Review: Taking Back Forever by Karen Amanda Hooper

Title: Taking Back Forever (The Kindrily #2)
Author: Karen Amanda Hooper
Publication:  May 31st 2013 by Starry Sky Publishing
Genre: YA Paranormal
Source: Provided by the kind publisher..
Gooreads

*Recommended for ages 15 and older due to mature content.* 

Forever is worth the fight.

Maryah erased all memory of her past lives, but she couldn’t erase her soul mate Nathan, or his undying love. Now, Maryah and Nathan have a second chance at a future together, but first Maryah must remember the person she used to be and embrace her supernatural gifts—more than one kindrily member’s life depends on it.

Maryah’s power is Harmony’s best hope of finding her kidnapped soul mate, Gregory. But Harmony isn’t big on asking anyone for help, and she’s tired of waiting, so she’s taking matters into her own hands. Heaven help anyone who stands in her way.

-- My Rating --

4/5 Oscars: Really liked it...

-- My Thoughts --

     I read the first book in the series just by pure luck. And I liked it a lot. It left me anxious to read the second book, so when I had the chance to read this, I jumped at it. And it was not disappointing at all
No spoilers included...
     Maryah erased a lifetime ago. But she and her soul mate, Nathan, were able to find each other again. Everyone is in need of something from her. Can she fulfill all their expectations? Now, Maryah has to master her abilities to help her kindrily survive, once and for all.
The things I liked:
1- The cover. What I love most about the covers in this series is that they are so exceptionally crafted that they are directly related to what happens in the book. I loved both of them.
2- The characters. Maryah develops a lot throughout this book. She turns from this insecure little girl into a mature, hard-core woman. You can feel the needs and the desires of each character in the book which makes you connect with them on many different levels
3- The POVs. Karen A. Hooper did the POVs in this book a little differently. The first book was a first-person account by Maryah, which made me connect to her a lot and fall in love with her all together. But this book had two POVs, one of Maryah and one of Harmony. I never really liked Harmony before, but in this book, I connected with her and I grew to like her a lot.
4- The plot. It was fast moving most of the time.
5- The romance. I will give an A+ for the romance. The interactions between Maryah and Nathan were snarky, funny, romantic and oh-so-steamy. I didn't know Karen Amanda Hooper was such a fabulous writer of romantic scenes. But oh, she is, and they got my insides all tingly.
What I didn't like:
1- The only character development that I really noticed was that of Maryah. She developed a lot throughout the book. But the other characters were lacking in the development field. I never really noticed any of them change at all. But it wasn't such a big issue.
2- The plot. In the middle of the book, I felt like the book slowed down. Actually, it dragged a little at times. But this issue was passable, too. Some times, I felt like nothing of importance actually happened in this book at all. It was all a main focus on Maryah and her issues. Nothing really MAJOR actually happened.


I am not a huge fan of cliffhangers, so I appreciated it that Karen A. Hooper wrote a little not at the end. It's like "If you don't want a cliffhanger, don't continue any more. If you want a different end with a cliffhanger, then continue" I didn't really want to continue but I couldn't stop myself. So, I read the end with the cliffhanger and it has me REELING and SO ANXIOUS to read the third book. I WANT to know what happens right about NOW.

Review: Why We Broke Up by Daniel Handler

Title: Why We Broke Up
Author: Daniel Handler
Publication: December 27th 2011 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Genre: YA Contemporary
Source: Owned

I'm telling you why we broke up, Ed. I'm writing it in this letter, the whole truth of why it happened.

Min Green and Ed Slaterton are breaking up, so Min is writing Ed a letter and giving him a box. Inside the box is why they broke up. Two bottle caps, a movie ticket, a folded note, a box of matches, a protractor, books, a toy truck, a pair of ugly earrings, a comb from a motel room, and every other item collected over the course of a giddy, intimate, heartbreaking relationship. Item after item is illustrated and accounted for, and then the box, like a girlfriend, will be dumped.

-- My Rating --

3.5 / 5 Oscars: Liked it...

-- My Thoughts --

     I have heard a lot about this book and its great writing style. Yes, it was unique. But it was confusing at times, too.
     Min and Ed's love story doesn't start normally. Nor does it end normally. When Min breaks up with Ed, she sends him a letter. A very long letter, talking about the reasons they broke up. She also sends him a box of things. Things that she has collected through the relationship. Things that , to other poeple, might seem quite meaningless, but to Min, hold a story, either good or bad.
     The originality of this idea was evident. I loved the way Daniel Handler added these things to the book, that harbored great stories each. One thing that you will adore in this book is the illustrations. They are so captivating and they create a vivid image in your mind about the characters and the story, in general. 
     At first, this book was confusing. Like, when I read some parts of Min's letter, I couldn't understand how she could dump such a great, lovely guy. But towards the end, everything becomes clear and I knew that I would have done the exact SAME thing as Min did. Poetic with realistic characters and a charming story-line, this book was very much enjoyable...
P.S. I absolutely ADORED Daniel Handler's writing style. It is poetic and amazing. Here are some glimpses:

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I guess I already loved you then. Doomed like a wineglass knowing it’ll get dropped someday, shoes that’ll be scuffed in no time, the new shirt you’ll soon enough muck up filthy.

