Genre: Thriller


Wednesday, September 25, 2013

Review: Unbreakable by Kami Garcia

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I received this book for free from Hachette Book Group in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Review: Unbreakable by Kami GarciaUnbreakable by Kami Garcia
Series: Legion #1
Published by Little Brown BfYR on October 1st 2013
Genres: Supernatural, Thriller, YA
Source: Hachette Book Group
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four-stars

I never believed in ghosts. Until one tried to kill me.

When Kennedy Waters finds her mother dead, her world begins to unravel. She doesn’t know that paranormal forces in a much darker world are the ones pulling the strings. Not until identical twins Jared and Lukas Lockhart break into Kennedy’s room and destroy a dangerous spirit sent to kill her. The brothers reveal that her mother was part of an ancient secret society responsible for protecting the world from a vengeful demon — a society whose five members were all murdered on the same night.

Now Kennedy has to take her mother’s place in the Legion if she wants to uncover the truth and stay alive. Along with new Legion members Priest and Alara, the teens race to find the only weapon that might be able to destroy the demon — battling the deadly spirits he controls every step of the way.

What a nail biter! Unbreakable has a creepy cover with an equally freaky story. For all of you supernatural thriller fans out there this one is not to be missed!

I made the mistake of starting this book at midnight; a book that has crazy happenings and intense goosebump-worthy scenes right from the beginning. Every page had me delving deeper and deeper under the covers just so I would stop imagining hellish demon ghosts at the foot of my bed! And by hellish demon ghosts I mean exactly that! You won’t find Casper in here. By page 32 my heart was already pounding from the horror of this unexplained supernatural evil that started to haunt Kennedy. Ok if I’m being honest, I kind of loved it. I’m a sucker for horrors and even though I freak myself out reading them I can’t stop myself! Kami vividly describes these vengeful spirits in the eeriest of ways. I could imagine them clear as day and feel their coldness seep into my skin. From evil ghosts children holding mangled dolls, to faces that flick from a child’s to an old woman’s, to bloated and bruised faces rising from wells; it’s all wonderfully horrific with a sense of anxiety that never lets up.

At first, Kennedy is not sure exactly what’s going on but she knows it’s nothing natural. Soon she meets twins Jared and Jack who explain that she’s part of a secret society of demon hunters. This is where we meet the intriguing cast who make up the Legion. The character development is not the book’s strongest component, however. Due to the action-packed nature of the plot, we get no backstories and few occasions to get to know them. In turn, the group dynamic is not dominant which could make a big difference in how much heart this series possesses. I still found the characters fun to journey with. I enjoyed Priest the most. He’s perceptive and intelligent; the one exuding the most personality. Seeing he’s the baby of the gang also evokes a sense of protectiveness towards him.

Another area that could have used work is the romance. Although it didn’t hinder my enjoyment of the book per se, I would have much preferred if it had been non existent. For one, it felt like it was added for no other reason than a perceived necessity in today’s YA market. Secondly, using my sub-par deduction skills, I concluded she falls for this guy simply because he’s hot. Lastly, there’s a bizarre maybe-triangle that forms between Kennedy and the twins. I say maybe because we’re never certain of where everyone’s feelings lay. It could be a love triangle, or it could be a single love interest with a “protective older brother”. Don’t let this romance deter you, however. Despite it surfacing regularly, I didn’t find it to be a very significant part of the plot. As such it’s hardly a nuisance, it simply didn’t strengthen the book.

Fans of Supernatural (the TV series) will find similarities in both story arcs and tone. To defeat this demon they need to find a certain weapon, which means a lot of visits to the most terrifying places – an abandoned prison and a home for children for instance. Like the ghosts themselves, the descriptions of these places are thoroughly chilling. The horror aspect is the book’s strong suit, and if you go into it wanting an entertaining, scary read you will be highly satisfied despite it’s flaws. It focuses and succeeds at being a fast paced thrill ride with plenty of terror, dread, and suspense!

four-stars

4 Hot Espressos

Review: Rot and Ruin by Jonathan Maberry

Review: Rot and Ruin by Jonathan Maberry

Posted by on 08/30/2013 • 26 Comments

-This novel was listened to via audiobook-

Long overdue for this zombie fan, I am finally – finally – reading this series! As you can guess I’ve been hearing a lot about this award winning author, Jonathan Maberry, and although I’m only on book 2 at the moment, I can already see why it garnered so much popularity (and book 2 is even better so far!).

