Book Review: Altered

TITLE: Altered
Book 1 in the new Altered series
AUTHOR: Jennifer Rush
PUBLISHED: January 2013
CATEGORY: YA
GENRE: Adventure/action, mystery, romance
PREMISE: Anna has lived with her father in the lab for years. When four boys are brought in, she befriends them over time until secrets are exposed as they try to escape.
MY REVIEW: Okay, I admit it: I wasn't expecting much from this one. The summary, combined with the cover just made me go eh but I heard such good things that I had to at least give it a shot. While the romance is rather weak the rest of the book? Loved, loved, loved.
This is a author who knows how to spin a tale. She gives just the right amounts of action, drama, and romance, and character to make you invested in the story. I will admit there are definite archtypes in the story but you know what? I still like the characters. Archtypes they may be, at least the author knows how to make them interesting archtypes that are likable and not totally boring. Rush's writing is also rather decent. She's got great natural dialogue and neat prose that suck you into the story.
Considering this was the author's first book I was rather impressed. I can't wait to read the rest of the series even if I'm pretty sure there's likely going to be a love triangle forming between Nick/Anna/Sam and I'm not looking forward to that drama (and I'm betting she'll double it by having the sister being alive and then there'll be Anna/Sam/Dani drama) but hey, maybe Rush will surprise me again with that. ;keeps fingers crossed; If you're looking for a action packed plot with a side of romance, I rec this one.
WHO SHOULD READ: adventure fans, Jason Bourne fans
MY RATING: Four out of Five science labs

Book Review: Witch Eyes

TITLE: Witch Eyes
Book 1 in the Witch Eyes series
AUTHOR: Scott Tracey
PUBLISHED: 2011
CATEGORY: YA
GENRE: GLBT, Urban fantasy, witches,
PREMISE: Braden gets sent to live in a small town for his own safety and soon gets caught up in a magical turf war...
MY REVIEW: First I will say I love that this is a glbt book with magical elements. Most books dealing with a main gay character are generally contemporary. And I get it, that setting lets them talk about the issues and so on. But I think there's also something to be said about having a gay character that's in a plot like this one where it really is, he just happens to be gay and a large part of the plot deals with the fantasy part as well as his ill fated love affair with his enemy's son.
I really liked this one. It's decently written and has great action. Yes, most of it followed most of the usual UF tropes and just threw in a little Romeo and Juliet in there but I liked this world Tracey created and you just want to root for Braden. I will warn, it is on the dark side. If you don't like dark characters/situations...probably not for you.
But if you don't mind dark stuff and like your glbt books with a little more fantasy then this one should do the trick for you. Just be warned: you may come down with "I need the next book NOW" syndrome.
WHO SHOULD READ: gay/lesbian book fans, UF fans, Wicked Lovely fans
MY RATING: Four out of Five families battling it out Romeo and Juliet style

Top Ten Tuesday: Auto-buy authors

This is a weekly meme hosted by the girls over at The Broke and the Bookish.

My Top Ten Auto-Buy authors

Well this is strange because I very rarely do auto-buy authors but I do have auto-buy series that I do a lot. So I'll point out the authors who it's really the series I auto-buy.

1) Neil Gaiman-I just love this man's work. It's always creative, it's always fun, and I've always enjoyed his stuff. I can't wait for his new book coming out this summer especially now that I've basically have read everything except a few volumes of Sandman and Fragile Things.

2) Tamora Pierce-I have basically grown up with Tortall/Circle of Magic. I started reading them in middle-school after discovering Alanna and the Circle books and have always bought the new books every year they've come out since. I can't wait for Battle Magic this year and the amount I really want the book about Tris in magic school and the Maura of Dunlath book is really kind of sad considering those don't come out till like two/three years.

3) Meg Cabot-Cabot is another author I have been loyal too since middle school back when Princess Diaries wasn't even four books long and the Mediator/1-800-WHERE-R-U books were just starting. Cabot never disappoints me. Even Abandon, which I have some issues with, I still find highly enjoyable.

4) JK Rowling-True, I have not read her adult book yet. Mostly due to time and lack of funds. I will be reading it sometime this year though as well as anything else she writes in the future ;cough; Harry Potter Encyclopedia ;cough;

5) Libba Bray-Every so often you get a author whose books just outright suit your personality and click with you. Libba Bray is one such author for me. I swear it's like sometimes she digs into my mind and throws everything I like into her books knowing what will make me love them. I want the second Diviners book SO MUCH.

6) Richelle Mead-Well this is actually just the Vampire Academy books. Her other books I mostly read in the library but the VA/Bloodlines books are on my permanent buy list. Hence my buying of Indigo Spell despite having like five books on my owned tbr pile.

7) Rick Riordan-I love his mythology books. They are such glorious addictive crack. Are they kind of predictable? Sure. But damn are they entertaining.

8) Laini Taylor-With her Daughter of Smoke and Bone series this author is definitely a auto-buy. These books are fabulous.

9) Lauren Oliver-Delirium Trilogy comes to an end this year and I'm going to be so sorry to see it go. But I can't wait to see what else her creative brain has in store for us.

10) Gail Carriger-I love her stuff. It's funny and entertaining and with great covers. I can't wait to get my hands on Etiquette and Espionage whenever I get the money and to a store that has it and when my tbr pile gets a little lower.

Book Review: The Dead and Buried

TITLE: The Dead and Buried
AUTHOR: Kim Harrington
PUBLISHED: 2013
CATEGORY: YA
GENRE: Paranormal Mystery
PREMISE: Jade and her family have just moved into a great house and a great neighborhood. Then she learns from her brother that a ghost is in the house and it turns out to be the ghost of the girl who previously lived there...who was murdered.
MY REVIEW: I love a good ghost story and frankly there just aren't enough of them out there. Especially in YA. There are ghosts, but usually the ghosts are a subplot or even if the character is a ghost that's largely ignored in favor of a love story (yes, I am referring to Hereafter). So it's nice having a story that's just about a ghost and solving the ghost's murder. It's a simple straight forward plot and you know what? It still works.
It does help that it's written by Harrington who is starting to become my favorite paranormal writer. She knows how to weave a good plausible mystery in with interesting main characters and even manages to sometimes throw in commentary about social groups and popularity in there. Granted, I felt the romance between Jade and Donavon was a little weak but that wasn't the main plot and there was no soul mate talk so I'm not too upset about it (and I will take a million Donavons over say Patch any day of the week). It was a good mystery that did manage to surprise me with the way it went.
True, this won't win any writing awards. But if you're in the mood for a spooky paranormal mystery along the lines of Pretty Little Liars (but doesn't take as long to reveal the villain and with smarter teen sleuths) then I totally rec this. I think this is a standalone but considering the brother I kind of wonder if the author is setting this up as a series. If she is I'm totally for it. Even if I really want more Clarity books instead.
WHO SHOULD READ: Clarity fans, paranormal fans, Pretty Little Liars fans
MY RATING: Four out of Five prom queen ghosts

Stacking the Shelves: Feb. 24rth

This is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga over at Tynga's Reviews that tells people what new books we've gotten over the week.

