Best Summer Releases Giveway at Bookish!

{ ++ } If anyone hasn't already noticed, Evie at Bookish is hosting one of the most awesome giveaways around.  You can sign up from now until October 1st, and 5 lucky winners will get to pick one book from the 2011 Summer's hottest releases list!  You can also gain extra points toward winning for tweeting and blogging about the giveaway!  You can view the giveaway, details, and the list of books at her blog.  So what are you waiting for?  Go enter for a chance to win...I know I did!

Review: Daimon by Jennifer L Armentrout

Daimon by Jennifer L Armentrout

Published: 05.10.2011 (Spencer Hill Press)

Pages: 62

Series: The Covenant (.5)

Rating: 3 1/2 of 5 stars

Further info: Goodreads / Amazon

Find the author online

Love in my world usually ended up with someone hearing “I smite thee!” as she was cursed to be some lame flower for the rest of her life.

For three years, Alexandria has lived among mortals—pretending to be like them and trying to forget the duty she'd been trained to fulfill as a child of a mortal and a demigod. At seventeen, she's pretty much accepted that she's a freak by mortal standards... and that she'll never be prepared for that duty.

According to her mother, that’s a good thing.

But as every descendant of the gods knows, Fate has a way of rearing her ugly head. A horrifying attack forces Alex to flee Miami and try to find her way back to the very place her mother had warned her she should never return—the Covenant. Every step that brings her closer to safety is one more step toward death… because she's being hunted by the very creatures she'd once trained to kill.  

The daimons have found her.

My Review

Alexandria has been trying to acclimate into normal, everyday human life, but she has a secret she can't tell anyone: she is not normal, and she does not truly belong in everyday, human life.  Alex is the offspring of a mortal and a demigod, which means she has ties to a part of the world that most people never know about.  Alex and her mother formerly called the Covenant home, where if they had stayed, Alex might have trained as a guard or another role in that life.  Instead, she and her mother are on the run, and laying low to not draw attention to themselves, either from the Covenant, or from daimons, who crave the aether half-bloods and pure-bloods have running in their veins.

Right away I developed a huge soft spot for Alex.  She's tough, and she's strong, and she can fight.  But she also, on some level, wants to belong, and since she is so different, it just isn't happening for her.  She has a smart mouth at times, but she has a big, huge heart, and it's easy to see in her interaction with her mother just how much she cares about the people that she loves.  She's pretty fierce.  I've seen a lot of people comparing her to Rose from Richelle Mead's Vampire Academy series, and I can see the similarities, but Alex is a unique character all her own, too.

When a daimon tracks down Alex and her mother, Alex takes flight, desperately hoping to make it back to the nearest Covenant, and some sort of safety.  Reeling from the shock of the daimon's attack, and the losses she suffered, Alexandria nevertheless perseveres, making difficult choices to leave behind the life she'd been trying to build, and go back to the first home she ever knew.  She doesn't know if they will accept her.  She doesn't know if her mother's fears about the Covenant were right.  All she knows is that they may be her only chance at survival.

Leaving off on a breathless cliffhanger, Daimon leaves you anxious for more, as Jennifer Armentrout sets up this wonderful teaser to her novel, Half-Blood, due out in September.  The perfect mix of the paranormal, some mythology, and a hint of romance, Daimon is a fantastic prologue to Half-Blood.  

(Note: If you'd like to read Daimon, it is available for free at Spencer Hill Press's site, here.)

Memorable Quote

"Okay. He had a point but it wasn’t like I could tell him anything. I could see me now: Guess what? You ever watch Clash of the Titans or read any Greek fables? Well those gods are real and yeah, I’m sort of a descendant of them. Kind of like the stepchild no one wants to claim. Oh, and I hadn’t even been around mortals until three years ago. Can we still be friends?"- Alex

In My Mailbox - #9

{ ++ } Kristi at The Story Siren hosts this weekly meme which gives bloggers a chance to highlight the books we bought, checked out, won, or otherwise procured over the last week.  And whether I've came into money (brb, laughing forever) or only had the goods to splurge on a book or two, they all deserve some love.

{ ++ } This week I received my FIRST ever ARC!  I'm so super excited and flattered!

Half-Blood by Jennifer Armentrout - Goodreads / Amazon / Jennifer's Blog

(This book was sent to me via the publisher, Spencer Hill Press, in exchange for an honest review.)

Why I'm psyched to read it: Fiesty protagonist.  Gods.  Daimons.  Ass-kicking.  Forbidden romance.  Need I say more?  Look for my review in September!

{ ++ } What did y'all get this week?

Follow Me Friday - #12 + Book Blogger Hop - #10

{ ++ } Follow Me Friday, aka "Follow My Book Blog" is probably the coolest meme I've come across in awhile.  It's hosted over at Parajunkee's View and also now at Alison Can Read, and us amazing book-a-holics get the chance to answer a reading-related question, as well as make new friends over the weekend.  It's a great way to kick off said weekend, and a really fun and easy way of stealing our way into the hearts of fellow book blogger's.

{ ++ } Each week, Rachel features one lucky blogger and her feature is Megan at The Book Addicted Girl.  Alison's is The Little Book Blog.  Everyone please head on over to those blogs, follow, and show them some love!  It's a huge honor (I think!) to be featured.

Q. Let's step away from books for a second and get personal. What T-Shirt slogan best describes you? 

 

{ ++ } Hosted by Jennifer at Crazy-for-Books, what better way to allow us book bloggers to mix and mingle than a bit of a reading-related social?  Every week she hosts this event, where we can throw our names in the hat so to speak, and hopefully end up with a few new friends who share our interests and our love (and in my case, obsession) of books.  It's also a party and it's all in fun!

Highlight one book you have received this week (for review, from the library, purchased at the store, etc.) that you can’t wait to dig into!

The Hematoi descend from the unions of gods and mortals, and the children of two Hematoi-pure-bloods-have godlike powers. Children of Hematoi and mortals-well, not so much. Half-bloods only have two options: become trained Sentinels who hunt and kill daimons or become servants in the homes of the pures.Seventeen-year-old Alexandria would rather risk her life fighting than waste it scrubbing toilets, but she may end up slumming it anyway.

There are several rules that students at the Covenant must follow. Alex has problems with them all, but especially rule #1: relationships between pures and halfs are forbidden.Unfortunately, she's crushing hard on the totally hot pure-blood Aiden. But falling for Aiden isn't her biggest problem--staying alive long enough to graduate the Covenant and become a Sentinel is. If she fails in her duty, she faces a future worse than death or slavery: being turned into a daimon, and being hunted by Aiden. And that would kind of suck.

{ ++ } This week I received Jennifer Armentrougt's Half-Blood for review from the publisher, Spencer Hill.  After reading the (free!) online prequel novella, Daimon, I am even MORE excited to read this book than I was before!  The mythos seems really well developed and the main character, Alex is fiesty and really kind of awesome.  I'll be reading and reviewing this book in September!

{ ++ } What did ya'll get this week?  And aren't you glad it's Friday?!

