampler spent a lot of time on this and had everything detail and thought planned out.

The problem for me with this book was the main character. I could just not relate with Gabby at all. She was obsessed with her "boyfriend", Billy Nash, and honestly I just couldn't see the appeal of this whole relationship till the end of the story. It was a quote her mother said towards the very end of the book and I could actually see why Gabby was so in love with Billy. Billy is such a player and I could see right through him at the very beginning. So when Gabby complains and whines and goes on and on about how perfect he is; I basically wanted to smack my head on a wall. Gabby talks about a time when her mother, got her hair redone, her eyebrows waxed, her eyelashes dyed, and a completely new look. She looks so different that Billy Nash, the golden boy, notices her. At first I didn't like how the story was playing at, but it started to grow on me. This relationship with Billy is what I consider self-destructive and abusive. Even though Billy never really hit her, he manipulative her so bad that I even I feel bad for Gabby.

Gabby has some weird parents. There is her mom who goes on shopping sprees and is never at home. Then there is her dad that is an alcoholic. At first I did not like her parents at all, but as the story progressed is it weird that I started to like them? I especially started to like John, her dad. Her friends, Lisa and Anita, were great. They were probably the only characters that I liked in the whole book. Then there is Andy and Andie. Don't even get me started about these two. I could probably go on a rant about how much I didn't like them. I don't know who is worse Billy Nash or the Andy’s!

The concept and the plot were great, but I think the downfall for me was the characters. It was sometimes painful to read about these characters that I just didn't like or feel any connection too. I didn't think the story was predictable, but the pacing was slow. It took me quite a while to get into the story and understand it. The ending is the part where Gabby's character actually shines and you finally see some character development. Overall, I enjoyed the book but the characters were such a letdown. I am looking forward to reading more by this author; she has a unique writing style.

Plot: ★★★

Characters: ★★

Writing:★★★★

Ending: ★★★

Cover: ★★★★★

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer - Michelle Hodkin

Title: The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer
Author: Michelle Hodkin
Release Date: September 27th, 2011, hardcover
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing

Group: Young Adult Literature

Rating:★★★

Mara Dyer doesn't think life can get any stranger than waking up in a hospital with no memory of how she got there.

It can.

She believes there must be more to the accident she can't remember that killed her friends and left her mysteriously unharmed.

There is.

She doesn't believe that after everything she's been through, she can fall in love.

She's wrong.

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The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer starts out very interesting and intriguing. Mara and her three friends, Rachel, Claire, and Jude go to a haunted asylum in the middle night. Mara then wakes up in a hospital bed to realize everybody died when the building collapsed and that she was the only person who survives it. The story then starts to talk about her new life and to understand these hallucinations she starts to have, meanwhile she meets the ultimate bad boy Noah Shaw.

I was sadly disappointed with this book. I have heard nothing else but people talk about how awesome this book is! The hype is crazy and the way people talk about Noah reminds me of the next Edward Cullen. I felt like my expectations for this book were pretty high. I expected it to be amazing and I would be obsessing about the characters just like everybody else, but if anything I am hugely annoyed at this book.

The mystery in this story is pretty predictable. There wasn't anything scary about it at all. I was able to understand what was happening right when we got to meet her first victim in Miami (the dog owner). The mysteriousness of the novel just fell absolutely flat. I also don't feel like Mara's condition was thoroughly explained enough. Hopefully that will be addressed in the next book. Paranormal horror stories do not scare me, which is why I was hoping it was a real life condition she was having.

The major problem I had with this book was Noah. There wasn't anything epic about their relationship. It was the typical YA couple hook up that I have read in about every other book. It was so cheesy and unoriginal. This whole book surrounds about Noah and why he is attractive to Mara. I was more interested in why these people were dropping dead around Mara, rather than trying to figure if Noah had slept with every girl in the senior and junior class.

I do have to give credit to Michelle Hodkin for that lovely twisted ending. I totally didn't see that coming. Kudos to Hodkin, that is why I gave this book three stars instead of two. I really hope that will be a huge part of the next book, instead of Mara and Noah flirting on every other page.

I can see why people love this book. I wish that I could love it too. I might have if I had read a few years ago, before I read amazing books like (TMI, Hunger Games, Divergent, etc...). This book just fell flat for me. I am also confused with the prologue? The letter that she writes telling the reader that her real name isn't Mara Dyer? I felt like the book didn't even explain that. Could someone please explain why that letter was the prologue? I feel bad for writing such a negative review, but there wasn't that much that I liked about it. I just hope that the next book will be a lot better and the plot won't be so thick with romance.

Plot: ★★★★

Characters: ★★★

Writing:★★★

Ending: ★★★★★

Cover: ★★★★★

Everneath - Brodi Ashton

Title: Everneath

Author: Brodi Ashton
Release Date: January 24th, 2012, hardcover
Publisher: Harper Collins

Group: Young Adult Literature

Rating:★★★

Last spring, Nikki Beckett vanished, sucked into an underworld known as the Everneath, where immortals Feed on the emotions of despairing humans. Now she's returned- to her old life, her family, her friends- before being banished back to the underworld... this time forever.

