Review - Hallowed (Unearthly #2) by Cynthia Hand

Title: Hallowed

Author: Cynthia Hand

Series: 2nd (Unearthly)

Pages: 403

Published: January 17th 2012 by HarperTeen 

ISBN: 9780061996184

Source: Publisher via Netgalley

 

Description: For months part-angel Clara Gardner trained to face the raging forest fire from her visions and rescue the alluring and mysterious Christian Prescott from the blaze. But nothing could prepare her for the fateful decisions she would be forced to make that day, or the startling revelation that her purpose—the task she was put on earth to accomplish—is not as straightforward as she thought.   Now, torn between her increasingly complicated feelings for Christian and her love for her boyfriend, Tucker, Clara struggles to make sense of what she was supposed to do the day of the fire. And, as she is drawn further into the world of part angels and the growing conflict between White Wings and Black Wings, Clara learns of the terrifying new reality that she must face: Someone close to her will die in a matter of months. With her future uncertain, the only thing Clara knows for sure is that the fire was just the beginning. 

I Give This ...

 

I've decided that angel book are hard to do right.  It's just a delicate balance to make believable without being cheesy.  After several bad ones (and some ok), I was pleased to come across the first in this series, Unearthly.  Hallowed had a lot to leave up to after just an awesome opening.

I have to be honest when I say that Hallowed  is not at all what I thought it would be.  It honestly had that perfect second book feel, but without being a complete drag.   It fills in most of those details that I thought might have been lacking in the first book.  There's not a lot of action.  It's more about those little moments, and piecing together that whole picture.  I think I've have a clearer idea of were this story might be heading.  I liked the overall bigger picture we get from this book.  The world of angel decedents is much bigger than we though. 

I really loved the battle Clara goes through in this book.  She struggles with new feelings she has for Christian.  I liked that she questioned whether it was genuine or the prophecy.  I love that she doesn't want to give up Tucker, her first love.  Because, as much as I hate love triangles, it can happen in real life.  She struggles with the truth her mom has been hiding (protecting) from her.  And she gets the whopped of all news concerning her father.  

It was really a wonderful addition to the series, even if it doesn't carry the same punch that the first one did.  It's sweet, subtle and might even make you tear up a little.  I can't wait for the next one!  

 

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

What Are You Reading, is where we gather to share what we have read this past week and what we plan to read this week. It is a great way to network with other bloggers, see some wonderful blogs, and put new titles on your reading list. Click on the picture to be taken to Sheila at One Person's Journey Through A World of Books!

 

 

Read Last Week:

• Partials by Dan Wells
• Third Grave Dead Ahead by Darynda Jones 
• Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood 

Currently Reading: 

• Waterfall by Lisa Bergen 

 

 Up This Week: 

• The Hollow by Jessica Verday
• A Want So Wicked by Suzanne Young
  

 

In My Mailbox!

In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi from The Story Siren and she was inspired by Alea of Pop Culture Junkie!

 

For Review: 

• Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood 

Swapped:

• Wishful Thinking by Alexandra Bullen

Feature and Follow and the Book Blogger Hop

Q: Which book genre do you avoid at all costs and why?

I don't read nonfiction (or vary rarely).  I think I read maybe one a year.  It's just not something I'm interested in.  

Review - Still Waters by Emma Carlson Berne

Title: Still Waters

Author: Emma Carlson Berne

Series: Stand Alone

Pages: 212

Published: December 20th 2011 by Simon Pulse 

ISBN:  9781442421141

Source: Around The World Tours

 

Description: Hannah can't wait to sneak off for a romantic weekend with her boyfriend, Colin. He’s leaving for college soon, and Hannah wants their trip to the lake house to be one they’ll never forget.  But once Hannah and Colin get there, things start to seem a bit...off. They can't find the town on any map. The house they are staying in looks as if someone's been living there, even though it's been deserted for years. And Colin doesn’t seem quite himself. As he grows more unstable, Hannah worries about Colin’s dark side, and her own safety. Nothing is as perfect as it seems, and what lies beneath may haunt her forever.

I Give This ...

I was really looking forward to this book.  It had an interesting premise.  I've always had a fondness for mysteries, and there's just not enough of them in the young adult genre.  I was hoping it might live up to what I had build up in my mind.

I initially like the characters.  Hannah and Colin seemed to be your typical teenagers, especially when it comes to their relationship.  They're high school sweethearts that are beginning to feel the stress of what might happen after Colin lives for college.  Especially since Hannah seems to have trouble repeatingg that 4 letter word that Colin has already said.  I'm not sure why she thought a weekend away would help cure this problem.

I disliked how Hannah behaved to get the weekend planned.  Stealing and lying seemed completely out of character.  It made me wonder why she was trying so hard.  It's like that last ditch effort to save something you are afraid of losing.  I did like to setup of the lake house.  It was down right creepy how the house seemed lived in, even though nobody had been there for quite awhile.  And the nearest town was weird.  I kept expecting this idea that they had traveled into some alternate universe.  Might have worked better that way (a sort of Stephen King type thing).

 But, the truth of the story seriously left me wanting.  I felt like I wasn't getting the whole story.  What I felt like happened didn't quite fit with what I was being told, especially since there's an alternating story buried in there as well.  In the end, I wasn't sure who to believe.  I wondered if the way the story was ended was leaving it open for a sequel.  Not sure, if I really want to go there.