Review: The Reckoning by Kelley Armstrong

The Reckoning by Kelley Armstrong

Published: 04.06.2010 (HaperTeen)

Pages: 400

Series: The Darkest Powers (3)

Rating: 4 of 5 stars

Further info: Goodreads / Amazon

Find the author online

My name is Chloe Saunders. I’m fifteen, and I would love to be normal.  But normal is one thing I’m not.

For one thing, I’m having these feelings for a certain antisocial werewolf and his sweet-tempered brother–who just happens to be a sorcerer–but, between you and me, I’m leaning toward the werewolf.

Not normal.

My friends and I are also on the run from an evil corporation that wants to get rid of us…permanently.  Definitely not normal.

And finally, I’m a genetically altered necromancer who can raise the dead, rotting corpses and all, without even trying.

As far away from normal as it gets.

My Review

Having finally found a safe haven, Chloe and her group of fledgling supernatural friends batten down the hatches at a home used as a retreat for the rebel group seeking to bring down the Edison Group.  Simon and Derek's father's friend, Andrew introduces the teens to a few other members, each of whom can help one of Chloe's friends, or her.  The plot slows down for a little while; instead of the group living on the road, fleeing the Edison Group, Kelley Armstrong shows us the full ramifications of their super-charged powers: Chloe being taken to train in a cemetery, and the disastrous turn of events, and Andrew and his friend's disbelief at what their enemies have done to the kids.  I immediately disliked a few of the new characters, but all things considered, I think that was the point.  And it was nice to have a change of pace, because with that came a switch in focus.  Chloe's struggle over her feelings for Simon versus her feelings for Derek was guided into the forefront, in a way that was so well done that I teared up more than once. 

I am a huge fan of this pairing.  I love that they are unorthodox.  There will never be a perfect first date with these two, and they are not all hearts-and-flowers.  They're complicated, and unsure.  They have a tentative friendship backed by a bond forged out of their circumstances, a friendship that over the course of this book is tested, and found solid, a friendship that is beautifully allowed to grow into something more. Their interaction never once feels forced, and I wanted more scenes with them, even though a large portion of the book was kind of woven around them.

I also enjoyed seeing some character development from Tori.  Over the first two books, we saw glimpses into why she is the way she is, but in this book, Armstrong showed us the real Tori, a girl who has more talents than just her magic.  Tori starts to prove her usefulness and ends up helping the group a good bit in the book, and I was really pleased to, by the time I closed the book, be able to say that I liked her.

The plot picks back up when the group starts digging into an attempt on Derek and Chloe's lives from other werewolves.  I sped through the last 150 pages or so, because the climax of the book was drawing near.  And I was pretty satisfied.  The very ending felt a little too rushed for my taste, but it wrapped up enough yet left enough open for future books (I heard these characters may show back up down the road!)  There were a few plot arcs that left me sort of wishing for more - one connection between two characters that I truly truly hope Kelley Armstrong will explore down the road, and one that was just left dangling, again, hopefully to be brought back up in later books, or else I will be disappointed.  I'm also still curious to know more about the history of the Edison Group, and I'd love more info on that and on the teen's parents and all of their involvement.  But overall I really enjoyed this - I'm digging the YA/Paranormal vibe like crazy.  : )

Memorable Quote

I looked up at him. His green eyes glittered in the dark, reflecting the moonlight like a cat's. His scowl had vanished. The defiance was gone, too, replaced by a tightness around his mouth, a worry that clouded his eyes; and seeing that quicksilver change, I wanted to...
I don't know what I wanted to do. Kick him in the shins seemed like a good option. Unfortunately, bursting into tears seemed more likely, because here lay the root of the problem, the contradiction in Derek that I couldn't seem to work out, no matter how hard I tried.

One second he was in my face, making me feel stupid and useless. The next he was like this: hovering, concerned, worried. I told myself it was just his wolf instinct, that he had to protect me whether he wanted to or not, but when he looked like this, like he'd pushed me too far and regretted it . . . That look said he genuinely cared. - Chloe

Teaser Tuesday - #10 { The Gathering by Kelley Armstrong }

{ ++ } Miz B over at Should Be Reading hosts this weekly meme, where us book lovers get a chance to spotlight our currently-reading and basically...do a little teasing.  : ) The rules are simple:

• Grab your current read.
• Open to a random page.  (Full disclosure: I actually go hunting for a good teaser.  heehee.)
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page.  (Um.  Sometimes I post more than 2 sentences.  hee.)
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other participants can add the book to their to-reads if they like your teaser.

Whatever was happening between us, it was too much, too fast, and I worried I was going to get hurt. I'd never been hurt before, not like that.  When I went out with guys, I liked it fun and casual.  I had a good time when they were around, and when they left, I was okay with that.  But if Rafe said he was leaving, I wouldn't be okay with that and it scared me.    - page 197

 The Gathering by Kelley Armstrong

Pages: 359

Published: 04.12.2011(HarperCollins)

Further info: Goodreads / Amazon

Sixteen-year-old Maya is just an ordinary teen in an ordinary town. Sure, she doesn't know much about her background - the only thing she really has to cling to is an odd paw-print birthmark on her hip - but she never really put much thought into who her parents were or how she ended up with her adopted parents in this tiny medical-research community on Vancouver Island.

Until now.

Strange things have been happening in this claustrophobic town - from the mountain lions that have been approaching Maya to her best friend's hidden talent for "feeling" out people and situations, to the sexy new bad boy who makes Maya feel . . . . different. Combine that with a few unexplained deaths and a mystery involving Maya's biological parents and it's easy to suspect that this town might have more than its share of skeletons in its closet.

Review: The Awakening by Kelley Armstrong

The Awakening / Kelley Armstrong

Published: 05.01.2009 (Harper Collins)

Pages: 360

Series: The Darkest Powers (2)

Rating:  4 of 5 stars

Further info: Goodreads / Amazon

If you had met me a few weeks ago, you probably would have described me as an average teenage girl—someone normal. Now my life has changed forever and I'm as far away from normal as it gets. A living science experiment—not only can I see ghosts, but I was genetically altered by a sinister organization called the Edison Group. What does that mean? For starters, I'm a teenage necromancer whose powers are out of control; I raise the dead without even trying. Trust me, that is not a power you want to have. Ever. 

Now I'm running for my life with three of my supernatural friends—a charming sorcerer, a cynical werewolf, and a disgruntled witch—and we have to find someone who can help us before the Edison Group finds us first. Or die trying. 

My Review

Chloe Saunders is on the run with an unlikely band of allies - half-trained sorcerer Simon; too-powerful witch, Tori, and untested werewolf Derek, when the group is seperated, and Chloe, Tori and Rachelle (who may or may not have powers of her own) end up comfortable, spoiled prisoners of the Edison Group...the group who, Chloe discovers, is responsible for genetic mutations performed on her and her friends - not to mention various others - to tamp down their powers.  But in Chloe and Tori's case, the experiments back fired.  And having discovered the plot they were all unwittingly part of, none of them are the same.  Chloe's innocence has been flaking away with every new development, but The Awakening is the transitional book in the trilogy - the story that takes intelligent but sheltered Chloe from her normal world and fully thrusts her into the middle of the supernatural world.  And Chloe, to her credit, handles it pretty well.  Kelley Armstrong doesn't really write shrinking violets, from what I've seen.  She writes characters that, even if they stumble from time to time, are ultimately capable of making their own choices, and learning along the way, all of which Chloe does over the course of this book.  After she escapes the Edison Group and reunites with Simon and Derek, and reluctantly, Tori, the four delve head first into the quest to locate Simon and Derek's father and, hopefully, a safe haven in the storm brewing all around them.

