Divergent

Divergent
by: Veronica Roth

In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue-Candor(the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent).  On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives.  For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is-she can't have both.  So she makes a choice that suprises everyone, including herself.


During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles to determine who her friends really are-and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes infuriating boy fits into the life she's chosen.  But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned t can mean death.  And as she discovers a growing conflict that threatens to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves...or it might destroy her.




I'm sure you've heard of this book and all of it's awesomeness already.  But I have to say that while I enjoyed it, I didn't think it was as amazing as everyone said it was.  I think the hype ruined it for me.  Sure there were some good parts, but most of this book was Tris getting trained.  Nothing all that special really...
The ending was good, I'll give you that, and I definitely want to know what happens next.

This might sound a little weird, but a lot of the book reminded me of Ender's game.  The whole training thing, and how people started to not like her because she was so small, and yet so strong.  There was even a naked shower type scene!

I have a lot of questions though, like how can people be expected to only be one virtue?  You can only be intelligent but you can't be fearless?  How the hell would that even work??  Are they dumbed down humans and can only process one emotion?

Tris, to me, was not easy to relate to.  Her inner voice was stilted and kind of emotionless.  And Four was alright but I would really be annoyed if everytime I talked to someone they grabbed me under the chin and made me look at them.   I'd feel really demeaned and childlike...but that's just me.

Anyways, it was just an okay read for me.  I'm sure most of you would disagree with me though so go out and read it for yourselves!

Blood and Chocolate

Blood and Chocolate
by: Annette Curtis Klause

        Vivian Gandillon relishes the change, the sweet, fierce ache that carries her from girl to wolf.  At sixteen, she is beautiful and strong, and all the young wolves are on her tail.  But Vivian still grieves for her dead father; her pack remains leaderless and in disarray, and she feels lost in the suburbs of Maryland.  She longs for a normal life.  But what is normal for a werewolf?
       Then Vivian falls in love with a human, a meatboy.  Aiden is kind and gentle, a welcome relief from the squabbling pack.  He's fascinated by magic, and Vivian longs to reveal herself to him.  Surely he would understand her and delight in the wonder of her dual nature, not fear her as an ordinary human would.
       Vivian's divided loyalties are strained further when a brutal murder threatens to expose the pack.  Moving between two worlds, she does not seem to belong in either.  What is she really- human or beast?  Which tastes sweeter - blood or chocolate?




  I'm not sure what to think of this book.  I think if this had been my first werewolf book I would have loved it.  I think if this book had nothing to do with Aiden, and only been about the inner workings and the shambles of the broken wolf pack I would have loved it even more.  Instead this book was 50% about how Vivian really likes Aiden and how she wants to taste him, and 50% bad ass crazy werewolf stuff.

I had a really hard time liking Vivian. She was....kind of a bitch.  There!! I said it!
Aiden was UGH!  He turned into such a ..GRRRR  I just wanted to slap him.  I wish Vivian had.
I liked Gabriel, but it was definitely odd how he kind of went from being the creepy older man, to a good guy.  Didn't really see that one coming.

Anywho, I liked the last bit of the book the best.  Most entertaining.  This book was just okay for me.

Farro

Farro

By: Arreana

Khensa, a girl from the slums, is one of the last of a dying breed.  Farro blood courses through her veins and for it she has suffered countless atrocities.  Orphaned, kidnapped, imprisoned, and tortured, she endures without knowing if it shall ever end.  For eleven months she endures...

Enter Bomani, her unintentional savior.  Sent by his father to assassinate the high priest, he finds her, bloody, starved, and naked upon the floor.  She is feral and half-crazed and yet still he takes her away.  He introduces her to a whole new world- his own.

Together they navigate their way around a fragile society of kings, vendettas, and magic.  Their story crosses deserts and mountains.  It begins with fire and ends with water.

This book was awesome!  Right from the start you are dragged into Khensa's story.  The first chapter is probably one of the most exciting first chapters I've read in a while.

