Review: Vanish by Sophie Jordan

Title: Vanish (Firelight, #1)
Author: Sophie Jordan
Pages: 304
Publisher: HarperTeen
Release Date: September 6, 2011

To save the life of the boy she loves, Jacinda did the unthinkable: She betrayed the most closely-guarded secret of her kind. Now she must return to the protection of her pride knowing she might never see Will again—and worse, that because his mind has been shaded, Will’s memories of that fateful night and why she had to flee are gone.

Back home, Jacinda is greeted with hostility and must work to prove her loyalty for both her sake and her family’s. Among the few who will even talk to her are Cassian, the pride’s heir apparent who has always wanted her, and her sister, Tamra, who has been forever changed by a twist of fate. Jacinda knows that she should forget Will and move on—that if he managed to remember and keep his promise to find her, it would only endanger them both. Yet she clings to the hope that someday they will be together again. When the chance arrives to follow her heart, will she risk everything for love?

In bestselling author Sophie Jordan’s dramatic follow-up to Firelight, forbidden love burns brighter than ever.

My Thoughts (SPOILERS and not for Vanish fans): I'm just going to get to the point. The love-triangle RUINED this book for me. I don't even care who Jacinda ends up with at this point. I really don't. I liked Will in Firelight, but I didn't care for him in this book (honestly, didn't even give him a second thought, which might be because he was barely in it). I was neutral towards Cassian in Firelight, and I ended up disliking him in this book.

I don't understand why everyone is in love with Jacinda. It was worse because she kept going back and forth with this: 'I want Will. No, I can't be with him. I'm starting to feel something for Cassian too. He truly wants me for me. I can't betray Tamra though. But I can't let either of them go. I feel something for them both. Will! Cassian! Will! Cassian!'

I can't believe I'm saying this, but minus the bitchy attitude, she is like the Bella Swan of Firelight, I swear. And you know what else pissed me off? That Jacinda kept going on and on about Tamra being obsessed and infatuated with Cassian, and yet she NEVER EVER says that about Cassian and Will's obsession with her or her infatuation with Will and sometimes Cassian. What the hell is up with that?? Selfish! That's what Jacinda is. I was not convinced by this love-triangle. At all. And it's even more frustrating because it doesn't look like it's over.

What did I like about the book? Tamra.

She intrigued me in Firelight, and I was so looking forward to knowing more about her in Vanish. *looks at cover* Unfortunately and unsurprisingly, Vanish is all about Jacinda. It just makes me feel bad for Tamra. I WISH this book was in her POV instead because at least she knows what she wants. And we wouldn't have to deal with a pathetic love-triangle and all the moping Jacinda does in this book. What we did get of Tamra, though, was awesome. She said most of the things I was thinking. Her asking Cassian why Jacinda was so special was priceless because he didn't even know how to answer it! Wow. I'm so glad she lashed out at Cassian a couple of times. He deserved it too because apparently he led her on a bit in the book and also for the way he treated her after Jacinda became a draki and she didn't. I only supported Tamra/Cassian because she liked him, but he really doesn't deserve her. At this point, I can't say they will happen; HOWEVER, I won't be surprised if they do end up together though. And if it does happen, Cassian is going to have to work hard for it. Big time. Convince me like he couldn't do with Jacinda.

Other than the romance, I felt like nothing else happened in Vanish until the very end. That's when the action picked up. It's disappointing because I really liked the beginning of Firelight. I thought this story would be different, but...it ended up being the same old same old. I feel like it has gone downhill since the moment they went into the human world in Firelight. *sigh* Anyway, it may come as a surprise, but I still plan on reading the final book. *shrugs* I just have to know what happens with Tamra. I'm not getting my hopes up though.

Rating: 2 out of 5 stars

Thanks to Crystal for letting me borrow her ARC!

In My Mailbox #50

In My Mailbox was created by Kristi at The Story Siren, inspired by Alea at Pop Culture Junkie.

Tours:
Blood Song (Lharmell, #1) by Rhiannon Hart [Thanks to Nomes @ inkcrush!]
Six Impossible Things by Fiona Wood [Thanks to Arlene!]
Vanish (Firelight, #2) by Sophie Jordan [Thanks to Crystal!]

