Entwined by Heather Dixon

Entwined by Heather Dixon

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


All I will say right now is that this book has entwined itself into my heart forever. Wrapped up in a tie with FINNIKIN OF THE ROCK by Mellina Marchetta, ENTWINED by Heather Dixon has become one of two books that are my ultimate favorites.



I will post a better review at a later date. When I can give it the justice it deserves.



Official Review:



I wish I could describe how wonderful and magical this book is. I absolutely could NOT put it down. I did some research on the artist and discovered that she is a story board artist. Which clicked, considering how she wrote ENTWINED. The description and setting is just so... fairy tale like. I adored it. It's such a classic tale that when you combine these well developed characters in such a defined setting with wonderful, fluid elements like Dixon does, it just comes together like... like Mary Poppins pulled it out of her carpet bag herself.



The cover is just gorgeous to start off with. Who wouldn't at least pick it up and read the summary just for that beautiful cover?



Azalea: the lead character and eldest sister of twelve. I related with her the most. I felt like she was compassionate, strong, and intelligent. She was always constantly looking out for her family and I really loved that she knew how to take charge. It was just perfect getting to see the story through her eyes.



The family: was downright adorable as buttons. Bramble reminded me of one of my cousins; feisty and troublesome, but lovable just the same. Clover, Delphinium, and everyone else right down to their newborn sister Lily had their own matching personality. They complimented each of their siblings perfectly. And the King, their father was so developed and complex I was always caught inbetween sides. Do I side with Azalea and her sisters and acknowledge that the King hasn't been a good father since their mother died, or do I side with the father that has just lost his wife and true love and needs time to adjust? It was so well written that I wanted to vouch for each character.



The suitors: I just can't get over Captain Bradford, the Prime Minister, and Sir Teddie. They were all so perfect for their counterparts and just so scintillating in their own rights.



The Keeper: It's obvious from the first moment you open the front cover and read the summary who the villain is. But I thought that he was just complex enough to work. I appreciated the fact that he was double sided, just like the blade of a knife. At one moment you almost feel bad for him, and at the next you think he rose from the very pit of Hell. Just perfect. And not to mention the several parts that I was truly creeped out by him. His spider-like position on the ceiling, his affinity for dark magic, and his cruelty channeled fully towards revenge made him scary not only to the characters but to the reader as well. Which is just... awesome!



Throw all of these into a victorian setting and Dixon's way of capturing a picturesque fairy tale style of writing, and you get ENTWINED. Five stars. Without a doubt one of the best books I've ever read and will ever read. Just amazing.



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The Lost Saint by Bree Despain

The Lost Saint by Bree Despain

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I am very impressed with this sequel.



THE DARK DIVINE had been a pretty good book. When I first bought it and started reading it I had no idea that it was about werewolves. And since I love, love, love werewolves it was a happy surprise.



I felt that Daniel and Grace's relationship was very sincere and I liked that they grew up knowing each other. It wasn't some sort of mysterious 'oh my gosh! that guy is hot!' type of moment a la Bella and Edwardesque.



The added mystery was a plus, even though I usually tend to stay away from that genre. I felt like this was a good kind of mystery. Just the right kind of puzzle pieces along the way.



I loved the family drama, and I really appreciated a supernatural work with the added religious (christian) references. It was refreshing that Despain could add God in so fearlessly. It works since Grace's father is the pastor of their church. Even for those who aren't religious, it's still a good read. It's not preachy. But these characters have a lot of faith, and if that makes you uncomfortable then I suggest not reading it.





The story itself was just terrific. THE LOST SAINT was even better than THE DARK DIVINE. And I just can't wait to see what Bree Despain comes out with next in this thrilling series.



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The Vespertine by Saundra Mitchell

The Vespertine by Saundra Mitchell

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


What an outstanding debut [into my life]. I was really surprised and delighted that I was able to read this ARC. Saundra Mitchell is a writer to look out for.



THE VESPERTINE is about a young girl named Amelia who goes in search of a well-formed marriage in Baltimore. Add in forbidden romance, supernatural awesomeness, gift-turns-to-curse plotlines and you're in for a whirlwind that will catch your attention on fire.



The characters were so well developed I couldn't help but love them. Amelia was an excellent heroine. Zora was the best friend that any girl could ask for and completely believable. Nathaniel was definitely interesting and not without his quirks that made the connection between Amelia and he so entirely original.



I loved that Amelia's power to tell fortunes started out much like a parlor trick. It reminds me of how excited one gets when they ask someone to read their tarot cards and such. And then it turns into such a horrific curse. It proved that the power wasn't fun and games and it wasn't always a gift-- it was a heavy burden that Amelia had to bear.



I also felt that the way certain side characters reacted to some of these fortunes coming true was simply perfect. It proved the duplicity that each human shares and really fleshed out their society.



The only thing I wish is that it could have been a lot longer. At times there were long gaps, which was both refreshing and curiosu at the same time. The way that Mitchell goes back and forth from the present to the past to tell Amelia's story could have been developed a little bit more. I would have liked to see more of the present Amelia and how the past had shaped her since, but all in all it was a satisfying end to a story. If there's more, I will gladly read it.



Excellent debut into my literary life, Miss Mitchell.



