Review of "Hex Hall"

"Hex Hall"
by Rachel Hawkins


4

Pub Date: March 3, 2010
Pages: 336

Synopsis: Three years ago, Sophie Mercer discovered that she was a witch. It's gotten her into a few scrapes. Her non-gifted mother has been as supportive as possible, consulting Sophie's estranged father-an elusive European warlock-only when necessary. But when Sophie attracts too much human attention for a prom-night spell gone horribly wrong, it's her dad who decides her punishment: exile to Hex Hall, an isolated reform school for wayward Prodigium, a.k.a. witches, faeries, and shapeshifters. By the end of her first day among fellow freak-teens, Sophie has quite a scorecard: three powerful enemies who look like supermodels, a futile crush on a gorgeous warlock, a creepy tagalong ghost, and a new roommate who happens to be the most hated person and only vampire on campus. Worse, Sophie soon learns that a mysterious predator has been attacking students, and her only friend is the number-one suspect. As a series of blood-curdling mysteries starts to converge, Sophie prepares for the biggest threat of all: an ancient secret society determined to destroy all Prodigium, especially her.

I thought this book was a lot of fun with great fantastic characters. I read it in only a couple of days because I just couldn't put it down. I really enjoyed Sophie's character, even if I thought she was being a little dense at times. I just felt like reaching into the book and pinching her saying, "Wake up! This is SUCH a bad idea". Sophie has a wonderful sense of humor and a unique voice that hooked me into the story from the beginning. I wasn't sure how I felt about Archer, Sophie’s love interest. He had his moments, but I didn't quite grasp why he was dating Elodie. I hope that he is in the next book because I think he could develop into an interesting character, but right now I don't know how I feel about him. My absolute favorite character in the book was Sophie's roommate Jenna. I have to admit that I love pink so I could relate to Jenna's pink obsession. I just felt she was an interesting character with a lot of spunk.

I can't wait to read the next book in the "Hex Hall" series. Hawkins seems to be taking the next book in a really interesting direction that has potential to be an even more fantastic. It feels weird to predict that the next book will be so awesome, but Hawkins finished the book with some interesting twists that could make it more than just a super fun, but typical supernatural book. It does bother me that there is a black cat on the cover, but there is nothing about animals being a part of the book. Well... other than the shifters, but I don't remember there being a shifter cat in the book. I know this is just being picky, but it seemed unnecessary.

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of paranormal fiction, especially if you are looking for a fun page turner. People who like the series "Magic in Manhattan" and/or "House of Night" will enjoy "Hex Hall".

*I received an ARC of this book for free at the ALA conference.

Review of "Leviathan" by Scott Westerfeld

"Leviathan"

by Scott Westerfeld

5

Pub. Date: October 6, 2009

Pages: 448

Summary: It is the cusp of World War I, and all the European powers are arming up. The Austro-Hungarians and Germans have their Clankers, steam-driven iron machines loaded with guns and ammunition. The British Darwinists employ fabricated animals as their weaponry. Their Leviathan is a whale airship, and the most masterful beast in the British fleet.

Aleksandar Ferdinand, prince of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, is on the run. His own people have turned on him. His title is worthless. All he has is a battle-torn Stormwalker and a loyal crew of men.

Deryn Sharp is a commoner, a girl disguised as a boy in the British Air Service. She's a brilliant airman. But her secret is in constant danger of being discovered.

With the Great War brewing, Alek's and Deryn's paths cross in the most unexpected way...taking them both aboard the Leviathan on a fantastical, around-the-world adventure. One that will change both their lives forever.

I absolutely LOVED this book! It had action, suspense, beautiful illustrations, a fantastic plot, and wonderful characters. Scott Westerfeld created a fantastical world based off the real events of WWI by adding futuristic machines and genetically engineered animals into the conflict. Even though the book isn't completely historically accurate, it does cover some of the political issues going on during and prior to the war. I loved that Westerfeld added an afterword that goes over what is fact and what he fictionalized. Westerfeld made this book appealing to both girls and boys through the fast paced story that followed two main characters of the opposite sex.

