Review - The Hunt (Project Paper Doll #2) by Stacey Kade

Title: The Hunt

Author: Stacey Kade

Series: 2nd (The Rules)

Pages: 400

Published: April 22nd 2014 by Disney-Hyperion 

ISBN: 9781423153290

Source: Publisher via Netgalley

Description: Ariane Tucker has finally escaped GTX, the research facility that created her. While on the run, Zane Bradshaw is the only person she can trust. He knows who-and what-she is and still wants to be part of her life. But accepting Zane's help means putting him in danger. Dr. Jacobs, head of GTX, is not the only one hunting for Ariane. Two rival corporations have their sights set on taking down their competition. Permanently. To protect Zane and herself, Ariane needs allies. She needs the other hybrids. The hybrids who are way more alien and a lot less human. Can Ariane win them over before they turn on her? Or will she be forced to choose sides, to decide who lives and who dies?

I Give This ....

I tend to have a hard time with the second books in series.  But this was surprisingly fast paced, and very rarely did it have that typical middle of the series feel to it.

Ariane is still an interesting character to me because she does things that one might not consider normal.  Granted this is completely understandable because she isn't human.  Despite all the things she's been taught, her instincts aren't that of a teenage girl.    I really enjoyed that because I never quite knew what she was going to do next.  Even when you thought you knew were the storyline was going, it didn't play out exactly how you pictured.

 Can I say that I love the other hybrids!  Even if their mission is prove they are better than Ariane, I could help but be in awe of them.  I'm curious how they would like if this were to be made into a movie because in my head they are unequivocally other.  Their connection to each other was fascinating to me.  It seemed to be the only thing human about them.  

 I admired Zane's dedication to Ariane.  He was willing to follow her anywhere despite the danger and the personal anguish.  I imagine Ariane was just about the only person he felt connected to even though she struggled with how she felt (more so the humanness to it).

The cliffhanger was interesting.  It reminds me a little bit of another series I just completed.  I'm curious how it will play out!

 

Review - The Rules (Project Paper Doll #1) by Stacey Kade

Title: The Rules

Author: Stacey Kade

Series: 1st

Pages: 416

Published: April 23rd 2013 by Disney-Hyperion 

ISBN: 9781423153283

Source: Publisher via Netgalley

Description: 1. Never trust anyone.  2. Remember they are always searching.  3. Don’t get involved.  4. Keep your head down.  5. Don’t fall in love.   Five simple rules. Ariane Tucker has followed them since the night she escaped from the genetics lab where she was created, the result of combining human and extraterrestrial DNA. Ariane’s survival—and that of her adoptive father—depends on her ability to blend in among the full-blooded humans in a small Wisconsin town, to hide in plain sight at her high school from those who seek to recover their lost (and expensive) “project.”    But when a cruel prank at school goes awry, it puts her in the path of Zane Bradshaw, the police chief’s son and someone who sees too much. Someone who really sees her. After years of trying to be invisible, Ariane finds the attention frightening—and utterly intoxicating. Suddenly, nothing is simple anymore, especially not the rules… 

I Give This ...   

 

I really don't tend to gravitate towards books concerning aliens.  It's just a subject matter that doesn't interest me very much.  But I like Stacey Kade's previous series, and the idea of an alien that is more human than anything kind of intrigued me.  So, I thought I would give this one a try.

It didn't take me long to like Ariane.  She's trying so hard to go unnoticed that you can tell its starting to get to her.   I don't think its because she wants to stand out really, but more she feels the rules are starting to attract more attention to her than they have ever done before.  But, in her desire to prove that she can be there for her one and only friend, she attracts the kind of attention that she's been trying to avoid since she escaped the lab.  It's hard not to when that person is the Queen Bee at school and use to getting exactly what she wants.  The even bigger problem is that her grandfather ruins the very lab Ariane escaped from.

I like Zane too.  I think everyone (especially teens) love the idea that that those "it" kids at school may one day descend from their cloud and realize being on top isn't all its cracked up to be.  That they might notice the girl next door and maybe help her bring down said Queen Bee.   The budding romance between the two is really just icing on the cake.


The story ironically has a very "Carrie" feel to it.  So far that the iconic book (or movie if you will) even mentions the story.   I kept hoping that Zane wouldn't turn out to be the bad guy in the book.   But, it turns out to be the person I least expected.  It wasn't really a big surprise though when I sat and thought about it.   

I was pleased by this book so I will definitely be reading the next one!  

