A thought-provoking and exciting start to a riveting new dystopian trilogy.
As an obedient orphan of the U.N.A. (the super-country that was once Mexico, the U.S., and Canada), Alenna learned at an early age to blend in and be quiet—having your parents taken by the police will do that to a girl. But Alenna can’t help but stand out when she fails a test that all sixteen-year-olds have to take: The test says she has a high capacity for brutal violence, and so she is sent to The Wheel, an island where all would-be criminals end up.
The life expectancy of prisoners on The Wheel is just two years, but with dirty, violent, and chaotic conditions, the time seems a lot longer as Alenna is forced to deal with civil wars for land ownership and machines that snatch kids out of their makeshift homes. Desperate, she and the other prisoners concoct a potentially fatal plan to flee the island. Survival may seem impossible, but Alenna is determined to achieve it anyway
3 Smokin' Kisses
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After reading the synopsis and watching the book trailer for The Forsaken , this was definitly one of my most anticipated summer reads. Upon actually reading the novel... well, it's one of those novels that I have mixed emotions towards. Stasse has a way of quickly launching you into her intruiging world once you open up the novel, ,however half way through the book I became extremely frustrated. The Forsaken is a mixture of the The Hunger Games & Divergent, which I loved, and Shatter me, which i despised. So as you can see, this is an extremely hard review for me.
First off, I enjoyed the characters. They were fresh and intruiging, and my favorite character of all would definitly be Gadya. She was totally bad-ass and heroic. David, Liam, Sinxen, Rika, the Drones , it's clear that stasse put lots of effort into building their personalities and character- and it definitly paid off.
I enjoyed the action that took place within the wheel and the events that played out as they hiked to the gray zone. The characters sacrificing themselves to save the ones they love, Alenna becoming braver and stronger as she faced the struggles of the wheel, it was definitly a fun, intruiging read.
HOWEVER.
What pissed me off enough to even slightly compare The Forsaken to Shatter me ?
The romance between Alenna & Liam.
Oh dear lord, it was horriid. WHYYY do authors do this?! WHY?!
Please allow me to break this down for all you authors out there, and any future authors wanting to write a novel.......Read carefully.
Please understand. When a character spends 2 days with another character, No they will not confess their love for the other person, No they will not defy everyone else they love for them- NO.
Liam & Alenna hardly know eachother for what... 3 days? When Liam takes her to the butterfly lake and tells her that he likes her and kisses her. I fail to understanddddddd. It was SO sudden, not even half way through the book, Alenna's 3rd day on the wheel and already they're in love. girl, please.
Once Alenna finds Liam in the pod near the end of the novel and tells him that she loves him and tells her mom he's her boyfriend, I'm thinking.... WTF? I'm sorry but... where did this all come from? after you "rescue" him again, you've still only known the guy for 3 days. I understand the whole ' death brings people closer ' thing, which is why its not completely wack, but still- I think all of us readers can agree that our favorite novel relationships are the ones that form after fighting side by side, or facing issues side by side, but not confessing their love. The love is clear, but doesn't need to be said. I felt that the author needed to state their love for one another, because they didn't have enough chemistry for it to be clear on its own.
Another thing that I will compare to Divergent & Shatter me.... the ending. On the scale of extremely good (divergent) and extremely bad (shatter me), Id say The Forsaken is pretty damn center... maybe even a little closer to the shatter me side. But definitly not as bad as Shatter me, since i didn't want to burn the book upon finishing it.
The ending in all 3 novels is comparable through the idea that the main character couples find a secret society that wants to rebel against their own corrupt society. But what I hated about This novels ending, is that it all ended... perfectly. Thats probebly the worse thing an author can do. Just because you kill off a couple of characters, doesn't mean it makes your novel more tragic and edgy. That only works if your ending can accompany it. I mean, near the ending it was great- Characters fighting for their lives, certain characters giving up their lives for one another, and only 2 characters being able to make it past the pipes and feeders, inside the building that was supposed to free them all. and then suddenly they find out, after their long trip and deaths and beatings... that the ones that get taken away by the feeders are actually being saved because its high jacked by the rebels..... facepalm.
That seriously killed the whole bad-ass, dangerous mood of the story. How could the ending be that peaceful ??! And then the whole thing with the minister at the wheel and the fakes...... Noooo. No. The ending was too polished and definitly ruined the story. It was truly disappointing and I think the author could have done WAY better. If the ending was atleast good, I might have over looked the horrible Liam-Alenna relationship and given the novel 4 stars.... but not a chance in hell with this horrid ending.
I might end up reading the sequel. I kind of want to find out what happens.... we'll see how I feel about this a little later once I dwell on it.
