The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa

I guess I'm probably the only person I know who has not felt passion to this book to the point where love is in the air. I mean, sure I admired it and all, but I didn't love it. I don't understand what went wrong because I should love The Immortal Rules. There's great character development, tons of bloody action and just enough romance. It's either me or the vampire aspect. It's probably just me....
3.75 out of 5 stars.

The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa
3.75 out of 5 stars
Published 4.24.12
Recieved from Netgalley
Summary from Goodreads: In a future world, Vampires reign. Humans are blood cattle. And one girl will search for the key to save humanity. Allison Sekemoto survives in the Fringe, the outermost circle of a vampire city. By day, she and her crew scavenge for food. By night, any one of them could be eaten. Some days, all that drives Allie is her hatred of them. The vampires who keep humans as blood cattle. Until the night Allie herself is attacked—and given the ultimate choice. Die… or become one of the monsters. Faced with her own mortality, Allie becomes what she despises most. To survive, she must learn the rules of being immortal, including the most important: go long enough without human blood, and you will go mad. Then Allie is forced to flee into the unknown, outside her city walls. There she joins a ragged band of humans who are seeking a legend—a possible cure to the disease that killed off most of humankind and created the rabids, the mindless creatures who threaten humans and vampires alike. But it isn't easy to pass for human. Especially not around Zeke, who might see past the monster inside her. And Allie soon must decide what—and who—is worth dying for.

The Immortal Rules starts off with Allie in the Fringe, barely surviving with her friends, including a boy named Stick. She's the only one who cares for Stick, who happens to depend on her. He can't survive; he literally has a bare mind and survives only by the kindness of Allie. Until the day Allie is attacked by rabids.

Then a vampire offers her a choice: die or stay forever dead as an immortal vampire. Of course, Allie chooses to become a vampire. During that process, she learns so many skills. She learns that vampires cry blood, they can only drink human blood, and that some are incredibly evil and will do anything for an exotic looking girl. She learns to fight with a katana- an epic Samurai sword, which is so cool! She also develops a ton of skills, including being super fast and silent and having the ability to naturally attract people. She starts getting used to being a vampire!

Fate brings her to join a group of humans who don't know she's a vampire.... yet. There's Caleb, this really cute little boy who has yet to learn about the evils in the world and Caleb's older sister, Ruth, who is a very jealous girl with relatively well intentions. And of course there's Zeke. He's the love interest, and surprisingly, not a bad boy. I thought he would be like Ash, but Zeke's this really nice boy. He's a golden boy... literally. He's got blonde hair and blue eyes which are to die for! Of course, Allie doesn't want to fall in love with him. After all, it puts him in trouble. As time passes, however, she can't help it! I mean, who can resist Zeke? He's just so nice and so good and so angelic and so kind! He's the type of boy that you can always love and always count on. He would never try to put you in trouble or forget you.... as long as you're a human.

Of course, that brings an epic plot twist! Actually there are tons of plot twists! You see, Julie Kagawa is the master of plots. At first I thought I could predict what would happen, but I was wrong. You can't tell who is the traitor and who is the good guy until the end. That brings me to the cliffhanger! There is this huge cliffhanger! I can't believe it! It was crazily great! It's not a cliffhanger that's boring; it's a cliffhanger that makes you want to go to Julie Kagawa's house and kidnap her and force her to write you the next book quickly! Yes, it's that crazy!

However, there were also some other parts that I did not like. I guess it's the whole vampire aspect. There's something about vampires that is just so old, no matter how you try to revamp them. (Bad pun!) I guess even if your vampires are like Allie, you still can't help but get sick of them. It's just a natural reaction. I think everyone will love it though! It's just that I'm a little different.... not always in a good way. Another thing is Allie. I don't like how she's so rude and rash and mean, especially to Ruth and Zeke. I know that Ruth is not the most admirable character, but Allie should have treated her more nicely. I think that Allie's behavior really stopped me from liking her as much as I should have. It's just so unsettling how mean she is. She should have a nicer heart... no offense. As for Zeke, sometimes Allie treated him like trash. He honestly should have been treated more nicely. At times, I was awestruck by how she treated him. So yes, Allie isn't exactly the most lovable character, even after you find out about her life.

