Review: Be Careful What You Wish For by Alexandra Potter

Name of book: Be Careful What You Wish For
Author: Alexandra Potter
Publication: January 2nd 2006 by Hodder & Stoughton
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Source: Owned

Heather Hamilton is always wishing for things. Not just big stuff - like world peace, or that Brad Pitt wants her as his next leading lady - but little, everyday wishes made without thinking. With her luck, she knows they'll never come true...
Until one day she buys some heather from a gypsy. Suddenly the bad hair days stop. A handsome American answers her ad for a housemate. She starts seeing James - The Perfect Man who sends her flowers, excels in the bedroom, and isn't afraid to say "I love you".
But are these wishes-come-true a blessing or a curse? Does getting what you want make you happy? And is there such a thing as too much foreplay?

-- My Rating --

3/5 Oscars: Liked it...

-- My Thoughts --

     I have read only one book of Alexandra Potter's and although it is not a favorite of mine, I still enjoyed the quiet insecurity of the main character and the flow of the story.This book fell short for me in a couple of ways but it was amazing in others.
     Heather is definitely not the luckiest girl in the world, but she loves to make lists of wishes, even if none of them come true. But when one day, a gypsy woman gives her some lucky heather, suddenly, everything she wanted and wished for starts coming true. But what a girl wants is not always what a girl needs. Will Heather find love midst her wishes?
     I loved the idea of the lucky heather and the wishes coming true. It was like a fairy tale and Heather's wishes are believable, but not realistic. I would have the same wishes if i knew they would come true! Anyways, Heather's character is one that I loved. Her clumsiness, quick wit, and sarcasm were relate-able. The romance was a huge part of the book and i liked it, but I didn't really BELIEVE that Heather and the guy were really in love. Maybe it happened too fast. 
     Something else that bothered me in this book was that I didn't really connect with some of Heather's decisions. But I don't blame this on the author, it was just that Heather has passes her twenties and i am still in my teen years, so it was maybe some age thing.  I loved passing the time reading this book and it won't be my last Alexandra Potter book, definitely try this out. Romance fans will love it!

Review: This Is Not a Test by Courtney Summers

Name of book: This Is Not A Test
Author: Courtney Summers
Publication: June 19th 2012 by St. Martin's Griffin
Genre: YA Paranormal
Source: Owned

It’s the end of the world. Six students have taken cover in Cortege High but shelter is little comfort when the dead outside won’t stop pounding on the doors. One bite is all it takes to kill a person and bring them back as a monstrous version of their former self. To Sloane Price, that doesn’t sound so bad. Six months ago, her world collapsed and since then, she’s failed to find a reason to keep going. Now seems like the perfect time to give up. As Sloane eagerly waits for the barricades to fall, she’s forced to witness the apocalypse through the eyes of five people who actually wantto live. But as the days crawl by, the motivations for survival change in startling ways and soon the group’s fate is determined less and less by what’s happening outside and more and more by the unpredictable and violent bids for life—and death—inside. When everything is gone, what do you hold on to?

-- My Rating --

3/5 Oscars: Liked it...

-- My Thoughts --

     I have read Courtney Summers' Cracked Up to Be and I was not happy with it. It was a little too cliché and confusing. But happily, this was much better and I have to admit that Courtney is much better in the paranormal and suspense genres than in the good ol' contemporary.
     Sloane's life was one living hell with her father, but when a dangerous flu spreads and people get all crazy and cannibal-ic, she tries to find ways to die. But being with five other teenagers in a locked-up high school who would do anything to survive, doesn't really give her much choice but to play along.
     I dove into this book expecting it to be horrific, gruesome and full of zombie-lore. While I got my share of zombie-lore, it was too little for my liking. But the lack in the plot-development was paid for by the uniqueness of the main character. Sloane is such a broken character and it was hard not to root for her. Although she made stupid decisions, the lack of anyone who cared about her in her life made up for it, somehow. I believed her motivations and her crave for love was sweet.
     Why I didn't give five stars? Well, first, there was not much action in this book, all they did was sit around and wait for the zombies to barge in and kill them. Second, most of the characters, except Sloane, were somehow poorly developed. They added charisma to the story and they had significance but I failed to sympathize with any of them. All in all, I am glad that I read this book and it was definitely unique, since I have not read anything like it before!

