Poison Study Review

Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder

★★★★★

Synopsis:

About to be executed for murder, Yelena is offered an extraordinary reprieve. She'll eat the best meals, have rooms in the palace-- and risk assassination by anyone trying to kill the Commander of Ixia.

And so Yelena chooses to become a food taster. But the chief of security, leaving nothing to chance, deliberately feeds her Butterfly's Dust and only by appearing for her daily antidote will she delay an agonizing death from the poison. As Yelena tries to escape her new dilemma, disasters keep mounting. Rebels plot to seize Ixia and Yelena develops magical powers she can't control. Her life is threatened again and choices must be made. But this time the outcomes aren't so clear.... (from Goodreads)

Review:

I love a strong heroine, and Poison Study definitely does not lack one.  Yelena has lost it all, and almost her life.  She is offered a job to save her neck from the noose, but it might only prolong her life for a short time.  She becomes the food tester to the Commander, he’s the equivalent of a president/king, but his rule is more military then democratic/monarchy.   Her job is to check his food and drink for poison, poison that could ultimately kill her.  Yet she doesn’t cower in the shadows, she sticks up for herself and she hits back.  Yelena is a fighter to the bone, and it is an adventure to watch her strengthen in her own skin.  The other characters range from good-hearted to down-right despicable.  Valek, the Commander’s right-hand man and Yelena’s trainer, kept me on my toes.  He was always creating twists in his own story.  I loved him.  Nothing is what it seems with the majority of the characters.  They each keep you on your toes.  The story was just as tricky.   

This book is classified as YA, but it can honestly travel freely through the YA/Adult border.  Although it’s a wild adventure that ages 14 and up can enjoy, some of the content is a bit more mature than your usual YA.  There are some disturbing moments, but ones that make Yelena who she is now.  The romance grows slowly, but I enjoyed it.  There was a depth to the relationship that didn’t involve dependency.   That isn’t seen too often and was so refreshing.  That, I think, is one of the greatest messages we can give our young girls.  

This is one of my favorite books of this year.  Why did it take me six years to get to it?

--monica

Touch of Frost Review

·         Touch of Frost by Jennifer Estep
★★★★☆

Synopsis:
My name is Gwen Frost, and I go to Mythos Academy -- a school of myths, magic and warrior whiz kids, where even the lowliest geek knows how to chop off somebody's head with a sword and Logan Quinn, the hottest Spartan guy in school, also happens to be the deadliest.

But lately, things have been weird, even for Mythos. First, mean girl Jasmine Ashton was murdered in the Library of Antiquities. Then, someone stole the Bowl of Tears, a magical artifact that can be used to bring about the second Chaos War. You know, death, destruction and lots of other bad, bad things. Freaky stuff like this goes on all the time at Mythos, but I'm determined to find out who killed Jasmine and why – especially since I should have been the one who died …

Review:
This book got off to a choppy start for me, it was a little bit redundant. The heroine, Gwen, is the narrator of this story and she tended to repeat a lot of things. She was an outcast, had no friends, everyone else was rich, popular and cool. Except her. Yeah, yeah, got that the third, fourth, and fifth time you mentioned it. However, once I was able to look past that minor complaint (or major since I seem to be whining a lot about it), I really fell into the story. Gwen is alone, but she is a strong character. While she dwells on her lonely state, she doesn't mope or get lost in it. She fights back and kicks butt. And, she might not be lonely forever as a diverse group of characters are introduced throughout the book.

I loved the mythology in this story. It's a mix of Greek, Roman, Celtic, Norse, and the list goes on. But it was never confusing, all the lore seemed to mesh well together.

Sometimes you get lost in Gwen's inner dialogue, before you're brought back to the matter at hand, but it's not too bad. She's a funny and insightful character. I loved her sarcasm and opinion on the world around. She's able to be detached, without seeming all angsty.

This is a great start to a promising series. As soon as I finished, I immediately went on to get the second book. Alas, it was not meant to be. The second book doesn't come out until November 29, 2011. I know, I groaned in frustration, too. But seriously, if you like strong female leads, mythology, romance, and fighting for a cause, this is a book you should definitely read.

