KEEP CALM AND LOVE BOOKS: good boy

Pages: 446 pages

Publication Date: October 21st 2014

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

ISBN: 0373211341 (ISBN13: 9780373211340)

Every touch has its price

Layla Shaw is trying to pick up the pieces of her shattered life—no easy task for a seventeen-year-old who’s pretty sure things can’t get worse. Her impossibly gorgeous best friend, Zayne, is forever off-limits thanks to the mysterious powers of her soul-stealing kiss. The Warden clan that has always protected her is suddenly keeping dangerous secrets. And she can barely think about Roth, the wickedly hot demon prince who understood her in ways no one else could.

But sometimes rock bottom is only the beginning. Because suddenly Layla’s powers begin to evolve, and she’s offered a tantalizing taste of what has always been forbidden. Then, when she least expects it, Roth returns, bringing news that could change her world forever. She’s finally getting what she always wanted, but with hell literally breaking loose and the body count adding up, the price may be higher than Layla is willing to pay…

Now, What I Thought:

I definitely wouldn't go as far as saying this book was better than the first, White Hot Kiss, but it was pretty good and yet also frustrating. This, like the first, were light and easy to read and you get into it really fas. So seems like Roth is pretty much with Layla at this point. Obviously at the beginning of the book the two have their problems considering what happened in the last book. There was a huge sacrifice Roth had to make which ultimately Zayne swoops in, saving Layla's broken heart. There were some pretty funny moments right at the beginning when Roth came to the institution and they all had a discussion about Layla like she wasn't standing right there. Some pretty awkward things happened and I loved reading it.

So the Lilin are here and they're wild and also slowly taking over. In this book there are witches, which is cool and I liked that Armentrout incorporated that into the plot. Bambi was amazing of course as she now is on Layla practically permanently. A huge plot twist happens to one of Layla's friends and it was crazy towards the end of the book because I have no idea what Layla is going to do in the next book! As for the romance, Armentrout actually put out a post that basically said, she'll be hosting a poll while she's writing her last book of the series, Every Last Breath, for the the fans to vote who they want Layla to end up with, Roth or Zayne. That is so freaking cool as an author! I was so impressed by that and just respect her so much more now because she is literally incorporating her fan's opinions and ships into the story. It's pretty much no surprise who won but I'm not going to say for obvious spoiler reasons.

There's a funny scene, it's really not funny in the context but I found it pretty stupid that I had to laugh. While Layla went to the movie theatre, a man goes up to her that seems scarcely familiar with a water bottle of clear liquid... HMMMM LAYLA I wonder what that is. Oh wait, if an old man resembling the church guy comes up to you in public with clear liquid while saying "I can expose you" I wonder what's going to happen next. Any guesses? Yep, you bet it's holy water and can we all just remember that Layla can't actually touch it? Well any guesses as to what the guy did? Yep, threw it on her. In public. God (no pun intended) sometimes I just wanted to punch Layla and Roth and even Zayne sometimes.

Anyways, the book was great and it was pretty easy to read. Again, for just a light read and sometimes humorous, this was pretty good. I had a lot of fun reading this and we end it on a high-note of sorts, at least for me.

angels - 12:05:00 AM

Stone Cold Touch (The Dark Elements #2) by Jennifer L. Armentrout | Review

Pages: 446 pages Publication Date: October 21st 2014 Publisher: Harlequin Teen ISBN: 0 373211341 (ISBN13: 9780373211340 ) ...

Pages: 400 pages

Publication Date: February 25th 2014 by Harlequin Teen

ISBN: 0373211104 (ISBN13: 9780373211104)

One kiss could be the last.

Seventeen-year-old Layla just wants to be normal. But with a kiss that kills anything with a soul, she's anything but normal. Half demon, half gargoyle, Layla has abilities no one else possesses.

Raised among the Wardens—a race of gargoyles tasked with hunting demons and keeping humanity safe—Layla tries to fit in, but that means hiding her own dark side from those she loves the most. Especially Zayne, the swoon-worthy, incredibly gorgeous and completely off-limits Warden she's crushed on since forever.

Then she meets Roth—a tattooed, sinfully hot demon who claims to know all her secrets. Layla knows she should stay away, but she's not sure she wants to—especially when that whole no-kissing thing isn't an issue, considering Roth has no soul.

But when Layla discovers she's the reason for the violent demon uprising, trusting Roth could not only ruin her chances with Zayne… it could brand her a traitor to her family. Worse yet, it could become a one-way ticket to the end of the world.