BUT I'M STILL GONNA READ THE SEQUEL! It's a love-hate relationship!

Enna Burning by Shannon Hale

I love, love, love Enna Burning, to the point where I'm fired up and about to burn! (Bad pun!) I fell for The Goose Girl, but I've fallen even harder for Enna Burning. Maybe it's the word burning, but I have no idea. All that I know is that it's a definite 5 out of 5 stars!

Enna Burning by Shannon Hale
5 out of 5 stars
Published!
Summary from Goodreads: Enna and Princess Isi became fast friends in The Goose Girl, but after Isi married Prince Geric, Enna returned to the forest. Enna's simple life changes forever when she learns to wield fire and burn anything at will. Enna is convinced that she can use her ability for good--to fight Tira, the kingdom threatening the Bayern borders--and goes on secret raids to set fire to the Tiran camps and villages. But as the power of the fire grows stronger, she is less able to control her need to burn. In her recklessness she is captured by the Tiran army and held captive by a handsome, manipulative young captain who drugs her to keep her under his influence. Can Isi and her old friends Finn and Razo rescue her without sacrificing themselves? And with the fire still consuming her, will Enna find a way to manage the gift that threatens to destroy her?
In The Goose Girl, I didn't exactly like Enna. She was just too bubbly to the point of annoying. However, in Enna Burning, I got to know Enna Burning and understand her a little more. I can't say that she's my favorite character, but I can say that I like her a little more and I don't think she is annoying. Enna definitely is flawed. She has good intentions, but she is a bit rash and bold at times. That gets her in a lot of sticky situations, which causes more trouble than she expected. The main issue is that she does everything independently, even though she needs the help of her friends. It's hard for her to change, but by the end of the book, she develops like crazy. I love character development!

I also love twisted, messed up villains. I fall in love with them, which is pretty unfortunate for my friends. In this book, the twisted guy really takes advantage of Enna. He does mean well, but he also has high wants. He wants Enna to betray and kill against her will, but I still can't help but fall in love with him! I think he's so broken, even though he is also incredibly selfish and mean and cruel. It's so sad how messed up he is. If he had a better heart, maybe Enna would seriously consider him. Finn was cute and loyal and all, but I just couldn't really connect with him. He's just so nice to a point where you think he's too nice. He's perfectly quiet, which is definitely a little boring. Sure, he may be the best guy for Enna, but he's totally not the best guy for the reader. I want a guy with issues, not a guy who is a block. No offense to anyone who loves Finn, of course. It's just that I want a guy with attitude!

I totally missed Ani and Geric! Ani is still your wise character who can definitely help Enna, especially when Enna discovers the gift of fire. Fire is a blessing and a curse. It gets you wanting to burn more and more, to the point where the people you love are in danger. You end up falling victim to its addiction, and there's no going back. Unless, of course, you have a great friend who has the power of the wind. Friendship is a topic that is greatly stressed, and I love how Shannon Hale intertwines it with a bit of fantasy! Isn't it so amazing how fairy tales are so interesting now? Yes, I now love them.

P.S. The Goose Girl is actually a real fairy tale, one of many compiled by the Grimm brothers! I just read it last night, and I have to say, I love Shannon Hale's version a whole lot more! It's so much more detailed, although I greatly enjoyed the shorter version as well!

Out of Sight, Out of Time by Ally Carter

Warning: MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD. DON'T READ THIS REVIEW IF YOU HAVEN'T READ THE BOOK. IT WILL RUIN YOU. (And yes, I'm posting!) 5 out of 5 stars!

