Friday, December 27, 2013

The "Hush, Hush" Series: Book Review by Andrew


 


Hush, Hush

By: Becca Fitzpatrick


Published: October 13, 2009













"Romance was not part of Nora Grey's plan. She's never been particularly attracted to the boys at her school, no matter how hard her best friend, Vee, pushes them at her. Not until Patch comes along. With his easy smile and eyes that seem to see inside her, Patch draws Nora to him against her better judgment.

But after a series of terrifying encounters, Nora's not sure whom to trust. Patch seems to be everywhere she is and seems to know more about her than her closest friends. She can't decide whether she should fall into his arms or run and hide. And when she tries to seek some answers, she finds herself near a truth that is way more unsettling than anything Patch makes her feel.

For she is right in the middle of an ancient battle between the immortal and those that have fallen - and, when it comes to choosing sides, the wrong choice will cost Nora her life."



REVIEW:  First of all, the title I wrote is a perfect lie. I have only read "Hush, Hush" and a small portion of "Crescendo", and here is why. I'll keep this review short, because I don't want to be too mean. Hush hush has to have been the worst book I have ever read. Becca has almost no logical continuity in her writing, creates loopholes in the plot, and is so emotionally driven that all sense of realism is knocked out and replaced by a teenage wasteland of hormonal nonsense. The ONLY redeeming quality of her writing is the character Patch, the romantic interest of Nora. Patch has a mysterious presence about him that is indeed alluring and intriguing, but it only goes so far. While Patch's mysterious presence was able to keep me reading throughout "Hush, Hush", the overbearing fallacies of the plot became too much for me and I couldn't bear to continue reading through "Crescendo". Do not read this series, it is a waste of valuable time you could be spending on staring at a wall; at least that'd be more entertaining and stimulating. I am sorry for being so blunt, but it is the God honest truth; I was very disappointed. 

Monday, December 9, 2013

Apologies...

Hello, it's Andrew. I have to apologize for the lack of reviews lately. As of now the computer which I typically use is getting repaired, so I will not be able to post my reviews for a while. But I promise I am working hard to deliver! I have recently read the first book of the Hush, Hush series, and the first of the Unremembered trilogy. I also will be reviewing my favorite series - The Seven Realms Series by Cinda Williams Chima. There are also plenty of other books that I'll be reviewing as December rolls along, so make sure you keep coming back so you don't miss any of the upcoming reviews and giveaways!

City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare

City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare 
City of Ashes (The Mortal Instruments, #2)Released: March 25, 2008
Publisher: McElderry Books
Series: The Mortal Instruments, Book 2

Preceded By: City of Bones
Followed By: City of Glass
Page Amount: 453, US Paperback
POV: 3rd Person
Buy it here: Barnes & NobleAmazon


OVERALL:
Plot-19/20
Characters-18/20
Creativity-20/20
Writing-19/20
Pace-9/10
Ending-10/10
=95/100 A
/5




SUMMARY:
Clary Fray just wishes that her life would go back to normal. But what's normal when you're a demon-slaying Shadowhunter, your mother is in a magically induced coma, and you can suddenly see Downworlders like werewolves, vampires, and faeries? If Clary left the world of the Shadowhunters behind, it would mean more time with her best friend, Simon, who's becoming more than a friend. But the Shadowhunting world isn't ready to let her go — especially her handsome, infuriating, newfound brother, Jace. And Clary's only chance to help her mother is to track down rogue Shadowhunter Valentine, who is probably insane, certainly evil — and also her father. To complicate matters, someone in New York City is murdering Downworlder children. Is Valentine behind the killings — and if he is, what is he trying to do? When the second of the Mortal Instruments, the Soul-Sword, is stolen, the terrifying Inquisitor arrives to investigate and zooms right in on Jace. How can Clary stop Valentine if Jace is willing to betray everything he believes in to help their father?-Goodreads.com


REViEW:

If you read my City of Bones review, you're probably wondering why I picked up this book and why I loved it after tearing apart City of Bones. Well, what can I say? This book is 100x better than the first book. From the start, this book knocks out powerful plot turn after plot turn. It was intriguing because I never knew what twist was going to happen next. There is some more romance and a love triangle in this book, which also helped move the plot along. The writing, although in the third person, made this long book feel as if it was 100 pages long. I still felt attached to almost all the characters and really liked to see the action unfold. Shadowhunters are such a unique concept and I absolutely love how that sets this series apart from other paranormal YA.