Review - Body & Soul (The Ghost and the Goth #3) by Stacey Kade

Title: Body & Soul

Author: Stacey Kade

Series: 3rd (The Ghost and the Goth, Queen of the Dead)

Pages: 316

Published: May 1st 2012 by Hyperion 

ISBN: 9781423134664

Source: Arranged Tour

Description: Alona Dare has been living as Lily "Ally" Turner for over a month...and it's not been easy. Besides being trapped in a body so not as good as her original one, she's failing miserably at playing the sister and daughter of people she barely knows. Plus, she can't help but think that Will Killian - the boy she hates to care about - somehow wishes the real Lily were back.  She and Will have been trying to find a solution, looking for a two-for-one miracle that would free Alona and keep Lily alive. Visits to local psychics have proven useless, but then they stumble across Malachi the Magnificent, who seems to be different. His office is full of ghosts, for one thing. But Malachi doesn't seem to hear or see them, which is odd. Plus, he bolts the moment he sees Will. To make things even weirder, Misty Evans, Alona's former best friend, is waiting in Malachi's lobby and claiming that she's being haunted. By Alona.  Will's convinced that Malachi has answers, while Alona is all kinds of pissed that someone's impersonating her. But their efforts to uncover the truth will bring them much unwanted attention and put them directly in the path of a ghost who will stop at nothing for another stab at life. Even if it means destroying Alona. 

I Give This ...

I was hoping that being the last in the series, that this installment would tie up all the story threads nicely.  Not an easy task I'm sure.  I've come to care about these characters and I want a happy ending for them. 

I am impressed with the amount of character growth Alona has had throughout this series.  It's really a shame that her death is what caused this.  I actually felt sorry for her this book.  She's not very good at articulating how she really feels.  And Will is very bad at interpreting what she really means.   So, they spend quite a bit of this book arguing and misunderstanding each other.  Which is unfortunate because since the story is told from both points of views, we know how they really feel.  

Alona is trying hard to be someone she's not.  I can't imagine how difficult it would be to impersonate someone whose characteristics are so far from your own.  For once, Alona has no confidence in who she is.  She's uncomfortable in her own skin.  And she's not ungrateful for the chance she's been given.  She knows exactly how lucky she is to be alive.  She just doesn't know how to by the Lily everybody wants her to be.  And she especially hates the fact that she feels like Will wishes it was the real Lily.

Will kind of drove me a little crazy.  He seemed to always take what Alona was saying and twist it around to something else.  He never gave her the chance to just be herself.  He was constantly tell her that it wasn't how Lily would do it.  Well of course it's not, Alona isn't Lilly.  He didn't give her half the chance.  I was happy to see him finally come to that understanding in the end.

The ghost in question in this story was the only downfall.  I think she was toned down a lot.  She's just didn't strike the fear in mean that she should have.  She will stop and nothing to have another chance at life, but yet she doesn't really come across that way.  I actually found the story her life much more interesting.  How it related to Malachi the Magnificent was one of the better parts to her story.

I was happy with the ending.  It was what I was hoping for given the circumstances.  I think it will work out in the long run.  Although, I do admit that I'm curious about the long term ramifications of it. 

 

Guest Post with Stacey Kade author of The Ghost and The Goth Series

Today I have Stacey Kade author of the book Body & Soul (which is the 3rd in The Ghost and The Goth Series).  Welcome Stacey!

 1.    What would you be if you weren't an author?
I was a copywriter for a number of years before I was an author, so there’s that. But when I was a kid, I always told my mom I wanted to be a librarian so I’d get first pick of the new books coming into the library. ;)

2.    What's your favorite book?
Oh, dear. I always have to be difficult. ;) I don’t actually have ONE favorite book. I’m way too fickle for that. I love different books for different things about them. The humor, the love story, the setting, etc. But if we go by the number of times I’ve reread a single book (and watched the various movie and TV adaptations), it would have to be Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.

3.    What's your favorite thing about Alona?  Will?
Hmm. I love Alona’s snark. I think sometimes she says what we’re all thinking, even if we know we shouldn’t be thinking that. As for Will, I love that no matter how hard his life has been (and it has been downright awful at times—sorry!), he doesn’t give in to despair or hopelessness. He just keeps fighting, in his own way. Maybe not exactly in the way Alona would want him to, of course, but she’s working on that. :)

4. Any plans to write an adult book?
I have a few ideas rattling around in my head, but I love writing YA and I’ve got a full plate at the moment, which is AWESOME! :D

5. What's next after The Ghost and the Goth is done?
I have a new series starting in 2013. Project Paper Doll is the series name, and the first book is called The Rules. I’ll have more details to reveal soon, but it’s got a little more of a science fiction edge to it. Dual first person again. Ariane and Zane. :) Ariane is a genetic experiment raised in a lab for the first six years of her life. She’s trying to blend in among the “full-blooded” humans. Zane is the guy who notices something is different about her, but he can’t quite figure out what. The greatest danger for Ari is someone figuring out who/what she is, and yet, there’s this deep desire in her for someone to really know her.
And though I think there have been rumors about it being a dystopian, it’s not. (I do love those books, though!) It’s set in the here and now. Modern day Wisconsin, actually. :)

As an award-winning corporate copywriter, Stacey Kade has written about everything from backhoe loaders to breast pumps. But she prefers to make things up instead. 

From her first childhood scribbles about a magical necklace that would turn people into cats, Stacey has long been fascinated with what happens when the “ordinary” bumps up against “out of this world.” What if aliens landed on Earth? What if the afterlife is really just another dimension?