Hey Everyone! I'm pleased to introduce to you, Author, Singer/Songwritter & Actress..... Shayne Leighton!
Author Bio:
Shayne's first year out of high school (after meeting mentor, friend, and executive producer, Marcie Gorman), she penned, co-directed, and starred in the feature-length film, The Incubus a paranormal romance, which obtained distribution and opened in over fifteen theaters across South Florida among popular chains like Regal, AMC, and Cinemark. The Incubus has obtained a fan-base of over 60,000 girls online, and has garnered the attention of reporters from the Miami Herald, CBS News, and NPR Radio. Leighton also starred alongside Scream Queen, Tara Cardinal in the film, Legend of the Red Reaper. Now, 20-year-old Leighton is excited to release her debut young adult novel series, Of Light and Darkness, set in contemporary Prague as well as penning several other screenplays, a novel adaptation for Legend of the Red Reaper, an original pop/rock album, and acting in various film roles.
***
I was fortunate enough to get the chance to read Shayne's debut YA novel Of Light and Darkness: The Vampire's Daughter , which is also being currently made into a movie for 2013! How exciting! The novel was a pleasure to read, and the review can be found Here !
Shayne was kind enough to answer a couple of questions about herself & the OLAD series....as well as give us a Sneak Peak at the sequel to The Vampire's Daughter..... The Vampire's Reflection!
Rola:Hey Shayne!! Welcome to xo’reads. So glad tohave you HereJ
Shayne: Hi Rola! Thank you somuch for having me! I am very excited about this interview!J
Rola: Before we get into TheVampire’s daughter, I understand that you are not only an author, but also a Singer/songwriter & an actress. People have worked for years, trying to achieve only one of the many things that youhave been able grasp at the age of 20. How were you able to achieve so much, in such a short time?
Shayne: That’s a super flattering question – and took me a few minutes to think of how I was going to answer this one. I absolutely adore what I do. I work very hard every day at my various projects and I talk to EVERYBODY I meet and try to make as many friends as possible. Sometimes, I get lucky and the people I talk to end up beingincredibly talented, like the producers I’m working with now on my album. I don’t watch TV. I rarely hang out with friends. Because I love what I do and I think about it as being fun, I have no problem working hard. Anyone I know whohas achieved a lot in his or her life has always been really dedicated. I guess I owe it to my team who pushes me constantly and that little voice in my head that just won’t let up.
Rola: The Vampire’s Daughter mainly focuses on a Mortal Female, Charlotte, who is adopted by a Vampire docter, Valek. Charlotte is forced to live in a world full of monsters & face the struggles of falling in love, finding the truth & fighting for the freedom of those she loves. How were you able to come up with a completely original story, with the thousands & thousands of identical Vampire love stories out there?
Shayne: I just didn’t want it to be that “typical” vampire story. That was a very conscious thought I had when I first began writing the novel. As funny as this sounds, I always try to think about my characters actually existing in reality. If they were real, in this modern world with war and lust and greed, how would things really happen? How would a mortal find herself existing in this impossible world? Well, my immediate answer to that was, she would have to be physically brought into it by someone magical. How would that happen? And then other aspects of the story started forming from there. I had alot of help from my friends who read my rough drafts and had ideas and things to say about certain events. They helped me to make this the most original vampire story I could make it.
Rola: What was your favourite scene to write?
Shayne: I have a few favourite scenes. I loved the scene in Charlotte’s kitchen, when she cuts her finger making dinner, and Valek comes in and heals her would by kissing her finger. I think that is the most pivotal point in their relationship as they move from a guardian/ward relationship to a romantic one. I thought the images were incredibly seductive. I also loved writing scenes like Mr. Trinozka’s burrow and scenes in Francis’ basement, because those are all incredibly cinematic and visual, and the first stories I’ve ever written were screen plays. So I could definitely see those scenes play out before me with the most vivid detail.
Rola: Other than Valek &Charlotte, Who would be your favorite character & why?
Shayne: I adore Mr. Trinozka. He has to be my favourite because he was based off of my grandfather, who is just as sweet and loving. When I first introduce him as a character, readers aren’tsure if he’s going to be a good guy or a bad guy. I think it surprises them when he really does help Charlotte with no malevolent intentions.
Rola: if you could pick a themes ong for Valek & Charlotte, what would it be?
Shayne: I’ve had this song on my playlist from day one of writing this book. It’s a folk song called “Bloodlust”by Lauren Shera and I think it really sets the tone for their sweet relationship and the tone for the “folky” sort of mood for the rest of the story as well. It’s a little bit of an epic legend, a little steampunk, a little Gothic, and a little vintage. I think Of Light and Darkness is very eclectic, just like this song.