I had mixed feelings about the characters in this book. Clary, who I liked more in the first book, really got on my nerves at times throughout this installment. I'm sorry, but she just acted stupid at times. She won't listen to those who clearly have more experience and knowledge than her and ends up ruining and almost killing them all. Every. Single. Time. On the other hand, I loved all of the other characters. Alec and Magnus were adorable as always. Simon's story I had a little bit of trouble enjoying because I really liked him as a mortal and don't really like the werewolf and vampire incorporation into this series. I miss Isabelle. She's my favorite and I wish there was more of her. Jace was also one of my favorites, but like Clary, I had some issues with him. City of Bones portrayed him as a sarcastic, excuse my language, smart ass, which I personally loved. This book showed him all moody and lovey, which really made me want to gag. Yes, I am a hypocrite, because in my City of Bones review I talked about how much I hated the book because there was a minuscule amount of romance. Well, that doesn't mean I want Clare going overboard either. Jace needs to remain a witty bad boy. He just has to.

The ending made my heart pound. Clare describes the action with such descriptive and vivid details that make it read like a movie. Valentine I despise with all my heart because he is so evil. Clare played out those ending battle scenes with Valentine with such flawlessness that I was left amazed. I can't give much away, but let's just say I cannot wait for Christmas because I have a strong feeling that City of Glass will be under my tree!

My Favorite Part: The Jace-Simon-Clary love triangle angst.

ALL iN ALL:
Do I recommend this book? Yes, this is an amazing series.
Will I be reading the next book? Yes, I'm even excited to.

Thanks for reading!


It's a Book Thing
Review by Macy ♥

Friday, December 6, 2013

Fantasy Prize Pack Christmas Giveaway

Come on and be merry!
   It is almost Christmas, and, as promised, today begins the first of many Christmas giveaways! This week, I am giving away a brand new ARC of Blowback by Valerie Plame and Sarah Lovett, an autographed Mari Mancusi bookplate and swag, as well as two signed Witch Eyes by Scott Tracey bookmarks! All you have to do to be entered to win this fantasy prize pack is follow my blog and fill out this quick and simple form! The winner will be randomly chosen on the 17th. I wish you all the best of luck and please pass this giveaway on to your friends!


Enter for Your Chance to Win 
A Christmas Fantasy Prize Pack



Official Giveaway Rules:
• to enter please follow the instructions in the rafflecopter form
• you must be following this blog to enter (GFC, Bloglovin', or by Email) 
• entrants must be 13 years of age or have parental permission before entering this contest
• this giveaway is only available to those who live in the US
• I will announce the winner shortly after this giveaway is completed
• I will notify the winner by email and will have 72 hours to reply before a new winner is chosen
• please do not leave your email in comment section


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thursday, December 5, 2013

Allegiant by Veronica Roth

Allegiant by Veronica Roth
Allegiant (Divergent, #3)Released: October 22, 2013
Publisher: Katherine Tegen
Series: Divergent, Book 3

Preceded By: Divergent & Insurgent
Page Amount: 526, US Hardback
POV: 1st Person (Tris or Tobias)
Buy it here: Barnes & NobleAmazon


OVERALL:
Plot-19/20
Characters-20/20
Creativity-20/20
Writing-18/20
Pace-9/10
Ending-9/10
=95/100 A
/5




SUMMARY:
The faction-based society that Tris Prior once believed in is shattered—fractured by violence and power struggles and scarred by loss and betrayal. So when offered a chance to explore the world past the limits she’s known, Tris is ready. Perhaps beyond the fence, she and Tobias will find a simple new life together, free from complicated lies, tangled loyalties, and painful memories. But Tris’s new reality is even more alarming than the one she left behind. Old discoveries are quickly rendered meaningless. Explosive new truths change the hearts of those she loves. And once again, Tris must battle to comprehend the complexities of human nature—and of herself—while facing impossible choices about courage, allegiance, sacrifice, and love. -Goodreads.com