Out of Sight, Out of Time by Ally Carter
Published in 2012
5 out of 5 stars
Summary from Goodreads: The last thing Cammie Morgan remembers is leaving the Gallagher Academy to protect her friends and family from the Circle of Cavan--an ancient terrorist organization that has been hunting her for over a year. But when Cammie wakes up in an alpine convent and discovers months have passed, she must face the fact that her memory is now a black hole. The only traces left of Cammie’s summer vacation are the bruises on her body and the dirt under her nails, and all she wants is to go home.

Once she returns to school, however, Cammie realizes that even the Gallagher Academy now holds more questions than answers. Cammie, her friends, and mysterious spy-guy Zach must face their most difficult challenge yet as they travel to the other side of the world, hoping to piece together the clues that Cammie left behind. It’s a race against time. The Circle is hot on their trail and willing stop at nothing to prevent Cammie from remembering what she did last summer.


This is going to be a rant on Zach. He's mysterious and cool, yes, but he also has that stalker angle too. I don't like how he can be such good friends with Bex and than have the nerve to kiss Cammie. I don't like how he was so secretive before. Yes, now he has developed more, but I still don't like him. (I think that that's just me though.) I'm just more Team Hale than Team Zach. Zach just isn't goode (bad pun!) enough for Cammie.

As for Cammie, let's just say I'm glad she goes crazy. That was a huge risk taken by Ally Carter! It totally paid off! I like how Cammie is vulnerable at the beginning and how she ends up buddying with her friends. I am so glad she goes crazy. It just makes it all seem a little more realistic, a little closer to the truth. Plus, she is so much stronger and independent than what she was like in Only the Good Spy Young. This Cammie is new and improved. She's a hardcore version of her passed self! I love how she ends up being not crazy in the end; it's kind of the comforting event we readers need.

This plot is totally unique, in a great way! You have Solomon, who wakes up and graces us with his amazing presence. Then Dr. Steve, who totally is a traitor and a liar and needs to be locked up. I hate him and how he used Cammie and Zach. I hate how he got away with it. But kudos to Ally for the epic twist! I did not see it! That was amazing! Of course, I love how there's Sublevel 3 and even more gadgets and events! I missed reading this series! I missed the suspense and all the twists made. I missed not knowing what would happen next!

I'm going to miss reading a GG book, as GG6 is not going to come out for a long time. And it's kind of ironic that I'm reviewing it exactly a month after the release date.....

Yes, I'm going crazy. And no, I don't need Cammie to help me remember. (Although, I'd love to meet Preston. I actually love Preston! Preston>Zach.)



View all my reviews

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher
5 out of 5 stars
Published
Summary from Goodreads: Clay Jensen returns home from school to find a mysterious box with his name on it lying on his porch. Inside he discovers thirteen cassette tapes recorded by Hannah Baker, his classmate and crush who committed suicide two weeks earlier.
On tape, Hannah explains that there are thirteen reasons why she decided to end her life. Clay is one of them. If he listens, he'll find out how he made the list.

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

13 Reasons Why I Loved This Book

1. It's so beautiful and heartwrenchingly sad.
I guess that goes with books about suicide, but it's just that it's so fragile as well. This book seems like it could break and fall apart and waver in the wind. Of course that isn't the most important thing. It's just that it can make you cry like a maniac and more. In other words, bring some tissues!

2. It's not cheesy.
I hate cheesiness. I hate all cliche and annoyingly predictable plots with mushiness. Luckily, Thirteen Reasons Why is not one of those books. Instead, it's realistic and real and actually sad and a portrait of what can happen. I'm still amazed by how much I didn't rant over the cheesiness because there's NOTHING to rant over. This book, people, is something for the people in life who love to find realistic books. (Which means everyone!)

3. It affects people.
This book makes people want to change themselves for the better and stop acting petty. It makes them want to pay attention to the world and help make it happier. It makes people want to avoid Hannah's situation and actually do something. It's inspiring; need I say more?

4. It's narrated by two people.
At the same time. Side by side. The only way to tell that Hannah is talking is by the italics. That's crazily hard to do, and guess who pulled it off? Jay Asher. Yup, that's right. He pulled it off flawlessly without getting the reader confused or wasting the reader's brain. He actually pulled it off! Congratulations!