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Your beautiful sister took the rubber band out of your hand and dropped it into mine, a loose worm, lazy snake, wide-open lasso ready to rodeo something.

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I’m all of them, every last ugly thing in a bad last-minute costume. I’m not different, not at all, not different from any other speck of a thing. I’m a blemished blemish, a ruined ruin, a stained wreck so failed I can’t see what I used to be. 

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How wrong to think I was anyone else, like thinking grass stains make you a beautiful view, like getting kissed makes you kissable, like feeling warm makes you coffee, like liking movies makes you a director. 

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Review: The Island by Jen Minkman

Title: The Island
Author: Jen Minkman
Publication: June 1st 2013
Genre: YA Dystopian
Source: Provided by the kind publisher...

‘I walk toward the sea. The endless surface of the water extends to the horizon, whichever way I look.

Our world is small. We are on our own, and we only have ourselves to depend on. We rely on the Force deep within us, as taught to us by our forefathers. 

If I were to walk westward from here, I would come across a barrier – the Wall. Behind it, there are Fools. At least, that’s what everyone says.

I have never seen one.’

Leia lives on the Island, a world in which children leave their parents to take care of themselves when they are ten years old. Across this Island runs a wall that no one has ever crossed. The Fools living behind it are not amenable to reason – they believe in illusions. That’s what The Book says, the only thing left to the Eastern Islanders by their ancestors. 
But when a strange man washes ashore and Leia meets a Fool face to face, her life will never be the same. Is what she and her friends believe about the Island really true?

Or is everyone in their world, in fact, a Fool?

(Please note: this novella contains a few references to the famous sci-fi movie Star Wars which are pivotal to the plot. None of the characters in The Island are in any way related to the characters in the movie.)

- My Rating --

4/5 Oscars: Really liked it...

-- My Thoughts --

     I didn't know this book was so short before I started reading it. But I am glad that it was to-the-point. At less than 100 pages, it build up a small, delicate dystopian environment that was chilly, but gave you the impression of a whole new world to discover. Which I loved.
     There is no summery needed for such a short piece, but the main character is the one I liked. Leia is a tough girl but one who never questioned her lifestyle or the authorities. She develops throughout the book into a curious, hard-to-crack girl. The character development was evident and I liked it. Although the other main characters were not as much fleshed out, and they felt two - dimensional at times, I hope that the author  explores them more in the sequel, if there is a sequel. Since I don't know if this is  a standalone, or a prequel, or the first in a series. 
     The only problem that I had with it is that it was too short for me. I rarely read books that are less than 130 pages, at least. So, i wanted this to be longer. I hope that the author will continue in the genre, since she evidently has a talent.

ARC Review: Some Quiet Place by Kelsey Sutton

Title: Some Quiet Place
Author: Kelsey Sutton
Publication: July 8th 2013 by Flux
Genre: YA Paranormal
Source: Provided by the kind publisher...
Goodreads

I can’t weep. I can’t fear. I’ve grown talented at pretending.

Elizabeth Caldwell doesn’t feel emotions . . . she sees them. Longing, Shame, and Courage materialize around her classmates. Fury and Resentment appear in her dysfunctional home. They’ve all given up on Elizabeth because she doesn’t succumb to their touch. All, that is, save one—Fear. He’s intrigued by her, as desperate to understand the accident that changed Elizabeth’s life as she is herself.

Elizabeth and Fear both sense that the key to her past is hidden in the dream paintings she hides in the family barn. But a shadowy menace has begun to stalk her, and try as she might, Elizabeth can barely avoid the brutality of her life long enough to uncover the truth about herself. When it matters most, will she be able to rely on Fear to save her?

-- My Rating --

4.5 / 5 Oscars: LOVED it...