Gift:
Chain Reaction (Perfect Chemistry, #3) by Simone Elkeles [Thanks to my mommy! :D]
Fantasy Lover (Dark Hunter, #0) by Sherrilyn Kenyon [Huge thanks to Arlene!]
Night Pleasures (Dark-Hunter, #1) by Sherrilyn Kenyon
Night Embrace (Dark-Hunter, #2) by Sherrilyn Kenyon

Won:
The Marked Son (Keepers of Life, #1) by Shea Berkley [Thanks to Entangled Publishing!]
Soul to Take (Soul Screamers, #1) by Rachel Vincent [Thanks to Nicci @ Paper Dreams!]
Soul to Save (Soul Screamers, #2) by Rachel Vincent
Supernaturally (Paranormalcy, #2) by Kiersten White [Thanks to Heidi @ YA bibliophile!]
Torrent (River of Time, #3) by Lisa Tawn Bergren [Thanks to Lisa Bergren!]

This IMM is for the past 4 weeks! I've only read about 2 from this stack, but I think all these books look good.

I'm especially excited to read Torrent because I've read some awesome reviews for it, but before I can get to that I have to read the second book in the series Cascade. I may have only read the first book Waterfall (which I loved), however, I already know the rest of The River of Time series will be good! So be sure to check it out if you haven't already! :)

Blood Song is a YA fantasy debut in Australia that releases September 1. I loved it! I'm hoping I get around to writing a review by next week. I think fans of Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder will enjoy this book. ;)

So...I have a lot of reading to do. And that's about all I'm going to say about this IMM. If I talk about each book, it'll never end. lol :P Have a great week!

Review: The Probability of Miracles by Wendy Wunder

Title: The Probability of Miracles
Author: Wendy Wunder
Pages: 336
Publisher: Razorbill
Release Date: December 8, 2011

Dry, sarcastic, sixteen-year-old Cam Cooper has spent the last seven years in and out hospitals. The last thing she wants to do in the short life she has left is move 1,500 miles away to Promise, Maine - a place known for the miraculous events that occur there. But it's undeniable that strange things happen in Promise: everlasting sunsets; purple dandelions; flamingoes in the frigid Atlantic; an elusive boy named Asher; and finally, a mysterious envelope containing a list of things for Cam to do before she dies. As Cam checks each item off the list, she finally learns to believe - in love, in herself, and even in miracles.

A debut novel from an immensely talented new writer, The Probability of Miracles crackles with wit, romance and humor and will leave readers laughing and crying with each turn of the page.

My Thoughts: This is mostly what I kept thinking while reading the book: 'Hmm...' Which equaled other sentences like 'When am I going to get hooked to this story?' and 'I'm not feeling it.' Basically this book didn't quite do it for me. I really wanted to like it. In fact, I was hoping to LOVE it. But it didn't happen. I didn't hate it though. I thought it was just okay.

The Probability of Miracles reminded me in a way of an Australian young-adult title I read last month: Girl Saves Boy by Steph Bowe. Both are quirky, both have main characters who've had cancer since childhood and have a dead parent, and both even have a "Let's save a lobster!" scene (which was totally weird because what are the odds of that happening in both books?). But I liked Girl Saves Boy a bit better, although there wasn't enough closure in that one. Unlike that book, I couldn't connect with the characters or the story in The Probability of Miracles.

For the past several years of her life, sixteen-year-old Campbell (or Cam) Cooper has been fighting a battle with cancer, and after a recent visit to her doctor, it's not looking good. With the little time she has left, Cam decides she wants to do some of the things on her Flamingo List, a list she created a year earlier of all the rebellious things she wanted to do. Cam manages to complete some before her mother takes her and her younger sister on a road trip to Promise, Maine in search of a miracle. It is there in the mysterious and almost magical town of Promise that Cam meets and falls for a guy named Asher, completes her Flamingo List and creates a new one, and finds her miracle.

As I mentioned, I didn't have a connection with the characters. Cam was dry and sarcastic, and while I usually like that in a character, I never REALLY warmed up to her. And I felt like I never really knew the other characters. This was a problem because it resulted in me not being able to become emotionally invested in the story. The story was about cancer and death and miracles, and I needed that emotional connection in order to feel for the characters and understand their actions. But sadly, I couldn't get myself to become invested in that way.