Khensa is a great lead.  She is incredibly strong and doesn't take crap from anyone.  She always does things with the best of intentions, and learns from her mistakes.  Bomani is a total ass at the beginning, but as the story progresses, you see him open up.  Their unlikely friendship is great to watch unfold, and you see them begin to have mutual respect for each other.

The world Arreana has built is insane.  And you pretty much have to love a world where krakens exist!
I could not believe where some of these story lines went.  I mean really, who would have thought that playing one song on a harp would end up making you have a price on your head?  I would explain more but honestly, you just need to read this book to find out.

Farro has so much going on, this story is just so huge, but Arreana does an amazing job keeping the story together and clean.  I can't wait to see what happens in the next book!

If you enjoy books with strong female leads, magic, political intrigues, back stabbing, and tiny bits of love in the making, then you should give this book a try!

Once Bitten

Once Bitten

by: Kalayna Price


Kita Nekai, on the run and the smallest of her shifter clan-a calico cat among lions and tigers-is being hunted.  She was expected to accept her role as her father's successor whether or not her cat was up to the task of leading the clan.  She disagreed.  Now she's less than a step ahead of the hunters, bone-tired, cold, and living hand-to-mouth in the city of Haven.  And that's the high point of her day.  She's also drugged, "accidentally" turned into a vampire, and sentenced to death for recklessly creating as rouge shifter who tortures its human prey.  She's got seventy-two hours to find the rogue, evade a city full of hunters, prove she's not responsible for the rogue, and keep the vampire council from killing her.  All while sorting out an apprentice mage, a married ex-boyfriend shifter-hunter, and the vampire who made her.



WOW. That is a really long synopsis.  Pretty much tells the whole story if you ask me.  I had some problems with this book.  Mainly, the world building.  I mean, usually I'm not too fond of all the descriptions, but even a girl like me needs SOME background information.  Like what the hell is Haven anyways.  And where exactly is Firth, not to mention....what the hell is it?!

So Kita is on the run from hunters.  Ok still not entirely clear on the hunters thing.  Were they trying to kill her or just drag her back to...Firth(?)  Kita gets turned into a vampire.  Don't you think if you were turned into a vampire that you would want answers IMMEDIATELY?  Yeah? me too!  Kita?  Not so much. She's more concerned about why she doesn't feel cold anymore,  (maybe because you're a vampire?)  and why does my ex-boyfriend smell so good all of a sudden?  Maybe it's the vampire thing again?  There is a vampire standing right behind you, why not ask him??  No?  oh okay then.  ARG!  Kita continues to do this through out the book.  Always wondering and never asking the one person who can at least give her some answers.  Very frustrating!

Then there is a side character Gil who is...I dunno some random person who is basically only around to glamor people when they are trying to get answers.  Useless.

Anywho, aside from Kita and her refusal to get answers, I'd say that overall it was an okay story, but I just can't get past how passive for answers Kita was.  I like my heroines to have a little less fear and drive to get answers.  I will  not be reading the next book in this series!

I have another book by this author sitting on my shelf and am looking forward to reading it.  Grave Witch...have you heard of it?  Is it good?



That is all.  Continue on with your day.  :)

Dead, Undead or Somewhere in Between

Dead Undead or Somewhere in Between
by: J.A. Saare

One bad corpse can ruin your whole day.


No one knows that better than Rhiannon Murphy.
She left behind the flash and sass of Miami for the no-nonsense groove of New York City, eager for a clean slate, and a fresh start.  A bartender by trade, a loudmouth by choice, and a necromancer by chance; she managed to keep her nifty talent hidden from those around her - until now.
   The deliciously good looking vampire Disco knows her secret.  When he strolls into her bar to solicit help investigating the mysterious disappearances of his kind from the city, Rhiannon discovers he's not the kind of person that appreciates the significance of the word no.
But in a world where vampires peddle their blood as the latest and greatest drug of choice, it's only a matter of time before the next big thing hits the market.  Someone or something is killing vampires to steal their hearts, and unlike Rhiannon this isn't their first stroll around the undead block.