5. It's short.
I finished it in a day without spending too much time. For readers who don't really like reading, this book is a must! Thirteen Reasons Why is a sucker-punch people! It is a masterpiece because it manages to fit a ton of punch in less than 300 pages! That is called genius!

6. It has a great writing style.
I love first-person! It's so easy to understand and all, but that's not the main point. I feel like I can bond more with the main character than in third-person. Furthermore, Jay Asher's writing made you feel sad, happy, worn out, whatever he wanted you to feel! It's kind of beautiful, kind of brief and straight to the point. It's epically amazing.

7. It has an epic title!
I don't need to expand on this, do I?

8. The characters really are something rare.
Hannah is a gem. She's clever and morbid and depressed and truly messed up. That's why I like her. She is a truly flawed character with issues. That's life, and she wants you to know it. I don't approve of her actions, but I love her character.
So many characters are flawed and haved individual personalities. Mr. Porter, Bryce, Clay, Courtney. All these people are truly not just characters, but real, animated spirits.

9. The cover is perfect.
Something about a girl on a swing just totally pops. It's not normal. It's not done. It's unique, just like this book.

10. It's unique.
No one writes about the reasons why a girl killed herself. Period. Except Jay Asher. That's why I loved it.

11. These names are incredible!
I love how the names seem modern and brief and contemporary. They pop with the story and make you remember them. They are totally epic and amazing!

12. It happens so quickly.
Thirteen Reasons Why spans over a period of less than 4 days. It's so brief and quick and just what I call an "overnighter." It's focused mainly on one night, yet there's so much to read about! It's totally not normally done, which is another reason why I love it!

13. It's crazily popular!
I love how popular this book is. Now I can talk to people who've actually read this book and bond with them! Okay, so maybe that's not a valid reason, but not like I care! Popularity can be a reason, as long as you let it!

Goodbye!

I guess you might have noticed that I've recently started blogging less and less and that I haven't really done anything but post reviews. It's true. Nowadays blogging seems more like a burden than something fun to me, so I've decided to kind of drop it.

Yes, I just wrote that.

My blog will still stay here, it's just that I probably won't be posting very much if at all. I'll still be reviewing but just on Goodreads! I'll miss you all, and I'm grateful for all the fun I had!
Peeps, I miss you already!

My Goodreads Profile

Love ya forever!

Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Yes, this is a sci-fi twist on Cinderella! And yes, I'm reading a fairy tale! (Well, kind of!) Cinder's more like a creepy cyborg novel with a bit of Cinderella than a Cinderella with a bit of creepiness. Since I'm all for the creepy, I definitely liked this book. 4 out of 5 stars.

Cinder by Marissa Meyer
4 out of 5 stars
Published in 2012
Summary from Goodreads: Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl. . . .

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.


Today's rant, or rather, review, is called "In Which Valerie Is Crazily Obsessed With A Girl Named Cinder." In short, Cinder is epically epic! I like Cinder. She's kind of insecure, kind of strong, kind of smart and kind of average, except for the fact that she's this amazing mechanic and cyborg. However, by the end of the book, she's a bit stronger and definitely twice as awesome! I like how she can actually talk to Kai without getting too shy at the end of the book. I also like how the author was not afraid to make the main character a cyborg. That's a huge risk, and if you ask me, it paid off.

Yes, this is kind of a retelling of Cinderella, but it's also so much more exciting. You see, there's also a lot of other side plots that revolve around the ball and around cyborgs and this species known as Lunars. Not only is included, but there's also a lot about the this epidemic that has spread like crazy throughout the world, adding to the long list of chaos! It's crazily scarily exciting with tons of action! However, the reason why I had to take away a point is because I could guess the most important twist. Most people probably won't be able to, but I did. I guess that just makes me an obsessed reader or a very critical reviewer.