As dire as their circumstances are (Chloe now has a bounty on her head, placed there by her grief-stricken father, who knows nothing of what's going on,) sending the group to the streets was what this book needed to be, while transitory, also enough to keep me reading.  Nowhere is really safe for Chloe, Derek, Tori, and Simon, as Kelley Armstrong proves more than once, sending different threats their way, while all the time, Chloe's powers continue to manifest themselves in new and unexpected ways.  Armstrong shows us glimpses behind Tori's tough exterior, and proves, subtley, that there is more to Tori than meets the eye.  All four characters struggle to come to some sort of understanding of what their powers mean, what they are capable of, and how to survive on their own, away from small comforts and trusted loved ones. 

But the real star of this book was Derek, and his relationship with Chloe.  Briefly separated from the others, Chloe and Derek are thrown together and experience a couple of harrowing ordeals (a pair of werewolves, Chloe talking to an elderly woman in a restaurant who turns out to be a ghost,) and Derek's second attempted Change.  Through all of this, the two become closer, and Armstrong gives us a few rare glimpses behind Derek's gruff facade.  There's a real guy there, a guy who cares a lot about those around him, and slowly, a sweet bond develops between him and Chloe.  There isn't romance there, not just yet, but there's the hint of something more, something really meaningful, and Kelley Armstrong writes what IS there so well that I immediately wanted more of Derek and Chloe, when they weren't in the same scene. 

Overall I was pleased with this book.  I had a few hang-ups (people are always "swearing," and I guess because it's a YA novel the words themselves aren't allowed, but to me, it happened far too often and got a little annoying, "he swore, "it was my turn to swear," etc) but mostly it was a good book, and a little better than I remembered it being (I had previously read this book last year.)  The pacing is pretty solid and keeps the book moving along nicely toward its climax.  By the time I finished it, I felt like I had gotten to know the characters better, and was definitely ready for the third and final book, The Reckoning.

Memorable Qoute

"There was no closing my eyes and sliding back into that blissful dream of normal. This was my normal now."  - Chloe

Music Monday - #3

{ ++ } Music Monday is a weekly meme hosted by Jess at Gone With the Words where she tells us all about a book pairing or a favorite character/book and a song that reminds her of it/ them.  Bloggers are invited to join in the fun and I thought, music + pairings?  I am SO there!  It's no secret that when I get attached to a ship, I get all flail-y and spastic and grabby hands over the shiny couple... so here goes. Fangirling commencing in... 3...2...1!

If you had met me a few weeks ago, you probably would have described me as an average teenage girl—someone normal. Now my life has changed forever and I'm as far away from normal as it gets. A living science experiment—not only can I see ghosts, but I was genetically altered by a sinister organization called the Edison Group. What does that mean? For starters, I'm a teenage necromancer whose powers are out of control; I raise the dead without even trying. Trust me, that is not a power you want to have. Ever. 

Now I'm running for my life with three of my supernatural friends—a charming sorcerer, a cynical werewolf, and a disgruntled witch—and we have to find someone who can help us before the Edison Group finds us first. Or die trying. 



 { ++ } I just adore Chloe and Derek.   Like, I really adore them.  They fight.  They challenge one another.  And at the end of the day, they care about one another.  They don't usually know how to show it - especially Derek - but the little moments in this series when how much they do care for each other slips out just always warms my heart.  I hear this song and I think of both of them, knowing on some level that things are changing between them, but unsure where they are headed: friendship, or something more?...and afraid to say out loud what is growing, unspoken, between them.

 

All I want is to keep this moment alive, featuring you and me.

I see us slipping away, starting to fade

Crumbling down till we both hit the ground

You know if we never say we'll never crash and burn

Cause love is a 4 letter word.

I am afraid of losing all that we had now

(A four letter word)

It could all get ruined if it's ever said out loud

Review: The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong

The Summoning / Kelley Armstrong

Published: 07.01.2008 (HarperTeen)

Pages: 390

Series: The Darkest Powers (1)

Rating:  4 of 5 stars

Further info: Goodreads / Amazon

After years of frequent moves following her mother’s death, Chloe Saunders’s life is finally settling down. She is attending art school, pursuing her dreams of becoming a director, making friends, meeting boys. Her biggest concern is that she’s not developing as fast as her friends are. But when puberty does hit, it brings more than hormone surges. Chloe starts seeing ghosts–everywhere, demanding her attention. After she suffers a breakdown, her devoted aunt Lauren gets her into a highly recommended group home.

At first, Lyle House seems a pretty okay place, except for Chloe’s small problem of fearing she might be facing a lifetime of mental illness. But as she gradually gets to know the other kids at the home–charming Simon and his ominous, unsmiling brother Derek, obnoxious Tori, and Rae, who has a “thing” for fire–Chloe begins to realize that there is something that binds them all together, and it isn’t your usual “problem kid” behaviour. And together they discover that Lyle House is not your usual group home either…

My Review

Fifteen year old Chloe Saunders lands in Lyle House after she gets her period and starts seeing ghosts - all in the same day.  I immediately wanted to hug Chloe, who is thrown into a new situation and into a group home for "troubled" kids, and, all things considers, adapts fairly well.  I liked Chloe immediately - Kelley Armstrong writes female leads very well.  Chloe is a character that I felt for, but I didn't feel sorry for her.  Maybe it was because of her inner monologue, where we see a little bit of cheek, which I like or maybe it was just that Chloe, even surrounded by strangers as the plot thickens, doesn't give up.  She keeps questioning her circumstances and her surroundings.   She's intelligent, and she knows her strengths and her weaknesses. 

Chloe struggles with the diagnosis the adults in charge of Lyle House give her.  She knows there is something more going on, and she starts investigating, as scared as uncovering the truth makes her.  With the "help" of standoff-ish Derek (a sixteen year old near-genius with some real personality issues) and his foster brother, Simon (a cute, half-trained sorcerer) Chloe begins looking for answers.  Along the way she encounters firebug Rae and disgruntled, spoiled, and wounded Tori.  Each of these characters defy stereotypes, instead bringing fresh life into the pages of a premise that could have fallen flat, but with Kelley Armstrong's writing style, and story-telling ability, instead becomes a really poignant and slightly scary coming-of-age story.

One of the things I absolutely loved about this book was the introduction of Derek.  Simon is sweet and considerate and thoughtful, but Derek.  Derek is brusque and honest and has no idea how to show anyone - least of all Chloe - that he is trying to protect them, or in this case, her.  Under his tough exterior, Derek has his own fears, and I loved seeing Chloe start getting to him, little by little.  As much as they infuriated one another, they kept one another on their toes, too.  Any good relationship, even be it friendship, needs a little conflict to keep things interesting, and these two definitely had that!