--monica

Book Review: Glass Houses by Rachel Caine

Glass Houses (Morganville Vampires #1) by Rachel Caine
★★★☆☆

Synopsis:
Welcome to Morganville, Texas. Just don't stay out after dark. College freshman Claire Danvers has had enough of her nightmarish dorm situation, where the popular girls never let her forget just where she ranks in the school's social scene: somewhere less than zero. When Claire heads off-campus, the imposing old house where she finds a room may not be much better. Her new roommates don't show many signs of life. But they'll have Claire's back when the town's deepest secrets come crawling out, hungry for fresh blood. (from Shelfari)

Review:
It took me a while to get into this book. It was very slow moving and I struggled to relate to the 16 year-old genius thrust into college life. Also, I think she repeatedly made stupid decisions and I literally smacked my forehead on one occasion (and came close many other times).

With that being said, by about 75% in, the action picked up and I really started to enjoy it. Claire was more relatable and likable. And the story ends on a wicked cliffhanger, ensuring that anyone that makes it that far will continue on to the next in the series. I will, for sure, but I'm hoping there isn't such a slow build up in the second book.

--monica

Clarity Review

Clarity by Kim Harrington

4.5 Stars

Synopsis:

Clarity "Clare" Fern sees things. Things no one else can see. Things like stolen kisses and long-buried secrets. All she has to do is touch an object and the visions come to her. It's a gift.

And a curse.

When a teenage girl is found murdered, Clare's ex-boyfriend wants her to help solve the case — but Clare is still furious at the cheating jerk. Then Clare's brother — who has supernatural gifts of his own — becomes the prime suspect, and Clare can no longer look away. Teaming up with Gabriel, the smoldering son of the new detective, Clare must venture into the depths of fear, revenge, and lust in order to track the killer. But will her sight fail her just when she needs it most? - from the author’s website

Review:

I’ve been reading a lot of books lately that have heroines that are, at first,  a bit immature and annoying.  So it was nice when I instantly took to Clare.  She’s witty, smart and honest.  Coming from a quirky family has its drawbacks, but she handles them better than most.  I enjoyed watching her use her gift and make the best of it.  It was also refreshing to see a heroine not shirk her gift, but to have the desire to use it for good.  

I also enjoyed the love triangle created by Harrington.  It was believable and never felt forced.  I wasn’t sure if I was rooting more for Justin the ex-boyfriend or Gabriel the new guy.  I’m still not sure which boy I prefer for her. 

There were many unexpected twists to the story that had me guessing up until the final chapters.  Most of them were plausible, some a bit forced.  But because the rest of the story was so well-done, I’m willing to overlook those minor flaws.

Perception, book two in the series, comes out March 2012 and I am really looking forward to it.  Clarity didn’t end on a nail-biting cliffhanger, but the loose ends and last minute revelations will keep me wondering for the next 9 months.  Highly recommended!

--monica

Abandon Review

Abandon by Meg Cabot

3 Stars (Very Generous)

Synopsis: (from author's website)

Seventeen-year-old Pierce knows what happens to us when we die.

That's how she met John Hayden, the mysterious stranger who's made returning to normal life—or at least life as Pierce knew it before the accident—next to impossible.

Though she thought she escaped him—starting a new school in a whole new place—it turns out she was wrong. He finds her.

What does John want from her? Pierce thinks she knows... just like she knows he's no guardian angel, and his dark world isn't exactly heaven. But she can't stay away from him, either, especially since he's always there when she least expects it, but exactly when she needs him most.

But if she lets herself fall any further, she might find herself back in the place she fears the most.

And when Pierce discovers the shocking truth, that’s exactly where John sweeps her:

The Underworld.

Review:

This was my second Meg Cabot and I think my last.  While the premise was intriguing, the story itself did not seem to be carried out very well.  Pierce, the heroine, tends to contradict herself quite often.  For example, she hates it when people ask her about dying and coming back.  But she’s quick to remind anyone that she has died before if they complain or criticize her.  

Pierce also has many flashbacks throughout the story.  They just cut into the story and often confused me.  She’d be at an ice cream shop and then home and then back at the ice cream shop.  I had to re-read those parts just to make sure she was having flashbacks or that she hadn’t skipped ahead.  These could have been done much more smoothly.   

The love story comes across forced.  I kept wondering why/how/when John ever fell in love with Pierce, and vice versa.  They never have tender moments.  Until they do and that’s when it seemed especially forced and the timing awkward.  

My last complaint, although I have several more, there were so many unanswered questions, or questions that should have been asked but never were.  The latter I dislike the most, especially when the answer is staring one right in the face.  