I thought some things were rushed. The romance between Cam and Asher wasn't developed enough. Or maybe I didn't feel anything for it. Or maybe it was both. Either way I felt like it happened, like most of the things in this book, just so that Cam could experience what she hasn't yet been able to and probably won't be able to. I also thought some of the events that occurred were weird and random. I think the story was suppose to be bizarre (what with the town of Promise being sort of "magical" with the purple dandelions, flamingos in Maine, Killer Whales in the bay, etc.), but it was almost too bizarre. I honestly started to think that Cam was actually in a hospital bed dying and having an extravagant hallucination or dream.

So, it was a bit strange. I may not have felt much for the story or the characters, but here's what I really liked about The Probability of Miracles:

• The cover! The font is cool, the girl is beautiful, and the pink is HOT. It fit the story.
• Cam is half Samoan and half Italian. She gets her looks from the Samoan side of her family, and her Polynesian heritage was integrated into the story.
• There was a road trip. From Orlando, Florida to Promise, Maine. They stopped in South Carolina, North Carolina, and New Jersey.
• A whole chapter dedicated to a tourist trap Cam and her family stopped at in South Carolina called South of the Border! Have you guys ever been there? I have. A couple of times. It's not that I enjoy going there (it's gross and offensive and probably the CREEPIEST place I've ever been to), but it's something I'm a bit familiar with. And I thought it was hilarious that it was in this book. Here are some pictures of that place:

Notice the flamingo in the night shot on the left? ;) The bottom

picture is one of the MANY billboards found along the interstate.

Note: I did not take these pictures. Found them online.

• Writing in the ARC. It was fun. You should try it, especially if others are willing to read and write in your ARC. It made me want to finish reading it, and I was able to enjoy the story more. The picture on the right is what I wrote on the first page of chapter 12.
• The last couple of paragraphs, especially the last few lines, in the book. Those finale words... I thought it was beautiful. And heartbreaking. I wish the entire book had been written like that because it got a reaction out of me. It really made me feel for Cam and all the people who love her.

Overall, I didn't love or hate The Probability of Miracles. It was an okay read. Even though it wasn't what I was hoping it would be, I'm sure other readers will like it. I've already seen some who've read it and really liked it, and I think those who are still curious should give this book a read and make up their own mind about it. It's something you have to experience yourself.

Rating: 3 - 3.5 out of 5 stars

Thanks to Penguin & LibraryThing for the ARC!

Review: Half-Blood by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Title: Half-Blood (Covenant, #1)
Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout
Pages: 281 (ARC copy)
Publisher: Spencer Hill Press
Release Date: October 18, 2011

The Hematoi descend from the unions of gods and mortals, and the children of two Hematoi pure-bloods have godlike powers. Children of Hematoi and mortals well, not so much. Half-bloods only have two options: become trained Sentinels who hunt and kill daimons or become servants in the homes of the pures.

Seventeen-year-old Alexandria would rather risk her life fighting than waste it scrubbing toilets, but she may end up slumming it anyway. There are several rules that students at the Covenant must follow. Alex has problems with them all, but especially rule #1:

Relationships between pures and halfs are forbidden.

Unfortunately, she's crushing hard on the totally hot pure-blood Aiden. But falling for Aiden isn't her biggest problem--staying alive long enough to graduate the Covenant and become a Sentinel is. If she fails in her duty, she faces a future worse than death or slavery: being turned into a daimon, and being hunted by Aiden. And that would kind of suck.

My Thoughts: Once I was done reading Daimon, I was so glad I had an ARC of Half-Blood in hand and hoped it was as good as the prequel. I can safely say that Half-Blood exceeded any expectations I had! I completely loved it! It was so awesome that it's now one of my favorite YA paranormals, and if this keeps up, I know Covenant could end up being a definite favorite series of mine!

After three years in hiding with her pure-blood mother, 17-year-old Alexandria Andros is finally back with the Covenant, a place where pure-bloods, the children of Hematoi (who are descendants of demigods), and half-bloods, the offspring of mortals and Hematoi, live away from the mortal world. It's also where some are trained as Sentinels and Guards whose purpose is to kill daimons and protect pures. Halfs also have a chance of becoming docile servants to pures if they aren't cut out for Sentinel duty or if they break the rules. As a half-blood who broke the rules by running away with her mother and living in the mortal world, Alex chances of becoming a servant are high. To gain back the trust of the leaders she has to prove her loyalty and that she has what it takes to become a Sentinel by catching up with the three years of training she missed before the end of the summer. But following the rules is easier said than done, especially when Alex starts to fall for a pure and finds out the real reason her mother took her away from the Covenant.