From Netgalley:
Immortal Rules Book 2: The Eternity Cure by Julie Kagawa-Sequel to my personal favorite from last year: The Immortal Rules. Out April 30th so don't expect a review till that week (I like to do reviews the week of to help out the publishers for release dates)

Ruined Book 2: Unbroken by Paula Morris-Sequel to the vastly underrated Ruined. Out now, will try to review as fast as possible.

Downloaded to Kindle:
The Faerie Ring series Book 2: The Torn Wing by Kiki Hamilton-I admit I was lukewarm about Faerie Ring but it was good enough that I'm interested in the sequel and this one is currently free on Kindle so I couldn't resist.

The Mist on Bronte Moor by Aviva Orr-Currently free on Kindle. Like the idea even if I raise my eyebrow at the idea of a teen girl who is unaware of who the Bronte family is. Even if you don't actively read most people have heard of Jane Eyre/Wuthering Heights and know the Bronte sisters wrote them so that seems highly implausible to me but I'm going to give the author the benefit of doubt.

From bookstores (combination of using up the last of the Christmas gift cards and being stuck at my store during a snowstorm):
Infernal Devices Book 2: Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare-Because Clockwork Princess comes out next month and while I think Mortal Instruments needs to just end already, this series I still enjoy.

Bloodlines Book 3: The Indigo Spell by Richelle Mead-My guilty pleasure series continues.

The Lunar Chronicles Book 2: Scarlet by Marissa Meyer-Sequel to one of my top ten favorite books last year.

From the Library (to top off all the luck in the freebies and book buying, it was library week):

Sacred by Elana K. Arnold-Romance that I've actually already ditched because after a hundred pages of me rolling my eyes constantly it became clear this book wasn't for me.

Everneath series Book 2: Everbound by Brodi Ashton-Everneath was a fun guilty pleasure from last year so I'm mildly looking forward to this even if I'm really really tired of the Persephone retellings.

Tempest book 2: Vortex by Julie Cross-Tempest didn't really do much for me but every so often (such as the case with Across the Universe by Beth Revis) a series/trilogy becomes better in the second book so I'm giving it another shot. Expectations are low though.

The Pledge series book 2: The Essence by Kimberly Derting-Reading against my better judgement because I'm not convinced The Pledge really needed a sequel.

Just One Day book 1 by Gayle Forman-I don't normally do contemporary romance (especially in the YA category because all most all of them are pretty much alike) but Forman is one of my exceptions to the rule because her stuff, I like.

The Dead and Buried by Kim Harrington-A nice combination of ghost story/mystery that Harrington always excels at.

At Somerton Book 1: Cinders and Sapphires by Leila Rasheed-YA debut that promises me teen Downton Abbey. As a professed DA junkie, I'm looking forward to this.

Altered series Book 1: Altered by Jennifer Rush-YA 2013 debut that I've heard decent things about.

March 2013 Monthly Book Picks

Now that I actually have a working computer I can finally do a monthly book picks for 2013. So here are the books I'm looking forward too in March that you can expect a review for eventually.

YA:

On Mar. 1rst: The Summer Prince by Alaya Dawn Johnson-Interesting looking fantasy with a wicked cover and from the looks of things has a PoC main character! Don't see that often in fantasy. But I'm seeing more and more of them this year and I'm really pleased about this.

On Mar. 5th: Earth Girl by Janet Edwards-Interesting sounding idea. Plus I love that we're getting more sci-fi in the YA category.

Secret Order Book 1: The Legacy of the Clockwork Key by Kristin Bailey-Author had me at secret society and Victorian London. I have my vices in reading and those are some of them.

Delirium Book 3: Requiem by Lauren Oliver-Going to be so sad to see this trilogy end. But I have no doubt I'll love whatever Oliver does next as much as Delirium.

Spellcaster book 1 by Claudia Gray-New series from the author of my guilty pleasure series: Evernight. This time with witches which is even better then vampires.

Unremembered Trilogy Book 1 by Jessica Brody-Interesting sounding idea.

On Mar. 12th: Mila 2.0 by Debra Driza-Cyborgs? Sign me up.

Poison by Bridget Zinn
-More high fantasy! Woot!
Strands of Bronze and Gold by Jane Nickerson-Gothic romance. I'm weak to this action guys.

On Mar. 19th: Infernal Devices Book 3: Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare-may be awhile till I get to this one, though I did finally just buy Clockwork Prince so progress, yes?

On Mar. 21rst: 17 and Gone by Nova Ren Suma-I was sort of lukewarm about Imaginary Girls but I did love Suma's writing so I'm hoping it translates better in another story.

Adult:

On Mar. 5: Others series Book 1: Written in Red by Anne Bishop-Cool sounding new adult fantasy series.

Chronicles of Light and Shadow Book 1: A Conspiracy of Alchemists by Liesel Schwarz-This one is already out in the UK, it's coming to the us and it sounds awesome.

Mercy Thompson Book 7: Frost Burned by Patricia Briggs-Still not sure why we need another Mercy book because to me the series could have ended at book 5. But Mercy is awesome so I'm not complaining too loudly.

On Mar. 19th: Queen Victoria's Book of Spells Anthology-Steampunk short stories with some awesome authors contributing, including Gregory Maguire.

On Mar. 22nd: The Reichenbach Trilogy Book 1: The Reichenbach Problem by Martin Booth-A deliciously meta-ish looking tale that asks the question that has been bugging Holmes fans through generations: what was the point of Reichenbach in Sherlock Holmes?

On Mar. 26th: Elemental Assassin series: Deadly Sting by Jennifer Estep-I plan on catching up with this series sometime this year. Just may take awhile.