She has six months before the Everneath comes to claim her, six months for good-byes she can't find the words for, six months to find redemption, if it exists.

Nikki longs to spend these months reconnecting with her boyfriend, Jack, the one person she loves more than anything. But there's a problem: Cole, the smoldering immortal who first enticed her to the Everneath, has followed Nikki to the mortal world. And he'll do whatever it takes to bring her back- this time as his queen.
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Everneath was not as good as I was expecting. It started out very promising. Nikki and Cole have just returned from the Everneath after the feed. She only has six months before she has to return. Nikki tries to make it right with her family, her friend Jules, and her old boyfriend Jack. While at the same time, knows that she must choose to live with Cole in the Everneath or simply disappear in the tunnels forever.

I was lucky enough to win this book off of Goodreads. Thank you Goodreads for letting me read this book ahead of the publication date. I was super excited to read it, not only for that reason, but I heard fairly good reviews over it. However, I am kind of disappointed with this story. Before I started this book, I knew that it would consist of a retelling of Persephone and Hades with a twist, and that there was a love triangle.

My first biggest problem was the love triangle. I don't understand what was so great about Jack and Nikki's relationship? It seemed just like your average high school couple to me. I know that they were in love, but really, what was so wonderful about it? I felt like it would have been better if there was more romance stuff between Nikki and Cole. There wasn't even that much of a love triangle. Cole does love Nikki, but she doesn't even go around him. There wasn't that much interaction between them at all or if there was, it was all about Jack.

The reason that Nikki went with Cole to the Everneath is just completely ridiculous. She went because she thought that Jack cheated on her? Seriously... There is bigger stuff in life to be upset about than something like that. I know that Nikki might not have known the consequences of her actions, but it seemed crazy to go off with Cole just when you assumed what happened. I might not have thought this if I liked Jack and Nikki together, but like I said, there wasn't anything epic about them together at all. I didn't see what was so great about Nikki for Jack to be that in love with her. She was an alright main character, but there wasn't anything that screamed the awesome factor to me. So that is my two cents on this love triangle mess.

My next biggest issue with this book was how it switched to the present to the past way too much. I would get so confused if the book was being told in the present or a flashback. When I first started the book, I felt like I was missing out on something. The story of why she went to the Everneath and what happened with her and Cole during the feed should have been told first, before she returned for the six months. I would be confused at times to what necessary was happening. It does become clearer through flashbacks, but that just annoyed me. I would have liked if the book could have been told in two different parts. The first part told before the feed, and the second part told after the feed during the six months. The reason why I say this is because this book is roughly around 400 pages and the first 200 has absolutely no action at all, it is mostly told in flashbacks. Then the second half tells the action.

The ending was just a little too cliché for me. I am interested to see what the next book will be like. I am fan of Cole, it seems like he might actually have his chance. If it wasn't for Cole, I'm not sure if I would even have liked this book that well. I know that some people will be big fans of this book and love the story, but it just wasn't for me sadly. I wanted so badly to love this book, but the love triangle just pissed me off too bad to love the stuff about the Greek Mythology. I hope that the next book will be better.

Plot: ★★★★

Characters: ★★★

Writing:★★★

Ending: ★★★

Cover: ★★★★

Eve - Anna Carey

Title: Eve
Author: Anna Carey
Release Date: October 4th, 2011, hardcover

Publisher: HarperTeen
Group: Young Adult Literature
Rating:★★★

 
The year is 2032, sixteen years after a deadly virus and the vaccine intended to protect against it -- wiped out most of the earth's population. The night before eighteen-year-old Eve's graduation from her all-girls school she discovers what really happens to new graduates, and the horrifying fate that awaits her.

Fleeing the only home she’s ever known, Eve sets off on a long, treacherous journey, searching for a place she can survive. Along the way she encounters Caleb, a rough, rebellious boy living in the wild. Separated from men her whole life, Eve has been taught to fear them, but Caleb slowly wins her trust...and her heart. He promises to protect her, but when soldiers begin hunting them, Eve must choose between true love and her life.

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Eve had a lot of potential and promise. The idea of the story is very creepy and awful to imagine. Eve is one of the orphans after the plague killed her mother and almost all of the population in the world. She has grown up believing in the dangers of men and knowing that after she graduates she will be able to learn a trade and move into the city. However, this is all a lie that she has been told. She learns that after she graduates, she will be used to help populate the New America and won't be able to do anything else with her life.

I don't know what it was, but I thought the story was boring and dull. This could be because I just finished the amazingly wonderful "Divergent by Veronica Roth" before I read this. So my expectations were kind of high for this novel. The cover looks absolutely gorgeous and I was pulled in from the first line in the summary, but that is where my fascination stopped. I didn't like the main heroine Eve. She was weak and naive, which I understood, but I just love fierce strong characters to read from. I also found the story almost kind of cheesy, and no, this wasn't the good kind of cheese that I like. The whole idea of the King is almost laughable along with the whole idea of the Sand City.

