Review: Crescendo by Becca Fitzpatrick

September 30, 2010 By Lori 12 Comments

Release Date: October 19, 2010
Age Group: Young Adult
Series: Hush, Hush #2
Received From: Publisher
My Rating: 3 Stars
IBSN: 9781416989431
Blurb:
The sequel to the New York Times Best selling phenomenon, Hush, Hush! Nora should have know her life was far from perfect. Despite starting a relationship with her guardian angel, Patch (who, title aside, can be described anything but angelic), and surviving an attempt on her life, things are not looking up. Patch is starting to pull away and Nora can’t figure out if it’s for her best interest or if his interest has shifted to her arch-enemy Marcie Millar. Not to mention that Nora is haunted by images of her father and she becomes obsessed with finding out what really happened to him that night he left for Portland and never came home.
The farther Nora delves into the mystery of her father’s death, the more she comes to question if her Nephilim blood line has something to do with it as well as why she seems to be in danger more than the average girl. Since Patch isn’t answering her questions and seems to be standing in her way, she has to start finding the answers on her own. Relying too heavily on the fact that she has a guardian angel puts Nora at risk again and again. But can she really count on Patch or is he hiding secrets darker than she can even imagine?

Where to start..Where to start. First let me say I loved Hush, Hush. I loved the whole concept of the fallen angels. (It was a new concept at the time Hush, Hush was released.) Crescendo fell very short for me. Maybe it has the sequel syndrome. Where you expect a book to be as good, or better than the one before it. Maybe it’s just a stepping stone book, and the next installment will be great. Whatever the reason, Crescendo was a disappointment.

It started out great. I was sucked right into the storyline, but then the petty childish fights started between Patch and Nora, and ruined everything. If there is one thing I hate it is immature fights for no reason. Sure, there was a reason, but Nora actions still made zero sense. One minute she was angry about one thing, then the next she had completely forgotten about that one thing and was angry about something else. She wasn’t consistent at all. I would have been able to tolerate the silly fights much more if they would have been consistent. Add all of this on top of the fact that Nora makes decisions throughout the novel that make no sense, and all she does is cry and you have a excellent read. (Heavy sarcasm)

The plot is still interesting, I just found it hard to get past all the character issues. Will I still give book 3 a chance? Yes, but if I write another review like this one for it, there will be no chance for book 4.
I still gave this book 3 stars, out of the goodness of my heart. It could have easily been 2 stars.

Filed Under: Becca Fitzpatrick, Hush Hush, Young Adult

Waiting on Wednesday (55)

September 29, 2010 By Lori 14 Comments

January 4, 2011 Simon Pulse

Happiness is a bloody knife.

Kit and Fancy Cordelle are sisters of the best kind: best friends, best confidantes, and best accomplices. The daughters of the infamous Bonesaw Killer, Kit and Fancy are used to feeling like outsiders, and that’s just the way they like it. But in Portero, where the weird and wild run rampant, the Cordelle sisters are hardly the oddest or most dangerous creatures around.

It’s no surprise when Kit and Fancy start to give in to their deepest desire—the desire to kill. What starts as a fascination with slicing open and stitching up quickly spirals into a gratifying murder spree. Of course, the sisters aren’t killing just anyone, only the people who truly deserve it. But the girls have learned from the mistakes of their father, and know that a shred of evidence could get them caught. So when Fancy stumbles upon a mysterious and invisible doorway to another world, she opens a door to endless possibilities….

I loved Bleeding Violet so much that I had to make this my WoW!! Plus, the cover is gorgeous!

Waiting on Wednesday was created by Jill at Breaking the Spine. Head over there to see more WoW’s!

Filed Under: Waiting on Wednesday

Spooktastic Halloween Giveaway!!

September 29, 2010 By Lori 18 Comments

Halloween is just around the corner and, really, what better way is their to celebrate than with book giveaways?! What to know what you can win?

There will be 3 winners.

Winner #1 will get to pick a book/books of their choice.