Book Review: Level 2

TITLE: Level 2
Book 1 in the Memory Chronicles series
AUTHOR: Lenore Appelhans
PUBLISHED: January 2013
CATEGORY: YA
GENRE: eh...romance, and...not sure how to describe it really.
PREMISE: Felicia Ward is dead and has been in the hive ever since. Then everything changes the day a boy from her past crashes through the walls of the hive...
MY REVIEW: First of all I have to say, the summary for this book? REALLY BAD. I was expecting something totally and completely different from the summary given and when I read it I was all "Um...wait what?". That's not to say I was disappointed, I liked the book very much. But I know a lot of readers hate being told a book is one thing and then when they read it, it turns out to be something totally different. I don't hate the practice but it can be a tad annoying, especially when I pick up a book for that idea alone (yes, I'm looking at you Alice in Zombieland and your completely misleading marketing/summary).
But that pet peeve aside, I really liked this book. It was one of the more creative ideas I've come across in a long while in YA. It's got action, it's got romance, and Felicia is interesting. Granted the teen drama was pretty much business as usual but at least the author doesn't sit there and make Felicia out to be this perfect being. The writing is also very strong, though I could have done without the jumping back and forth parts. Luckily for the author I've been watching Lost and Once Upon a Time a lot lately so I'm used to this style of storytelling, but it can be a annoying habit in books.
So this was a strong debut that I really liked and rec. Just don't expect it to be like the summary because the publishers do a really bad job of explaining what the plot actually is.
WHO SHOULD READ: Lost fans, Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin fans
MY RATING: Four out of Five this isn't what I signed up for but it's still good plots

Book Review: Nobody

TITLE: Nobody
AUTHOR: Jennifer Lynn Barnes
PUBLISHED: January 2013
CATEGORY: YA
GENRE: Adventure, romance
PREMISE: Nix is a assassin trained to kill nobodies, a dangerous creature. A creature like Claire...
MY REVIEW: I absolutely loved Barne's series Raised by Wolves so I was really looking forward to this one. While I do think it has Barnes' usual creativity and outside the box thinking...don't like it as much.
Part of my problem is I found the romantic relationship between Nix/Claire kind of problematic. I don't think they're as worse as say Patch/Nora from Hush Hush but...something about it makes me side-eye the author. Plus, I didn't particularly think it was that well developed. Which is a shame considering her other books have much better developed couples. But the premise of the book? Oh that I loved a lot. It kept things interesting when the romance got sappy, and the twists were good and it did make the book a page turner despite the lack of great romance in it.
So...not the best book of Barnes. If you're just starting out on her stuff, I'd read Raised by Wolves instead. But it is still a interesting read.
WHO SHOULD READ: Barnes fans, fans of assassin plots
MY RATING: Three and a half out of Five government assassins

Book Review: The Cadet of Tildor

TITLE: The Cadet of Tildor
AUTHOR: Alex Lidell
PUBLISHED: January 2013
CATEGORY: YA
GENRE: Fantasy, adventure
PREMISE: When her commander is kidnapped, struggling cadet Renee and her friend Alec go to free him and get caught up on a complicated political world.
MY REVIEW: I admit, I was skeptical of this one. Mostly because a) I've recently been burned twice by books that promised me great female heroine with Tamora Pierce allusions, and b) it said it was a teen version of Game of Thrones as well and I'm sorry but if you're going to promise me Game of Thrones like stuff you better deliver (and again, another book that promised me that did not deliver). While I don't think this is as good as Game of Thrones or Tamora Pierce, I do think it is a very strong debut.
This one avoided all the traps that Prophecy and Throne of Glass fell into. The author showed instead of told as much as possible, I got a clear idea of the world even if much is still left unexplained (but I'm hoping that's because there's going to be another book), the heroine was not made out to be the only strong female in the world with no flaws, the characters were actually fleshed out and interesting, and there was a plot. Sometimes there were shaky parts to it but overall? Not bad. Especially considering this is the author's first book.
Again, don't really think this is as good as the series it compared itself too (really publishers, don't do this with new authors, you'll have readers automatically judge it by those standards and I'm sorry but most new authors aren't quite up that high yet). But in this new trend of trying to bring back the kick ass fantasy heroine to YA that's starting up this year...I think this one is the strongest so far that I've read.
WHO SHOULD READ: Tamora Pierce fans (who don't expect it to be as good as Pierce), Harry Potter fans, Graceling fans, Throne of Glass fans
MY RATING: Four out of Five girls with swords

Book Review: Midnight in Austenland

TITLE: Midnight in Austenland
Book 2 in the Austenland series
AUTHOR: Shannon Hale
PUBLISHED: January 2012
CATEGORY: Adult
GENRE: Romance
PREMISE: Recent divorcee Charlotte is in a personal funk and decides to go to a retreat in Austenland...
MY REVIEW: So I don't know about anyone else but I was a little surprised when I heard there was going to be a sequel to Austenland. I felt Austenland, while cute, wasn't the best of Hale's work and honestly the story wrapped up neatly and really there was no need for a sequel. I have a feeling this one was mostly done because there was a contract for two books or something. Because okay, this was cute and nice just like the first one but it didn't really sell me on why exactly there needs to be a series of these books because really it was just a rehash of the first one, but with different characters and different focus on a different Austen book.
In short...it was okay. if you were a fan of the first, you'll probably like this one. But really...it just wasn't necessary. This honestly the first time I can say a Hale book lacked creativity which saddens me, because I normally really like Hale's stuff and she usually is creative. But again: this was just a rehash of book one. I would have rather had Hale do a different series altogether.
WHO SHOULD READ: fans of Austenland, Jane Austen fiction readers
MY RATING: Three out of Five shrugs

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Favorite Characters From Fantasy

This is a weekly meme hosted by the girls over at The Broke and the Bookish/.

I decided to do the fantasy genre because as anyone who reads this blog, can tell...that's my genre. I read other stuff too, but fantasy is my main love. Plus, that's where a lot of my favorite characters come from anyway.

1) Luna Lovegood from the Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling: Look, I love Hermione, don't get me wrong, she's very badass. But I love Luna even more. This is a girl who not afraid to be herself no matter how much society picks on her for it. I just love that.

2) Lyra from His Dark Materials Trilogy by Phillup Pullman: I know a lot of people have beef with Lyra and yes, it's kind of annoying how in the second book she got pushed aside in favor of Will but I still think she was pretty awesome by book three. It's not her fault that the author decided to focus on Will instead.