I guess my only real complaint is that I wish we'd gotten to see a little more of a few of the supporting characters (Liz, Peter, etc) before they were gone.  And although a few of the villains motivations were supremely clear, there were a few other characters who i wasn't sure if they had gotten carried along for the ride, if they were ignorant of what was going on, or if  they were just supposed to be plain old evil.  Either way by the end of the book I had to know more about how this group of supernaturals had all "accidentally" ended up in a group home. 

This book has it all: mystery, a little tinge of romance that is so subtly done that it is just gorgeous in its simplicity, and the supernatural.  Kelley Armstrong's young adult paranormal romance is supremely satisfying, with genuine characters that I ended up caring about, enough to go grab the sequel, The Awakening, immediately after finishing The Summoning.  

 

Memorable Quote

I let out a laugh that sounded more like the yip of a startled poodle. "Superp-powers? I wish. My powers aren't winning me a slot on the Cartoon Network anytime soon... except as a comic relief. Ghost Whisperer Junior. Or Ghost Screamer, more like it. Tune in, every week, as Chloe Saunders runs screaming from yet another ghost looking for her help."- Chloe.

I'm featured at Misson to Read!

{ ++ } The amazingly encouraging and awesome Rie at Mission to Read is starting a new feature called Little Known blogs, designed to bring attention to a blog she thinks could use some love.  I'm absolutely flattered to be her pick this month.  : )  Please go check out my Q&A over there and get all the details on how to sign up, if you are at under 200 followers, and be featured!  And if you aren't already following her blog...why aren't you?!  : )

100 Followers!

{ ++ } I just wanted to send a shout out to everyone who has followed and supported Once Upon a Prologue so far.  I'm really looking forward to the journey from here on out.  : )  *grins*  Look for a new review tomorrow!  And maybe a giveaway in the works!

Follow Me Friday - #11 + Book Blogger Hop - #9

{ ++ } Follow Me Friday, aka "Follow My Book Blog" is probably the coolest meme I've come across in awhile.  It's hosted over at Parajunkee's View and also now at Alison Can Read, and us amazing book-a-holics get the chance to answer a reading-related question, as well as make new friends over the weekend.  It's a great way to kick off said weekend, and a really fun and easy way of stealing our way into the hearts of fellow book blogger's.

{ ++ } Each week, Rachel features one lucky blogger and her feature is We Fancy Books.  Alison's is A Novella's Tale.  Everyone please head on over to those blogs, follow, and show them some love!  It's a huge honor (I think!) to be featured.

Q. Name 3 authors that you would love to sit down and spend an hour or a meal with just talking about either their books or get advice on writing from?

{ ++ } Just 3, huh?   Okay, let's see if I can do this!  Well #1 hands down is Jodi Picoult.  At the end of the day, she is my favorite female author.  Her stories are SO undeniably real, and I admire her to no end.  #2 is Pat Rothfuss.  He's my favorite sci-fi/fantasy author, and in some ways, probably my favorite male author.  #3 is probably J.K. Rowling.  With the Harry Potter franchise coming to an end of sorts, it's made me remember my Potter love, and it's all because of the awesome Jo Rowling.  : ) I'd love to pick those three author's brains, and just trade writing stories with each of them.

{ ++ } Hosted by Jennifer at Crazy-for-Books, what better way to allow us book bloggers to mix and mingle than a bit of a reading-related social?  Every week she hosts this event, where we can throw our names in the hat so to speak, and hopefully end up with a few new friends who share our interests and our love (and in my case, obsession) of books.  It's also a party and it's all in fun!

What’s the ONE GENRE that you wish you could get into, but just can’t?

{ ++ } Mystery novels.  It's not that I haven't read and enjoyed a few really awesome mystery novels.  They just aren't my cup of tea.  I like a book with some mystery TO it, just not a straight up "who did it" novel.   I read pretty much everything else voraciously.

Review: Stolen by Kelley Armstrong

Stolen by Kelley Armstrong

Published: 2004 (Plume Books)

Pages: 468

Series: Women of the Otherworld (2)

Rating: 4 of 5 stars

Further info: Goodreads / Amazon

It was in Bitten, Kelley Armstrong's debut novel, that thirty-year-old Elena Michaels came to terms with her feral appetites and claimed the proud identity of a beautiful, successful woman, and the only living female werewolf. 


In Stolen, on a mission for her own elite pack, she is lured into the net of ruthless Internet billionaire Tyrone Winsloe, who has funded a bogus scientific investigation of the other races and their supernatural powers. Kidnapped and studied in his underground lab deep in the Maine woods, these paranormals: witches, vampires, shamans, werewolves are then released and hunted to the death in a real-world video game. But when Winsloe captures Elena, he finally meets his match.

My Review

Picking up approximately a year after Bitten left off, Stolen plunges us back into the world of Elena Michaels and her fellow Pack members.  Checking out one of the frequent "werewolf sightings" that the Pack investigates, Elena, while being chased through the streets of Pittsburgh, is asked to accept something she feels is implausible: other supernatural creatures exist.  I found it very human of Elena to doubt the existence of witches, shamans, and half-demons, a touching reminder of her dual nature, yet at the same time, I was surprised at her unwillingness to believe the impossible.  I was, however, very glad to see Kelley Armstrong widening her mythos to include other unearthly beings.  

While attending a council meeting, sort of an AA for the supernatural, Elena still maintains her distance from the idea that other otherworldly creatures are alive and well (or in the case of vampire Cassandra, dead and well.)  It isn't until she is kidnapped and put behind glass in billionaire Ty Winsloe's lab that Elena realizes she may be in over her head.  Even though this book started out slowly for me, by the time Elena woke up in captivity, I was hooked, once again.  

 

Elena does not do well in a cage of any kind.  She's a strong enough character that I was not pleased seeing her a prisoner.  Separated from her Pack, Elena is totally cut off from the outside world, unless she can accept the help of a witch to communicate with Jeremy, her Alpha.  I found myself several times anxious for her, and for her fellow captives, any of whom Tyrone Winsloe is likely to, at any point, decide he is through with, and would like to hunt.  

 

Child-witch Savannah and half-demon Xavier Reese add to the tension.  Savannah appears to have mysterious powers beyond her age and ability, and Xavier, despite having joined up with the bad guys, is such a breath of fresh air in this book, that I wanted to thank Kelley Armstrong for writing in his character.  (Aside: I have no clue if he shows up again but I sure do hope he does!)

There were a few things I didn't like about this book: the pacing in the beginning was way off, and I found two of the plot twists to be a little too predictable.  As well-developed as some of the new characters were, others rubbed me the wrong way; Paige, one of the Coven witches, comes off as insolent and unlikable.  She narrates the next book so I am hoping in that one, we will see her become more of a sympathetic character. 