#2 Will pick from what’s left and #3 will get the last book/books.

The choices are:

Nightshade by Andrea Cremer

Bad Girls Don’t Die by Katie Alender

The Devouring and Solstice by Simon Holt (These count as one choice)

Winners will also receive other Halloween goodies like pumpkin post-its, mini notebooks, and candy!

(candy is not pictured because I would just end up eating it before the giveaway was over)

The pumpkins and the little signs are not included in the giveaway…those are mine!

Giveaway is open to US only!

Must be 13 or older to enter

(If you are international, go enter my Pre-Holiday Pre-Order giveaway!)

Ends 10/22

Fill out the form!

Giveaway is now closed!

Filed Under: Giveaways, Halloween

Banned Books Week: Required Reading

September 28, 2010 By Lori 13 Comments

In honor of Banned Books Week I have a small rant. Just some of my own opinions and thoughts on reading in school. Please keep in mind that these are my opinions formed from my own experiences in a small town school in the heart of the bible belt.

I loathed reading until I was in middle school. For years I thought it was because I just didn’t comprehend the books in less someone was reading it too me. I’ve come to realize now that my problem wasn’t understanding it was interest. I was never encouraged to read something I would find interesting. Until sixth grade. When we read The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton. That book is where I found my love of reading. My love that is still growing every day. I have The Outsiders to thank for that and coincidentally it is a very challenged book. It was the first book I had ever read that was real.

Isn’t that what all banned books are? Real? Sure they might have some elements of fantasy, but they still have aspects that are way too real for some people. They have original thought. They have open minds. That scares some people, I guess. I’m the exact opposite. How did I end up that way growing up somewhere where the English teacher can’t use Twilight in her lessons because parents will get angry.

True story: My 9th grade English teacher gets her hair done at the salon I work at, so every six weeks we chat about books. We were talking about Twilight and she said that she can’t use it in any of her lessons because parents would pitch a huge fit! This saddens me to no end! How are teens supposed to find a love of reading or the English language when they can’t read books that appeal to them!

I find Shakespeare dreadfully boring. Drooling on my desk, claw my eyes out boring! Same with Mark Twain! (another challenged/banned author) but I was made to read the authors over and over again every year. You want to get some teens interested in your class? Hand them a copy of The Hunger Games. A little too extreme for you? Let them read Twilight, Shiver, something that appeals to them! My high school library had zero books like that. None! My city library barley has a copy of Twilight. Such is the curse of living in the bible belt.

I’m going to go one step farther and say that I think Crank by Ellen Hopkins should be required reading in every high school. If there was ever anything that was going to make a teen not do drugs it would be this book! I know that will never happen. Not where I live, but one can dream.

Annnywaaay, I have no idea if any of this has made sense. My point is that people/teens should be allowed to read what they want, of course. I’m sure if you are reading this you feel the same way!

Filed Under: Banned Books Week

Review: I Now Pronounce You Someone Else by Erin McCahan

September 27, 2010 By Lori 9 Comments

Release Date: June1, 2010
Age Group: Young Adult
Received From: Publisher
My Rating: 4.5 Stars
IBSN: 9780545088183
Blurb:
Seventeen-year-old Bronwen Oliver doesn’t just want a family. She has one of those, and there’s nothing terribly wrong with them apart from bickering grandparents, an image-obsessed mother and a brother she describes simply as Jesus. But there’s no natural sense of connection between Bronwen and her family, leaving her with the belief — and the hope — that she was switched at birth, that she was never supposed to be Bronwen Oliver but someone else entirely.

When she begins dating college senior Jared Sondervan, she finds herself thoroughly embraced by the loving family she has always wanted and does not hesitate to say yes when Jared proposes on her 18th birhday. Plans for the Perfect Beach Wedding before her junior year of college become plans for the Perfect Beach Wedding before her freshman year of college. And a wedding so soon isn’t exactly what Bronwen wants. But Jared is. And his family is. Or so she thinks.