Rola: Charlotte & Valek havean extremely unique relationship. Throughout the novel they face various struggles that put their relationship to the ultimate test. Can readers expect to see more struggles that will threaten Valek & Charlotte’s relationship in the sequel, The Vampire’s Reflection? Will there be another love triangle perhaps??!
Shayne: I am literally laughing out loud as I answer this question. The Vampire’s Reflectionturned out to be quite the rollercoaster and I think readers are going to pull their hair out when they reach the end. Thereare so many complications that arise between Valek and Charlotte as well as the introduction of a brand new character,Nikolai AND the return of Aiden. So there arelove triangles abound as well as a few shocking moments I don’t think anyone is going to expect.
Rola:Your debut YA Paranormal novel, Of Light and Darkness: The Vampire’s Daughter is currently being made into a movie... with yourself starring as Charlotte! How does itfeel to not only see your novel being made into a movie, but to also being able to play the role of the female heroin?
Shayne: The process of gettingthis film developed has been both extremely rewarding and challenging. I had the opportunity to get my taste of Charlotte’s character last October when we shot the book trailer in North Carolina. I had the pleasure of acting alongside Michael Welch (Aiden) and to really get my feet wet. It felt very strange in that, it did not feel like my story. It felt like I was acting in someone else’s movie. It was so much fun and I am so hungry to get started on the actual movie. We’ve got some great plans, so hopefully it all pans out. We are working so hard on this project, so we are definitely hoping for the best.
Rola: When Novels become movies,the Fans always anticipate who will be playing their favorite characters; but disappointment is a common factor because a fan’s favorite complaint is that the cast doesn’t live up to their mental image of the characters . Do youbelieve that the cast chosen will fully live up to the image you first painted in your mind while creating The Vampire’s Daughter? Arey ou confident that you will be able to deliver Charlotte’s character successfully?
Shayne: I am really exciteda bout the cast. I think people often get disappointed not only when the actors don’t match their minds eye, but also when they keep seeing the same Hollywood stars pop up over and over again. I think people are craving something new. My husband, Frantisek Mach, is playing Valek. Michael Welch is an extremely talented actor who has been severely underrated by Hollywood. I’ve seen our chemistry when we were all together in North Carolina. We are fresh faces andso far our fan base is excited about that. I think it’s also an interesting spin that this is my story. I wrote the characters of Valek and Charlotte directly after the people who are playing them – so hopefully we can deliver.JThe only thing I can promise, is that we will work very hard to give readers and fans exactly what they’ve hoped for and to do our very best!
Rola: what would you like to tell readers that have yet to pick up The Vampire’s Daughter ?
Shayne: It really seems likee veryone who’s read the book thus far has gone mad for it. They’ve really been loving it and I’m really grateful. If you think you’re tired of vampires, and don’t want to pick up another YA paranormal series, I think you should consider The Vampire’s Daughter anyway. This story is so much more than just vampires. It has a message. It is much deeper than a lot of the other YA’s out there, and even though it’s a fantasy, it is incredibly real. So I hope new readers give it a chance – I know a lot of people will take something away from this story.
Rola: Seperate from the Of Light and Darkness series, are you currently working on any projects?
Shayne:I am being consideredfor a few film projects in development, but there are no promises on those yet.I am also very actively working on my music career– working with Austin Mahone’s official voice coach on my first, original album.
Rola: What Can fans expect from the sequel?
Shayne: The Vampire’s Daughter ended really perfectly. There wasn’t a whole lot of questions to answer by the ending of that book. In the sequel, many new problems arise to challenge the characters. Certain characters get torn apart. New characters get introduced. The Vampire’s Reflectiongets even darker than the first book. There is a lot of danger, and horrible things.There are a lot of questions and a lot of mystery. This book is really going to set up the epic third book in the series.
Rola: ..... do we get a little sneak peek at the sequel??!! :D
Shayne: Sure! Here you go:
“Aiden’s back went rigid when he heard the shrill wail of the astronomical clock in Old Town strike midnight. The metallic chime struck his new, nocturnal ears harshly as it bounced around off the baroque fixtures of the ancient buildings. The gears and cogs were even audible from this distance as he pictured the little mechanical men and women coming to life as they danced around the clock face.He closed his eyes against the vibration in his ear. His steel-toed, leather boots splashed in the puddles along the ancient roads of the modern world. He kept his gaze down and his hands in his pockets, his bangs escaping from his leather poor-boy-hat and into his eyes.