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Awaken by Katie Kavincsky

Awaken by Katie Kacvinsky

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


AWAKEN was a great dystopian novel. Kacvinsky really built Madeline's world up to creepy, digital awesomeness. And then she throws in a hot guy named Justin to start all sorts of rebellions. Against DS, against Madeline's father, against everything that Maddie's ever known, even against Maddie's own personal walls.



"Life's too short to say maybe." He says.



What I thought Kacvinsky did really well was send her message through. Because honestly, with the way this world's going our future might not be that far off from what Maddie's world has become. Digital school... Digital friends... We're already headed in that direction. And it's scary to think how much our computers seem to rule our lives. So props to Kacvinsky because I definitely agree with her. And I appreciate the fact that she didn't make Justin a radical that wanted to obliterate technology. He simply didn't want technology to rule our lives.



The love story between Maddie and Justin was good. I enjoyed watching their feelings grow and develop towards one another. I thought it was original in it's own right, but at the same time I was hoping for something a little different. Every girl wants a protector, and Justin is a great one. But at times I felt he was a little too protective and a little too guarded. It was kind of the whole "I like you too, but I can't be with you because you'll get hurt!" Which is fine. I just think that if you're going to do that, you need to make sure you trail those bread crumbs from the very beginning. And those bread crumbs ought to be very original. I guess more than Justin's over protectiveness going on, I was just a little annoyed that their whole relationship seemed kind of... predictable. But nonetheless enjoyable. I wanted them to work out just as much as the next reader. I'm a sap that way.



I really liked the story, but I felt the action should have been more involved. Once you get into the love story, the action sequences suffer. Perhaps because it's in Maddie's point of view, rather than Justin who leads interceptions and such, but it still would've been nice to witness a huge event. Or find out what exactly the freedom fighters do when they're not intercepting cops and such. Perhaps that's for book two?



I really liked AWAKEN though. It was different. And I felt like her message came through strong and clear. My suggestion for book two (since it left off on an obvious cliff hanger, I mean... you can't leave it as a stand alone with such a high drop), would be to add in lots of action and more world-building. You can't go wrong with world-building. Or at least, until you start describing every leaf on a tree. Don't do that... 4 stars out of 5 for AWAKEN! Pick it up when it comes out!



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Across the Universe by Beth Revis

Across the Universe by Beth Revis

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Mind blowing... Holy frex...



There are very few books that simply blow me out of the water. Very few. I can count them on one hand.



And to be perfectly honest, I didn't even like this book when I first started it. I thought that it was getting off of the ground way too slow and there wasn't much going on-- add that in with the fact that I already don't have a taste for science fiction so much (especially spaceship voyage kind of science fiction) NOR mysteries, and I thought I had a complete dud on my hands. For my personal tastes anyway. By the 50s to 100s each hook kept pulling me back. It took a while to get to the end, simply because I kept wanting to give up, but the story wouldn't let me forget about it completely.



The thing about mysteries that I hate is that I usually can predict who the killer is... or at least when I can't, everything adds up pretty flawlessly. But ACROSS THE UNIVERSE had a dozen or so surprises even AFTER we find out who's behind this... It's like opening up one door, simply to find another. And it does this in dominoe fashion to the very last page.



I still wouldn't have liked it though, had it not been for the love story. "Brave New World meets Titanic" is correct, back cover. I am sold, Revis. Completely and totally sold. Keep writing your science fiction/mystery/romance trilogy and I will bow down to it's utterly captivating prose!



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Last Sacrifice by Richelle Mead

While I have not posted any reviews for the previous books in this series, I absolutely adore Vampire Academy. Last Sacrifice didn't change that for me.

Last Sacrifice by Richelle Mead

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


The final book for Rose...



What can I say? At first glance, the Vampire Academy series really didn't allure to me. I figured it was just another vampire fad on it's way out. It wasn't until I'd ran out of books to read and a friend thrust them into my arms, that I actually started reading them... and strangely enough, liking them.



Following Rose and her friends for the past year, I've delved into such a journey. And honestly, such a good story. I was fairly satisfied how things were left off. While some characters are left with loose ends, I seriously believed that Mead ended things very well with the main character in question. Rose's ending couldn't have gone any other way. She ended up with who I thought she was meant to be with. Even Lissa's future took a surprising, yet satisfying turn.



But this book isn't an ending... It's a perfect segue into a new beginning. And I can't wait to see what comes next in Mead's upcoming continuation of Rose's world. And with an intriguing new point of view in third person, hopefully we'll get to see even more happy endings for the other characters that we love in BLOODLINES.



LAST SACRIFICE is enticing, romantic, and full of fast-paced action that will satisfy all of your genre needs. I'm very happy that my friend made me read these books. Very happy.



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Long Time Coming...

Alright, I know I suck at keeping up with this thing lately. The truth is, I just haven't been reading. For the past three-ish weeks or so I've been working, writing, and getting my holiday groove on. And when I say I've been writing, boy have I EVER been writing. Ironically, more so than during November when I entered for NaNoWriMo. Which is kind of sad. I've actually been co-writing a new project with my best friend, which is to say... VERY exciting.

But no worries! I have returned to reading and will be posting a new review very, very soon. Hopefully by tomorrow or Wednesday. Anyway, just thought I'd check in and explain my very boring absence. Hope everyone is having a wonderful Christmas week! Happy reading!

Suspiciously yours,
Apt Katie.