REViEW:
Well, this is the last Divergent book, and because of it, I will never be the same. I had mixed feelings about reading this book because I didn't want this series to end, but this book is the most amazing conclusion ever. One thing I have always enjoyed about Roth's writing style is how thought out it is. Everything came together in this book. My only complaint about the writing is that Tris and Tobias' point of views were written the exact same way, making it difficult to tell the two voices apart. I know they are a lot alike, but it was confusing at times. Other then that, I thought that the plot was very well executed. I loved the incorporation of science and genetics. The dispute over "pure genes" and "damaged genes" was quite fascinating and I could sadly see that happening in the future. This book, as like all of the Divergent books, is really long, but the story moves so fast that half of my friends have been able to read it in one day. This intense story is definitely worth the time. 

Oh man. I feel like crying just thinking about the characters. I miss them so much. Tris was just as likable as in the first two installments. She is one of the strongest, likable, and most realistic girl protagonist that I have ever encountered. Her voice is enjoyable and the feelings she displays allows the reader to connect with her on a personal level. Let's not forget how witty and smart she is. Her relationship with Tobias is beautiful. I loved those two together. Unfortunately, they think that a simple kiss will solve all of their issues. Yes, there was kissing and a lot of it. Not so much to detract from the story, but enough at the worst times to make you want to smack Tris to not get distracted by Tobias' smexiness. That being said, Tobias is like the man of all men. He's realistic in that he does not believe he is good enough, yet he still is strong and determined. His relationship with his family really hit at my heartstrings too. All of the other minor characters were back too along with some new ones. I loved how even the tiniest of  characters could have such vivid backstories. Amar, Christina, Uriah, Zeke, Cara, Caleb, they all made this book come together and blossom into my heart. 

No matter how sad the ending was, Roth had it planned from the very first book. That took thought and guts. I applaud her for making such a decision that would crush many reader's hearts. Veronica Roth's saying is "be brave." I think that she truly demonstrated what that means by writing the ending that this story called for. Please, if you read this book, do not ruin the ending for anyone else. I know how tempting it is to tell someone so you can cry your eyes out together, but please refrain because it will spoil the surprise for them. Anyway, this book and series is amazing. There is something in it for everyone. 

My Favorite Part: Every little thing about this book is amazing.

ALL iN ALL:
Do I recommend this book? YES, YES, YES! Go read it fast before you get spoiled!

Thanks for reading!


It's a Book Thing
Review by Macy ♥

Sunday, December 1, 2013

25 Days of Christmas: Book Edition

25 DAYS of CHRiSTMAS: BOOK EDiTiON!

  Every day this month will be something new to It's a Book Thing. We are talking reviews, Waiting on Wednesdays, In My Mailboxes, Top Tens, some other surprises and weekly giveaways. Yes, you read that right. Every Friday until Christmas we will be having a giveaway here on the blog! All leading up to a huge a giveaway starting Christmas Day and ending on New Years! That all adds up to 4 giveaways! Please stay tuned for those the first one will be up this coming Friday! This will be the best month for It's a Book Thing and for all of you book lovers who love a chance to win some free books and swag. Please Follow my blog with Bloglovin to prepare for this month's festivities! Thanks guys! I love you all! :D

UPCOMiNG REViEWS FOR DECEMBER
1. Allegiant
2. Shade
3. Just One Day
4. Hidden
5. Fever
6. Pandemonium
7. So Much Closer
8. Revealed
9. Sweet Evil
10. Obsidian
11. The Raven Boys
12. Beautiful Chaos
13. Witches of East End
14. City of Ashes
+ whatever Andrew reviews (he's currently reading the Hush, Hush saga!)

CURRENTLY READiNG
1. Storm

I have my work cut out for me. But you guys are worth it. Happy holidays and stay warm with a good book!


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