3) Daine from the Tortall series by Tamora Pierce: Everyone has their favorite Tortall girl and for me, it's Daine. Partially it's fondness on my part because I actually read Daine's books before I knew about Alanna's books and she was my first foray into Tortall and Tamora Pierce's world. The other part is I just love Daine's       matter of fact way of dealing with things. She's a little different from the other heroines of Tortall but not any less awesome.

4) Trisana Chandler from the Circle of Magic series by Tamora Pierce: I love my fierce redheads and Tris is no exception. She's a weather mage who doesn't take any crap and lets you know precisely when she thinks you're being an idiot. I honestly cannot wait for the book where she goes to magic school which sadly won't be for like two years which is WAY TOO LONG.

5) Percy Jackson from the Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan: A lot of people can tell you: it's rare when a main character is actually people's favorite in a long running series. But in this series, Percy is my favorite. He's snarky, dorky, not always the brightest but does try to do the right thing, and is all around likable. I think that's why I've found it hard to get into the Lost Hero books, I just don't like these guys as much as I like Percy.

6) Gandalf from Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien: Need a badass wizard to haul you off on a adventure? Gandalf is your guy. Just expect much sarcasm along the way.

7) Sansa Stark from the Game of Thrones series by George R. R. Martin: Look, I love Arya, don't get me wrong. Tyrion is also awesome. But Sansa gets all my love. This is a girl who goes through crap and is forced to grow up fast because of it. Quite honestly, I think Sansa has her own shot at the throne because this is a girl who knows how to play the game way better then her father did. If nothing else, she'll be one to actually make it out alive because she is a survivor.

8) Alexia Tarabotti from the Parasol Protectorate series by Gail Carriger: Again, it's hard making your main character a favorite in a series but Carriger pretty much makes you fall in love with Alexia from page one. Alexia is honestly the main reason to keep reading the Parasol Protectorate even if some of the middle books are rather formulaic.

9) Magnus Bane from the Mortal Instruments series/Infernal Devices by Cassandra Clare: MI has its issues so I'm being pretty honest here when I say that Magnus Bane is one of the main reasons I am still reading it. This character is probably the most interesting in the series. I honestly can't wait for the Magnus Bane Chronicles coming out this summer (which I'm sure wasn't at all planned in time for the movie in August).

10) Puck from the Sister's Grimm series by Michael Buckley: I absolutely adore this version of Puck that Buckley has created. He's hilarious, kind of rotten, but you just can't help but love him as much as you want to slug him.

Book Review: Revolution 19

TITLE: Revolution 19
First in a series?
AUTHOR: Gregg Rosenblum
PUBLISHED: January 2013
CATEGORY: YA
GENRE: Dystopian, adventure
PREMISE: In a future where robots take over, three teens go off in search of their parents after robots take them away.
MY REVIEW: I've read some harsh reviews of this and while I do agree, this book has some problems (females don't do anything, sloppy world-building, cookie cutter characters), I don't think it's THAT bad.
I like the idea of it for one. As I stated in my Stacking the Shelves: I like premises where tech screws us over because I'm sorry, it's gonna happen. If ever we get a dystopian premise in the world, I guarantee that tech will be a major cause of it. The idea granted isn't very original. In fact, it reminds me a lot of iRobot. Take the idea of iRobot and make it so the Robots win, and well you have this idea. Some of the world building as I said is a bit sloppy and again, the females don't do anything (which is why I'm puzzled about why there's a female featured on the cover when really Nick is the main character). So it's not totally great. But I don't understand some of the particularly slamming reviews it's getting on goodreads. It's no worse then any other YA I've read which has gotten better reviews.
So it's not as bad as I've seen some saying. But it's not particularly fabulous either. I will say probably guys will enjoy this more, assuming the guy isn't the usual discerning nerd who judges everything they read. Or is that just the nerd guys I know?
WHO SHOULD READ: guys, iRobot fans
MY RATING: Three out of Five cyborgs

Book Review: Through the Ever Night

TITLE: Through the Ever Night
Under the Never Sky series Book 2
AUTHOR: Veronica Rossi
PUBLISHED: January 2013
CATEGORY: YA
GENRE: Dystopianish, fantasy, romance
PREMISE: Aria and Perry struggle with their lives in a ever changing world that pushes them apart.
MY REVIEW: Under the Never Sky was a bit of a surprise for me last year. I liked it a lot more then I thought I would, which doesn't happen to me very often (usually it's the opposite and I like it less then I thought I would and that's not as much fun). So I was really looking forward to the sequel and I'm happy to say, Rossi delivered. In fact, I'll go as far to say it's a tad better then the first one.
True, I'm still fuzzy on many details of the world building, but in this series character is the focus more and on that, Rossi does a decent job. True, Perry/Aria is sappy beyond belief but it's a tolerable couple who I actually root for instead of wanting them to die in a fire. This is a large part because it's not all happily ever after for them. These two actually go through crap and realize hey, it's not all about their star-crossed love. Nice change from the Edward/Bellas of the world. Rossi also knows romance alone does not a book make. She actually has plot in here that is interesting and nicely paced with consequences. I will say Perry becomes a tad annoying in this (I honestly love Aria way more then Perry and kind of want her and Roar to get together, but I know that will never happen).
So a few flaws aside, this was a strong sequel. Can't wait to read the next book (which better have more Cinder damn it). If you loved the first one, you won't be disappointed.
WHO SHOULD READ: fans of Under the Never Sky, Dystopian fans
MY RATING: Four out of Five future techs