As mentioned earlier, Westerfeld has added beautiful illustrations that help the reader to better understand some of the scenes that Westerfeld is trying to portray. I feel like the illustrations really brought the characters and machines to life. The world created is so intricate that it helped having the visuals so I wasn't bogged down by descriptions. I was a bit worried that it might slow down the pace of the book, but I didn't find it to be a problem. It was actually really cool to have a visual of some of the action scenes.

Between "Leviathan" and "Incarceron" I am hooked on steampunk and cannot wait to read more of the sub-genre. If you want to learn more about "Leviathan" just check out Scott Westerfeld's blog. The first chapter and the afterword are available if you are interested, but the afterword does have some spoilers. You can check out the blog here. I highly recommend that people who are fans of fantasy or sci-fi check out this book.

YA Books Reach a Broad Audience

My brother forwarded me an article from the Los Angeles Times discussing why teen books appeal to adults as well as younger audiences. I'm sure a lot of us bloggers are aware of this, but I just thought it was interesting to see what some of the top publishers and authors had to say on the topic. Check out the article here.

Teaser Tuesdays

"Leviathan"

Scott Westerfeld

Excerpt from page 60:
"The Huxley let out a screech above the wind, like the horrible sound when one of Da's air bladders would spring a leak.
'No, Beastie! We're almost safe!'"

I am a little more than halfway through the book and loving it! It is one of those books where you are late places because you can't put it down.

Teaser Tuesdays was started by MizB on her blog. On Teaser Tuesdays participants are asked to grab the book they are currently reading and open it to a random page. Then fist two "teaser" sentences on that page between lines 7 and 12. The key is to entice readers to pick up the book without giving away any spoilers.

Review of "Dirty Little Secrets" by C.J. Omololu

"Dirty Little Secrets"
by C.J. Omololu

4

Pub. Date: February 2, 2010
Pages: 224

Synopsis: Everyone has a secret. But Lucy’s is bigger and dirtier than most. It’s one she’s been hiding for years—that her mom’s out-of-control hoarding has turned their lives into a world of garbage and shame. She’s managed to keep her home life hidden from her best friend and her crush, knowing they’d be disgusted by the truth. So, when her mom dies suddenly in their home, Lucy hesitates to call 911 because revealing their way of life would make her future unbearable—and she begins her two-day plan to set her life right.

With details that are as fascinating as they are disturbing, C. J. Omololu weaves an hour-by-hour account of Lucy’s desperate attempt at normalcy. Her fear and isolation are palpable as readers are pulled down a path from which there is no return, and the impact of hoarding on one teen’s life will have readers completely hooked.

I found this book to be very original and well written. I liked how Omololu was able to capture how nostalgic it is to go through old belongings and the forgotten memories that resurface. Lucy's relationship with her mother is tragic and difficult to read about. It is hard to imagine a daughter not calling 911 immediately when finding their mother dead, but that just shows how embarrassing and devastating her mother's hoarding was. The detail that Omololu uses to describe the filth in Lucy's house helps the reader to visualize the disgusting living situation that Lucy was able to survive in through adaptation. This story is not just about Lucy trying to hide a painful secret that she thinks will destroy her life, but it is also about the effect that hoarding has on Lucy's entire family.

"Dirty Little Secrets" is a quick read because of it's length, but it is still able to give readers a memorable story. The ending left me a wanting to know what would happen next, but I realize that would be a whole other story. This makes the ending very fitting because there is so much uncertainty about Lucy's life that there really isn't a neat way to wrap up her story without it being too hokey and predictable.