Thesquare was still incredibly crowded with dozens of warm-blooded tourists and a few drunken natives. They were all seemingly just getting their evening started, as he was. He studied the qualities about the human movements andtried to match them, as he desperately wanted to blend in. Keeping his gaze low, he never imagined a time when he would become anything similar to that ofhis sworn enemy – the very bane of his existence – that which ended his life a she knew it and all of his possibilities. But none of this would stand in his way now. He would use all of this new found dark power in his favor, as he himself, had become the very darkness he once hated.
There was an undeniable hole fixated in the center of his chest that seemed unfixable now. A pain with every step he took. A missing piece. But it wasn’t her love that could fill it anymore – the warm affection ofthe impossibly mortal girl. He no longer wanted it. She had made such a fool of him. She and her leach. They caused him to be outcast by those remaining of the Regime. Humiliated him. Threw him away and expected him to remain among the dead and forgotten. Something jabbed within his chest then and he felt like it had punctured something. Aiden was toos trong for that. He had a plan – a prophecy that needed to be fulfilled.Vladislov was dead. Aiden was heir to the thrown. The only heir. The Regime needed to be reminded of that.”
...... EEEEP! Aiden has officially gone phsyco... CANNOT WAIT TO READ THIS!
Rola: Thanks for the interview Shayne!! It’s been a pleasure reading your novel & having you on my blog!!
Shayne: Thank you so much,Rola!!!! It was my pleasure and I hope to read your review on the second book in the series!
Now is YOUR chance to get into The Vampire's Daughter, before the movie & the sequel ! Enter the Rafflecopter below to enter for a chance to win an ecopy of The Vampire's Daughter, as well as a SIGNED BOOKMARK from Shayne!!
It's been three years since the devastating accident . . . three years since Mia walked out of Adam's life forever.
Now living on opposite coasts, Mia is Juilliard's rising star and Adam is LA tabloid fodder, thanks to his new rock star status and celebrity girlfriend. When Adam gets stuck in New York by himself, chance brings the couple together again, for one last night. As they explore the city that has become Mia's home, Adam and Mia revisit the past and open their hearts to the future-and each other.
Told from Adam's point of view in the spare, lyrical prose that defined If I Stay, Where She Went explores the devastation of grief, the promise of new hope, and the flame of rekindled romance.
4 Smokin' Kisses
“Barrel of the gun, rounds one two three
She says I have to pick: choose you, or choose me
Metal to the temple, the explosion is deafening
Lick the blood that covers me
She’s the last one standing"
Wow. I defenitly liked Where She Went better than If I Stay . While the other one was devestating, a girl losing her whole family & is stuck in a Coma with the choice to live or die, and decides to stay because of her boyfriend... Where She Went , is just heart breaking. You really see inside Adams heart & head, its crazy how he just feels So much hurt & pain because Mia left him, but he realizes he cant do anything about it. I mean, he doesnt just sit there and think " I miss mia" , No, this guy is legit Heart Broken . Like.. Adele Heart broken. He became famous for his heartbreaking lyrics, with so much raw emotion, its easy to see in the lyric snippets Forman provides the way Adams heart is on the verge of breaking.
“How does it feel that the only worthy thing you ever created came from the worst kind of loss?”
Mia was literly everything to him.. and he lost her. Mia goes to Julliard to live her dream, and all though Adam offers to go with her, she refuses.. and they both part ways for what looks to be the last time.
"She kissed me good-bye. She told me that she loved me more than life itself. Then she stepped through security.
She never came back."
So, As Adam Wilde goes through his rockstar life, which he isn't too fond of, one night he is destined to cross paths with Mia Hall again. They are together again for one night, and Adam has so many questions, but its clear he's scared to say anything that might ruin his moment with Mia. He is fighting an internal battle.... ask her Why , or treasure my time with her now?
However, the truth is inevitable, and Adam quickly realizes that he isn't the only one who is missing and hurting.
"You know, I thought about that a lot these last couple of years,” she says in a choked voice. “About who was there for you. Who held your hand while you grieved for all that you’d lost?”
After losing her whole family, Mia is understandably in shock, with so much hate inside her. She Hated Adam for making her stay without her family. But she loves him so much. Its so bitter sweet.
“You were so busy trying to be my savior that you left me all alone.”
Honestly, being able to see inside Adams mind and his feelings.. and then hearing how Mia's heart break affected her.. this is truly one unique, gut-wretching story.
“But I'd do it again. I know that now. I'd make that promise a thousand times over and lose her a thousand times over to have heard her play last night or to see her in the morning sunlight. Or even without that. Just to know that she's somewhere out there. Alive.”
When Mia and Adam finally realize that they cannot live without each other, its seriously so beautiful
Im sad that this story has come to an end. but the ending is perfect, and im glad that there isnt a third book, simply for the reason that Where she went was just so perfect, that writing any more would ruin the feel you get once you're done the novel. Excellent Job Forman, you have proven yourself worthy of successfully creating a beautiful & heart breaking story.