Daimon, prequel
to Half-Blood.

First, I have to quickly mention the setting. There are Covenants located around the country like Tennessee and New York, but this particular Covenant is located on an island off the coast of North Carolina. Being on an island sounds awesome, and I like that the author chose a fitting name for it: Deity Island. And I have to admit that I'm pretty bias to anything North Carolina, so of course I'm happy that it's located there!

Now on to the characters. Alex was just awesome! She's funny and kickass. Strong, yet vulnerable. Her interactions with the rest of the characters, like her best friend Caleb and another fellow half-blood Seth, were great. Those characters were very likable as well, and I loved that they were all important to the story. Another character I really liked was Aiden St. Delphi. He's the pure-blood who volunteered to train Alex, and if you've read Daimon, he's actually the 'older guy' Alex use to have a crush on. I knew there was a chance I would swoon over him, but I didn't realize just how much! Aiden's such a sweet and protective and patient and nice (and I could go on!) guy, and I completely understand why Alex would fall for him, even while knowing a relationship between a pure-blood and half-blood is forbidden. I absolutely loved their moments together, and it makes me so happy when I really like the main character and the lead male character. I cannot wait to read more of their interactions!

I think this is my first experience reading a YA paranormal book where the characters are descendants of gods. I'm impressed with how the author incorporated Greek Mythology into the story, and I have a feeling Half-Blood will stand out among the other YA books with Greek Mythology released recently. I've already mentioned how much I love the characters, the relationships and the romance, and I think another aspect readers will enjoy is the action. Half-Blood is filled with it! It was never boring. There are plenty of scenes where Aiden is training Alex, and I loved that Aiden did not go easy on her. There are also parts with the daimons, which were pure-bloods who changed into dangerous creatures after drinking the aether, a pure's esscene, from another pure. They're powerful and ruthless, and I never knew what to expect from them. Another was finding out the reason Alex's mother took her away from the Covenant; it was a bit surprising, and I really want to know how Alex will continue to deal with this sudden revelation and what the outcome will be.

When I finished Half-Blood, all I wanted was more! I was satisfied with everything. The author is a great storyteller, and I'm extremely excited for the second book Pure! It's being released in less than a year, but I wish it was out already. I look forward to finding out what happens next with Alex and the rest of the characters and to learn more about their world. If you're a YA paranormal fan, you don't want to miss out! Definitely check out this series!

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Daimon is available for free download here.
Thanks to the author, Jennifer L. Armentrout, for the ARC tour!

Review: Invisible Touch by Kelly Parra

Title: Invisible Touch
Author: Kelly Parra
Pages: 279
Publisher: MTV Books
Release Date: October 14, 2008

Kara Martinez has been trying to be "normal" ever since the accident that took her father's life when she was eleven years old. She's buried the caliente side of her Mexican heritage with her father and tried to be the girl her rigid mother wants her to be -- compliant and dressed in pink, and certainly not acting out like her older brother Jason. Not even Danielle, her best friend at Valdez High, has seen the real Kara; only those who read her anonymous blog know the deepest secrets of the Sign Seer.

Because Kara has a gift -- one that often feels like a curse. She sees signs, visions that are clues to a person's fate, if she can put together the pieces of the puzzle in time. So far, she's been able to solve the clues and avert disaster for those she's been warned about -- until she sees the flash of a gun on a fellow classmate, and the stakes are raised higher than ever before. Kara does her best to follow the signs, but it's her heart that wanders into new territory when she falls for a mysterious guy from the wrong side of town, taking her closer to answers she may not be able to handle. Will her forbidden romance help her solve the deadly puzzle before it's too late...or lead her even further into danger?

My Thoughts: I like reading paranormal books. Sometimes I can relate to the main character's personality. That's fine and all, but sometimes...I want more than that. I want a character, a girl specifically, who has a similar heritage as me. So here's what I've been searching for: a young-adult paranormal with a Latina as the main character.