This novel is set years after the zombies came, so it’s not your run of the mill survival of the fittest story happening in the midst of an apocalypse, this one is about what happens after that. After society has somewhat survived. After people have been forced to learn to live with unrelenting fear. After everyone in power is out there shambling away, leaving…

Giveaway: Night Witches by L.J. Adlington

Giveaway: Night Witches by L.J. Adlington

Posted by on 08/10/2013 • 12 Comments

I have a treat for all y’all today! Thanks for the lovely people at Hachette Children’s Books UK, I have a copy of this gorgeous pretty for giveaway! I don’t know about you but I kind of love this cover! They describe it as a dark and rich fantasy with teenage bomber pilots and witchcraft – Yes please!

Giveaway

Hachette Children’s Books UK has generously offered a paperback of Night Witches for giveaway.

Open internationally Giveaway ends August 23rd, 2013 Full contest terms and conditions found on Rafflecopter

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Review: Gated by Amy Christine Parker

Review: Gated by Amy Christine Parker

Posted by on 07/19/2013 • 34 Comments

This was a surprisingly good read! I’ve always had a strange fascination with cults; knowing there are people who have a persuasive power to such a degree is incredible. This book shows what it’s like for kids who are raised in a cult community (which has happened), and how people – especially those broken by grief – can become brainwashed so thoroughly.

After her sister got kidnapped when Lyla was only 5, her mother became withdrawn, emotionally crippled by this emptiness which made her the perfect target of vulnerability. This is how Pioneer, with his big ideas and an impressive force of belief, “rescues” the whole family from this pit of anguish. When we’re introduced to Lyla, she’s now a teenager in the midst of getting ready for the end…

Review: In the Shadow of Blackbirds by Cat Winters

Review: In the Shadow of Blackbirds by Cat Winters

Posted by on 07/08/2013 • 30 Comments

It excites me so when I come across a novel that shows me there can still be books that thoroughly stand out from any other in its originality and outstanding story-telling. I can not even believe that In the Shadow of Blackbirds is Cat’s debut novel!

What I love most from this book is how, through impressive research, Cat achieves an exceptionally poignant historical atmosphere from a time that saw through so much death and horror. The fall of 1918 had not only the highest death toll from the Spanish Flu which killed over 50 million people (some sources even say up to 100 million), but it was also in the throes of the first World War. Having been fascinated by an epidemic flu that, even to this day,…

Review: Undercurrent by Paul Blackwell

Review: Undercurrent by Paul Blackwell

Posted by on 07/02/2013 • 21 Comments

When I heard someone say this was reminiscent of The Butterfly Effect, which is one of my favorite movies ever, I jumped on the chance to read this book. It does have that neat butterfly effect factor, but I did find the book itself had no real… point. It’s for entertainment only! When I finished the book I was stunned at where it left off, especially when no sign of a sequel can be found. It wasn’t a cliffhanger per se, but it was a very odd ending that didn’t feel like much of a conclusion.

Alas, I’m getting ahead of myself. And probably giving the impression that I disliked the book which is not the case. Undercurrent is honestly a fun, entertaining book that never let my attention falter….

Review: Truly, Madly, Deadly by Hannah Jayne

Review: Truly, Madly, Deadly by Hannah Jayne

Posted by on 06/27/2013 • 34 Comments

A fun and creepy thriller, Truly, Madly, Deadly is a perfectly entertaining read. It does take some suspension of disbelief in certain aspects of the story, but I can see it being a hit by fans of the genre nonetheless.

Sawyer’s boyfriend’s death was only the beginning, it seems. Since the accident, Sawyer seems to have taken on a stalker who’s set on framing her for all the accidents-ruled-murders that have been happening in her town. Aside from the aforementioned, we also have the topics of bullying and abusive relationship that Sawyer has to learn to fight through. What I liked the most about Sawyer’s character was her voice; how she dealt with what was happening felt very real and emotionally gripping. The flashbacks to her past had my heart…

Review + Giveaway: Bitter Angel by Megan Hand

Review + Giveaway: Bitter Angel by Megan Hand

Posted by on 05/27/2013 • 32 Comments

Bitter Angel was a very mixed bag for me. The first part would easily get a 4 stars; it was intriguing and exciting, it even had my heart pounding with pure adrenaline. Unfortunately the second part left a little too much to be desired, garnering only a 2 if rated separately.

Let’s start at the beginning: After Lila decides to go out with her two best friends at a club, she never thought things would turn into a life or death situation involving gang rapes and abduction. What’s peculiar though, is she also remembers what happens if she had stayed home with her boyfriend, and that scenario was equally terrible. Although obviously not “realistic”, I found this to be very interesting. The abduction was a terrifying situation; all too real…