Monthly Archives:: October 2011

Monday, October 31, 2011

Review: Bad Girls Don’t Die by Katie Alender

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Bad Girls Don’t Die
Katie Alender
Published April 21st, 2009
by Hyperion

When Alexis’s little sister Kasey becomes obsessed with an antique doll, Alexis thinks nothing of it. Kasey is a weird kid. Period. Alexis is considered weird, too, by the kids in her high school, by her parents, even by her own Goth friends. Things get weirder, though, when the old house they live in starts changing. Doors open and close by themselves; water boils on the unlit stove; and an unplugged air conditioner turns the house cold enough to see their breath in. Kasey is changing, too. Her blue eyes go green and she speaks in old-fashioned language, then forgets chunks of time.

Most disturbing of all is the dangerous new chip on Kasey’s shoulder. The formerly gentle, doll-loving child is gone, and the new Kasey is angry. Alexis is the only one who can stop her sister — but what if that green-eyed girl isn’t even Kasey anymore?

The best definition of this book is Creepy. It’s definitely a chilling read. Ghosts and strange happenings that made my hair stand on ends: it was off to a great start. However, it’s so full of clichés that it never develops into anything very intense or much interesting. The lack of originality is easily the biggest downfall of the novel and makes it extremely predictable. I’ve watched a lot of thriller/horror movies of this kind though, maybe I have just seen it all?

As expected, we have the outcast loner girl who, somehow, easily gets the hot guy. Not only has this been overly done in YA already, the whole romance aspect in Bad Girls Don’t Die doesn’t have a purpose in the book at all. It doesn’t add any charm to the story and only amounts to getting you annoyed with it. The love interest; the awkward dialogue; the character’s reactions: it all feels a bit too juvenile for modern day YA. I could see younger teens -12, 13 years old – enjoying this much more.

If you can get passed that and focus on the plot, the book is actually not so bad; I did enjoy getting spooked. Ghost stories are my weakness. They freak me out, but I can’t help myself from wanting to hear them all. The writing is good, simple, and it’s a fast read that wraps up quickly and nicely. All in all, I liked it well enough for it’s creepy factor – it isn’t a waste of time, but it’s nothing to write home about either.

3 Hot Espressos

In My Mailbox (7)

Posted by on 10/30/2011 • 115 Comments

“In My Mailbox” is a meme, created by Kristi at The Story Siren, that features books I’ve  received/ purchased/ borrowed during the current week. 

Happy Halloween my lovely readers! Sadly, I don’t have a costume this year. But my 16 month old’s is a dragon! And when we ask him what a dragon does, he goes “raaawwrrr”. How could I beat that?  So yeah… books… =) Here’s what I got this week. (Click on cover for Goodreads synopsis.) For review:               I want to thank Random House, Delacorte Press, Entangled Publishing, Jessie Harrell and Elisa Ludwig for the review copies.

I won:

                                                          Click here for my review

As you can see I have already read and reviewed Smoke and Bone and it was…

Review: Dark Eden by Partick Carman

Posted by on 10/29/2011 • 12 Comments

Dark EdenPatrick CarmanRelease date: November 1st, 2011by HarperCollins Publishers

Fifteen-year-old Will Besting is sent by his doctor to Fort Eden, an institution meant to help patients suffering from crippling phobias. Once there, Will and six other teenagers take turns in mysterious fear chambers and confront their worst nightmares—with the help of the group facilitator, Rainsford, an enigmatic guide. When the patients emerge from the chamber, they feel emboldened by the previous night’s experiences. But each person soon discovers strange, unexplained aches and pains. . . . What is really happening to the seven teens trapped in this dark Eden?

*A copy was provided by HarperCollins Publishers for review purposes*

Holy freaking cow! Now this is a thriller! I often go into books believing them to be thrillers, when they…

Fresh Batch (Oct 30th-Nov 5th)

Posted by on 10/29/2011 • 9 Comments

This week’s hot releases

Fresh Batch features some of the hottest releases this upcoming week. The books to feature are exclusively chosen by Giselle.

Flavour of the week: Touch Jus Accardo

When a strange boy tumbles down a river embankment and lands at her feet, seventeen-year-old adrenaline junkie Deznee Cross snatches the opportunity to piss off her father by bringing the mysterious hottie with ice blue eyes home.

Except there’s something off with Kale. He wears her shoes in the shower, is overly fascinated with things like DVDs and vases, and acts like she’ll turn to dust if he touches her. It’s not until Dez’s father shows up, wielding a gun and knowing more about Kale than he should, that Dez realizes there’s more to this boy—and her…

Review: Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Posted by on 10/28/2011 • 31 Comments

ObsidianJennifer L. ArmentroutRelease date: December 6th, 2011by Entangled Publishing

Starting over sucks. When we moved to West Virginia right before my senior year, I’d pretty much resigned myself to thick accents, dodgy internet access, and a whole lot of boring…. until I spotted my hot neighbor, with his looming height and eerie green eyes. Things were looking up.

And then he opened his mouth.Daemon is infuriating. Arrogant. Stab-worthy. We do not get along. At all. But when a stranger attacks me and Daemon literally freezes time with a wave of his hand, well, something…unexpected happens.

The hot alien living next door marks me.You heard me. Alien. Turns out Daemon and his sister have a galaxy of enemies wanting to steal their abilities, and Daemon’s touch has me lit…

Review: Suspense by Jason Letts

Posted by on 10/27/2011 • 10 Comments

SuspenseJason LettsReleased September 3rd, 2011Format: Ebook

Spencer Nye can’t control the rage bubbling under her skin over the world around her. The trouble is, by the year 2102, the world has solved most of its great problems. Without hunger, war, greed, or even money, people obsess over the glamour of the Culture Industry and its mega-celebrity Idols, who vie for followers over the social networks of Connect.

But Spencer discovers there is plenty to fix within the Idols’ competition for more popularity. She becomes a diehard and promises to do anything to help her Idol, a dreamy movie star named Cleary Mintz, bring his vision of hope and purpose to the world. When she stumbles onto a threat against his life, she’ll have to fight harder than she ever thought…

WoW (7) – Halloween Edition, Week 4

Posted by on 10/26/2011 • 94 Comments

Waiting on Wednesday Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event that is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine and spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.  With October upon us, my WoWs this month will feature books that would be perfect for a Halloween read. My pick this week:

                                    Masque of the Red Death                                     Bethany Griffin

                                    Release date: April 24, 2012

Everything is in ruins. A devastating plague has decimated the population. And those who are left live in fear of catching it as the city crumbles to pieces around them. So what does Araby Worth have to live for? Nights in the Debauchery Club, beautiful dresses, glittery make-up . . . and tantalizing ways to forget it all. But in the depths of the club—in the depths of…

Review: Liesl & Po by Lauren Oliver

Posted by on 10/25/2011 • 25 Comments

Liesl & PoLauren OliverReleased October 4thby HarperCollins

Liesl lives in a tiny attic bedroom, locked away by her cruel stepmother. Her only friends are the shadows and the mice—until one night a ghost appears from the darkness. It is Po, who comes from the Other Side. Both Liesl and Po are lonely, but together they are less alone.

That same night, an alchemist’s apprentice, Will, bungles an important delivery. He accidentally switches a box containing the most powerful magic in the world with one containing something decidedly less remarkable

Will’s mistake has tremendous consequences for Liesl and Po, and it draws the three of them together on an extraordinary journey.

A truly magical story! Liesl & Po will open your hearts and make you reminisce on your childhood days…