I thought there wasn't a book like that out there, and it frustrated me. Then a few months ago I was surprised when a Goodreads friend told me about Invisible Touch. It sounded exactly like what I was looking for! But I wondered, Why haven't I heard about this book before? It was published back in 2008 and had less than 90 ratings on Goodreads. I was still excited to read it, but in the back of my mind, the serious lack of attention it received made me question if the book would even be good. I felt bad for thinking that. At the same time, I just didn't want to get my hopes too high. Thankfully, once I was able to read it, I found that it actually exceeded all my expectations, and I was so grateful to be given the chance to read it!

Ever since the boat accident six years ago that killed her father and left her dead for several minutes, seventeen-year-old Kara Martinez has been able to see visions. These visions appear on people and are usually hints into impending danger. It's something she's not able to ignore. She must sort out the puzzle of clues her gift gives her before she can figure out what exactly the danger is, and she has to do it all on her own. She doesn't even trust her own her family with her secret because she fears being sent back to the psychiatric hospital, which was where she was sent the first time she tried to tell her mother about her visions years ago. The recent vision she sees is on a fellow classmate, who is somehow connected to a guy from the other side of town she recently met: Anthony Garcia. Keeping her gift a secret and behaving like the daughter her mother wants to be becomes even harder when she starts to fall for Anthony.

I thought Kelly Parra did such a wonderful job with this story. Although Invisible Touch is a quick read (it's a small book in size that comes in at about 280 pages) and takes place over the course of about three weeks, I felt it was paced really well. Things were revealed at just the right time. Some moments were pretty shocking and took me by surprise. I never knew what to expect next, and I couldn't put the book down! It's the type of book that makes me wish there was a sequel because I didn't want to let the characters go. I wanted to know what happens next with everyone: Kara, Anthony, Kara's family (her mother and her brother Jason) and her friend Danielle. But it's also the type of book that's perfect as a stand-alone. All questions were answered, and it didn't have a cheesy ending. It was enough to keep me satisfied and yet leave me wanting more.

Another thing I liked was the blog entries scattered throughout the book. Kara's only outlet to share her gift and her feelings about it is the anonymous blog she created called Secret Fates. It was like reading a diary, just in modern form, and it was another way for us readers to know more about Kara. She never reveals too much about herself, but her blog still adds to the mystery of the book once an anonymous reader claims to know her true identity. Maybe it's because I have a blog and am always checking other blogs, but I felt her blog entries were a nice addition to the book.

Before I end this review, I need to mention the romance. Kara and Anthony had a forbidden romance going on what with Kara having a strict and overprotective mother and Anthony coming from the wrong side of town. They did become a couple quickly, but I found it believable. It was natural, and it just felt right for them to be together. They had some steamy moments, but they weren't desperately trying to get to the next level. I thought they were pretty mature about it, and I think that reflects the type of characters they are. Mature and levelheaded. Definitely likable characters. And I could really relate to Kara on a personal level. I'm not 100% Mexican either, and I can't speak Spanish even though I wish I could. She is someone I could see myself being friends with. As for Anthony, well, I thought he was the perfect guy for Kara. (It doesn't hurt that he's also a hot guy! heh) He's a bit mysterious and seems like he would be a bad-boy, but he actually prefers to stay out of trouble. He's caring and trustworthy, and I loved his relationship with Kara.

Invisible Touch was everything I was looking for and more. It's my first and hopefully not my last paranormal book that has a main female character with Latin American roots. I honestly don't get why this book hardly got any attention, and sadly it's going out-of-print soon. I talked to the author though, and she's plans on reissuing it once it's out-of-print. That makes me feel a whole lot better, and hopefully more people will read it! I think it will appeal to fans of Wake by Lisa McMann and Simone Elkeles's Perfect Chemistry trilogy. So give it a chance if you like those books too!

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Thanks to Janina for sending me a copy! :)

Aussie August!

If you haven't heard by now, this month is Aussie August! Aussie August is basically celebrating and promoting the awesomeness of Australian young-adult literature during the entire month of August. A bunch of awesome Australian book bloggers will be hosting interviews and giveaways and posting reviews and guests posts all entirely related to Aussie YA!

Want to know more? Visit the Aussie August site. Also, the blog schedule for Aussie August can be found here.

Such a cool idea. (I always knew August was awesome! heh) I love Australian YA books, if you couldn't tell already, so this is very exciting to me! Don't miss out on the awesomeness! :)