Overall, it was ok.  If you expect a lot from your mysteries, I probably wouldn't read this one.  If your just looking for something to creep you out a little bit, I think this would do it. 

Review - Tempest (Tempest #1) by Julie Cross

Title: Tempest

Author: Julie Cross

Series: 1st

Pages: 339

Published: January 17th 2012 by St. Martin's Griffin

ISBN: 9780312568894

Source: Publisher via Netgalley 

 

Description: The year is 2009.  Nineteen-year-old Jackson Meyer is a normal guy… he’s in college, has a girlfriend… and he can travel back through time. But it’s not like the movies – nothing changes in the present after his jumps, there’s no space-time continuum issues or broken flux capacitors – it’s just harmless fun.  That is… until the day strangers burst in on Jackson and his girlfriend, Holly, and during a struggle with Jackson, Holly is fatally shot. In his panic, Jackson jumps back two years to 2007, but this is not like his previous time jumps. Now he’s stuck in 2007 and can’t get back to the future.  Desperate to somehow return to 2009 to save Holly but unable to return to his rightful year, Jackson settles into 2007 and learns what he can about his abilities.  But it’s not long before the people who shot Holly in 2009 come looking for Jackson in the past, and these “Enemies of Time” will stop at nothing to recruit this powerful young time-traveler.  Recruit… or kill him.  Piecing together the clues about his father, the Enemies of Time, and himself, Jackson must decide how far he’s willing to go to save Holly… and possibly the entire world. 

I Give This ...

 

This book was definitely an interesting read for me.  It's always a change of pace when there are elements of the story that work, and then others that don't.  In the end, I decided to let it go and just enjoy it.

I think what kept this story going for me was the simple fact that I liked Jackson.  He enjoyed the fact that he's a rich kid, but does everything to contradict that stereotype.  I found it interesting that hid his ability to time travel from his father.  I wondered if the events hadn't unfolded the way they did if he would have every told him.  I loved that he is so loyal to his friends that when he's transported back to 2007, he purposely seeks them out.  He knows that he's going to need them now more than ever.

 For the most part, I enjoyed the time travel storyline.  I thought it was interesting that he could only do little jumps at first.  I also found it intriguing that he couldn't change an events and that any people he had contact with would not remember it in the future.  I was also intrigued when he seemed to change "permanent" time periods.  But, honestly the story lost me when they tried to explain what all that meant.  I couldn't determine if it was a parallel universe or timeline or what.   I didn't understand what the government really wanted with Jackson or what the "bad" guys wanted.  But, I found that I could just overlook all that.  I think I was over thinking it and the more I did, the more holes I could poke in the idea.  

I ended up just letting my misgivings go.  In the end, I really just enjoyed the story and the idea of time travel.  I liked the idea of being stuck in a time you've already lived.  I'm sure I will read the next one!

Review - A Million Suns (Across the Universe, #2) by Beth Revis

Title: A Million Suns

Author: Beth Revis

Series: 2nd (Across the Universe)

Pages: 386

Published: January 10th 2012 by Razorbill 

ISBN: 9781595143983

Source: Around The World Tours

Description: It's been three months since Amy was unplugged. The life she always knew is over. And everywhere she looks, she sees the walls of the spaceship Godspeed. But there may just be hope: Elder has assumed leadership of the ship. He's finally free to enact his vision - no more Phydus, no more lies. But when Elder discovers shocking news about the ship, he and Amy race to discover the truth behind life on Godspeed. They must work together to unlock a puzzle that was set in motion hundreds of years earlier, unable to fight the romance that's growing between them and the chaos that threatens to tear them apart. Godspeed was fueled by lies. Now it is ruled by chaos. 

I Give This ...

 

I've been highly anticipating this second novel.  I'm not one for sci-fi type books, but something about this series has grabbed, and I'm not going to let it go.  This latest installment was everything that I hoped for.

I really felt for Elder this entirety of this book.  He's trying hard to keep the peace and do everything within his power to get them to their final goal.  But, when uprising start to happen aboard the ship, I wasn't surprised.  We needed a little more discord.  I do think those who were trying to lead the uprising had valid points, even if they were off base.  Elder really is the best leader for the ship I think.  He's just not very good with words, and no one could really see what he was doing behind the scenes to make sure everything was running smoothly.  I also think he has a huge issue with the idea of absolute power.  He doesn't really want it, but doesn't know what else can be done about it.

My thoughts on Amy went back and forth throughout the book.  I thought she kept a level head while she's witnessing the uprising around her.  Since we get part of the story for her point of view, we know she's scared at times.  But, I think she does an amazing job of not showing it to those around her.  I enjoyed her scavenger hunt to discover what the leaders' aboard the ship have been keeping secret for years.  I didn't think she was a little unyeilding when it came to the records hall keeper (I can not remember his name for the life of me).  She refused to see anybody's view point but her own when it came to him.  

There are some definite twists in the story.   Or they should be twists.  For some reason, they just seemed like the logical direction that story should go.  None of it really surprised me, but I wasn't disappointed in the slightest either.  In fact, I loved the storylines in general.