Review: Out for Blood

Author: Alyxandra Harvey
Pages: 304
Publisher: Walker Books for Young Readers
Source: Library
Other Books in the Series:Hearts at Stake (Drake Chronicles, Book 1), Blood Feud (Drake Chronicles)
Synopsis: Hunter Wild is the youngest in a long line of elite vampire hunters, a legacy that is both a blessing and a curse at the secret Helios-Ra Academy, where she excels at just about everything. Thanks to her friendship with Kieran Black, Hunter receives a special invitation to attend the coronation of Helena Drake, and for the first time, she sees the difference between vampires that must be hunted and vampires that can become friends-or even more. When students at the academy fall victim to a mysterious illness, Hunter suspects they are under attack from within. She will need someone she can trust to help her save the future of Helios-Ra . . . help that shockingly comes in the form of Quinn Drake, a drop-dead gorgeous vampire. Who said senior year would be easy?


Out for Blood: YES!! That was my reaction when I began reading it. I've been in a bit of a reading slump and it seemed like Out for Blood was exactly what I needed to get out of it.

The series keeps getting better and better. I loved reading about Logan and Isabeau but I love reading about Hunter and Quinn even more. Quinn has even made #1 on my list of Drake brothers.

Out for Blood unveiled a whole new part of the Drake world— the Helios- Ra Academy. Hunter has been going there for the last 4 years and the story took place during her senior year. She's a fabulous narrator! Kick-butt but loyal, stubborn, and doesn't listen to rules that don't make sense. Hunter's the kind of gal who will always do the right thing no matter who she has to fight to get there. Reading about her and her friends was a treat. Her world is different from what I guessed and I'm surprised at how much I loved it.

Quinn... *sighs* He's the girl crazy brother. He's always after a girl, or should I say they're always after him. He charms every girl around him but he makes sure not to get into a relationship. Then he meets Hunter and one thing leads to another. Needless to say I thoroughly enjoyed their romance.

The plot of Out for Blood was interesting. It left you guessing a lot and was fun to read. I don't think this installment furthered the overall story near as much as Blood Feud did but this was a fun read. Plus we met some super cool characters that I'm hoping will get an important role in the story.

Overall, I loved reading this. I read it in one sitting and I was hooked. 4.5 stars,

**** & 1/2 *

Titles of Books (Am I a Title-Snob or Do Others Feel the Same Way?)

What's the importance of a title of a book? It brands the object you are naming. Sure an appealing name might interest the reader in the book though aren't covers much more important in that department? But like Juliet said about names in Romeo and Juliet: 

'Tis but thy name that is my enemy ... 

What's in a name? that which we call a rose

By any other name would smell as sweet;

I've read a couple of books where the title has ruined or minimized my enjoyment of a book because the title was revealing information on a matter that was supposed to be a mystery. I think it's me being snobby but it's gotten me thinking about what makes a good title. I decided to make a little list of what I like in titles.

1. Originality. I don't want to be confused with another book in the same genre. I know that sometimes it's inevitable to have the same title and that's okay, it won't put me off the book. Creativity however goes a long way in interesting me to read a book. Ex: Wicked Lovely. That series always has creative titles. 
2. The ability to be thought provoking which is basically being memorable. Titles that make you question what will happen, who will it happen to, what's the mood of a story, etc. The more time I spend on a title, the longer it'll stay in my mind. Ex: If I Stay. Stay where? Why would you want to go? Why is staying a question? This title sounds a bit emotional so it prepares me for the book (which is very emotional- expect a very positive review up in the next few weeks). 
3. Relevance. Who cares how thought provoking or original your title is if it has nothing to do with the story! Good titles are titles that give information about the story without spoiling anything. Titles that wrap the whole (or most of the) overall message or events of the story. Ex: Delirium. The whole story is about the disease amor deliria nervosa and the effect this disease has on Lena, the main character. I think it was very well named. 

Other things concerning titles are patterns throughout series. I like that. It doesn't even have to be the repetition of a word like the City of Bones, City of Ashes etc. It can be the repetition of a mood or theme like Hearts at Stake (also known as My Love Lies Bleeding), Blood Feud, Out for Blood, etc. It's cool to read a title that  matches the other ones of the series. 