Book Review: Prophecy

TITLE: Prophecy
Book 1 in the Dragon King Chronicles
AUTHOR: Ellen Oh
PUBLISHED: January 2013
CATEGORY: YA
GENRE: Fantasy, adventure
PREMISE: Kira, bodyguard to the prince and hated by nearly everyone, may be the key to saving everyone.
MY REVIEW: Sigh. Ever have a book you were so looking forward too because everything about it screams awesome, but then you start it and you're just overwhelmingly disappointed? That was me and Prophecy. I guess it was my own fault for having high expectations of this. I really did want to like this one, you guys. It's got those things I usually adore: high fantasy, influence of other cultures, strong kick-butt girl. Plus, Ellen Oh herself is a really cool person. Follow her on Twitter, she's so much fun.
But...you can really tell this one is Oh's first book. It's like those corny SyFy films: has just enough to get a amusement or two but when you actually sit down to think about it, it's so implausible it's not funny. Then there's the fact that once again: no female friendship to be had. Seriously I am so tired of this. Read Tortall or Circle of Magic authors; you can have a main female character be kick-ass AND have female friends who are just as awesome as she at the same time without diminishing her in any way. Hell, look at Avatar: the Last Airbender (since Oh has given that as a main influence). You have Katara yes, but then in season 2, Toph comes along, as well as Suki, and even Azula and her gal pals and all are equally awesome and kick butt together and it doesn't ruin everything. In fact it makes it even better. So I ask you authors, why do you all insist that your lone female character is the only female who can be intelligent and kick butt? Then there's also a problem with really awkward/cliche sounding dialogue and info dumps after info dumps and a severe lack of telling instead of showing.
So there's nothing wrong with it persay...it just really screams amateur. I really hate that too because I wanted this book to be awesome. Perhaps the second one will be better? I really hope so.
WHO SHOULD READ: Graceling fans, Throne of Glass fans, Avatar: The Last Airbender fans
MY RATING: Three out of Five sighs, because I wanted this to be awesome

Book Review: Crash

TITLE: Crash
Book 1 in the Visions series
AUTHOR: Lisa McMann
PUBLISHED: January 2013
CATEGORY: YA
GENRE: Paranormal, Mystery, Romance
PREMISE: Jules gets visions about a fiery accident that would possibly kill the boy she has feelings for.
MY REVIEW: The thing about McMann is that there isn't technically anything wrong with her books. She has a intriguing writing style, she has interesting ideas, there is usually a decent plot going on, etc. This one is no exception. There's nothing really wrong with it.
It just...felt lacking to me for some reason? Which is my usual problem with McMann's stuff. I don't find anything wrong with the books that make them offensive or anything, I just always feel really unsatisfied after reading them. Like I feel more could be done with them. The same goes for Crash. This was a okay start to a okay plot. I just feel more could have been done with it. I will say though, that once again: astounding lack of female friendship.
So...I don't know if it's me or the writer in this case. Probably more me being my picky self. But I just always feel like McMann can bring more to the table then what she's shown us. Perhaps the plot picks up more in the second book?
WHO SHOULD READ: Wake Trilogy fans, Paranormal gift fans
MY RATING: Three and a half out of Five fires

Book Review: Anansi Boys

TITLE: Anansi Boys
Book 2/Companion Book to American Gods
AUTHOR: Neil Gaiman
PUBLISHED: 2006
CATEGORY: Adult
GENRE: Urban Fantasy, mythology
PREMISE: Fat Charlie learns he has a brother who is a god and it turns his life upside down.
MY REVIEW: First thing you should know: this isn't technically a sequel to American Gods like I had originally thought it was. It's more a companion book that takes place in the same universe. So the world is familiar but characters like Shadow do not make an appearance. If that's what you were hoping for, then you'll probably be disappointed.
But the characters of Charlie and Spider are more then welcome in my book. It also still has that certain something that made American Gods so enjoyable for me. Granted I am biased here, I am a Neil Gaiman fangirl. I've yet to have found a book of his I didn't like (I'm even going to try out Fragile Things and I don't normally buy short story collections).
So if you're a Gaiman fan, then I have no doubt you'll enjoy this. It can also be read without reading American Gods if you haven't read American Gods yet and want to check out Gaiman's stuff (but I would totally read American Gods first if you want my opinion).
WHO SHOULD READ: Gaiman fans, fans of American Gods (who don't mind that it's not about Shadow)
MY RATING: Four out of Five spiders

Top Ten Tuesday: Favorite Romances

This is a weekly meme hosted by the gals over at The Broke and the Bookish

So they said we could take the category on anyway we wanted so this will be a combination list of favorite romance category books, couples, or just books about love in general.

1) Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen-Yeah yeah, I know: this is probably on EVERYONE'S list. I'm not being original at all. Boo hoo. Don't care, this is one of the best written romances ever. It's so influential that it's practically got its own genre going of PandP re-writes/sequels/etc. 

2) Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen-Much as I love Pride and Prejudice, it's actually not my favorite Austen book. I know, I know, I suck. But this one is my favorite. Don't ask me why, I honestly don't know why. I just know I like it more then Pride and Prejudice.

3) Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte-Eyre has always been my favorite of the war between Eyre and Wuthering Heights. True, Rochester has issues as a male lead (locking up your wife and marrying a woman while still married is so NOT ON. I get he had reasons but dude, you could have handled that better). But this is mostly my favorite for the great character of Jane Eyre herself. Everything else is secondary as far as I'm concerned.

4) Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell-Oh Fiddly Dee Dee. Who says romances have to end happily ever after? Not Gone With the Wind! Who says your main character has to be likable? Not Gone With the Wind! I just love how much this book DOESN'T follow what many consider the typical characteristics of romances. 

5) The Caster Chronicles Book 1: Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl- Many of my favorite romances honestly don't fall into the romance category at all and BC is an example of this. You can have your Twilight, I will take Ethan/Lena over Edward/Bella any day of the week. Lets just say that there's a good reason that the producers decided to release the movie on Valentines Day and it's not just for extra money.

6) Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins-I'll be the first to tell you: contemporary romance is not really my thing. Outside the occasional romantic comedy, I just can't get into them for some reason. So the fact that I got into this says a lot about the enjoyability of this book.

7) The Parasol Protectorate Series Book 1: Soulless by Gail Carriger-Another example of a romance I enjoyed that's technically not romance, it's urban historical fantasy. Yes, that's a thing, I promise. I just love the snarky yet affectionate couple that is Conall/Alexia. 

8) The Mediator Series by Meg Cabot-Again, technically a paranormal mystery series but love story between Suze and Jesse in this is fabulous and I am really bummed that we will probably never ever get a movie or tv show about this. Or if we do, it'll be done by Disney like all of Cabot's stuff so far and get butchered like all of Cabot's stuff so far. Do not get me started on the travesty that was the Avalon High movie.

9) Delirium Trilogy Book 1: Delirium by Lauren Oliver-Yes, I have a dystopian on here. But hear me out: this takes place in a world where love is basically outlawed. Yes, a large chunk of it is Lena falling for Alex but the book also shows just how much we need love/passion of any kind to make our lives fuller. The book celebrates not just romantic love, but family love, friendship, and just passion in general. 

10) Beauty by Robin McKinley-Beauty is still my favorite retelling of all time. This is the book that got me hooked on fairy tale retellings way back in the day. It is still my favorite retelling of Beauty and the Beast ever (and yes, this includes the Disney movie ;ducks;).