I love Rhiannon.  End of story.  She is so sassy, and loud mouthed, and sarcastic, it's hard to contain one's love for a character like her.

I liked how the plot of the story moved along, there was never a dull moment, and it was fun getting to know all the characters like Goose and Disco.

I know that vampires have been done to death (ha haha) in these recent years so obviously ideas from other books are going to make it to another persons book eventually, but the whole vampire blood drug industry really reminded me of the Sookie Stackhouse series.  But that is pretty much where the similarities end  :)

Disco was enjoyable, and their relationship was awwww (kind of sappy).

I can't wait to read the next book becauuusssseeee.......IT ENDED ON A CRAZY CLIFFHANGER!!!!   OMG!!!!!!!



Next book comes out August 23!



Oh, there is excessive amounts of swearing, and several bloody descriptions in this book.
(probably why I loved it so much)

Warm Bodies

Warm Bodies
by: Isaac Marion

     R is a young man with an existential crisis - he is a zombie.  He shuffles throught an America destroyed by war, social collapse, and the mindless hunger of his undead comrades, but he craves something more than blood and brains.  He can speak just a few grunted syllables, but his inner life is deep, full of wonder and longing.  He has no memories, no identity, and no pulse, but he has dreams
      After experiencing a teenage boy's memories while consuming his brain, R makes an unexpected choice that begins a tense, awkward, and strangely sweet relationship with the victim's human girlfriend.  Julie is a blast of color in the dreary and gray landscape that surrounds R.  His decision to protect her will transform not only R but also his fellow Dead, and perhaps their whole lifeless world.










I can honestly say that I loved this book.  And can I just say thank goodness?  Because it's been a while since I could actually get through a book without wanting to put it down and do something else.
I started reading this in the airport, and finished before the plane landed, which kind of sucked because I really wanted MORE R!!!

R was an excellent leading zombie man.  He was thoughtful and insightful and wanting so much more from his zombie life.  His descriptions of what he did during the day had me giggling, and I loved how he told his story.  I loved the fact that when the zombies eat other peoples brains they got to re-live that persons memories.  Fan- freakin- tastic!

Favorite line:  "My friend "M"  says the irony of being a zombie is that everything is funny, but you can't smile because your lips have rotted off."

If you don't like random descriptions of how throats are being ripped out and blood gets spattered everywhere, then this is probably not the book for you.  However, if you don't mind a little violence, a tinsy bit of romance, and lessons on how to take down a human for consumption, then this will be a great read for you.

Impulse

Impulse
by Ellen Hopkins

Tony's painful childhood memories can be quelled only through pills.  Vanessa has a secret that keeps her coming back to the blade.  And Connor seems to have the perfect life on the outside, but his inward battle with his parents, his peers, and himself give him one last choice-to pull the trigger.


These are three lives that would have been cut short if not for the hasty intervention by loved ones.  Or fate.  Now they are given a second chance at a better life- but only if they help one another, and if they find the strength to let go of their inner demons.  For good.







I could not get into this book.  I couldn't relate to the characters.  I think the switiching perspectives really slowed the story down.  Also,

           *Spoilers ahead* 



 What is with the mommy hating?  All three characters had some serious mommy issues and the daddies where the saviors, well, in most cases.

Also I kind of did not like how much the kids depended on being medicated.  I understand that for a lot of people they need it, but towards the end when it's the last final step before they can be released out into the wild, they are still being medicated day and night.  And the one boy who decides to stop taking his meds on the trip gets severley depressed and ends up killing himself.  I have to say that I am not quite sure I like the message that this book sends out.

1. Blame everything on your mother
2.  Medicate youreslf to cure yourself.

weird.

And the love connection that happened, to me at least, seemed really out of place.




               *end spoilers* 






Uhh that is all.

I like Hopkins' Crank trilogy much better.