What I did like: every bit of Clay and Elena's interaction, limited though it was, and new characters Adam, Savannah, and Xavier.  And as I mentioned above, I am thrilled to see other supernaturals brought into play, and their addition handled very well.  I am excited to continue this series, and to see where Kelley Armstrong takes these characters.  I am a big fan of paranormal romance and I feel like this series is mixing that genre really cleverly with urban fantasy.

Waiting on Wednesday - #9 { The Pledge }

{++ }  This weekly event/feature is graciously hosted by Jill of Breaking the Spine.  You know that feeling you get when you're browsing upcoming books on Goodreads or Amazon and one strikes your fancy?  Maybe you squee.  Maybe you giggle to yourself.  Maybe you bounce in your seat.  We all get excited (I do a combination of all three of the previous choices...) about new books, be it a favorite author you're familiar with, or someone whose work you'll be reading for the first time.  Jill's meme gives us the chance to spotlight what we are anxiously awaiting this week. 

The Pledge by Kimberly Derting

To be published:  11.15.2011 (Margaret K McElderberry)

Further info: Goodreads / Amazon

In the violent country of Ludania, the classes are strictly divided by the language they speak. The smallest transgression, like looking a member of a higher class in the eye while they are speaking their native tongue, results in immediate execution. Seventeen-year-old Charlaina has always been able to understand the languages of all classes, and she’s spent her life trying to hide her secret. The only place she can really be free is the drug-fueled underground clubs where people go to shake off the oppressive rules of the world they live in. It's there that she meets a beautiful and mysterious boy named Max who speaks a language she's never heard before . . . and her secret is almost exposed.

Charlie is intensely attracted to Max, even though she can’t be sure where his real loyalties lie. As the emergency drills give way to real crisis and the violence escalates, it becomes clear that Charlie is the key to something much bigger: her country’s only chance for freedom from the terrible power of a deadly regime.


  

Why this book?

{ ++ } Well, it's Kimberly Derting.  AND.  The cover is gorgeous.  AND.  The premise actually sounds pretty fascinating.  I am really looking forward to reading this book to see how I like it!  I love trying different things, and this looks a little bit thriller bordering on dystopian, very cool hopefully.

Review: Bitten by Kelley Armstrong

Bitten by Kelley Armstrong

Published: 2001 (Plume Books)

Pages: 436

Series: The Otherworld Series (Book 1)

Rating: 4 1/2 of 5 stars

Further info: Amazon / Goodreads

Elena Michaels seems like the typically strong and sexy modern woman, She lives with her architect boyfriend, writes for a popular newspaper, and works out at the gym. She's also a werewolf. 

Elena has done all she can to assimilate to the human world, but the man whose bite changed her existence forever, and his legacy, continue to haunt her. Thrown into a desperate war for survival that tests her allegiance to a secret clan of werewolves, Elena must reconnect with who, and what, she is in this passionate, page-turning novel.

My review:

Elena Michaels is the only female werewolf in existence, but right from the start, it was all too easy - and painful - to see her trying to deny that part of herself.  Bitten over a decade ago by the man she planned to marry, Elena's entire world changed.  Despite all her attempts to acclimate into "normal" everyday life - she has a boyfriend she cares about, and a steady job - Kelley Armstrong weaves Elena's inner torment into the pages seamlessly enough that I at once sympathized with Elena: struggling to belong, fearing she doesn't fit in anywhere.  When she goes home to Stonehaven (the home of the current Alpha, and her foster-father figure, Jeremy) Elena's past comes back in the form of her Pack brothers, and her former lover, Clay.

And oh, did I fall head over heels for Clay and Elena.  From the first "Hey darlin'," and that Lousiana drawl all the way to the very last page, I was completely invested in them.  Their romance was more than a little tortured, with their past always right there between them.  They had their issues, huge ones that at times made me want to grit my teeth for worrying if they would get past them.  The tension between them made the book hard to read sometimes, but in that awful, good, emotional way that happens when you (or in this case, I,) really connect with two characters. 

I found myself invested in all of the main characters.  Kelley Armstrong does a fantastic job of creating this cast of characters that I immediately wanted to know more about.  Even the characters that are only mentioned and/or seen a few times do not feel flat or overlooked.  Clay teems with mischief and emotional baggage, in a way that feels real.  Jeremy is a stalwart and inspirational Alpha.  Nick is fun-loving and loyal to his friends.  And the list goes on.  :)

Mutts, or werewolves that (usually by choice) are not a part of the tight-knit Pack are closing in on the Pack and its members.  Elena is worried for her Pack family, and at the same time, dealing with the resurgence of her formerly somewhat buried feelings for Clayton, who bit and turned her.  

The plot, as it unfolds, just kept me almost breathless.  I stayed up too late two nights to finish this book.  I loved the mythos of the series - how many werewolf books have there been, have I read, and how pleasantly surprised was I to see that this particular paranormal romance was indeed original, with new ideas that sets Bitten away from the rest of the pack (so to speak!)  Kelley Armstrong has really put some serious thought into the rules of her spin on werewolves: the way they live, the enemies they make, and how they love. I couldn't turn the pages of this book fast enough, and when I finished it, I made sure I went out and bought the sequel, Stolen, right away!

I would have given this book a full five stars, but for one plot arc that really bugged me.  I don't want to be spoiler-ish so I will just say that even though it was handled very well, maybe the only way it could have been and could have played out, it still left me a little disappointed.  Other than that, Kelley Armstrong's urban fantasy Bitten is a truly solid and engaging read. 

Teaser Tuesday - #8 { The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong }

{ ++ } Miz B over at Should Be Reading hosts this weekly meme, where us book lovers get a chance to spotlight our currently-reading and basically...do a little teasing.  : ) The rules are simple:

• Grab your current read.
• Open to a random page.  (Full disclosure: I actually go hunting for a good teaser.  heehee.)
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page.  (Um.  Sometimes I post more than 2 sentences.  hee.)
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other participants can add the book to their to-reads if they like your teaser.

A shadow glided past me and I turned to see Derek at my shoulder.  As the dining room door swung shut behind him, I caught a glimpse of books and a calculator spread across the table.  He must have been there the whole time, doing independant work.

As he looked down at me, I expected some sarcastic comment about eavesdropping, but he only muttered, "Welcome to the madhouse," then brushed past me into the kitchen to swipe an extra snack.

The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong

Published: 07.01.08 (HarperTeen)

Pages: 390

After years of frequent moves following her mother’s death, Chloe Saunders’s life is finally settling down. She is attending art school, pursuing her dreams of becoming a director, making friends, meeting boys. Her biggest concern is that she’s not developing as fast as her friends are. But when puberty does hit, it brings more than hormone surges. Chloe starts seeing ghosts–everywhere, demanding her attention. After she suffers a breakdown, her devoted aunt Lauren gets her into a highly recommended group home.

At first, Lyle House seems a pretty okay place, except for Chloe’s small problem of fearing she might be facing a lifetime of mental illness. But as she gradually gets to know the other kids at the home–charming Simon and his ominous, unsmiling brother Derek, obnoxious Tori, and Rae, who has a “thing” for fire–Chloe begins to realize that there is something that binds them all together, and it isn’t your usual “problem kid” behaviour. And together they discover that Lyle House is not your usual group home either…

In My Mailbox - #8

{ ++ } Kristi at The Story Siren hosts this weekly meme which gives bloggers a chance to highlight the books we bought, checked out, won, or otherwise procured over the last week.  And whether I've came into money (brb, laughing forever) or only had the goods to splurge on a book or two, they all deserve some love.