Book Review: Paper Valentine

TITLE: Paper Valentine
AUTHOR: Brenna Yovanoff
PUBLISHED: January 2013
CATEGORY: YA
GENRE: Mystery, Paranormal, Drama
PREMISE: There's a serial killer on the loose while Hannah is dealing with the ghost of her best friend hanging around after her death.
MY REVIEW: Whenever someone mentions unsung YA authors who don't get enough credit, I always always point to Brenna Yovanoff. She is one of the better YA writers out there, yet you mention her in YA circles and everyone is like: who? That said, Paper Valentine...not my favorite of hers (favorite will probably always be The Replacement unless her future books grab me more).
However even Yovanoff's lesser book is still decent. I liked the mystery going on. The character dynamics were also very interesting. I liked the subtle study of how complicated female/group friendship can be, especially in high school. There were also great family dynamics as well. That is something Yovanoff always excels at: interesting characters. It was also an interesting way of looking at dealing with grief. That said...some things left me unsatisfied such as background of characters and the slightly rushed feeling of the conclusion.
But it was still overall decent. I guess I just wanted more from it. Perhaps there will be a sequel? I doubt because Yovanoff is one of the few YA authors who doesn't do series/trilogies. So this is not the best of Yovanoff's work but it was still a decent and entertaining read for a afternoon.
WHO SHOULD READ: Brenna Yovanoff fans, Paranormal mystery fans
MY RATING: Three and a half out of Five funky butterfly dresses

Book Review: Shadowlands

TITLE: Shadowlands
Book 1 in the Shadowlands series
AUTHOR: Kate Brian
PUBLISHED: January 2013
CATEGORY: YA
GENRE: Drama, Paranormal, mystery
PREMISE: When Rory is attacked by her teacher and escapes, she and her whole family are sent into witness protection.
MY REVIEW: I have really mixed feelings about this book. There isn't anything horrible about it, so I don't feel right giving it a blasting review. There's a plot, the cliffhanger at the end was a honest surprise and might make me actually pick up the second book, and the dynamics between the family were interesting enough.
But the writing was...average. Surprising considering how many books this author has under her belt. The characters...not very noteworthy. Also honestly at times, I found Rory very annoying and I didn't care for how much the text tried to make Darcy out to be the bad guy when Rory is the one who went after Darcy's ex literally days after they had broken up. Plus there so many implausible things going on. I mean, really? They send girls and their entire families into witness protection for one school teacher killer? Really? Yeah, I don't think so.
If you're into drama with a bit of mystery on the side then maybe this will be more your thing. Personally I just felt ho hum about it. Again, the cliffhanger at the end MAY make me read the second book, but that all depends on how I'll feel whenever it comes out.
WHO SHOULD READ: Kate Brian fans, Drama fans, PLL/Lying Game fans
MY RATING: Three out of Five shrugs

Stacking the Shelves: February 10th

This is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga over at Tynga's Reviews which tells people what new books we've gotten over the week. Trying something new this week with images as well as links.

Downloaded to Kindle:

The Ascendance Trilogy Book 1: The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nelsen

Was a daily deal on Amazon. Since I've been meaning to read it anyway...





Weekly Library Haul:

Memory Chronicles Book 1: Level 2 by Lenore Appelhans

YA debut that I've been itching to get my hands on because the idea sounds so awesome.

Nobody by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

While I'm bummed at lack of Raised by Wolves books, Nobody sounds like a awesome idea and I'm always up for a Barnes book.

Doomed by Tracy Deebs

Dystopianish/virtual reality thing that sounds awesome.

The Cadet of Tildor by Alex Lidell

Fantasy that promises me teen version of Game of Thrones combined with Tortall. This better deliver because the last book that promised me something like that...well lets just say it didn't live up to the lofty expectations it gave me in the summary. That was Throne of Glass for anyone wondering.

Visions Trilogy Book 1: Crash by Lisa McMann

New trilogy by the author of wake about a girl with visions. McMann can be off and on with me. So we'll see how this one goes. Come to think of it, I STILL need to finish the Wake Trilogy...

The Dragon King Chronicles Book 1: Prophecy by Ellen Oh

Fantasy YA debut that I'm currently reading. Honestly I have mixed feelings so far.

Revolution 19 by Gregg Rosenblum

I'm a sucker for robots trying to kill us all because honestly I firmly believe that any thing that will cause some sort of dystopian future will most likely be something humans built because frankly, we're dumb that way. Plus I just don't trust how dependent we've become on technology and wouldn't be at all surprised if that comes back to bite us in the butt later on. So this premise I totally want to read, even if it vaguely reminds me of the plot to iRobot.

Under the Never Sky Book 2: Through the Ever Night by Veronica Rossi

Under the Never Sky was a surprise for me last year. True, not a very original dystopian. But it was enjoyable, which in a crowded YA shelf that's making me tired of dystopians, is kind of a achievement in my book.

Book Review: Dr. Frankenstein's Daughters

TITLE: Dr. Frankenstein's Daughters
AUTHOR: Suzanne Weyn
PUBLISHED: January 2013
CATEGORY: YA
GENRE: Retelling (of sorts), Historical fiction, horror, drama
PREMISE: Dr. Frankenstein's two daughters come home to his castle to reclaim their legacy.
MY REVIEW: This book is, like all of Weyn's work, inspired. It's a clever twist. I mean come on, who wouldn't want to read about Frankenstein's kids taking up his work? I know I did. However, also like all of Weyn's work...it feels incomplete.
The murder mystery was nice and all but it sort of feels like the idea was there...but never fully explored to its potential. Writing is okay. I can take or leave Weyn's writing style honestly. It tends to change with each book she does. The characters are okay. The pacing...a bit slow but it's short so that doesn't really matter. Everything was just...okay.
I don't know, I keep picking up Weyn's stuff because the blurb and the premises just sound so awesome like this one did, and then I always wind up feeling like the idea was never fully realized to it's full potential and I wind up being disappointed. Not sure if that's my own fault, or the writers...If nothing else, this makes for a interesting quick library read.
WHO SHOULD READ: Frankenstein fans
MY RATING: Three out of Five stumbling monsters