Sixteen-year-old Lola is a daredevil. She likes playing hooky, making out with bad boy Everett James, and stealing cars. The reason behind all of her rebellious antics? Because she can. But what can one girl do against a horde of murderous vampires?
Aided by her sometimes sober father, her best friend Travis, and Maximus, the mysterious stranger who appeared out of no where to save her life, Lola must accomplish what the rest of the human race has failed to do in the aftermath of the world wide massacre: survive.
But how do you survive when everything you know has been destroyed... and the one person you thought you could trust ends up being the most dangerous person of all?
4 Smokin' Kisses
I think this novella was good enough to become a novel. actually, it would be quite easy for the author to do so if she wished; adding some more detail in the beggining, some more obstacles in the middle- a little more detail & imagery... BAM 300 pages easy. Personally i think Eaton should take on the challange, enough people enjoy the novella that i think it would do well as its own novel. I was excited when i recieved this from the author (thank you!), im all about kick-ass, monster fighting females (blame Buffy The Vampire Slayer for that), and this novella had exactly what I needed. Lola is a bold & fiesty female heroin, and it was great reading from her perspective. However, Eaton doesnt make Lola completely fearless, which makes the story of a mortal who is caught in this post-apocolyptic attack more believable. Lola is scared, and even runs away and leaves Travis behind at one point- but quickly discovers that her key to survival is to keep her fears locked deep inside. You can see that she's courageous, when she goes back to save Travis from Angelique, but shows her mortal female side when she gets there & almost pisses her pants.She's the perfect heroin, and with the right amount of fear mixed with courage... Lola is in it to stay alive.
I like Travis. He reminds me of Simon from The Mortal Instruments . I love when nerds become brave hehe, its SO cute!
I didn't like the Dad. He annoyed me.... they are being attacked by drinkers and he wants beer??!?! I understand the addiction, but seriously... survival man. C'mon.
MAXIMUS :O . I loved the kid. He's so badass, and shows up in the randomest moments to save Lola. Love it. He's the thug that falls in love with the fiesty female, but they pretend to hate each other when they're actually head over heels. love it. love him. even though the ending was a shocker, I have a feeling we'll be seeing our dear Maximus once more. Dont lose faith!
The idea of the drinkers is really cool. being marked and such, and not turning into one of them right away. If the novella ever became a novel, i can only imagine all the detail that could be put behind the idea! it's great. Props to Eaton for creating a believable species of Vampires .
However, I do have a couple of complaints. I know that this is a novella, so there naturally isnt as much detail... however, these points could be fixed.
1) we never find out how Travis stays alive in the Drinkers house. He went into the Drinkers house for gods sake , yet the next day when Lola goes to save him, he's perfectly fine. extremely unbelievable without a proper explanation.
2) WHY would angelique take Travis, while he was sleeping RIGHT next to Lola, and then blackmail Lola into handing herself in for Travis.... when she could have just taken Lola instead? even though he was left at the Hotel, but he wouldnt just get up and leave Angelique was clearly there and moved Travis and such, and left the note.... but why not just take Lola? that whole concept is sort of a blur, unless i missed something. When he's found in one of the rooms later on, I wonder: what left him there? why didnt he scream? was he tied down? did angelique take him & bring him back? why would angelique hide him in the hotel if she could just take him as hostage? that scene needs to be fixed with more detail.
3) When Lola & Angelique are fighting... what was Maximus doing? Lola literly had enough time to wrestle with Angelique, try and shoot her, get thrown into a locker, attacked & then shoot her before Maximus came to help her up. was he just watching her? I dont understand, he's the one hellbent on keeping her safe. so that doesnt completely make sense.
Other than those 3 complaints, the novella is great. Cant wait to read the next one... TEAM MAXIMUSSS !!! I'm telling you.. the kids fine. I know it. I just do D:
When one human stands before an army of impossible obstacles, the likelihood of overcoming them in this coming-of-age modern fairytale may result in war between light and darkness.
Abandoned as an infant in Prague, naive and strong-willed Charlotte Ruzikova was raised by one of the last Vampires left alive. As a human, she knows no other home than the one nestled deep in the woods of Eastern Europe, where Witches drew spells of enchantment, Phasers threw tea parties, and Elves are the closest in kin. Charlotte has lived her life in the dark with her Guardian, content to having him to herself and reveling in his attention, until she's realizes she wants more...
Resident medical doctor and Vampire, Valek Ruzik fears the day his ward would come of age and blossom into a fine woman, and he is forced to confront his own motives as time is of the essence once his past catches up to him, and their lives become endangered...