Unless you are already an established fan of Meg Cabot, do not start with this book.  I would have given this book a 2.5 star rating, but couldn’t bring myself to do it.  I like Meg Cabot, but I’ve found her writing just isn't my thing.

--monica

Halfway to the Grave Review

Halfway to the Grave by Jeaniene Frost

4 Stars

Synopsis:

Half-vampire Catherine Crawfield is going after the undead with a vengeance, hoping that one of these deadbeats is her father—the one responsible for ruining her mother's life. Then she's captured by Bones, a vampire bounty hunter, and is forced into an unholy partnership. In exchange for finding her father, Cat agrees to train with the sexy night stalker until her battle reflexes are as sharp as his fangs. She's amazed she doesn't end up as his dinner—are there actually good vampires? Pretty soon Bones will have her convinced that being half-dead doesn't have to be all bad. But before she can enjoy her newfound status as kick-ass demon hunter, Cat and Bones are pursued by a group of killers. Now Cat will have to choose a side . . . and Bones is turning out to be as tempting as any man with a heartbeat.

Review:

This is one of the times that I enjoyed the plot more than the main character, but kept reading and liked the book.  I’m a character driven reader, so this rarely happens (well, I actually never not finish a book, but I won’t enjoy any of it).  For about 3/4 of the book I struggled with Cat.  At 22, she seemed more like 17.  She was whiny, immature, overconfident, and a bit ignorant.  I really started to warm up to her, however, in the final chapters.  Now that I’ve had time to really think about the book, I wonder if this was Frost’s intention.  Introduce an immature Cat and develop her into a stronger, mature woman.  I can appreciate that. 

There were times I felt for Cat.  She loves her mother so much, but her mother is not very understanding and quick to judge.  I did not like her mom, to say the least.  Cat had to make some huge decisions by the end of the book and my heart broke for her!  But she acted like an adult and did what was necessary.  

One of my favorite parts is the romance.  I immediately loved Bones.  From the moment Cat saw him, I knew he was sticking around.  He, thus far, is my favorite character in the series.  I loved watching the relationship between Bones and Cat develop.

As I said, I struggled a bit at first and wasn’t sure I would want to continue the series.  But by the end, I was really looking forward to book 2. 

--monica

Strange Angels Review

Strange Angels by Lili St. Crow

4 Stars

Synopsis:  

  Sixteen-year-old Dru Anderson has grown up traveling the country with her demon-hunter father. When he tries to tackle a powerful sucker named Sergej in the Dakotas, he is turned into a zombie. After stopping him from killing her, Dru must save herself when she, too, becomes Sergej's target. She is befriended by Graves, a classmate who is quickly bitten and turned into a loup-garou (half werewolf), and meets Christophe, a djamphir (half-vampire vampire hunter). Dru also learns that she is growing into her own special powers.

Review:

This book jumps into action very early on.  In one of the first chapters, Dru has to make a decision, and then act on it, that I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy.  But she knows the consequences of not acting and her dad has taught her to be a skilled hunter.  Orphaned and alone, she meets Graves and they more or less protect each other at first.  Quickly this relationship turns into one of survival, and they are fighting to keep the other alive, even if it could cost them their own lives.  

Dru has a lot of unanswered questions and when she tries to get them answered, she ends up falling into more trouble.  Something is after her and she doesn’t fully understand why.  Her mom died when she was very young and her dad never explained anything before his death.  She also discovers that as skilled as she thought she was, she doesn’t have anything on the guys hunting her down.  So she’s kind of making it up as she goes along, with the help of Graves and the mysterious and so-not-trustworthy Christophe.  

I really enjoyed this book.  It's YA, but has an adult feel to it.  It is very dark and cold.  No warm fuzzies here, unless you count the werwulfen (werewolves).  Strange Angels is full of action and mystery.  St. Crow always had me guessing what could be next.  I can’t complain too much about the story.  Other than I enjoy a good romance, and this book doesn’t have one.  Although I think it could be building up for the next books.  Hopefully.  Dru has a lot of inner dialogue in between conversations and during action scenes and I had to keep going back and forth to double check whether or not she was saying any of it out loud or not.  So that affected the pacing a bit.  Also, there is a lot of language, which doesn’t normally bother me, but there is a lot of “GD’s” and “JC’s”. 

I recommend this book for anyone that enjoys a good YA Paranormal and is looking for something a little different from the rest.

-- monica