Book Review: The Fire Horse Girl

TITLE: The Fire Horse Girl
AUTHOR: Kay Honeymoon
PUBLISHED: January 2013
CATEGORY: YA
GENRE: Historical fiction, drama
PREMISE: Jade Moon is a Fire Horse girl, a girl seen as unlucky in China. When a man comes offering a new life in America, Jade sees her chance to make a fresh start.
MY REVIEW: First I have to say, I don't understand why the publisher said this would appeal to Kristin Cashore fans. This has nothing in common with Graceling, other then the Chinese culture influence. If we're going to rec it to certain fans, I say Joy Luck Club fans are probably more accurate. Now, this was the first book of 2013 that I've read, as well as the first YA debut of the year that I've read (don't count Delusion because I didn't finish it). For a first book of the new publishing year...I was pleased.
I will say Honeymoon's writing style was kind of all over the place. Sometimes there was fabulous description where I could see that this author seriously did her research. Then there was occasional awkward feeling dialogue that didn't feel natural. But for a first book? Not half bad. Jade was a fun character who I liked and rooted for. Wasn't totally crazy that she wound up marrying the guy who was kind of a jerk to her throughout the novel (no, him apologizing and saying he was in love with her all along does NOT make it okay for me) but to each their own. I guess Graceling fans who were super upset about Katsa not being marriage obsessed will like that more then I did.
This was a decent debut. Doubt it will win many awards but for a historical fiction novel you can certainly do a lot worse. I rec this to all historical fiction fans.
WHO SHOULD READ: Joy Luck Club fans, historical fiction fans
MY RATING: Four out of Five fortunes

Book Review: The Darkest Minds

TITLE: The Darkest Minds
Book 1 in the Darkest Minds series
AUTHOR: Alexandra Bracken
PUBLISHED: December 2012
CATEGORY: YA
GENRE: Dystopian, Urban Fantasy
PREMISE: In a strange turn of events children start to gain powers and fearful adults put them into camps to keep them under control.
MY REVIEW: If there was ever an opposite of the just reviewed Match Trilogy it is this debut. Yes, it's dystopian but it's completely different from Matched in scope, focus, and quality. I'll warn readers now: this book is DARK. I'm not kidding. Where Matched is all light on death and heavy on romance, Darkest Minds is more survival of the fittest and next to no romance. So if that's not your thing then you probably won't get into this very much.
But I personally really dug this. It was unique with a strong X-Men vibe. The writing is strong and for once an author gets the whole show don't tell thing. The world she created is freaky, interesting, and absorbing. Her characters are complicated and often times not nice people. This book was different from what I've read in the dystopian genre lately and it was honestly kind of refreshing.
As I said early, I suspect because of the darkness, this will not appeal to everyone. But if you don't mind that and something a bit more meatier then a love triangle/romantic drama with your dystopian then I really rec this for you.
WHO SHOULD READ: Clockwork Orange fans, X-Men fans, those not afraid of dark books
MY RATING: Four out of Five thumbs up

Book Review: Reached

TITLE: Reached
Book 3 in the Matched Trilogy
AUTHOR: Ally Condie
PUBLISHED: November 2012
CATEGORY: YA
GENRE: Dystopianish, romance
PREMISE: The Rising starts with Cassie, Ky, and Xander all in the middle of it.
MY REVIEW: Here's the thing about the Matched Trilogy: I don't think it's godawful like I've read some reviewers call it. To be sure, I definitely don't think it's worth all the hype it got. Seriously, if ever there was an example of overhype, this is it. However, it's not the worst thing ever written either. I actually quite like Condie's writing style. I just wish everything else was as strong as her lovely prose.
Technically speaking this book does do the trick. I will say it at least wasn't nearly as dull as the second book, which wouldn't be hard. Unfortunately it's not enough to bring this trilogy to epic heights. Honestly all I feel about this trilogy is ho hum. I just felt like the author never really brought her A game to the table. This was just...all right. It finished it off neatly in a bow but honestly felt half hazard. For one thing, that coup has got to be the cleanest and most boring coup I've ever read about. Literally no one dies? No, the father dying off page in a plague does not count as high stakes, author. To top it off the love triangle is never more forced then it is here. I mean it was bad in the first book, but even now I still wonder what the hell it is about Cassie that makes Xander and Ky so hung up on her because I honestly don't get it. I understand the Gale/Katniss/Peeta thing more then I understand this love triangle.
Honestly this was just...lackluster. I think that is the ultimate problem I have with the Matched Trilogy: it's safe. The author never goes outside the box, I never really believe the danger the characters are in because I know the main three will always be okay, and all the "twists" are pretty predictable. Even the Rising being just another Society was practically a mirror version of the District 13 idea in Mockingjay. If nothing else, it was too similar for me to be really surprised. Honestly if you really want a romantic dystopian series, may I suggest Delirium instead? It's better written, has better thought out characters, as well as a better thought out world. Which is weird considering its premise is less believable then this one.
WHO SHOULD READ: fans of books 1 and 2, Chemical Garden Trilogy fans, Once Trilogy fans
MY RATING: Two and a half out of Five yawns
RATING FOR OVERALL TRILOGY: Three out of Five for a overall lackluster effort.

Ditched Books for January

TITLE: Undeadly
Book 1 in the Reaper Diaries
AUTHOR: Michele Vail
PUBLISHED: November 2012
CATEGORY: YA
GENRE: Urban fantasy, zombies
PREMISE: Molly tries to be normal despite being a reaper.
WHY I DITCHED IT: So. Much. Forced. Teen speak. Like, OMG you guys. Seriously authors, quit this habit. NOW. Liked the premise of it, didn't care for everything else. By page sixty I was bored to death and annoyed at the same time. I think this is one for younger teens but anyone past middle school will probably feel like they're being talked down too by a author who thinks they're eleven.

TITLE: Blood Song
Book 1 in the Blood Singer series
AUTHOR: Cat Adams
PUBLISHED: 2010
CATEGORY: Adult
GENRE: Urban fantasy, vampires
PREMISE: A body guard becomes a vampire.
WHY I DITCHED IT: Was bored within a hundred pages. Was the basic UF tropes all in one.

TITLE: Delusion
AUTHOR: Laura L. Sullivan
PUBLISHED: January 2013 (us release anyway)
CATEGORY: YA
GENRE: Historical fantasy, romance
PREMISE: Two sisters who are bored being stuck during the London blitz try to talk two magicians into helping out the war effort.
WHY I DITCHED IT: Honest to god this was a case of "it's not you, it's me". There probably isn't anything really wrong with this book. I just couldn't get into it for some reason.