As genocide and war threatens their secret society, the dictator in power is ready to wipe out Valek's race, but Charlotte will not allow that to happen. Fighting for the only one she's ever loved and truly believed in, she will do whatever it takes to save their love...before the sun comes up and light takes over.
4 Blood Suckin' Kisses
Wow. Upon recieving this novel from the Author Shayne Leighton, my expectations were average. I've recieved many novels to review from authors- and I havent been completely impressed by any. Until Now. The Vampire's Daughter was worth every second i spent reading it. As soon as you start reading you are drawn into the world that Leighton has created- and it's a great one indeed. THIS is what true vampires are like. HELLO EDWARD welcome to true vampire nature. Dark & Gruesome, that want BLOOD , regardless of who it comes from when they're hungry. I loved the way Leighton was able bring back the vampires we have grown up - the ones that haunted your nightmares as a child. They do not drink animal blood- nor do they sparkle. They hunt humans to feed, and when they're starving you best not be in the same room as them- even if you are their human lover. The author did a wonderful job showing Valek's struggle with being with Charlotte. How he tried his best to hide his true nature from her, especially when he was hungry- but sometimes it got the best of him. Thats The truth about real vampires (as real as they could get, anyways.)
I loved the development of the relationship between Valek & Charlotte. How he first began raising her as a father- but it quickly grew into something more as she grew into a young woman & he unaging. The story is, well, both Light & Dark. Their relationship vs The truth about their life- its a complex story that keeps readers drawn into the novel.
The innocent jealousy between Charlotte & Valek is believable. Charlotte with Aiden, Valek with Evangeline- Leighton is able to drop little signs that the relationship between Charlotte & Valek isn't as simple as it was years ago, when he found her on the streets abandoned & brought her home to raise. Their feelings slowly develop & the process is shown clearly to the reader- so it's not just SMACK in your face ... "Hey where did THAT relationship come from??!!? Thought she was his daughter :O " Nope none of that! (Thank god)
When we are introduced to the Relaationship between Aiden & Charlotte, we see charlotte's struggle. it's clear that Aiden likes her- and she appears to like him too- but that quickly disappears with Valek in the picture. All's fair in love and war? Hell yeah, you will quickly realize that that theory isn't too far off. Aiden, the next ruler of the regime, will do anything to make Charlotte his queen- while Valek would rather burn in the sun & destroy any that touch his little Lottie. It is indeed a great love traingle.
I do feel though that everything was set up little too perfectly. The moments Evangeline or Sarah are like "Oh they wont find us" or "This wont happen right now" , and then it happens as soon as they finish their sentance......what? its not all too believable.
I am defenitly anticipating the next novel in the series... and also, did you guys know that the novel is being made into a movie as well??! with the author, Shayne Leighton as Charlotte?! SO Cool. be sure to check it out! Here's the teaser trailer!
The demon Lilith has been destroyed and Jace freed from captivity. But when the Shadowhunters arrive, they find only blood and broken glass. Not only is the boy Clary loves missing, so is the boy she hates: her brother Sebastian, who is determined to bring the Shadowhunters to their knees.
The Clave's magic cannot locate either boy, but Jace can't stay away from Clary. When they meet again Clary discovers the horror Lilith's magic has wrought - Jace and Sebastian are now bound to each other, and Jace has become a servant of evil. The Clave is determined to destroy Sebastian, but there is no way to harm one boy without destroying the other.
Only a few people believe that Jace can still be saved. Together, Alec, Magnus, Simon, and Isabelle bargain with the sinister Seelie Queen, contemplate deals with demons, and turn at last to the merciless, weapon-making Iron Sisters, who might be able to forge a weapon that can sever the bond between Sebastian and Jace. If the Iron Sisters can't help, their only hope is to challenge Heaven and Hell - a risk that could claim their lives. And they must do it without Clary. For Clary is playing a dangerous game utterly alone. The price of losing not just her own life, but Jace's soul. She's willing to do anything for Jace, but can she still trust him? Or is he truly lost? What price is too high to pay, even for love?
Love. Blood. Betrayal. Revenge. Darkness threatens to claim the Shadowhunters in the harrowing fifth book of the Mortal Instruments series
4 smokin' kisses
I Liked this one. Even though i dislike Jace because he officially annoys the living crap out of me, nonetheless- this was a good one. Major cliff hanger, yes. But we got to see multiple sides to everyone. plus... more SIMON & ISABELLE i love them :') so cute. Its so cute how Isabelle is suddenly shy. my favorite Kick-ass female, is shy because she is unsure if simon likes her or not... SEE ?! DIFFERENT SIDES ! You see some *Bad* Jace & very little *good* jace, some super confused clary, *crazy* magnus & alec dramaa, sebastion & clary action ... what else could u need? OH YEAH, jordan & Maia too ! But my favorite of all is Simon & Isabelle. I love how when simon went to summon the Angel, how worried she was. Broke my heart :/ especially the ending.