What are your thoughts on titles? Do you agree or disagree? Am I completely blowing the significance of a title out of proportion or what?

Review: Fallen Angel

Author: Heather Terrell
Pages: 336
Publisher: HarperTeen
Source: Library
Synopsis (from Goodreads): Heaven-sent?

Ellie was never particularly good at talking to boys—or anyone other than her best friend and fellow outcast, Ruth. Then she met Michael.

Michael is handsome, charming, sweet. And totally into Ellie. It’s no wonder she is instantly drawn to him. But Michael has a secret. And he knows Ellie is hiding something, too. They’ve both discovered they have powers beyond their imagining. Powers that are otherworldly.

Ellie and Michael are determined to uncover what they are, and how they got this way . . . together. But the truth has repercussions neither could have imagined. Soon they find themselves center stage in an ancient conflict that threatens to destroy everything they love. And it is no longer clear whether Ellie and Michael will choose the same side.

In this electrifying novel, Heather Terrell spins a gripping supernatural tale about true love, destiny, and the battle of good versus evil.

Fallen Angel was an interesting debut. It was about Ellie, a girl that started to gain these supernatural abilities that she had no clue what to do with.

I didn't overly connect with Ellie. She was a nice girl who always tried to help the world. She was friends with a girl named Ruth- a much more interesting character in my view- who had problems letting people in after her mom died. Ruth was super overprotective and possessive about Ellie and Ellie knew that so she tried her best to always protect Ruth. I didn't think that Ellie should have done that. Ruth loved her and would do anything for her, so she should have trusted her best friend. Ruth was a really great, unique character.

The beginning of Fallen Angel took a long time to get me interested. It's basically all about Michael and Ellie discovering their abilities. The problem for me was that I didn't like Michael at all. He wasn't really special in any way and I get that he was supposed to be mysterious what with him having met Ellie before but she not remembering him. I found their romance a bit cliché. I think the title also ruined the book a bit for me. Fallen angel. The whole time Ellie and Michael were trying to guess what they were and I knew it already. I wish the title hadn't clued me in because I think the revelation would have been shocking and fun instead of me thinking "Finally!"

After that the story got much more interesting. The whole good versus evil fight hooks me every time. It was really cool to see how the author wove in mythology and there were some interesting surprises.

Overall, I would give this book 3 stars because it's interesting with a great premise but for a good while I felt like nothing significant was happening. I am a thriller movie kind of chick so maybe it's just that I love super fast paced plots, but if you're interested in trying Fallen Angel, I wouldn't discourage you and I definitely will be checking out the sequel.

***

Friday Blog Hops!

This was a fun week with a ton of reading done. Also, huge thanks to everyone who has already voted in the Hades vs. Supernaturally cover poll! So far the results are pretty equal but that could change at any moment. Now, off to the blog hops!



The Book Blogger Hop is hosted by Jennifer from Crazy for Books. Here's her short description of it: In the spirit of the Twitter Friday Follow, the Book Blogger Hop is a place just for book bloggers and readers to connect and share our love of the written word!  This weekly BOOK PARTY is an awesome opportunity for book bloggers to connect with other book lovers, make new friends, support each other, and generally just share our love of books!  It will also give blog readers a chance to find other book blogs to read! 


The question this is:


"Pick a character from a book you are currently reading or have just finished and tell us about him/her." 


The book I'm currently reading is Black Hole Sun by David Macinnis Gill. The character I'm choosing is Vienne. She's strong and seriously bad***. She's beautiful and lethal. Vienne is loyal to Durango her chief but isn't afraid to tell him what she thinks. She doesn't get along with others all the time but she's so completely herself that she's free in that sense. I love her character!