Book Review: Crewel

TITLE: Crewel
Book 1 in the Crewel World series
AUTHOR: Gennifer Albin
PUBLISHED: October 2012
CATEGORY: YA
GENRE: Fantasy
PREMISE: Sixteen year old Adelice is taken from her home to be a spinster: a person who creates the world around them.
MY REVIEW: So here's the thing, this book will not be for everyone. I think of it as I think of the show Lost: You will either get it and be sucked into its creativity and enjoy every moment of it. Or you will not get it and be utterly...well lost. So despite loving this I will rec caution and advise you to check it out of the library first to see if it's for you. Unless of course you just want to buy it for its pretty cover for which I totally don't blame you .
The number one reason I got into this book so much was its creativity. Finally, an author thinking outside the box. Yes, there are a few familiar elements here that are tropes in YA dystopian fiction but the author makes them work well which is more then I can say for some of these dystopians I've read. Then there's Albin's lovely lovely writing. I seriously can't gush enough about it. It's great without being overdone. True there is the usual annoying love triangle that seems to be a requirement nowadays but I can overlook it because for the most part this was a great debut.
A few confusing things aside (which I suspect will be cleared up in upcoming books) this was creative, with interesting characters, and great world building as well as really strong writing. I can't wait to read the next one. Also, did I mention that the cover is gorgeous? Seriously, internet pics don't do it justice.
WHO SHOULD READ: fantasy fans, court intrigue fans
MY RATING: Four out of Five looms

Book Review: Confessions of a Murder Suspect

TITLE: Confessions of a Murder Suspect
Book 1 in the Teen Detective series
AUTHOR: James Patterson and Maxine Paetan
PUBLISHED: September 2012
CATEGORY: YA
GENRE: Mystery, realistic fiction
PREMISE: Tandy finds her parents murdered in their bed and a whole slew of family secrets come out as she investigates her own family members.
MY REVIEW: Patterson books are often a mixed bag for me, particularly when it's ones he's co-written. But this one, I got into. True, like all of his, it's not overly complicated but if you want a good old fashioned murder mystery it does the trick.
I think most of the appeal in this one comes from the interesting family dynamics. Plus there's a promise of ongoing investigations in the future and heaven knows, I'm a sucker for teen sleuths (blame Nancy Drew).
If you're a Patterson fan this book will be right up your alley. If you're a mystery fan, you can probably get into it. It's a decent start on what looks like will be a fun mystery series. Not groundbreaking by any means, but you could certainly do a lot worse.
WHO SHOULD READ: James Patterson fans, mystery fans
MY RATING: Four out of Five sassy teen sleuths

Book Review: Poison Princess

TITLE: Poison Princess
Book 1 in the Arcana Chronicles series
AUTHOR: Kresley Cole
PUBLISHED: October 2012
CATEGORY: YA
GENRE: Urban Fantasy, Romance
PREMISE: Evie starts having visions of the future and needs the local bad boy to help her out.
MY REVIEW: So I've never read Kresley Cole's adult series before. I picked this up solely because the idea sounded awesome, nothing to do with Cole herself. I will say the idea behind this is pretty cool. The world building and general idea of it, I can totally get behind. Unfortunately Cole's characters and romance I can absolutely not stand and that took away a lot of the enjoyment factor for me.
I'm sorry, when I can't find one character in a book even remotely likable or at least interesting then I find it REALLY hard to get into a book because that means I'm spending time either rolling my eyes or wanting to smack someone. In this case I was rolling my eyes at Evie who unlike Evie from The Diviners or Paranormalcy (seriously, what is with all the Evies in YA fiction lately?) isn't really interesting and frankly isn't very likable either. Then there's the love interest. Oh boy, I honestly don't know where to begin with this guy aside from the fact that he's pretty much a combination of Edward Cullen and Patch from Hush Hush and every other "bad boy" douche stereotype. He was the one I wanted to smack. It isn't helped that the author takes about a hundred or so pages to actually get to the point of the story. A little tip writers: the point of the story should happen within at least fifty pages otherwise people aren't going to CARE. Fyi, teen drama? Not the point of the story unless your book is a drama book which in this case, it is not.
Perhaps as the series goes on, the author will have more brilliant things happening but honestly? I can't bring myself to care enough to pick up the next book because I found myself despising all the characters. While I find completely perfect characters annoying as well, there is something to be said for having your characters have SOME redeeming qualities. From what I can see, these characters didn't have many of those and to top it off they weren't that interesting enough for me to put up with their bs. So maybe it gets better in the second book. But I will leave other readers to find that out for themselves. I for one will not be bothering with it.
WHO SHOULD READ: Kresley Cole fans, House of Night fans, not sure who else
MY RATING: Two and a half out of Five really annoying characters

Book Review: The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest

TITLE: The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest
Book 3 in the Millennium Trilogy
AUTHOR: Stieg Larsson
PUBLISHED: 2010
CATEGORY: Adult
GENRE: Mystery, thriller/noir
PREMISE: Lisbeth lies in a coma as Blomkvist does his best to gather evidence to help prove her innocence.
MY REVIEW: Every so often the hype machine does get it right which is why I don't totally dismiss hype even if it often leads me to several duds that I would have otherwise never read. This trilogy is an example of how hype can help good books get recognition and I'm sorry but without the hype machine I'm sure this trilogy would have been overlooked in the sea of thrillers that is the adult mystery genre. Because while I love this trilogy, I will admit it's not exactly a ground breaker for the thriller genre.
But it has all those things that made me love the mystery genre in the first place: complex mysteries, complicated characters, social commentary on several subjects, and it actually has something to say. To top it off the character of Lisbeth is one of the best developed characters I've seen in this genre in a long while, male character and female character wise.
Despite a few moments here and there where I felt the book dragged on a bit more then was needed, this was all in all a satisfying conclusion to a involving mystery thriller trilogy. I really am sad Larsson is dead because I would have loved to see what other books he would have had in store for us. But he left behind a great legacy with the character of Lisbeth Salander.
WHO SHOULD READ: Fans of Books 1 and 2, James Patterson fans, thriller fans
MY RATING: Four out of Five kick ass hackers
RATING FOR OVERALL TRILOGY: Four and a half out of Five

Apologies

Sorry for the completely unplanned hiatus. My computer which I thought was fixed was apparently not fixed well. Good news is I have it back and hopefully this will be the last of the computer trouble for this year. If it isn't then I get to exchange it for a new computer. I'll be playing review catch up again for the next week or so including some new books for this year.