Review of "Bloody Kiss" Volumes 1-2

"Bloody Kiss" Volume 1
Kazuko Furumiya

3.5

Pub. Date: August 4, 2009
Pages: 208

Synopsis: When Kiyo inherits her grandmother's house, she gets a lot more than she bargained for. You see, also living in the home are two hot vampires -- Kuroboshi and his servant, Alshu! Then things go from weird to bloody crazy when Kuroboshi decides to make Kiyo his "bride"-- his only source of blood! Kazuko Furumiya's sexy vampire comedy is filled with an adorable cast of characters that you'll love to bits and pieces--and a whopper of an ending in the next volume!


"Bloody Kiss" Volume 2
Kazuko Furumiya


3.5

Pub Date: November 3, 2009
Pages: 208

Synopsis: Much to Kiyo's dismay, Kuroboshi and Alshu begin attending her school, and of course, Kuroboshi is a hit with all the young female students. Kiyo's not the only one annoyed with the new arrival, though. Another student, Fujiwara, doesn't like sharing the spotlight and challenges Kiyo to a tennis match. If Kiyo loses...Kuroboshi has to leave! Problem solved, right? But when Kiyo realizes her feelings for Kuroboshi might be stronger than she first thought, she becomes determined to win the match!

"Bloody Kiss" Volumes 1-2 are a great start to a series. I thought it was really neat how Kiyo discovers two vampires hiding out in her grandmother's rundown house. It is kind of cute thinking of vampires who are homeless. Even though Kuroboshi turns Kiyo into his bride without her consent, I couldn't help but adore him anyway. I also found Alshu to be a funny character and a great addition to the book. Even though the book was pretty wacky, I really enjoyed the tug of war relationship between Kiyo and Kuroboshi. I also really enjoyed the guys attempts at blending in at Kiyo's school. Of course it didn't really work too well because they are alluring vampires, but it was a fun idea to see play out. The second book introduces Mizukami, a childhood friend of Kiyo, that does not approve of associations with Kuroboshi and Alshu. I really enjoyed his character and wished that we got to read more about him.

Overall I found this series to be really cute and enjoyable. I read both books in a day and wished there were more. I think this would be a good series to start off reading if you were interested in getting into manga and like paranormal romance. It is also nice because there are only two books in the series, so you don't have worry about investing the time into 20+ volumes. I don't know about other people, but I need to switch around the books I read so I don't get too bored. Check out a preview of "Bloody Kiss" here at Tokyopop.

Review: of "The Iron King"

"The Iron King"
by Julie Kagawa


4

Pub. Date: February 1st, 2010
Pages: 368

Synopsis:

Meghan Chase has a secret destiny—one she could never have imagined…

Something has always felt slightly off in Meghan's life, ever since her father disappeared before her eyes when she was six. She has never quite fit in at school…or at home.

When a dark stranger begins watching her from afar, and her prankster best friend becomes strangely protective of her, Meghan senses that everything she's known is about to change.

But she could never have guessed the truth—that she is the daughter of a mythical faery king and is a pawn in a deadly war. Now Meghan will learn just how far she'll go to save someone she cares about, to stop a mysterious evil no faery creature dare face…and to find love with a young prince who might rather see her dead than let her touch his icy heart.

"The Iron King" has a very fast paced plot that was able to keep my interest from start to finish. The book starts off like many teen books describing issues the main character has at school, but it quickly switches to a fantasy realm where Meghan is constantly in danger. I loved being able to see what Meghan's life was like before she discovered her identity because it helped me understand her character. The ordinary life Meghan had before she discovers that she is part fey makes the book more believable, even Meghan has issues accepting the truths that are revealed to her. Meghan's search for identity is something that many people can relate to and Kagawa makes this a central theme for the book. The description of the fey world and unique characters bring the book to life. All the elements of the book have made it a wonderful debut novel that leave me wanting more!

I can't wait to see where the series goes from here. Kagawa has started the series off with a bang with plenty of room to grow. I think she did a great job satisfying the main storyline, while leaving some characters in peril and danger lurking nearby. Julie has her own website with some really cool features including a playlist for the book and a book trailer. Check out her website here.