-- My Thoughts --

     I am always in when authors try to find unique aspects in such a crowded genre, such as paranormal. I thought there was nothing in paranormal that has not been tried before, no new lands to explore in the genre, but Kelsey Sutton has proved me wrong. The uniqueness of her book was not lost to me, and it will definitely not be lost to you either.
     Elizabeth is emotionless. Literally. She cannot feel anything. But she can see them. She can see the mesmerizing Fear and his cold loveliness. She can see Courage, Joy, Sorrow, Guilt, Resentment, and Love. All of them. But the only thing she feels is nothing-ness, an empty hallow inside her. But when she is hunted by weird dreams and an even weirder reality, she has to enlist the help of many to find out about her past, and possibly, the key to her future.
     Now, tell me this is not original. See? You can't. I absolutely LOVED the idea of seeing Emotions and Elements. Elizabeth can actually SEE Joy. She can see Fog. She can see everything but feel nothing. It was so incredibly unique, that a smile was plastered on my face the WHOLE time I read this book. I was over-joyed at the endless possibilities in front of the author, and she did not disappoint
     The plot of this book is swift. There is not one moment that you will be bored. And the characters are more amusing still. Elizabeth is a unique character, in the true meaning of the word. She can feel nothing, but yet, you sympathize with her. But who stole my heart in this book was not her, it was Fear. His fearlessness, his loyalty, his cute mysterious self stole me away. Who thought that they can fall in love with an Emotion? Well, I didn't. But I did fall. 
     The romance is almost like an after-thought. An amazing after-thought. But it plays a crucial part in the plot, not in the way you think, no. You just have to read it to understand. The character development is evident in Elizabeth, since the main focus is on her, so you can't actually notice any other character development. 
     There are not enough words to praise this novel. I loved the way it turned out in the end, and i couldn't have expected the outcome. This book is perfect as a standalone. I don't think the author is planning any sequels, but if she is, I am pretty sure they will be just as GREAT! If you are in for a thoughtful, absolutely original, and romantic read, then this is for you!

Review: Tiger Lily by Jodi Lynn Anderson

Title: Tiger Lily
Author: Jodi Lynn Anderson
Publication: July 3rd 2012 by Harper Collins Children's Books
Genre: YA Fantasy
Source: Owned
Goodreads

Before Peter Pan belonged to Wendy, he belonged to the girl with the crow feather in her hair. . . .

Fifteen-year-old Tiger Lily doesn't believe in love stories or happy endings. Then she meets the alluring teenage Peter Pan in the forbidden woods of Neverland and immediately falls under his spell.

Peter is unlike anyone she's ever known. Impetuous and brave, he both scares and enthralls her. As the leader of the Lost Boys, the most fearsome of Neverland's inhabitants, Peter is an unthinkable match for Tiger Lily. Soon, she is risking everything—her family, her future—to be with him. When she is faced with marriage to a terrible man in her own tribe, she must choose between the life she's always known and running away to an uncertain future with Peter.

With enemies threatening to tear them apart, the lovers seem doomed. But it's the arrival of Wendy Darling, an English girl who's everything Tiger Lily is not, that leads Tiger Lily to discover that the most dangerous enemies can live inside even the most loyal and loving heart.

From the New York Times bestselling author of Peaches comes a magical and bewitching story of the romance between a fearless heroine and the boy who wouldn't grow up.

-- My Rating --

5/5 Oscars: Loved it...

-- My Thoughts --

      I have been hearing so much about this book from the blogging world, and while I had the free time and the free choice of reading what I want, my mind automatically went to this book. I loved the story of Peter Pan (in the movie) so I couldn't wait to read Jodi Lynn's twist into it.
      Before Windy, there was Tiger Lily. Tiger Lily is not like the other girls in her tribe. She is fearless, brave, and boy-ish. She is not sure of what she wants in life. Until she meets Peter Pan and the lost boys. Peter Pan is dangerous, fearless, and as brave as she is. They fit, but don't fit at the same time. Life was never more complicated or more lovely for a fifteen-year-old girl with crow feathers in her hair.
     Tiger Lily was an exceptional book. Okay, that might sound like an over statement, but it is true. Jodi Lynn Anderson has created characters, so diverse, so vibrant, pulsing with life and energy. The story is told in the eyes of Tinker Bell, our beloved little fairy. I never thought I would love a story told from such a perspective that much. 
     I fell in love with Tinker Bell as she told the story. But she is not the only one I fell in love with. I fell in love with Tiger Lily, her bravery, her true love, her selfishness, and her imperfection. I fell in love with Peter Pan, Pine Sap, Moon Eye, Tik Tok, even Captain Hook (the villain, supposedly). There was not one character in this book that was not unique and real. They felt real. Not like a fantasy, but like they were standing right there in front of me.
     The plot is fast-paced, but God, it's amazing! The relationship between Tiger Lily and Peter is adorable. it felt so real, so heated, but also as childish as they were. I fell in love with them both. Though, I can't shake the feeling, I hated Windy. I hated that she was more beautiful, more perfect than Tiger Lily. 
     I loved, LOVED, Jodi Lynn A's writing. Lyrical and quote-worthy. Now, I know that all the reviews of this book were right. This is amazing, and it is a book that I will recommend to everyone forever and ever. It teaches you about life. Its unfairness. Its loveliness. It teaches you about the power of moving on, and letting go. It's beautiful.

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There was a beast in there. But there was also a girl who was afraid of being a beast, and who wondered if other people had beasts in their hearts too. There was strength, and there was also just the determination to look strong. She guarded herself like a secret.

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Standing there, hair pasted to her back, covered in sweat, blood on her shoulders where a freshly killed rabbit lay, arrows pointing above her head, she was a triumphant and fearsome sight. No one could have guessed the way her heart pounded.

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You think you know that someone sees you one way, and barely at all, and then you realize that they see you in another. That was the night I realized Tiger Lily had seen—really seen—me all along

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