  { ++ } I went to a used bookstore yesterday... It was pretty much what I picture Heaven to be like.  :D  I wandered around for over an hour and could easily have spent all day in there.  Instead, I tried to have some sort of self-control, and ended up spending about $75.  

Blood Bound by Patricia Briggs

The Seeress of Kell by David Eddings

The Sorceress of Darshiva by David Eddings

Demon Lord of Karanda by David Eddings

King of the Murgos by David Eddings

Gaurdians of the West by David Eddings

Industrial Magic by Kelley Armstrong

Dime Store Magic by Kelley Armstrong

She Walks These Hills by Sharyn McCrumb

Olivia by V.C. Andrews

Heart Song by V.C. Andrews

Music in the Night by V.C. Andrews

Gates of Paradise by V.C. Andrews

The Songcatcher by Sharyn McCrumb

Unfinished Symphony by V.C. Andrews

Music in the Night by V.C. Andrews

Damien by Jacquelyn Frank

Mercy by Jodi Picoult

Winter's Heart by Robert Jordan

Deeper Than Midnight by Lara Adrian

Taken by Midnight by Lara Adrian

Dark Lover by J.R. Ward

Noah by Jacquelyn Frank

{ ++ } Some of these books are new to me, ones I've never read.  A few (the VC Andrews ones) I bought because they are the ones with keyhole covers.  Some of them - the Lara Adrian books - were about $4 and in decent shape, which is not that bad considering I'd be paying $8 or more at Hastings.  I loaned Mercy to a friend and she never returned it - $5 for a book I'd pay $15 for at Hastings.  So I was a happy girl.  : ) 

{ ++ } What did ya'll get in your mailboxes this week?  Let's share in the shiny, new book love!

Author Interview: Christine Nolfi

{ ++ } Today I have the privilege of sharing with everyone a short interview author Christine Nolfi was kind enough to participate in with me!  I recently got the chance to read and review Christine's debut novel, Treasure Me, and found it to be engaging and absolutely charming, with enough twists to keep me breathlessly reading!  I hope everyone enjoys this interview as much as I have enjoyed getting to know Christine.  Then please consider checking out my review of Treasure Me, or taking a look at the book yourself.  Many thanks again to Christine for being so generous with her time!

Author Bio

Christine Nolfi owned a small public relations firm in Cleveland, Ohio. Her articles and press releases have appeared regionally in northeast Ohio. Her short story, Night Hour, appeared in Working Mother magazine.


She closed the firm fifteen years ago after traveling to the Philippines and adopting a sibling group of four children. She has been writing novels full time since 2004. Treasure Me is the first book of the Liberty, Ohio series, available at Amazon.  The second book in the Liberty series, Second Chance Grill, will be released summer, 2011.

Christine loves to hear from readers!  Find her here at her blog, or on her Twitter.  E-mail her at christinenolfi@gmail.com.

Molli: What is your best memory of writing Treasure Me?

Christine: The unanticipated arrival of the beautiful thief, Birdie, and the general plot. I’d written 100 pages of another novel when I awoke one morning with an amusing image of a young woman dangling from a window ledge. There was no planning involved, no preparation. Birdie simply arrived.

The rest of the plot quickly fell into place. I knew immediately that her relationship with Liberty’s elderly matriarch, the gun-toting Theodora, was a central theme. Birdie’s romance with Hugh was secondary, a plot point that would balance against his personal evolution in the story. Through it all, I tried to make the secondary characters just as vivid in the reader’s mind—an important consideration because the supporting cast develops and evolves throughout the series.

Molli: Which character was the most challenging for you to flesh out and write?

Christine: Birdie, hands down. My critique partners sent me back to the drawing board with page after page. I try not to think of the number of revisions involved in bringing the novel to market. It makes me shudder.

The problem? How do you create a realistic thief, complete with her jaundiced view of the world and her loathsome habit of stealing, and expect readers to like her? I hope I solved the puzzle in subtle ways through her interactions with other characters, like the Chens. Remember the stolen wheelchair in scene one? It arrived in the third or fourth draft as an indication of the soft heart hidden beneath Birdie’s tough exterior.

Molli: Do you enjoy writing for female or male characters more?

Christine: I have no preference. I simply love writing about people, their foibles and embarrassments, their moments of courage and times of redemption. The goal is always to imbue each character with enough depth to make the reader laugh one moment and cry the next.

Molli: What is your favorite part of the writing process?

Christine: Nothing beats the experience of reaching the middle of a work-in-progress and becoming utterly immersed in the characters. They’re real by that point, flesh-and-blood people one might meet on the street. Yet I’m privy to their darkest fears and brightest hopes. It’s an exhilarating feeling.

Molli: Your character’s names—Birdie, Blossom, Wish—seem to hint at a bit of whimsy. How do you choose your character’s names, or do they choose their names?

Christine: There’s no set pattern for naming characters. Some, like Birdie, arrive fully formed. Others start with an archetype employed to aid in fleshing out the characters. In Blossom’s case, I wanted a name that conveyed “life” for a child facing death. Wish is another play on opposites. I think of her as a nefarious criminal who destroys the wishes held dear by others, a sort of death wish in human form.

Molli: If you could visit a “world” from another book or series, what would it be?

Christine: Hogwarts, of course! I’d dread running into Lord Voldemort, but Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry? Sign me up. My wand is already packed.

Molli: Do you have any writing rituals?

Christine: Working for many years in public relations gave me a love of constancy. No writer can create compelling fiction, book after book, without committing to a serious work schedule. Most days, I’m at my computer by five or six a.m. By noon, I need a break and head to the gym. Then I spend the afternoon editing the morning’s pages. That’s the first edit, mind you. I’ve never written anything that wasn’t submitted to an endless series of revisions.

{ ++ } Thanks again to Christine Nolfi for considering me to read and review Treasure Me.  I look forward reading many more novels from her.  I hope everyone will consider purchasing a copy (Kindle, or paperback - the paperback is due out soon!)

TGIF - #5

{ ++ } TFIG is a nifty little meme hosted by Ginger of GReads, which basically kick-starts the weekend by throwing out a fun little book-related question, and also giving bloggers a chance to recap what we've posted this week for anyone who may have missed one of our events.

Q: Book Blogger Appreciation: which book blogs have inspired you
or made a difference in your blogging experience?