"Whats it like?" Isabelle said abruptly. "whats what like?" "being in love," isabelle said. "how do you know you are? and how do you know else is in love with you?" "umm......." "like simon" isabelle said. "how could you tell he was in love with you?" [...] "Izzy.... if you have feelings for simon, or if you want to know if he has feelings for you.. maybe you should tell him." isabelle fiddled with some nonexistant lint on her cuff. "tell him what?" "how you feel about him" Isabelle looked mutinous. "I shouldnt have to"
OMG . im seriously so excited for the next in the series, just to find out what happens with isabelle and simon. Im starting to hate jace more & more so -.- TEAM SIMON & ISABELLE!!!
Otherwise, the plot is great. There's alot going on, so its really interesting to follow. I liked this one. I still think there's something wrong with me however. everyone is in love with this series, yet i lack that feeling. I mean i like it... but i dont think about it after reading it. Unlike beautiful creatures, Soul Screamers & curse workers- which i think about constantly, Mortal instruments isnt usually on my mind. Cant put my finger on what the story lacks though.
The saddest mooment... & most shocking, is probebly when clary thought she killed jace. i wont say TOO much about it... but i had a mini heart attack. & i almost cried . which NEVER happens. i havent cried during a novel ever since my sisters keeper. So, it was a huge moment.
Seeing Jace under control by sebastian is something. my feelings for jace were already iffy, but once he was taken control of, i just simply goy annoyed. i think its Clary & Jace that put me off about TMI, because i have this love-hate thing going on for them. At moments i love them & pity them... other times, i just want them to go away & be replaces by simon & isabelle.
I just hate sebastian. at first i kinda liked him.. he seemed innocent & misunderstood. and the way he treater clary was so... brotherly. but after... when he got his freak on... well yeah. love died. creepy mother fucker.
I died on a Thursday-killed by a monster intent on stealing my soul. The good news? He didn't get it. The bad news? Turns out not even death will get you out of high school... Covering up her own murder was one thing, but faking life is much harder than Kaylee Cavanaugh expected. After weeks spent "recovering," she's back in school, fighting to stay visible to the human world, struggling to fit in with her friends and planning time alone with her new reaper boyfriend. But to earn her keep in the human world, Kaylee must reclaim stolen souls, and when her first assignment brings her face-to-face with an old foe, she knows the game has changed. Her immortal status won't keep her safe. And this time Kaylee isn't just gambling with her own life....
5 freakin' kisses!!!!!!
Oh. My. God. Before I wake WAS INSANE. HOLY GOD. This was truly amazing, vincent has done it again. Seriously, you guys know im a horribly harsh reviewer. I am. I'm hard to please, but am I Wrong to expect good writting, a deep plot & intruiging characters? Well dont worry- for those who are like me... look no further. the Soul screamers series has it all. I am seriously in shock. I havent felt this way about a novel since Beautiful Creatures. and y'all know how i like me some beautiful creatures ;D. So honestly.... amazing series.
I love Tod. Just shut up and understand... I love love love love Tod. . . . . . . k. good.
So Before I wake Follows up on Kaylee's return from the dead. Well, she's still dead. But She now works for the ressurection facility- like how Tod's a reaper. At first its all peachy, she doesnt think much of it all.... until her first mission. She comes face to face with Thane. SHOCKER ?! I swear no one in this novel knows how to STAY dead. -.- from there, everything is downhill. its really hard to say anything at all, because eveything in this novel is pretty much a spoiler. Seriously, you never see it coming! Here we see a new side to everyone- Kaylee, Tod, Emma, Sabine, Nash, & we even catch Lidya.(sp?) too lazy to check my spelling of her name..... . Also, we find out what Avari & his fellow demons have been planning. All in all, just know- you DO say goodbye to about 3 beloved characters. and one is hi-bye. i know that wont make any sense at the moment, BUT IT WILL .. I PROMISE. One character goes Hi-Bye. Kinda dead but not really. & 3 die. its so sad, almost cried :/
The plot is intruiging, absoloutly loved it. But then again, when isnt soul screamers intruiging? Nash defenitly reedemed himself for me. If you look at the rest of my reviews, I thought he was Ok from MSTT -MSTS. I Hated him in MSTK . MSTS(steal) was iffy. It was a love hate. In If i die, I mostly hated him again.. but it was laced with pity. Now he is officially redeemed. You'll be suprised, Even though he stays jealous, which he has a point to be, he defenitly proves he can still be there for Kaylee & Tod. Which i loved about him. GOO NASHHYYY ! I also Love Sabine. So weird, I know :s
Overall... this was amazing & heart breaking. You WILL be suprised. You WILL Pity. You WILL be shocked ( & possibly want to pull out your hair...). & You WILL finish the book with a face similar to this... :OOOOOOO . ehm. yes.