Now, What I Thought:

This was such a cool concept. I'v always had a burning interest in angel/demon books and just adding gargoyles made it even better! I was pretty into this book, I couldn't put it down and had finished it in one go. Poor Layla, can't be kissed because she literally has the kiss of death. It's pretty obvious the desire Zayne holds for her, which just made it 10x more frustrating at how blind Layla was. You know, I'll admit, I think I'm team Zayne, something about him just makes me love him better than Roth! I mean, don't get me wrong, Roth is hella sexy and so raw in power, it's exhilarating to read, but.... Zayne is also powerful and smart and just.. angel like? Definitely more my type -insert heart eyes-!

I liked that Armentrout wasn't afraid to bring in mythology to the story and plot. We heavily get into some hell-related mythology which was great. While, this story was romance-based, I did like the other stuff too. Her friends, the inside Warden drama, and Layla's dilemma. Layla wasn't the typical strong, fearless and ruthless character that I usually prefer but I did like that her ultimate priority and nature was saving the people she cared about and just good-heartedly trying to help everyone and anyone.

Some of the characters weren't my favourite like, Stacey, who was way too portrayed as the 'slut' and the 'wild' one of the friendship between her and Layla. Also, Danika. I mean, Layla doesn't act too nice to her but come on.. being a Zayne lover myself, lets not have Danika in the picture please. I found it weird how I kind of ?liked? Petr and that unnecessary drama. Obviously we find out why he's needed in the series but for spoilers sake, I won't say. Petr was a good distraction from the whole Zayne/Roth love drama. One thing I didn't really understand about the plot was that humans very well knew gargoyles existed but.. how and why? It's almost as if everyone in the world has this, 'so what?' kind of attitude towards it, which I don't get considering usually people would be making it national news and freaking the hell out.

The book was enjoyable but only for a light reading. If you were wanting to read this for an in-depth plot masterpiece, unfortunately you won't find it here. It was still good, and I did read the next one :)

angels - 9:59:00 PM

White Hot Kiss (The Dark Elements, #1) by Jennifer L. Armentrout | Review

Pages: 400 pages Publication Date: February 25th 2014 by Harlequin Teen ISBN: 0373211104 (ISBN13: 9780373211104 ) One kiss cou...

dystopia - 3:12:00 AM

The One (The Selection #3) by Kiera Cass | Review

Pages: 323 pages Publication Date: May 6th 2014 by HarperTeen ISBN: 0062059998 (ISBN13: 9780062059994 ) The time has come fo...

Pages: 322 pages

Publication Date: April 14th 2015 by Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)

ISBN: 1627790276 (ISBN13: 9781627790277)

Mysterious doors with lizard-head knobs. Talking stone statues. A crazy girl with a hatchet. Yes, Liv's dreams have been pretty weird lately. Especially the one where she's in a graveyard at night, watching four boys conduct dark magic rituals.

The strangest part is that Liv recognizes the boys in her dream. They're classmates from her new school in London, the school where she's starting over because her mom has moved them to a new country (again). But what's really scaring Liv is that the dream boys seem to know things about her in real life, things they couldn't possibly know--unless they actually are in her dreams? Luckily, Liv never could resist a good mystery, and all four of those boys are pretty cute....

Now, What I Thought:

Damn, this was a crazy ride. I mean 4 boys, 1 girl, a cemetery and magic?? As crazy as it sounds, that's exactly how the book was. I liked this concept of the dreamworld and the dangerous and potentially harmful magic that lies within it. Being 15, Liv didn't live (lol see what I did there..) a pretty exciting life. She had just moved to London and started a new school, which is pretty frightening considering she doesn't have the best experience with making friends. After experiencing some weird dreams with 4 super cute boys she actually gets to see and encounter them at school.

Liv's best feature was her sarcastic humour, I couldn't help but laugh at most of her lines. As for the actual plot and story... It kind of just dragged on for the whole 322 pages of the book. I LIKED IT, don't get me wrong, but if it weren't for Liv's humour and awesome character and of course, the cute boys, I don't think I would've finished it. It's a shame because Kerstin Gier is really a great author and I happen to love her other books, The Precious Stone Trilogy.

The sweet innocent romance between Henry and Liv was nice and light, which the book needed. It was cute and fun and I liked it. Again, the whole idea about the dreamworld and the dark dangerous moments consisting in that world were fun and interesting. Definitely read this if you are interested in that.

dreamland - 1:59:00 AM

Dream a Little Dream (Silber #1) by Kerstin Gier | Review

Pages: 322 pages Publication Date: April 14th 2015 by Henry Holt and Co. (BYR) ISBN: 1627790276 (ISBN13: 9781627790277 ) Myste...