Follow Friday is kindly hosted at Parajunkee's View. Follow Friday is all about visiting new blogs, following and having fun. This week's question is:
Do you have anyone that you can discuss books with IRL? Tell us about him/her. 
Yes I do! I actually have 3 people! Though of all of them I'm the more serious reader. One of them is a classmate from drama class. We read the same kind of books and we always talk about what we're reading or a book we'd recommend in class. 
Another is a girl I met in English class last semester. I since then gave her a list of books to read and she's been reading them. (And loving them from what I hear!) She's one of the first to here me gush about a must read.
 Lastly there is my locker & plays flute in band with me buddy. While going to class we often comment on what we're reading. We also have similar tastes in books and she usually has brand new books so I love seeing what she's reading. I know I'm lucky to have found so many bookworms in one school! And from what I hear there are more I haven't met yet.
Phew, that was a long. I've always had a habit of rambling on. Anyway, now it's your turn! If you're a new visitor, welcome! And hello to my older visitors! What are your answers? Leave a comment and I'll  return the favor. :)

Review: Close to Famous

Author: Joan Bauer
Pages: 250
Publisher: Viking Juvenile
Source: Library
Synopsis (from Goodreads): Foster McFee dreams of having her own cooking show like her idol, celebrity chef Sonny Kroll. Macon Dillard's goal is to be a documentary filmmaker. Foster's mother Rayka longs to be a headliner instead of a back-up singer. And Miss Charleena plans a triumphant return to Hollywood. Everyone has a dream, but nobody is even close to famous in the little town of Culpepper. Until some unexpected events shake the town and its inhabitantsÑand put their big ambitions to the test. Full of humor, unforgettable characters, surprises, and lots and lots of heart, this is Joan Bauer at her most engaging.

Close to Famous is an adorable sweet story about an even cuter girl named Foster who believes cupcakes make the world a better place.

When I first finished this book I considered it more of a MG than Teen book but later on I realized how even though the story was written very simply, even though the main character had a childlike optimism about her and that the plot seemed simple, there was more to it. Smaller hidden plot points woven in to create the very real life of Foster.

Foster's story felt real. I felt the pain that losing her father was, her struggle to read, her worries concerning her mother etc. There were many characters that all had there own hopes, dreams, and compromises. I honestly don't think even one character was flat. They were all quirky and wonderful to read of.

Obviously, there was a fair amount of baking and cupcakes in the story. I loved reading Foster's cooking tips. They were so cute. I was salivating many times because the cupcakes sounded so darn good. The instructions were there but since I knew I wasn't interested in cooking, I didn't enjoy those parts to the fullest. I think all people who love to bake would love Foster's story, and her cooking tips.

The thing I didn't like was that I didn't get hooked into the story. It's not a "read this book in one sitting" kind of book. It's something to read on random occasions little by little, slowly enjoying the story which I couldn't do since I was on a deadline.

Overall, this was a nice story and I'd give it 3.5 stars,

*** & 1/2 *

Cover Wars! Hades vs. Supernaturally

Cover Wars is a fun little feature I have on my blog. It's all about covers for upcoming YA releases and which is your favourite. Every week I'll have a new challenger and through out the week you can visit my blog to vote for your favourite cover. The covers may have something that links them (like colour) or they might not. It's all based on my whims but if you have a suggestion I'd love to hear it!

Wow, once again Hades triumphs! Challenging Hades is the beautiful cover of Supernaturally by Kiersten White.

VS.

I absolutely love both covers so I'm super excited to see what you think! Remember vote on the right!

Cover Reveal!

Two new covers have come out! What do you think of them? Thanks to Tor on Facebook from which I got informed of the covers.

Releases on December 13 2011
Description: Nancy Holder and Debbie Viguie, the New York Times bestselling authors of the Wicked series, have created an entirely new trilogy with the passion of Twilight and the grandeur of Fallen. The Wolf Springs Chronicles introduces readers to a town of secrets and the new girl who's about to start believing in werewolves.

Wow, sounds cool! But I don't like it when books are compared to other books. I'd rather have heard more about the story than know it has been compared to Twilight and Fallen. Maybe that's just me? But I can't wait for the synopsis!


Releases February 2012
Description: Two weeks after the events of The Iron Witch, reluctant alchemist-in-training, Donna Underwood, must face the consequences of her actions--actions that some believe make her a traitor. 

At the same time, Donna’s iron tattoos are acting strangely and she experiences bleak visions filled with warnings of a coming darkness. When the Wood Queen steps into her life once more, it appears that Donna’s role in the centuries old war against the fey is very far from over--only this time it is her mother’s life that hangs in the balance...


That wasn't the final synopsis and it's non spoilery (good for me since I still haven't read The Iron Witch! Bad P.E!)


I'm not too crazy about the cover. It feels a bit more fantastical than The Iron Witch. 


What do you think?