Sparks fly when a Native American girl with a killer swing joins the boys’ varsity golf team and takes on the boy with the killer smile. Don’t miss this heartwarming and emotional new romantic contemporary!
:O how good does that sound??! I know you must be drooling now *wink, wink* BUT, we shall further teaase you with this brand spankin' new teaser trailer !!
enjoy :)
Go ahead & share the trailer everyone! This highly anticipated novel will be coming your way very soon :)
So first off, I absoloutly LOVE you all ! thank you so much all for the follows ! I remember when i first had 2 followers... i was the happiest person on earth LOL. Now here i am at 100 :D hopefully the next celebration will be for 200, yes?
So in order to honour my amazing followers, I have 2 giveaways going on !
The first Giveaway will be to win this 'xo reads' Lips necklace, to represent the Blog's Logo !
Cool huh?!
and also, I'll be giving away a copy of one of my all time favorite novels Soul Screamers
Ill be giving the first one, titled My soul to take
So enter the rafflecopter Below & Goodluck !!!
I lovee youu allllll
xo
Rola <3
The entire school's talking about the gorgeous new math teacher, Mr. Beck. Everyone except Kaylee Cavanaugh. After all, Kaylee's no ordinary high-school junior. She's a banshee—she screams when someone dies.
But the next scream might be for Kaylee.
Yeah—it's a shock to her, too. So to distract herself, Kaylee's going to save every girl in school. Because that hot new teacher is really an incubus who feeds on the desire of unsuspecting students. The only girls immune to his lure are Kaylee and Sabine, her boyfriend's needy ex-girlfriend. Now the unlikely allies have to get rid of Mr. Beck…before he discovers they aren't quite human, either.
But Kaylee's borrowed lifeline is nearing its end. And those who care about her will do anything to save her life.
5 Smokin' Kisses
Oh. My. God. This was fucking amazing.
Let me just say one thing & get it out.............. TEAM TOD <333333333333333333333 ehm, kk- we're good.
seriously, vincent knows how to give us a kick-ass story. the only soul screamers novel i didn't absoloutly love was my soul to keep... but all the others were perfection.
i cant decide if i like my soul to steal more or if i die... but let me tell you, if you havent read this series... START NOW. & if you have? WELL WHAT THE FUCK YOU WAITING FOR, GO BUY THIS N O W .
“I could have kissed you months ago, but it wouldn’t have meant anything. I wished for you to see me. And want me. So…did you mean it?” “Yes,” I said, and some unnamed tension inside me eased. “I see you, Tod.”
omg isn't that so beautiful? i just love tod so much :'( nash is so annoying, but i actually started to like him again in if i die . i started to feel bad for him; i've always had a love-hate thing going on with him. ever since my soul to keep i hated him- not i like him again... but still...... <3 Tod <3 :*
"You’re the brightest thing I’ve ever seen, Kaylee. You’re this beautiful ball of fire spitting sparks out at the world, burning fiercely, holding back the dark by sheer will. And I always knew that if I reached out—if I tried to touch you—I’d get burned. Because you’re not mine. I’m not supposed to feel the fire. I’m not supposed to want it. But I do. I want you, Kaylee, like I’ve never wanted anything. Ever. I want the fire. I want the heat, and the light, and I want the burn.”
in if i die, you witness everything in chaos. Kaylee's dad has gone insane, trying to bargain for Kaylee's life. Sabine & Kaylee continue their love-hate relationship- dealing with Mr.Beck together & fighting over Nash. Kaylee & Sabine make a deal; Nash is Kaylee's until she dies & once she does, Sabine can have him. This puts them on good terms.... until Kaylee realizes that it's not Nash that she wants. This novel was all about discovery, & i loved it. Kaylee decided thats he didn't want to die a virgin, so decided that she was ready to have sex with Nash. howver everytime that moment comes, something or someone stops them. Kaylee realizes that sometimes trust can never be redeemed- and the things that you least expect to happen, can mean the most to you.
seriously, this was one phenomenal novel. i cant get over it.
just a word of advice- get ready to be shocked & decieved. to pity & love.... If i die has it all!
A thought-provoking and exciting start to a riveting new dystopian trilogy.