Review: The Nightmare Affair by Mindee Arnett

Title: The Nightmare Affair (The Arkwell Academy #1)
Author: Mindee Arnett
Publication: March 5th 2013 by Tor Teen
Genre: YA Paranormal Fantasy
Source: Provided by the kind publisher...
Goodreads

Sixteen-year-old Dusty Everhart breaks into houses late at night, but not because she’s a criminal. No, she’s a Nightmare.

Literally.

Being the only Nightmare at Arkwell Academy, a boarding school for magickind, and living in the shadow of her mother’s infamy, is hard enough. But when Dusty sneaks into Eli Booker’s house, things get a whole lot more complicated. He’s hot, which means sitting on his chest and invading his dreams couldn’t get much more embarrassing. But it does. Eli is dreaming of a murder.

Then Eli’s dream comes true.

Now Dusty has to follow the clues—both within Eli’s dreams and out of them—to stop the killer before more people turn up dead. And before the killer learns what she’s up to and marks her as the next target.

-- My Rating --

4/5 Oscars: Really Liked It...

-- My Thoughts --

     The Nightmare Affair has been getting a lot of buzz from the blogging world, and since I am such a fan of fantasy, I knew I would love this. Sarcasm. Action. Romance. This book has it all.
     Dusty has been overshadowed by her mum's bad reputation all the time. Now, that she has discovered that she is a Nightmare, feeding on people's dreams has become her job. It's normal enough for a supernatural being, up until one night, she feeds on the gorgeous human, Eli. But nothing goes on as planned. Caught up in a whirlwind of action and romance, Dusty has to choose sides to save all the supernatural beings and whom her heart truly desires.
     I have to say that the concept of Nightmares was refreshing. There have been many research on where nightmares come from but the direction Mindee Arnett took surprised me and I totally liked it. She knew how to capture the teenage angst in Dusty's character. Dusty is a character you will like, root for, then adore. I adored her every move.
     For those who hate love triangles, you have been warned. I am not a huge fan myself, but the one in this book was executed perfectly, and I loved both guys so much that I didn't know who to choose until the end. Then, it became crystal clear. The twists and turns in this book are plenty, although some are predictable, others left me gasping and wondering what just happened.
     The action in this book is nonstop. It is exhilarating and heart-racing. The sarcasm and the load of characters are amazing. Mindee Arnett has created a stunning debut, this book has lots of potential! And to say, I am dying to read more of this world, would be an understatement.

---

“Geez,” I said, looking back at Selene. “Is being at the top of the social food chain like a universal birthright or something?” She grimaced. “I think there’s a national registry. It’s online at eat- crap- dot- com.”

---

If sarcasm were butter, you could’ve spread him over toast.

---

“But why?” I knew his answer already, but I thought I would rather avoid all negative situations from here on out instead. Maybe I should become a nun.

---

Review: Drowning Instinct by Ilsa J. Bick

 Name of book: Drowning Instinct
Author: Ilsa J. Bick
Publication: February 1st 2012 by Lerner Publishing Group
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Source: Owned
Goodreads

There are stories where the girl gets her prince, and they live happily ever after. (This is not one of those stories.)

Jenna Lord’s first sixteen years were not exactly a fairytale. Her father is a controlling psycho and her mother is a drunk. She used to count on her older brother—until he shipped off to Afghanistan. And then, of course, there was the time she almost died in a fire. 

There are stories where the monster gets the girl, and we all shed tears for his innocent victim. (This is not one of those stories either.)

Mitch Anderson is many things: A dedicated teacher and coach. A caring husband. A man with a certain... magnetism. 

And there are stories where it’s hard to be sure who’s a prince and who’s a monster, who is a victim and who should live happily ever after. (These are the most interesting stories of all.)

Drowning Instinct is a novel of pain, deception, desperation, and love against the odds—and the rules.

-- My Rating --

5/5 Oscars: Loved it...

-- My Thoughts --

     WOW! It is such a pleasant surprise when a book turns out to be much, much better than your expectations! I knew , from the very beginning, that this book would be dark, scary dark. This book was one of those books that remind me why I started reading in the first place.

---

Each me was different from the other and yet the same, like the angles of a triangle or the facets of a diamond.