She lives in the Chicago suburbs with her husband, Greg, and their three retired racing greyhounds, Joezooka (Joe), Tall Walker (Walker) and SheWearsThePants (Pansy). When she’s not reading or writing, you’ll likely find her parked in front of the television with her Roswell DVDs, staring rapturously at Jason Behr.


*Pic and Bio taken from author's website ....

Review: Queen of the Dead (The Ghost and the Goth #2) by Stacey Kade

Title: Queen of the Dead

Author: Stacey Kade

Series: 2nd in Ghost and the Goth

Pages: 288

Published: Available now from Hyperion

ISBN:  9781423134671

Source: Publisher via Netgalley

 

Description: After being sent back from the light, Alona Dare - former homecoming queen, current Queen of the Dead - finds herself doing something she never expected: working. Instead of spending days perfecting her tan by the pool (her typical summer routine when she was, you know, alive), Alona must now cater to the needs of other lost spirits. By her side for all of this - ugh - “helping of others” is Will Killian: social outcast, seer of the dead, and someone Alona cares about more than she’d like. Before Alona can make a final ruling on Will’s “friend” or “more” status, though, she discovers trouble at home. Her mom is tossing out Alona’s most valuable possessions, and her dad is expecting a new daughter with his wicked wife. Is it possible her family is already moving on? Hello! She’s only been dead for two months! Thankfully, Alona knows just the guy who can put a stop to this mess. Unfortunately for Alona, Will has other stuff on his mind, and Mina, a young (and beautiful) seer, is at the top of the list. She’s the first ghost-talker Will’s ever met—aside from his father—and she may hold answers to Will’s troubled past. But can she be trusted? Alona immediately puts a check mark in the “clearly not” column. But Will is - ahem - willing to find out, even if it means leaving a hurt and angry Alona to her own devices, which is never a good idea.

I Give This ...

  

I was really excited to read this one.  I found the first in the series to be really unique.  It was the right mix of ghosts, serious issues mixed in with some light-hearted romance and fun.  I was hoping for the same with this edition.

I was a little disappointed with the first half of the book.  Alona seemed to regress back to shelfish, b$tchy person she was in life.  Her attitude towards Will was really annoying.  She pushed his buttons and then knew just how to get back into his good graces.  I also didn't like the way she handled the ghosts when Will wasn't around.  Top it off with her childish reaction to finding her mom throwing out her stuff and her dad having another baby, and I was afraid I was going to like this significantly less.   

I still really liked Will though.  I just wish he didn't have such a thing for Alona.  I often wondered if he overlooked her faults often or just didn't see them.  I liked his interactions with Mina.  How awesome to finally realize he wasn't alone and that there might be more to this whole ghost thing.  I was intrigued by the group that Minda introduced him too.  I think we've just barely touched on who they are and what they can do.  

When Alona's selfishness leads her to make a disastrous choice is when the book got significantly better.  I liked were the story goes after that.  I think she learned the true meaning of walking in someone else's shoes.  I also think it taught her to put someone's needs above her own.  I also though Will was a little hard on her at first, but came around when he realized her intentions were good in the end.

I think one of my favorite parts was when Will has to enter the theater that use to be a hotel that burned down.  That was intense.  I really liked how the author described that the ghosts are on a perpetual loop.  Everyday they relive how they died.  No wonder Will always avoided the place. 

 

The Ghost And The Goth by Stacey Kade

Title: The Ghost and the Goth

Author: Stacey Kade

Published: June 29, 2010 by Hyperion

Pages: 288

ISBN: 9781423121978

Source: Around The World Tours

Description: After a close encounter with the front end of a school bus, Alona Dare goes from Homecoming Queen to Queen of the Dead. Now she’s stuck here in spirit form with no sign of the big, bright light coming to take her away. To make matters worse, the only person who might be able to help her is Will Killian, a total loser/outcast type who hates the social elite. He alone can see and hear her, but he wants nothing to do with the former mean girl of Groundsboro High.
Can they get over their mutual distrust—and this weird attraction between them—to work together before Alona vanishes for good and Will is locked up for seeing things that don’t exist?  

I Give This ...

  

If it's possible for a book cover to really cover the feel of the book, I think this one is close (at least for me).  It's cute, but not annoying.  It also has just enough of a serious side that really gives the story a backbone.  It's dual narrative, which I've really liked in recent books.  Alona surprised me as a character.  It just goes to show you that even the most put together girl as serious issues just like everyone else.  I liked watching her accept her fate and really take charge of things.  Will was great as well.  He was just enough of the opposite of Alona to make the story work.  And his deeper issues were an interesting moral story that just added to the book.  I liked how the two gradually opened up to each other.  I think there's room for a sequel, and would love to see were it goes.

Overall, a fun book that's also got a serious side.  I would recommend this to anyone who likes YA, summery reads, etc.  I really enjoyed this one!