Before Bronwen can determine what she truly wants, she must first determine who she truly is, and the answer, she discovers, is only partially what she thought it was. She wasn’t switched at birth, but she’s also not Bronwen Oliver and hasn’t been for a very long time.

Looking for a good laugh? Refreshingly mature characters? A story with heart? Look no further! You have found it! This book is exactly the kind of book that I love reading and have such a hard time finding. It’s a love story without too many complications. It’s a coming of age story for a likable realistic character.

Bronwen was switched at birth. At least that what she tells herself. She’s nothing like the rest of her family. Really, nothing like them. This book had me grinning and giggling throughout, and it was all because of Bronwen and quirky cast of characters. Jared and Bronwen’s dialogue was witty and intelligent.

Speaking of Jared. He has now been added to the list of My Favorite YA Boys. If you read it, he will be added to yours too. I guarantee it. Their romance gave me that bubbly light hearted feeling of new love. Their relationship was actually realistic and interesting. It didn’t need vampires or werewovles to keep me glued to the page.

I knew from 5 pages in that I was going to love this book. I devoured it. I couldn’t find out the ending fast enough. Erin McCahan has written a fantastic debut, that will probably make in onto my favorites of ’10 list. If this books isn’t on your radar, put it there. You will laugh and maybe shed a few tears, but you will fall in love with these characters and miss them when it’s over. Read it!!

I’m so happy to be a stop on the I Now Pronounce You Someone Else blog tour!! If you want to check out the other stops, here they are:

9/17 Marjolein’s Book Blog

Mode A La Pie

9/18 Reading Vacation

9/19 I Read to Relax

9/20 Novel Novice

9/21 In Bed With Books

9/22 The Heart of Dreams

CURLGURL Reads

9/23 Pirate Penguin’s Reads
Reading, Writing and Waiting

9/24 DeRaps Reads

9/25 The Bookologist

9/26 Katie’s Book Blog

9/27 Pure Imagination

Book Blather

9/28 Reading Teen

9/29 Korianne Speaks

Hope’s Bookshelf

9/30 Laina Has Too Much Spare Time

Filed Under: Erin McCahan, Young Adult

In My Mailbox!!

September 26, 2010 By Lori 27 Comments

In My Mailbox was inspired by Alea at Pop Culture Junkie and created by Kristi at The Story Siren.

Another sloooow week!

Please Ignore Vera Dietz by A.S. King (This book was amazing!!! It will be on my favorites of ’10 list! Review up soon!)

(on Kindle:)

13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson

Filed Under: In my Mailbox

Saturday Situation (2) Link Up Your Reviews & Giveaways 9/25/10

September 25, 2010 By Lori 1 Comment

Happy Saturday everyone! Last week’s SS turned out great! So Candace and I are keeping it around! We will be adding to the feature more in the coming weeks! Like to today I want to Ooo and Ahhh with you about the new Harry Potter trailer! I’m you have all saw it already but watch it again! You know you want to!

Isn’t it just….incredible! I must see this at the IMAX! Must!

Anyway…..Link up your stuff!!!

So, here’s the scoop: I’m going to set up two Mister Linky’s. One for Giveaways that you want to promote and one for Posts that you want to promote. The posts can be reviews, discussions, rants, events you are planning, anything that you want people to read! I know there’s so many great posts out there that often go unread. Here’s your chance to tell the world! Feel free to link up to other bloggers posts as well! Let’s spread the love!

Reviews/Posts Linky!

In this Linky please link directly to any posts you want to share with the world! Example: Name: Fallout Review URL: http://www.pureimaginationblog.com/2010/09/review-fallout-by-ellen-hopkins.html

Please do not post giveaways in this Linky! They go in the bottom one!

Giveaways!!

In this Linky please link directly to any book related giveaways you have! Example: Name: Middle Grade Giveaway-It’s Raining Cupcakes and other Ends 9/30 URL:http://www.pureimaginationblog.com/2010/09/middle-grade-giveaway.html

Please note that the Linky’s on Candace’s blog and mine are the same! So you only have to enter the info once!