Pages: 336 pages

Publication Date: January 13th 2015 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

ISBN: 0316213071 (ISBN13: 9780316213073)

Children can have a cruel, absolute sense of justice. Children can kill a monster and feel quite proud of themselves. A girl can look at her brother and believe they’re destined to be a knight and a bard who battle evil. She can believe she’s found the thing she’s been made for.

Hazel lives with her brother, Ben, in the strange town of Fairfold where humans and fae exist side by side. The faeries’ seemingly harmless magic attracts tourists, but Hazel knows how dangerous they can be, and she knows how to stop them. Or she did, once.

At the center of it all, there is a glass coffin in the woods. It rests right on the ground and in it sleeps a boy with horns on his head and ears as pointed as knives. Hazel and Ben were both in love with him as children. The boy has slept there for generations, never waking.

Until one day, he does…

As the world turns upside down, Hazel tries to remember her years pretending to be a knight. But swept up in new love, shifting loyalties, and the fresh sting of betrayal, will it be enough?

Now, What I Thought:

This book is so... intriguing? I want to describe it as weird too because I mean, you guys read the synopsis right?? I know, as soon as I did, I had to read it! What an interesting book, definitely different than what I usually read. Now, I did only look into this book because I happened to love The Coldest Girl in Coldtown, so much that I needed to read other novels by Holly Black. Having said that, I was not disappointed as this novel was fantastic!

It was such a cool concept that the town is not only aware about the fae that habit the forest, but the fact that they practically live in peace because of it. It was funny that the fact that the town is such a hot spot for tourism is because of the infamous boy in the glass coffin. I mean, come on. If there was a town in today's day and age that had a fae-looking boy asleep in a coffin, we would not visit and gawk at it. Im pretty sure we'd break into it or atleast have it whisked away to the CIA or NASA haha. But anyways, I also strangely liked the fact that Hazel, the main character, had a gay, open brother. I LOVED THAT DETAIL. Not only that, but having Ben fall in love with the fae boy. Hazel was so quirky and cool with her real life relatable problems. The intro was a bit slow with getting to know the characters and getting used to our surroundings but then it picked up speed and we got to the fun, fae parts. I love fae books, so this book was a big plus for me just from the beginning.

I liked the little surprise we got towards the middle where we find out who the big "bad" guy is. Also the story behind that was interesting and I loved reading it. LOL I found it really funny that the townspeople were so contempt with the fact that the fae had free pickings on the tourists and could bug them as much as they want. It was a fun, creepy, fairytale-like novel and I can now declare Holly Black as a master at standalone novels that incorporate fantasy paranormal. This wasn't AS good as The Coldest Girl in Coldtown but I did rather enjoy it a lot :)

book review - 11:25:00 PM

The Darkest Part of the Forest by Holly Black | Review

Pages: 336 pages Publication Date: January 13th 2015 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers ISBN: 0316213071 (ISBN13: 9780316213...

Pages: 295 pages

Publication Date: August 18th 2014

Type: ebook

Taryn grew up in a different world. Her boyfriend was a criminal. His older brother was part of a gang. They weren’t great people, but they were her family. Then everything changes when she’s adopted by a family in the neighboring town. New family. New friends. A new world. She’s elated. This is her chance for a new beginning, but secrets start being revealed and Taryn learns her new life has ties to her old one, ties that she’s not happy about. Her new family might not have been the lucky break she thought she had. Now she's not only fighting to live that new future, but she's fighting to survive as well

Now, What I thought:

Damn, I've been dying to make a review about this beautiful book. This is actually one of my most re-read books. I mean, most of Tijan's books are, but this one especially. Something about Tijan's writing just gets me. It's music to my ears and I connect with it so much. She is definitely one of the most UNDER-appreciated and rated authors out there. She creates masterpieces with her words. I can think of about 95% of her work I'd like to see get turned into a movie/tv-show, and I mean in a really good Harry Potter-like adaptation.

ONTO THE BOOK ITSELF. Taryn is amazing. She is everything I need and want in a protagonist. She has her faults, like anyone else, but to me it just makes her even more relatable. Her personality reminds me most of Tijan's other character, Samantha, from Fallen Crest High. If any of you guys know that series, another amazing piece from Tijan.

ANYWAYS. Taryn is totally badass and she shows it just in the first couple pages in the cafeteria. We get to come along with her journey in this new environment and life, much to her dismay. By the way, Tray is hot hot hot, and is the obvious main love interest but can we just imagine how MUCH MORE hotter Jace is? like .. Damn. I specifically love the scenes between Jace and Taryn because their relationship is so complicated and complex, but yet so interesting to read on. Definitely some of my favourite parts are with them two together.