I absolutely love the supporting characters. You have Iko, this bubbly, amazing android! I love how positive and opitimistic she is! She is so happy and inspiring and helpful and loyal to Cinder. You have Kai, the prince and our love interest. He happens to be pretty charming and handsome and swoon-inducing, at least for Cinder. I like how friendly he is! I am surprised with Peony. I like how nice she is, especially for a stepsister! You don't normally find nice stepsisters! (Not in the Disney Cinderella, at least.) I love how Cinder's side characters are just as cool as our main character and how I can relate with all of them. They never, ever break character! I can kind of predict them, and that's what I LOVE about this book. You think you can predict a character, but then something happens and your thoughts change again! Exploding diagrams, people! It's crazily crazy and totally amazing!

As for the cover, let's just say the whole shoe thing has made me crazy. I've stuck this book under my cover-lust shelf, and I've got to say that I'm so not regretting it. This cover is just as amazing as the book itself, which, if you ask me, is pretty hard to do. It's even harder to drool over this book, but I did it anyways! SWOON, SWOON, SWOON!

Excuses!

Today I'm too lazy to type a review because of something called MANGA.
Here's the link: Mangahere's epic version

This one's epic!

Grave Mercy by R.L. LaFevers

I know this book is morbid, but I can't help loving it. I hate how it makes death seem so amazing, but I love it anyways! I can't help obsessing over everything about this book even if it's so creepy and scary and totally not normal! I love Grave Mercy even though I'm not supposed to! 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Grave Mercy by R.L. LaFevers
4.5 out of 5 stars
Publishing 4.3.12
Recieved from NetGalley
Summary from Goodreads: Why be the sheep, when you can be the wolf?

Seventeen-year-old Ismae escapes from the brutality of an arranged marriage into the sanctuary of the convent of St. Mortain, where the sisters still serve the gods of old. Here she learns that the god of Death Himself has blessed her with dangerous gifts—and a violent destiny. If she chooses to stay at the convent, she will be trained as an assassin and serve as a handmaiden to Death. To claim her new life, she must destroy the lives of others.

Ismae's most important assignment takes her straight into the high court of Brittany—where she finds herself woefully under prepared—not only for the deadly games of intrigue and treason, but for the impossible choices she must make. For how can she deliver Death’s vengeance upon a target who, against her will, has stolen her heart?

Ismae is a strong, jaded girl. She's so broken and has definitely been through tons of harsh experiences. When she finds herself at St. Mortain, things start to change. She starts to grow even stronger and become a warrior, or rather a handmaiden to Death. I liked reading about her experiences at the convent and what she learned. What I loved is how she developed from a bold girl unable to love to someone who is strong yet loves incomparably. I guess Ismae is that girl who is a jewel in the rough. I guess she's too amazing to write about too much as well....

Gavriel Duval. I guess all the guys who are epic assassins and have major charm happen to have cool names! He's so sharp and brilliant and sly and clever and simply not normal! At first he's headstrong and bold and totally ticks Ismae off, but as they get to know each other, they totally can't live without each other! You see, they have great chemistry! I love how their comebacks and conversations totally build off of each other. If I have to only write one thing, I guess I'd say that Gavriel totally rocks your socks off! (And your shoes!)

This is not your normal plot with normal twists and normalness. Grave Mercy is about a mission, a mission so huge that it contains so many side stories. There's a murderer, a traitor, a task to be fulfilled and allegiances to be pledged. There's so much happening that it sometimes gets overwhelming! Not only that, but there's the whole morbid aspect of it all; usually death is not that welcome or normal of a topic, but in Grave Mercy it is. One thing to definitely keep in mind is the uniqueness of this book. I don't think you'll find another one like this!

The setting is breathtaking. There's so many descriptions of an older time with simply beautiful and half romantic sights. I love how Grave Mercy is set in a time long ago, so the author gets to make everything up! The setting totally brings a lot of unique stuff such as different weapons and dress. If Grave Mercy was set in a contemporary frame, it just would not have the same ring to it. In other words, this setting is perfect just the way it is.

It's coming out in two days! Make sure to get your paws on it! It is totally more than worth it! Yay!