{ ++ } Wow, great question!  I've been blogging for about four and a half months now and I still consider myself a novice.  I've been at LiveJournal for years and I've written book reviews there and on my Goodreads but writing for this sort of audience is so different!  I am always thinking of how my reviews are perceived (hopefully as honest and thought-provoking!) and I am always looking to grow as a blogger, and as a writer.  I've seen SO many book blogs that I admire, and met some really terrific people behind those blogs.  I could list so many, but to keep from rambling on...  Suz at A Soul Unsung is one of my good friends, and she actually inspired me to start my own book blog; after I got my feet wet, I discovered Rachel at Parjunkee's View and her Book Blogging 101 (which has really helped me!)  Later, I stumbled across the fabulous Ginger (our host!) at GReads (she's actually really fab ya'll!) and I've also gotten to start interacting with some other really awesome bloggers: Sarah at I'm Loving Books, Jess at Gone With the Words, and so on.  There are so many amazing girls and guys out there in our community...so be sure to reach out to them, and tell them...thanks!

This Week at Once Upon a Prologue

Reviews

Twilight's Child by V.C. Andrews

Midnight Whispers by V.C. Andrews

Meme's

In My Mailbox

Music Monday: Clay/Elena from Bitten by Kelley Armstrong

Teaser Tuesday: Bitten by Kelley Armstrong

Top Ten Tuesday: Top 10 Authors I'd Die to Meet

Waiting on Wednesday: Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver

{ ++ } That's all I've got for this week.  Ya'll check out anything I've listed above that you may have missed, and look for (hopefully!) a few new reviews this coming week!  Oh and on a side note, I switched from Intense Debate to Disqus in my comments and it looks like I accidentally lost my former comments.  :(  Please know that I do try to respond to all comments though! 

Follow Me Friday - #10 + Book Blogger Hop - #8

{ ++ } Follow Me Friday, aka "Follow My Book Blog" is probably the coolest meme I've come across in awhile.  It's hosted over at Parajunkee's View and us amazing book-a-holics get the chance to answer a reading-related question, as well as make new friends over the weekend.  It's a great way to kick off said weekend, and a really fun and easy way of stealing our way into the hearts of fellow book blogger's.

{ ++ } Each week, Rachel features one lucky blogger and this week's feature is Angela at Angela's Anxious Life.  Everyone please head on over to her blog and show her some love!  It's a huge honor (I think!) to be featured.

Q. What do I do when I are not reading?

{ ++ } Where do I begin?  I blog.  I write.  When I'm not writing, I'm planning for different characters and storylines.  I LOVE to shop.  I text way too much.  I stay up late marathoning different TV shows (is it time for new Who yet?!)  I hang out with my friends, and these days, I can be found in my pool.  : )

{ ++ } Hosted by Jennifer at Crazy-for-Books, what better way to allow us book bloggers to mix and mingle than a bit of a reading-related social?  Every week she hosts this event, where we can throw our names in the hat so to speak, and hopefully end up with a few new friends who share our interests and our love (and in my case, obsession) of books.  It's also a party and it's all in fun!

Q: How/where do you get your books? Do you buy them or go to the library? Is there a certain website you use like paperbackswap?

{ ++ } Honestly, I wish I could say something really awesome in response, but the truth is, I live in a really small town.  Our only "book store" is the Hastings book section, or our Wal-Mart's little book section.  I try to buy my books local when I can to support my town, but I have been known to um...be turned loose in Barnes & Noble and come out with bags full of books.  I usually shop on Amazon.com.  : )   I can get the best selection there, whereas Hastings is bad to carry say, books 1 and 4 in a series but not 2 and 3.  Or just not many books that I am actually looking to buy. 

{ ++ } Ya'll be sure and look me to your FF / Hop posts!  I'll be out of town tomorrow so I'll see you guys tomorrow night or Sunday.  Everyone have an amazing weekend.  :D

Slight Change: From Intense Debate to Disqus

{ ++ } So I recently changed over from Intense Debate to Disqus, and I already like it better BUT it looks like even though I thought I had imported my comments, they didn't all make it over.  But hopefully this system will work a little better with my blog, a little more smoothly.  And in the meantime ya'll, I respond to all comments.  : )

Officially off Hiatus!

 { ++ } Evening one and all!  Just wanted to drop a little note before I head away from the computer for the night that my Internet is now back up and running, which means I plan on devoting more time to my blog.  I discovered the ability to schedule posts which was the only reason I've been "around" the last few days.  But I'm back now and looking forwarding to all ya'll's reviews and interacting with everyone.  Peace.  : )

Waiting on Wednesday - #8 (Pandemonium)

{++ }  This weekly event/feature is graciously hosted by Jill of Breaking the Spine.  She's way too awesome, and put this event together in order to bring us bloggers together.  Some of us like me are relatively new; others have been here longer, but the gist of it is,  we all need an opportunity to reveal our can't-wait-to-read-'em, omg-gotta-have-'em-books, (and maybe make a few new friends along the way.)  Here is my pick this week!







Pandemonium
Lauren Oliver
Expected publication: 03.06.12 - Harper Teen
(Synopsis provided by Goodreads.)

Lauren Oliver captivated readers with Delirium, the first book in a thrilling dystopian trilogy in which Lena Haloway dared to fall in love with Alex and escape the cure, the government-mandated procedure that renders a person immune to the disease of love. Lena and Alex staked their lives on leaving their oppressive society, but only Lena broke free.

Pandemonium continues Lena’s gripping story. After escaping from Portland, Maine, Lena makes it to the Wilds and becomes part of an Invalid community, where she transforms herself into a warrior for the resistance. A future without Alex is unimaginable, but Lena pushes forward and fights, both for him and for a world in which love is no longer considered a disease. Swept up in a volatile mix of revolutionaries and counterinsurgents, Lena struggles to survive—and wonders if she may be falling in love again.

Full of danger, forbidden romance, and exquisite writing, Lauren Oliver’s sequel to Delirium races forward at a breathtaking pace and is sure to appeal to fans who crave the high-stakes action of The Hunger Games and the bittersweet love story of Romeo & Juliet

Why this book?

{ ++ } I loved Delirum.  Loved it.  I had a couple aspects I wish had been fleshed out more - little more backstory, little more world-building, and a lot more attention to the love interest - but I really enjoyed Delirium.  My favorite books are the ones that make you think, the ones that stick with you after you've closed the book and finished it - and Delirium did that.  I'm hoping Pandemonium takes it to the next level. ...Plus, the cover is pretty.  : ) 

{ ++ } What are y'all's WoW picks?

Review: Midnight Whispers

Midnight Whispers / V.C. Andrews
Published: 1992 (Pocket Books)

Pages: 440 pages

Originally read: 2001

Re-read: July 4 2011 - July 7 2011

Happy and innocent, Dawn's daughter Christie has grown up in the safest, most loving of homes...

Yet Christie can't help feeling as if a dark cloud hovers over Cutler's Cove...a cloud whose origins lie in her family's troubled history, and the many questions no one, not even Dawn, will answer. Only one person can always chase away her blues: Gavin, Daddy Jimmy's young and handsome stepbrother.

Then, in one harsh night, Christie's world is changed forever. She is shocked to discover her Uncle Philip's unbrotherly love for her mother but even worse is the way he now looks at Christie, his eyes bright with tortured passion. Fleeing to New York City, she finds her real father...a pathetic, helpless has-been.