---

     Jenna Lord is not your typical girl. She has had a hard past, a psycho dad, a drunken mum, and a brother who left for Iraq. Her life is a constant hell, until she meets her enigmatic teacher, Mr. Anderson.
     I cannot say more about this book, my experience with it was fabulous, and I am afraid that if I say too much, it will ruin your experience. Jenna is one of the most broken characters I have ever read about. She is so broken that it's tangible, I felt for her and I felt what she was going through. Her decision-making skills were equal to zero. I would never do what she did, but all I wanted was to give her a HUGE hug and show her the right way. There was nobody in her life who really cared for her, and all who did care, were taken away somehow.
     Then comes Mr. Anderson. He is captivating, enigmatic, and scary sexy. A devoted husband, a great teacher and much more. He is the man you KNOW you should not fall for but you do anyway. He is much older than Jenna and their relationship is taboo, but they can't stay away. And it's a rule, when two broken people are together, happiness will stay as far away as possible.

---

There are those individuals who die for a cause, and we say they have made the ultimate sacrifice. We call them martyrs, and we never doubt their sincerity.

Yet many others search their entire lives for something—or someone—worth dying for and this is very different. These are the lonely and the desperate, fearful that their lives have no meaning. They yearn for the bullet, if only someone else will pull the trigger.

---

     This story is raw, and dark. So dark that you DO NOT want to continue but you do anyway, since you want to know the ending. Don't expect to be happy after you read this book. Because you won't. This will leave you crying (weeping, actually), or cursing, or just wanting to jump off a cliff.

     This book is one of the most amazing experiences I have ever had. And Ms. Ilsa will always be one of my top-favorite authors. I am afraid that even if I recommend this to anyone who is willing to read, it would still not do this book justice.

---

I’m beating around the bush. I know I am. I don’t want to tell this story, Bob, and you know why? Because this is a fairy tale with teeth and claws, and here’s what completely sucks: you’re going to want black and white, Bob, right and wrong. I’m not sure I can give that to you. That’s the problem with the truth. Sometimes the truth is ambiguous, or a really bad cliché.

But this is the truth, Bob: I’m a liar.

I am lucky, a liar, a good girl, a princess, a thief—and a killer.

And my reality—my story—begins with Mr. Anderson.

---

Review: Grasping at Eternity by Karen Amanda Hooper

Name of book: Grasping at Eternity (The Kindrily #1)
Author: Karen Amanda Hooper
Publication: May 25th 2012 by Starry Sky Publishing
Genre: YA Paranormal Fantasy
Source: Borrowed
Goodreads

Leave it to Maryah Woodsen to break the one rule that will screw up eternity: Never erase your memories. 

Before entering this life, Maryah did the unthinkable—she erased. Now, at seventeen years old, she’s clueless that her new adoptive family has known her for centuries, that they are perpetually reincarnated souls, and that they have supernatural abilities. Oh, and she's supposed to love (not despise) Nathan, the green-eyed daredevil who saved her life.

Nathan is convinced his family’s plan to spark Maryah's memory is hopeless, but his love for her is undying. After spending (and remembering) so many lifetimes together, being around an empty version of his soulmate is heart shattering. He hates acting like a stalker, but has no choice because the evil outcast who murdered Maryah in their last lifetime is still after her. 

While Maryah’s hunter inches closer, she and Nathan make assumptions and hide secrets that rip them further apart. Maryah has to believe in the magic within her, Nathan must have faith in the power of their love, and both need to grasp onto the truth before they lose each other forever—and discover just how lonely eternity can be. 

X-MEN meets MY NAME IS MEMORY in Karen Amanda Hooper’s latest young adult release.

-- My Rating --

4.5 / 5 Oscars: Loved it...

-- My Thoughts --

     Ok, so I read the anthology, Furthermore (my review here) and one of the stories really caught my eye. It was somewhat of a prequel to this novel, so I had to get my hands on the novel, of course. 

      Maryah is just a normal seventeen-year-old girl. But when tragedy strikes, and she is sent to live with a godmother she never knew about, her life becomes as far from normal as possible. Strangely, this huge family are more familiar with her than she knows. And one of the boys, Nathaniel, is the guy from her dreams, literally...

     This book is pure unique. I have ever read anything about kindrily-ies, but they are very fascinating. The family Maryah lives with are souls that are able to retain memories from their past lives when they are given new bodies. The little twists and turns in this book left me breathless, but the tension, and the build-up felt really good and thought-out. GRASPING AT ETERNITY was one hell of a romantic ride!

     The characters are superb. Each one of them are unique, Nathaniel, Maryan, Mickey, Fate, Harmony, River... Every single one of them stuck with me and their uniqueness is unforgettable. The end wrapped things up nicely but left room for new developments. I am not overly obsessed but I am definitely interested to read the second book, TAKING BACK FOREVER...