The characters are amazing, from Taryn to Tray to Jace to Brian to Grayley and even Mandy, whom at first I hated. But come on.. once you read the whole book, you'll learn to love everyone. Lot's of drama hits every page, from drugs, to deceit, to sex and basically illegallness in general. Especially considering what her night 'job' is. And she is hella great at what she does!

I can not recommend a book more highly than this one.

NOW being a huge fan and follower of Tijan and her novels, I suggest reading this novel first and if you loved it as much as me, you guys should check out The Original Crowd, which is basically the original version of A Whole New Crowd. And yes, somethings are changed. You can get it on kindle, and I highly recommend reading it because its just fun and to see the original copy of this story. Personally, I like the Original Crowd much better, but thats just me :) Im glad she can let us read both!

books i love - 11:40:00 PM

A Whole New Crowd (A Whole New Crowd, #1) by Tijan | Review

Pages: 295 pages Publication Date: August 18th 2014 Type: ebook Taryn grew up in a different world. Her boyfriend was a crimi...

amazing - 11:52:00 PM

United We Spy (Gallagher Girls #6) by Ally Carter | Review

Pages: 296 pages Publication Date: September 17th 2013 by Disney-Hyperion ISBN: 1423165993 (ISBN13: 9781423165996 ) Cammie M...

Pages: 310 pages

Publication Date: July 30th 2013 by St. Martin's Griffin

ISBN: 1250017599 (ISBN13: 9781250017598)

In this breathtaking debut that reads like Gossip Girl crossed with Twin Peaks, a Queen Bee at a blue-blooded New England prep school stumbles into a murder mystery.

Anne Dowling practically runs her exclusive academy on New York’s Upper East Side—that is, until she accidentally burns part of it down and gets sent to a prestigious boarding school outside of Boston. Determined to make it back to New York, Anne couldn't care less about making friends at the preppy Wheatley School. That is, until her roommate Isabella’s body is found in the woods behind the school.

When everyone else is oddly silent, Anne becomes determined to uncover the truth no matter how many rules she has to break to do it. With the help of Isabella’s twin brother Anthony, and a cute classmate named Brent, Anne discovers that Isabella wasn’t quite the innocent nerdy girl she pretended to be. But someone will do anything to stop Anne’s snooping in this fast-paced, unputdownable read—even if it means framing her for Isabella’s murder.

Now, What I Thought:

What could I possibly say that can get you guys to understand how much I'm DYING for the next book? Like holy crap! I started this book at 11 pm and finished at 2 am... And I had to get up early the next morning.. This book was impossible to put down, I refused to go to sleep, though I also knew I wouldn't fall asleep because this book is kind of creepy and gets you thinking, you know? It's very much like Twin Peeks (a television show- on Netflix). Kara Taylor even says in the summary that its a crossover between Gossip Girl and Twin Peeks and I will be honest, the Twin Peeks reference is what got me to read the book hehe. During the book, Taylor makes it LOOK obvious who the killer is but then makes you double think it and starts introducing you to another possible suspect..

The story starts off with this sassy, kick ass girl who gets expelled for burning half of her school down. But its not even all her fault and the dumbo that contributed ran away when she called the police, totally unfair in my opinion. Seeing as her father is the biggest lawyer in New York, she's lucky enough to get accepted into this boarding school in Boston. Of course, she hates it and she wishes to go back home, I don't really blame her. I would hate that school too. Her roommate, Isabella, who looks shy and sweet turns up dead a week in. This is where the creepy mystery begins. Speaking about the school, everything in that school just spells trouble! HOLY CRAP!

You get shocked at how much crap this school is hiding, and not to mention how much of it will be revealed in the next book as well. There's STILL a mystery and it has to do with that school and the same old disappearance that happened years before and that everyone just HAPPEN to forget about. It's all so fishy. Like, knowing Taylor and her ways of writing, the "good" characters will probably end up bad and be psychos and the "bad" characters in this book will be portrayed as 'miss understood'. It definitely would not surprise me. Also I would like to say that there is a love triangle and if you have read this book, your probably going for the sweet and clean-cut guy, right? Well me? I prefer she went with the rougher, edgy guy because, HEY, who doesn't love a bad guy ;) I'm only telling you about the love triangle because you hear about these two boys quite a lot. Her mind is in typical teenage girl mode, where most of her thoughts include boys. But I like that! Now, the ending did shock me a bit. I expected the killer to be someone else entirely and what you find out is kind of disturbing to imagine. Be prepared to be shocked!

Anyways, I loved this book so much, I'm actually considering reading it again just for fun. I am definitely counting down the days for the second one!