Desperate and heartbroken, she turns to Gavin, who travels with her to The Meadows, the plantation where Christie was born. In Gavin's arms, in the first, tender moments of true love, Christie finds a refuge from her painful memories. But The Meadows is blighted by its own dark secrets — and all too soon Christie is torn from Gavin's embrace. Now as black storms of evil gather around her, Christie must struggle to break the cruel bonds of the past...to defy the curse that has haunted Cutler's Cove for generations....

The long story short: After her parent’s deaths and her uncle Philip’s betrayal, protagonist Christie Longchamp runs to the one place she thinks she might be safe.  Hiding on the run-down plantation where she was born, I expected Christie to mature; however, sheltered to the point of naiveté by her mother, Christie makes only irresponsible decisions.  A weak narrator to start, I never really felt connected to Christie despite her tragedies and triumphs. 

Final rating: 2 1/2 of 5 stars

_______

(Full disclosure: there are a few spoilers in this review.  I normally try not to touch on anything the back of the book does not reveal but this book was very hard for me to read and to finish and due to some of the subject matter, I'm going a little more in depth than I normally would.)

After the untimely death of her parent’s, Christie Longchamp is thrust into a world she does not recognize.  (Truthfully, I shed more tears over Dawn and Jimmy’s deaths than I did for Christie over the course of her story.)  Following the “formula” V.C. Andrews tentatively established, and her ghostwriter capitalized on, Midnight Whispers follows the next generation of the Cutler family – Christie, and through her eyes, her younger brother Jefferson, and her step-father’s younger half-brother, whom Christie has a strong connection with, one that often amazes and confuses her.  After her Uncle Philip and his family move in to take over guardianship of Christie and Jefferson, Christie sees firsthand Philip’s strange behavior…behavior Dawn blindly never truly warned Christie about. 

I think this was one of my absolute biggest peeves in this book, and in this series.  As a mother, Dawn should have taken steps to either get Philip the help he needed, or to keep her daughter away from him.  Instead, it seems she thought she would always be there to protect her innocent daughter – until she wasn’t.

One night strips the last of Christie’s innocence, and she and her brother run away – first to one location, then another, finally calling on Gavin to help whisk them away, to a place where they can hide from reality instead of face it.  This was maybe the part I found the least believable.  Christie, at this point, has been sexually assaulted…yet less than a week later, she throws herself fully into the romantic relationship she hasn’t thus far indulged in with Gavin.   The first time I read this book that didn’t strike me as odd; this time, as an adult, I couldn’t wrap my head around her actions.  For me, Christie jumping into a relationship with Gavin almost cheapened what might otherwise have been a very touching young love.

I have a lot of issues with this book.  Andrew Neiderman (writing as V.C. Andrews) crossed a line when he took Philip’s character in the direction he did.  Before, I had some sympathy for Philip; after, I can understand why Christie ran away from him, in some ways.  The author took his character beyond redemption, which pains me, because I've written for Philip before in VCA themed roleplays.  I also absolutely loathed Fern’s character in this book.  I thought it was utterly a waste of pages, bringing her in at all, much less for the 100+ pages she was in the book.  Her character was given love and chance after chance at redemption, but all she was interested in throughout the this book and the previous one, was telling everyone how bad her life had been.

Overall, I disliked this book.  I thought a few times about not finishing it, but to respect my series re-read, I pushed through.  I did want Christie and Jefferson to find happiness, and was somewhat satisfied with how the story ended, but I felt Midnight Whispers was by far the weakest book in the series (I refuse to re-read the prequel so I won’t/can’t comment on it) and it was not in any way the story I imagined for Dawn’s daughter.

Top Ten Tuesday - #3

++ } Hosted by the girls over at The Broke and the Bookish, this meme features a different theme every week, and hey, it's Tuesday - we've got the rest of the week ahead of us.  We all need a little fun, and who doesn't love the challenge of ranking their top 10 anything...especially when it comes to books?!

{ ++ } This week's Top 10 is: Top Ten Authors I Would Die to Meet.  (Authors can be alive or deceased.)  And wow, what a question this is!  There is no way I can actually rank these authors, since I would pretty much be doing the Wayne's World "I'm not worthy!" thing...and praying for one of the following authors to say, a la Steven Tyler, "you're worthy, you're worthy...get up!"  Haha!

{ 1 } Jodi Picoult.  She's fabulous.  No, really.  She writes these amazing books that tackle hard to read about subjects.  She just...gets a good grip on your heart and doesn't let go.  Plus...she seems really amazing!

{ 2 } Patrick Rothfuss.  Because he's one of the most awesome fantasy writers I've ever encountered (well not really or, well, see the above "I'm not worthy" comment).  He writes a kick ass, funny-as-hell blog where he actually interacts with his fans.  How cool is that?!

{ 3 } Libba Bray.  Wow, do I need to explain?  I'm a HUGE fan of her Gemma Doyle trilogy.  I love her writing style and am in fact quite envious of her story-telling abilities.  : D

{ 4 } Kelley Armstrong.  Because, well.  She's just TOO awesome!  She gave us Elena/Clay.  *bows down*  I adore her writing style, and how real her characters seem!

{ 5 } Terry Brooks.  Oh wow.  Wow.  One of the first sci-fi/fantasy authors I read.  I remember coming across one of his books at Wal-Mart and going, "hmm.  I'll try it."  Couple months later I was writing a report about the book and flailing over him from then on!

{ 6 } Anne Bishop.  Um.  Yeah.  If you know me at all you know Anne Bishop's Black Jewels trilogy still makes my knees weak, five years after I first read it.  Cause, um...Daemon Sadi?  Yes please.  Plus she just has a WAY with her storytelling!

{ 7 } Suzanne Collins.  The author of The Hunger Games and my intense, never ending, always flail-y love for Finnick Odair and Peeta Mellark.  : )  I could try to accurately express my admiration of her but I'd start rambling and shame myself.  ; )

 { 8 } Diana Gabaldon.  Author of the fantastic, fabulous, and phenomenal Outlander series, or aka one of the series guaranteed to make me flail continuously the entire time I'm reading one of her books.  : D  Plus...Jamie/Claire!  One of my book OTP's!

{ 9 } J. K. Rowling.   : ) : ) : )

Do I have to say anything?  Harry.  Ron.  Hermione.  Ron/Hermione.  Harry/Ginny.  Ron/Hermione.  :D

Also?  I cry every time I see a trailer for any of the movies.  I will watch Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone every time it is on. 

{ 10 }V. C. Andrews.  Full disclosure:  I haven't read a V.C. Andrews (ghostwritten by Andrew Neiderman) since 2004.  But I still get a little swoon-y over Flowers in the Attic and the subsequesent Dollanganger series, and the stand-alone novel, My Sweet Audrina.  If this amazing lady was still alive, I would move heaven and earth to meet her.  I've laughed, cried, and been outraged and heart-broken and so happy reading her books.  Somewhere deep in my heart, V.C. Andrews and her books kick-started my mature love of reading and writing.  :  )



{ ++ } I'm excited to see everyone else's lists!  And...just because an author isn't on here doesn't mean there aren't many many more I'd shame myself to meet.  ; )  Everyone have a great Tuesday!