While the pacing of the story is fast paced and easy to read, I found myself rolling my eyes at some parts in the story. It just seemed weird that she would point out a Wal Mart and Winnie the Pooh, when she should be more concerned about her life and getting to Califa. We get to meet Eve's love interest, Caleb, a couple chapters into the story. He was sweet and nice, but that was all that I felt about him. I also didn't like the "insta-love" between the two characters. It would have been nice if the relationship could have started out slow and not rushed into.

The only thing that I absolutely loved about this book was Arden. She was a great character! I know that we haven't seen the last of her yet. I can't wait to see what will happen with her in the next book. I wish the story could have been told from her point of view.

Overall, this book just didn't do anything for me. I feel really bad about writing a bad review because I actually wanted to love this book. I am sad that I am disappointed with the story, but there isn't much I can do about that. I do plan on reading the sequels to the books; just too see what does happen to the characters in the end.

Plot: ★★★★

Characters: ★★★

Writing:★★

Ending: ★★

Cover: ★★★★★

What Happened to Goodbye - Sarah Dessen

Title: What Happened to Goodbye
Author: Sarah Dessen
Release Date: May 10th, 2011, hardcover

Publisher: Viking Juvenile
Group: Young Adult Literature
Rating:★★★

 

Since her parents' bitter divorce, McLean and her dad, a restaurant consultant, have been on the move-four towns in two years. Estranged from her mother and her mother's new family, McLean has followed her dad in leaving the unhappy past behind. And each new place gives her a chance to try out a new persona: from cheerleader to drama diva. But now, for the first time, McLean discovers a desire to stay in one place and just be herself, whoever that is. Perhaps Dave, the guy next door, can help her find out.

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 I really wanted to like this book, but I just didn't. If anything else, I became super annoyed at it. First off, let me tell you a little story. I have been reading Sarah Dessen books ever since I can remember. My first book I read by her was Just Listen, the second book being The Truth about Forever, and that was when my then my love for her books was born. I could always count on Sarah Dessen to write a really good realistic story about characters that are relatable and steal your heart. I was...moreI really wanted to like this book, but I just didn't. If anything else, I became super annoyed at it. First off, let me tell you a little story. I have been reading Sarah Dessen books ever since I can remember. My first book I read by her was Just Listen, the second book being The Truth about Forever, and that was when my then my love for her books was born.

I could always count on Sarah Dessen to write a really good realistic story about characters that are relatable and steal your heart. I was pretty sure that this book would be no different. I mean, "It is a Sarah Dessen book! It has got to be good! Also, look at that cover! It is gorgeous!" That is what I kept telling myself, even when I started to dislike the story.

Okay, so it wasn't that bad. It was actually an all right story, but it just didn't feel like something that Sarah Dessen would write. Yes, the characters have a great backstory, McLean is a very likeable main character, and it is very realistic. With all that being said, I just didn't like it. The number one thing that really bugged me about this was the romance in the story. If you are going to have a romance in your story, please, please, have the characters hug or kiss or doing something! McLean and Dave don't do anything at all until the very end of the book and it is just one kiss. I kept waiting for McLean and Dave to just do something, but no. That is complaint number one.

The second complaint is the story is just way too long. I felt like there could of at least been 100 pages cut out of this story. The plot was definitely slow moving. The beginning of the book is great, it is when we get about 100 pages into the story that it is becomes super slow. I also believe that the summary of the book is very misleading; it says that Dave helps her become who she really is or whatever. When does that ever happen? Dave doesn't help her at all, sure he talks to her at times and they become friends, but he doesn't even know about all these previous identity’s that she has had until the end of the story. If anybody helped her with her identity it was her parents and herself. That was just a little weird. I know that at the end of the story, she forgave her mother, but I just can't forgive her. I hated McLean's parents so much. They were so annoying!

Now that I have listed all the bad stuff, let me talk about the good. I felt that McLean was actually a very likeable and relatable character. It was easy to feel all the emotions that she was feeling, and I actually really liked her. I also loved all the minor characters like Deb, Heather, Jason, etc. If I had to pick my favorite character out of her group of friends it would have to be Deb. She was so funny and a great friend. I also really liked Jason, the cook at the restaurant. I wish that he would have got a bigger part or something. I actually wish that would have been McLean's love interest, and not Dave. I felt like that would have made the story more complex. If you haven't noticed, I am not a fan of Dave at all.

I feel bad for writing a bad review, but now I see why one of the top rated reviews on goodreads says, "I want the Sarah Dessen that wrote Lock & Key and The Truth about Forever." I want that author back too. I know that she is currently working on another book; I just hope that it will be better than this one. I am disappointed, but I am not going to let this one book judge my opinion of her previous books. Sarah Dessen is a wonderful writer and her stories are relatable and great. I just wasn't a fan of this one sadly.

Plot: ★★★

Characters: ★★

Writing:★★★

Ending: ★★★

Cover: ★★★★★